If you're still reeling from the recent heatwaves across Europe, no sweat! This week's recommendations promise a cool reprieve.
Whether you decide to stay in and binge-watch Lena Dunham's new rom-com series, hide out in an air-conned cinema with Superman, or head to Helsinki for their beautiful Biennial - we've sifted through the culture overwhelm so you don't have to.
Alongside the recommendations below, be sure to check out our rankings of The Best Albums and The Best Movies of 2025 so far. What a strong year it's been! And with plenty more exciting stuff on the horizon, here's hoping it can only get better...
Exhibitions and events
More Than Human
Where: Design Museum (London, UK)
When: 11 July - 5 October 2025
Over the past decade, as the urgency of climate change has grown, architects and designers have increasingly shifted their focus to sustainability. This has resulted in a rise of innovative eco-friendly buildings, with notable examples being Cophenhagen's sloped, clean energy power plant CopenHill, and Mexico City’s earthquake resistant Torre Reforma. A new exhibition at London’s Design Museum is bringing together more than 50 artists, designers and researchers to explore the movement; over 140 works planting the seeds of a future beyond human-centric innovations.
Helsinki Biennial: Shelter: Below and Beyond, Becoming and Belonging
Where: Helsinki, Finland
When: Until 21 September 2025
The annual Helsinki Biennial is still a baby, having only begun in 2021. But in those four short years, it's already established itself as one of Europe's most exciting and diverse artistic showcases. Mostly taking place on the former military island of Vallisaari, which has remained uninhabited for decades, the works are powerfully intertwined with their environments in contemplations on sustainability, identity, and cultural heritage. To further prove what a big deal this event has become, some of the artists included in this year's line-up include Olafur Eliasson, Maria Thereza Alves and Yayoi Kusama. Find out more here.
Festival d'Avignon
Where: Avignon, France
When: Until 26 July
One of the world's biggest (and oldest) performing arts events, the Festival d'Avignon has been championing young theatrical talent since 1947. In light of Israel's ongoing warfare in Gaza, the 79th edition has chosen Arabic as its guest language for dozens of performances, debates, exhibitions and more.
Through its line-up of eclectic offerings, the festival merges passions and politics to educate, entertain, and make way for kinder futures. From a new show by choreographers Anne Teresa De Keersmaeke and Solal Mariotter, to a project directed by Swiss theatre director Milo Rau - there's a lot to excite and inspire!
Bonus highlights: Dolce&Gabbana's 'From the heart to the hands' in Rome until 13 August; 'Tracey Emin: Sex and Solitude' in Florence until 20 July.
Movies
Superman
Where: European cinemas
When: 11 July
It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Superman! David Corenswet dons the Big Red S in James Gunn’s launch of a new DC Universe (DCU) era. Hoping to punch its way to the top of the box office, the trailer alone lets us know we’re in for some levitating Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) kisses, a fuming Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) and Krypto the Superdog! The last time we saw Clark Kent in a main role was Zack Snyder’s widely panned Justice League (2017), but this version takes us back to the superheroes Kryptonian origins as he reckons with the human identity he’s built on earth. Here's hoping for a super strength summer blockbuster season.
Bonus highlight: Satirical documentary Pavements on MUBI from 11 July.
TV series
Too Much
Where: Netflix
When: 10 July
Eight years since Lena Dunham’s seminal millennial series Girls ended, she’s back with a new TV project that draws on her personal experiences of moving to the UK and falling in love after a bad break-up. Megan Stalter stars as melodramatic meanderer Jessica, with Dunham playing her depressed sister, and Will Sharpe the indie musician love interest. While Dunham may no longer be seen as “the voice of a generation”, she's always excelled most at confessional projects that capture the mundane, Tumblr-coded neuroses of existence. It’s guaranteed cosy, comfort TV that might grate on Dunham-haters, but is perfectly timed following the recent Girls renaissance.
Bonus highlight: Dexter: Resurrection on Paramount+ from 11 July.
Music
Wet Leg: Moisturizer
When: 11 July
It's been four years since Wet Leg took the charts by storm with their tongue-in-cheek earworm Chaise Longue. The world has been kind of obsessed with them since - but it’s only now that we’re getting a second album. The indie rockers (whose name was largely inspired by a chance emoji combination: 💦🦵) have a knack for repurposing the weird and whimsical snippets of life into prickly, brain-licky tunes. From tracks about British TV presenter Davina McCall to the 2009 horror film Jennifer's Body, that familiar eccentricity remains - but is more romantic, as the five-piece tackle themes of all-consuming love.
Bonus highlight: 20th anniversary of Exit Music Festival in Serbia from 10-13 July.
