According to a recent study, engaging with arts and cultural activities regularly could help slow down ageing. With that in mind, we’ve curated a juicy selection of cultural prescriptions.
Exhibitions about pop fandoms and masculinity, TV shows about power and sex, movies about fallen Galactic empires – there’s something to elongate everyone’s longevity in this week’s list.
So, grab your diaries and put the trainers down – who needs jogging when you’ve got Jedis?
Exhibitions
Holy Pop!
When: 21 May – 19 August 2026
Where: Somerset House (London, UK)
As society has moved further away from religion, devoutness has manifested itself in the communal chaos and kitsch of pop culture fandoms instead. While many of these expressions of love now appear in digital formats – from TikTok fan edits to Instagram ‘Stan’ accounts – others remain more tangible, curated on mantels or collaged into scrapbooks. All of them share the same things in common: obsession, connection and a tender creativity. London’s Somerset House dips into this strange, colourful and fascinating world, where hyperfixations have transformed celebrities and fictional characters into contemporary saints.
Manosphere: Masculinity Today
When: Until 2 August 2026
Where: Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam, the Netherlands)
Masculinity has never felt so fraught. In an age rife with performative ideologies and egocentric male figureheads, young men’s sense of identity has become skewed, its already fragile parts increasingly pulled towards hatred and anger. You only need to watch Louis Theroux’s recent documentary on the subject of the manosphere – a collection of online forums that promote misogyny – to feel deeply concerned. Through an assembly of innovative artistry, the Stedelijk Museum contrasts such aggressive masculinity and its traditional beliefs with the sinewy insecurities that lurk beneath it. It questions what it is to be a man, while revealing the many forms gender identity can take.
Bonus highlight: Newly opened, ‘Rembrandt 1632 – Creation of a Brand’ is on at Wilhelmshöhe Palace in Kassel, Germany, until 16 August 2026
Movies
Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu
Where: European cinemas
When: 22 May
Set approximately five or more years after the events of Return of the Jedi, this latest entry into the Star Wars cinematic universe sees two beloved characters make their big screen debut: Grogu (AKA Baby Yoda) and Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal). The pair are called in to assist the New Republic in combatting evil Imperial warlords across the galaxy, who will stop at nothing to restore the evil Empire’s rule.
The original Mandalorian series ended in 2023, and remains one of Disney+’s most popular shows. And is it any wonder why? Pedro Pascal and an adorable little Jedi Grand Master in the making? It’s the ultimate recipe for success.
And even if it flops? As Yoda once said: “The greatest teacher, failure is”.
Bonus highlight: A young musician teams up with a psychology student to track down his dream girl in rom-com Finding Emily, our in select cinemas 22 May
TV series
Rivals
Where: Disney+
When: Out now
It’s hot, it’s steamy, and it’s full of addictively raucous 80s pomp! Rivals, based on a 1988 novel of the same name by Jilly Cooper, is ideal post-work escapism – a blend of campy tension and nostalgia-inflated hilarity.
Centred around a rivalry between a former Olympian/ Tory politician (Rupert Campbell-Black) and a former TV mogul (David Tennant), their fight for control over a TV empire becomes an allegory for the decade’s debauchery. Expect illicit affairs and drama bigger than the costume department’s shoulder pads – this one just keeps getting juicier and juicier.
Bonus highlight: Everybody’s favourite messy animated duo Rick and Marty return to Adult Swim for a 9th season on 24 May (with a wider release on HBO Max set for 31 August).
Music
Bleachers: Everyone for Ten Minutes
When: 22 May
Founded by Grammy award-winning musician and producer Jack Antonoff, Bleachers is one of those bands on heavy rotation in motivational playlists. Known for their high energy anthems, influenced by retro rock, ‘Everyone for Ten Minutes’ is their sixth studio album release and focuses on themes around personal growth, connection, and navigating life with optimism – something we could all do with more of right now!
Bonus highlight: The surrealist, musical poetry of Aja Monet returns with her second album, ‘The Color of Rain’, releasing 22 May.