Culture

‘We had no future. So we made a future for ourselves’: the untold history of Welsh reggae sound systems

A country known more for rock and choral music became a hotspot of the dub reggae sound system scene in the 70s. Rival crews recall Cardiff’s riotous parties – and racist hostility

An ugly year for the Louvre: where does the world's biggest museum go from here?

After a heist and the departure of its boss, the French institution wrestles with water leaks, strikes and much-criticised plans for a €1bn renovation

Parrtjima is a desert festival worth travelling for in 2026

Under the starry desert sky in central Australia, Parrtjima returns in April with an immersive celebration of Aboriginal culture and connection

The Taliban are burning musical instruments in the name of morality. It is an assault on all culture

The sounds of Afghan history are being erased to prevent music’s ‘moral corruption’ of the Afghan people. We can help keep Afghanistan’s music alive. Plus, Eliane Radigue’s deep listening, and the brilliance of Sinners’s score

‘I really believe in revivals of Black work’: why a director brought back Chadwick Boseman’s play Deep Azure

The late actor’s writing was overshadowed by roles in blockbusters. Now, Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu is giving his play about grief the audience it deserves

Temple of Boom! Why Taiwan's Religious Sites Are Becoming Unlikely Rave Venues

Dance culture faces barriers in Taiwan, with frequent raids on nightclubs. But Temple Meltdown is trying a different tack, with sound systems overseen by gods

Myth, monsters and making sense of a disenchanted world: why everyone is reading fantasy

I have made the leap from literary fiction to fantasy – for those who think it’s mere wish-fulfilment, here’s why we need that thing with the dragons

'A reminder of how careless I was': from cringe cartoons to cancelled rockstars, the tattoos fans regret

What happens when you’re sporting signs of your devotion long after your idol has fallen from grace? Meet the fans whose tattoos have become embarrassing – even problematic

Why the 'Wuthering Heights' Movie Is Infantilizing

A few months ago, the musician Patrick Cosmos shared a “new unified theory of American reality” that he called “everyone is twelve now”—an attempt to explain an executive branch that endorses AI-generated videos of the president dropping poop on protesters from a shiny jet, and that replies to official press queries with the words your mom. Everyone is 12 is a strikingly effective summary of contemporary politics, but it also helps us understand why a good amount of popular culture feels as brain-numbingly dense as it currently does. Why is Nicki Minaj throwing insults at one of Cardi B’s children and generating images of her as the purple dinosaur Barney? Everyone is 12. Why is Kim Kardashian the star of a fur-swaddled drama about Bentley-driving divorce lawyers with seven-figure clothing budgets? Everyone is 12. Why has Emerald Fennell adapted one of the more chasmic and ambitious tragedies in English literature into a poppy, gooey, thuddingly literal work of sexy fan fiction? Everyone is … you get it.

'Be the lion, feel the lion': the grueling life of lunar new year lion dancers

Sydney’s Qing Fong dance troupe undergoes intensive training for their busiest period of the year, when they will perform more than 100 times and earn ‘lots of pats’ from the crowd

Pizza Hut feasts and improvised altars: lunar new year in Australia’s small town Chinese restaurants

They’re normally behind the wok or taking orders, year-round. But when it’s time to celebrate, these Chinese restaurant families create their own traditions

Snippets? Apps? Visuals? Why classical music should stop trying to be pop

Classical music’s blessing is also its curse: you’ve simply got to pay it attention. Plus: No wonder Rossini was an Olympics hit – he invented disco