From Beyoncé to Brat summer: A year in culture

It was the year Beyoncé donned her stetson for Cowboy Carter, Taylor Swift conquered the world on her Eras tour and King Charles appeared in a vivid bright red in his royal portrait.

It was also 12 months when the British Museum showcased a handful of its recovered stolen gems and Charli XCX rebranded the summer in slime green, with her album Brat.

These are some of the highlights from an eclectic year in culture.

Poor Tom Hollander.

One minute he was watching his friend perform on stage (for a £300 salary), while the Rev actor sat “smugly in the audience”, having just received about £30,000 for a BBC show.

But after doing a swift check of his emails during the interval, he found a payslip labelled “Box office bonus for The Avengers”. He had wrongly received a paycheque intended for Spider-Man actor and near-namesake Tom Holland, as they had briefly shared the same agent.

“It was an astonishing amount of money,” he told Late Night host Seth Meyers. “It was not his salary. It was his first box office bonus. Not the whole box office bonus, the first one. And it was more money than I’d ever [seen]. It was a seven-figure sum.”

“My feeling of smugness disappeared,” he added.

Two Madonna fans tried to sue the singer for showing up late to one of her concerts in New York. Michael Fellows and Jason Alvarez were incensed that the star took to the stage at 22:30 – two hours later than expected – and didn’t wrap up the show until after 01:00.

In a lawsuit filed in New York, they claimed her tardiness impacted their sleep and their ability to “get up early to go to work” the next day.

In response, Madonna’s lawyers argued “no reasonable concertgoer – and certainly no Madonna fan” – would expect her to take to the stage at the advertised time.

The case was later dismissed without a settlement.

Gems stolen from the British Museum were seen for the first time, when they were put on display.

In August, last year, the museum announced up to 2,000 objects from its storerooms were missing, stolen or damaged.

Ten of the gems retrieved by the museum were showcased in an exhibition there this month.

So far, the museum says 626 items have been recovered and they have new leads for a further 100 objects.

Word of mouth hit and cult Japanese bestseller, Asako Yuzuki’s Butter, took the literary world by storm.

This compelling novel about a gourmet chef and serial killer who gets her comeuppance was inspired by a true story and examines society’s relationship with food, misogyny and violence.

Author Pandora Skyes wrote: “Butter will churn your brain and your stomach with panache.”

The 40th anniversary of London Fashion week saw more than 60 designers hit the capital to showcase their autumn/winter collections.

It wasn’t just the designers descending upon London though, as the likes of Barry Keoghan, Central Cee and Skepta were among the famous faces packing out the front rows.

Original supermodel Naomi Campbell capped off the whirlwind few days as she walked the runway at Burberry’s closing show.

Love was very much in the air as romantic floral-themed collections dominated – Susan Fang’s collaboration with Victoria’s Secret had a Valentine’s Day theme while Richard Quinn embraced high society elegance as he paid homage to the Victorian era.

The elusive street artist Banksy appeared to reveal what his first name is, in a lost BBC interview.

Banksy’s real identity has never been revealed, but the interview gave his fans, who include many A-list celebrities, a rare chance to hear his voice.

In the 2003 recording, now on BBC Sounds in The Banksy Story, reporter Nigel Wrench asks him if he is called “Robert Banks”, and the artist replies: “It’s Robbie.”

In August, the world-famous artist completed nine days of pop-up animal artworks dotted around London, ending with a piece on the shutters of London Zoo.

Percival Everett’s James was shortlisted for this year’s Booker Prize and it was a popular choice. but was pipped by fellow favourite Orbital by Elizabeth Harvey (her dazzling space tale was published in 2023).

Everett’s action-packed reimagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was both harrowing and ferociously funny, as it re-told Mark Twain’s classic tale from the enslaved Jim’s point of view.

James had been joint-favourite to win the Booker Prize, but was beaten by Orbital, by Elizabeth Harvey (her space tale – the biggest-selling book on the shortlist in the UK – was published in 2023).

Schadenfreude has never been so sweet. Standing in a room full of record label executives who’d refused to release her debut album, Raye picked up award after award after award for the very same record, which she’d released independently in 2023.

She earned six Brits in total, including artist and album of the year.

Viewers compared it to the moment, when Julia Roberts, in the film Pretty Woman, returns to the shop that had refused her custom, brandishing the bags of clothes she bought elsewhere.

“This has been the best night of my life,” Raye told the BBC. “And luckily they got it all on camera so I can watch it back.”

We should have realised Beyoncé was a little bit country. Not only does she hail from Texas, but she ended her Renaissance tour by riding around football stadiums on a giant glitterball horse. The signs were there all along.

She made it official in March with the release of Cowboy Carter, an album inspired by righteous anger (she was treated like a pariah at the 2016 Country Music Awards), and a desire to explore country music’s forgotten black roots.

Over 27 sprawling tracks, Beyoncé tipped her hat to rodeo culture, the chitlin’ circuit, Honky Tonk, bluegrass, folk and gospel – connecting the dots between genres, and daring the country music establishment to look itself in the eye.

It flinched, of course. Acclaimed as it was, Cowboy Carter failed to pick up a single nomination at the 2024 Country Music Awards.

The seven-part Netflix series became one of the most talked about TV shows of the year.

Scottish writer and comedian Richard Gadd recounted what Netflix said was the true story of him being stalked and harassed by a woman called Martha.

It was compelling viewing and triggered an ongoing court case with the woman said to have inspired the character of Martha suing Netflix in the US, over what she called the “brutal lies” of the dark comedy drama.

Netflix has said: “We intend to defend this matter vigorously and to stand by Gadd’s right to tell his story.”

One hundred life-size cast iron figures appeared in the grounds of an 18th Century house in Norfolk, in the latest major artwork by Sir Antony Gormley.

The artist used his own body to mould the sculptures, which have been placed around Houghton Hall, in an installation called Time Horizon.

They are similar to his famous iron men on Crosby beach in Merseyside.

They started as friends, but Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s relationship turned in a protracted, public spat.

Their anger escalated over a series of 10 diss tracks, incorporating everything from playground insults (Drake mocked Lamar’s height), to serious criminal allegations (Drake accused Lamar of domestic abuse, to which the rapper branded his rival a “certified paedophile”).

The beef produced an all-time classic in the shape of Not Like Us – earning Lamar four Grammy nominations and a spot at next year’s Super Bowl half-time show.

But many hip-hop heads were disappointed at how low the rappers had stooped.

Spring also saw the highly anticipated publication of Salman Rushdie’s Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder. The renowned author recounted the horrific attack he had suffered, which caused both physical and emotional trauma, including leaving him blind in one eye.

Rushdie told the BBC that he had used the book as a way of fighting back against what happened.

If you were looking for something lighter, David Nicholls made a triumphant return with You Are Here, a warming romcom featuring an unlikely pair (reminiscent of One Day’s Emma and Dexter).

It all started with the Barbie press tour in 2023 when Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling sported pink-laden outfits that were as iconic as the Mattel doll’s on the red carpet.

This year, it was Zendaya that embraced method dressing with her red carpet looks playfully toying with the tennis theme of her new film, Challengers.

From a dress that looked like a tennis lawn to Loewe tennis ball shoes, the Hollywood star served some ace looks that we won’t forget any time soon.

The first official painted portrait of King Charles III since his coronation was unveiled at Buckingham Palace.

The vast oil on canvas shows a larger-than-life King Charles in the uniform of the Welsh Guards.

The vivid red work, measuring about 8ft 6in (2.6m) by 6ft 6in (2m), is by Jonathan Yeo, who has also painted Sir Tony Blair, Sir David Attenborough and Malala Yousafzai.

Queen Camilla is said to have looked at the painting and told Yeo: “Yes, you’ve got him.”

Eurovision’s official slogan is “united by music”, but this year’s contest was derailed by politics, backstage tension and in-fighting.

The run-up to the contest was overshadowed by protests over Israel’s participation, amid the country’s war in Gaza. Contestants from several nations came under pressure to boycott the show, Israel’s entrant Eden Golan reportedly faced death threats, and there were multiple reports of backstage harassment.

Dutch contestant Joost Klein was disqualified at the last minute after a Swedish crew member complained about “threatening” behaviour outside his dressing room. Police later said an investigation had produced no evidence of a threat.

And the Swiss star Nemo, who won the contest, accidentally broke their trophy.

Manchester’s Co-op Live arena opened… eventually, after several highly publicised and highly embarrassing delays.

The setbacks included part of a ventilation duct falling from the ceiling shortly before an audience was let in, which its boss said was “almost catastrophic”.

However, the £365m venue, the UK’s biggest indoor arena, did get up and running and has staged some major gigs this year including Liam Gallagher, Eagles, Sir Paul McCartney and the MTV European Music Awards.

Colm Tóibín’s breakout novel Brooklyn (2009) followed the life of Irish woman Eilis Lacey, who moved Stateside before secretly marrying and settling.

In his sequel, Long Island, eager readers returned to find the enigmatic Eilis living in the suburbs with her Italian-American husband, Tony, and teenage children, Rosella and Larry. She is soon drawn back to her small home town in County Wexford (from where Tóibín hails) for a family celebration, and finds old flame Jim still lurking in the shadows.

Echoing the journey of his protagonist, the author also lives in the US but told the Guardian that he tries to write part of each novel in Enniscorthy. “Once I can do something on that stretch, it becomes sort of magical,” he said. “I mean a subdued sort of magical.”

Sir Ian McKellen was in “good spirits” after falling off stage during a performance of Player Kings at the Noël Coward theatre in London.

The actor, 85, cried out in pain, calling for help, and a staff member rushed to assist.

Sir Ian had been performing in a fight scene when he seemed to lose his footing. He was taken to hospital and the play was cancelled.

He later pulled out of the theatre’s run to recover from breaking his wrist and chipping one of his vertebrae, and said in September he was taking the rest of the year off.

As they headlined Glastonbury for a record fifth time, Coldplay brought out an array of guest stars, from Little Simz to Palestinian singer Elyanna.

But they saved the best ’til last, in the shape of Back To The Future actor Michael J Fox. The star, who has been battling Parkinson’s Disease since 1991, received a rush of affection from the 100,000+ audience, as he played two songs – Humankind and Fix You – from his wheelchair.

Martin later said the moment had been a dream come true – because watching Fox play Johnny B Goode in Back To The Future had inspired him to play music.

“It’s so trippy to me that we get to play with him because it just feels like being seven and being in heaven,” he told US chat show host Jimmy Fallon.

The official colour of summer 2024 was slime green, and the official soundtrack was hedonistic house bangers – all thanks to Charli XCX and her sixth album, Brat.

The record represented a specific, bad-ass spirit. Charli characterised it as “a Bic lighter and a strappy white top with no bra”.

There was certainly a bulletproof bravado to tracks like 360 and Von Dutch (“it’s ok to admit that you’re jealous of me”); but they were balanced by moments of naked vulnerability, as Charli explored female rivalry and her changing attitude to motherhood.

Formerly a cult favourite among pop fans, Brat made Charli into a mainstream phenomenon.

While many have been talking about superhero fatigue, no one seems to have told Marvel’s foul-mouthed anti-hero Deadpool.

In this hugely successful third instalment Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool teamed up with with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine to try and save his universe.

Jennifer Aniston criticised Donald Trump’s then vice-presidential candidate, JD Vance, for resurfaced comments calling Democrats a “bunch of childless cat ladies with miserable lives”.

The Friends actress, 55, posted a 2021 interview with Mr Vance, and she wrote on Instagram: “I truly can’t believe that this is coming from a potential VP of the United States.

“All I can say is… Mr Vance, I pray that your daughter is fortunate enough to bear children of her own one day.”

He later defended his position, saying: “Obviously it was a sarcastic comment… The substance of what I said… I’m sorry, it’s true.”

The Young V&A, which describes itself as the most joyful museum in the world, won the 2024 Museum of the Year award, with a £120,000 prize.

The east London venue, a branch of the Victoria and Albert Museum, reopened in July 2023 after being closed for a three-year £13m redevelopment. It was formerly called the V&A Museum of Childhood.

The biggest tour of all time came to a grinding halt when evidence was uncovered of a “planned terrorist attack” as Taylor Swift played in Austria.

Security officials said a 19-year-old was planning to kill “a large crowd of people” in a suicide attack. Three people were arrested in connection with the plot.

About 195,000 fans had been expected to attend the shows, and many took to the streets of Vienna in a show of solidarity and defiance after the cancellations.

Swift said the incident “filled me with a new sense of fear”, but thanked authorities “because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives”.

The tour resumed with a record-breaking run at London’s Wembley Stadium. When it wrapped up in December, Swift had made a record $2bn (£1.6bn) at the box office.

What started as a rumour quickly became front page news, as Liam and Noel Gallagher set aside more than a decade of resentment and announced they were reforming Oasis.

“The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over,” they said in a statement.

In some respects, we’ll miss the feud. Liam repeatedly called Noel a “potato”. Noel memorably described his brother as “a man with a fork in a world of soup”.

But comedy’s loss is music’s gain. Despite a farcical ticket sale, in which prices magically doubled in front of fans’ eyes, anticipation for their 2025 stdaium tour is sky-high.

The BBC apologised to actor Amanda Abbington after she complained about her treatment by her professional dance partner Giovanni Pernice when she took part in the 2023 series Strictly Come Dancing.

It was widely reported that while complaints of verbal bullying and harassment were upheld, claims of physical aggression by Pernice were were not.

Earlier this year, the BBC confirmed Pernice would not return to the Strictly professional line-up for the new series.

“This apology means a great deal to me,” Abbington said. “So too does the fact that the BBC have acknowledged the steps that were put in place to support and protect me and past contestants were “not enough”.

Pernice said: “The majority of the false allegations have been thrown out by the review. It has been an extremely difficult year, reading story after story and not being able to say anything in return.”

Critics dished out rave reviews for a new Vincent Van Gogh exhibition at London’s National Gallery, which runs until 19 January next year.s

The Guardian, Telegraph, Time Out and the Times each awarded it five stars.

The show features more than 60 pieces painted by the Dutch artist, who died in 1890 aged 37.

The Times called it a “once-in-a-century” show, while the Guardian said it was a “riveting rollercoaster ride from Arles to the stars”.

In a case filed in New York, hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs was accused of kidnapping, drugging and coercing women into sexual activities.

Prosecutors described the star as the head of a criminal enterprise that used threats of violence to force women into participating in drug-fuelled orgies with male prostitutes, known as “freak-offs”.

Combs, who is also facing more than two dozen civil legal cases, denied the charges, and vowed to fight them in court.

However, he was denied bail three times, after judges heard he posed “a serious risk of witness tampering“.

His trial is set to begin on 5 May, 2025.

Literary darling Sally Rooney returned with her fourth novel, Intermezzo, which received rave reviews from critics.

The book follows two brothers, who seemingly have little in common, but have to navigate their way through grief together following the death of a close family member.

Like Rooney’s other novels, chapters alternate from the point of views of different characters. Both brothers are in relationships with age gaps.

“I feel like the older I get the more freedom I have to write about a greater range of life experiences,” Rooney, 33, told the Guardian.

A shockwave vibrated around the world as news emerged from Argentina that One Direction star Liam Payne had died, at the age of just 31.

The singer, who had been in the country to watch a show by his bandmate Niall Horan, fell from the third-floor balcony of his hotel room and sustained fatal injuries. Three people have been charged in connection with his death.

Friends, family and fans all paid tribute. “His greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honour to be alongside him as he did it,” said Harry Styles.

“I can’t explain to you what I’d give to just give you a hug one last time,” added Zayn Malik.

The largest restoration of Rembrandt’s masterpiece, The Night Watch, began at the Rijksmuseum, in Amsterdam.

Following five years of research using techniques such as digital imaging and artificial intelligence, eight restorers will begin “Operation Night Watch” by removing the varnish from the painting – in full view of the public, within the glass-enclosed space in The Night Watch Room.

The varnish, applied during a 1975-76 restoration, will be removed using microfibre cloths and cotton swabs.

It’s been a golden year for the outspoken women of pop.

Whether it was Chappell Roan dripping with sapphic disdain on Good Luck, Babe; or Sabrina Carpenter winking theatrically through the innuendo-laden Espresso, the charts were full of whip-smart lyrics from women who weren’t afraid to speak their minds.

Even the Grammys, never knowingly in touch with the zeitgeist, couldn’t help but pay attention.

Carpenter and Roan got six nominations each; Charli XCX picked up seven; and Beyoncé grabbed 11 – making her the most-nominated artist of all time, with a running total of 99.

The winners will be announced in Los Angeles next February.

He’s one of the most recognisable faces on British television.

But in November, Gregg Wallace stepped aside from presenting MasterChef after a BBC News investigation revealed allegations of inappropriate sexual comments and inappropriate behaviour against him.

In an Instagram video, he blamed a “handful of middle-class women of a certain age” for the claims – which he later apologised for.

Masterchef’s production company Banijay UK has launched a probe and said Wallace is co-operating, while his lawyers have denied he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.

It all started with the Timothée Chalamet lookalike competition in New York which attracted the real actor himself.

Shortly after, similar contests popped up across the US and UK with men vaguely resembling the likes of Harry Styles, Dev Patel and Paul Mescal entering into the competitions.

While you might have needed to squint to see the resemblance, the events were a way to “get people together to have a wholesome time and make new friends” according to the Dev Patel lookalike winner.

A year after Barbenheimer electrified cinema audiences, two more very different movies went up against each other at the box office.

Both Gladiator II and Wicked Part I were huge hits, taking in hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide.

When it comes to awards though, Wicked seems to have the edge with Cynthia Erivo who plays Elphaba being touted as a potential Best Actress winner at the Oscars.

Comedian Chris McCausland was both Strictly Come Dancing’s first blind contestant, along with being its first blind winner of the glitterball trophy.

The former salesman, who got into comedy in the early 2000s, was the bookmakers’ favourite to win.

McCausland, 47, was registered blind after losing his sight to retinitis pigmentosa in his 20s.

He said his win was for Buswell, “and for everyone out there who’s got told they couldn’t do something or thought they couldn’t do it”.

After quite a few setbacks, British powerhouse Adele finally ended her Las Vegas residency in December 2024 after more than two years.

Performing 100 shows at the 4,000-capacity Caesar’s Palace, there were plenty of viral moments for the singer, mostly involving the Brit crying over something emotional or getting wrapped up in storytelling.

Earlier this year she said she would be taking a “big break” from music after a mammoth run in the US city.

“I’m so sad this residency is over but I am so glad that it happened, I really, really am,” she told fans at her final show. “I will miss it terribly, I will miss you terribly. I don’t know when I next want to perform again,” she added.

Written by Mark Savage, Lizo Mzimba, Emma Saunders, Helen Bushby, Ian Youngs, Annabel Rackham, Yasmin Rufo and Noor Nanji.