- Béla Fleck Withdraws From Kennedy Center Concertsby Emmanuel Morgan on 7 Jan 2026
“Performing there has become charged and political,” the 18-time Grammy winner said.
- Mickey Rourke Declines $100,000 in Donations After His Evictionby Derrick Bryson Taylor on 7 Jan 2026
Rourke’s landlord said in court documents that the actor owed nearly $60,000 in rent. Rourke said he had opted not to pay rent after the home became uninhabitable.
- Bela Tarr, Titan of Slow-Moving Cinema, Is Dead at 70by Alex Marshall and Adam Nossiter on 6 Jan 2026
Called his “masterpiece,” one film, “Satantango,” is seven hours long. A favorite of critics and film festivals, he focused on the “human dignity” of marginal characters.
- Rosa von Praunheim, 83, Dies; Captured Gay Life in Germany on Filmby Clay Risen on 6 Jan 2026
His first feature-length movie, in 1971, was called his country’s “Stonewall moment,” for jump-starting a gay-rights movement. He became a leading voice of it.
- Readers Pick the Songs That Defined Their 2025by Lindsay Zoladz on 6 Jan 2026
Stories behind tracks by Fontaines D.C., Beyoncé, Nina Simone and more.
- Paris Opera Names Semyon Bychkov as Its Next Musical Directorby Roslyn Sulcas on 6 Jan 2026
Semyon Bychkov will be the musical director for a period when the opera’s performance spaces are under renovation. It’s a chance to add symphonic seasons, like at La Scala.
- Venezuelan Opposition Leader Machado Will Publish a New Bookby Alexandra Alter on 6 Jan 2026
“The Freedom Manifesto,” by María Corina Machado, will lay out the Nobel laureate’s vision for a “new era,” its publisher said.
- The Most Anticipated Book Adaptations of 2026: Movies and TV Showsby Jennifer Harlan on 6 Jan 2026
“People We Meet on Vacation,” “Wuthering Heights” and “Project Hail Mary” are some of this year’s most anticipated adaptations.
- The Best Movies and TV Shows Coming to Disney+, Amazon, HBO Max, Peacock and More in Januaryby Noel Murray on 6 Jan 2026
“The Pitt” Season 2, “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy,” “The Beauty,” “Wonder Man,” “Shrinking” Season 3 and more arrive.
- Modern American Opera Wouldn’t Be the Same Without Herby Joshua Barone on 6 Jan 2026
Beth Morrison has shepherded dozens of new works into existence over the past 20 years. And her footprint continues to grow.
- Stephen Colbert Doubts Trump Can Run Two Countries at Onceby Trish Bendix on 6 Jan 2026
“The Late Show” host said the president couldn’t possibly run two nations, because “he can’t even run.”
- Colossal Athletes Fill These Modern Arenasby Emmanuel Morgan and Jamie Lee Taete on 6 Jan 2026
Cosm, a company once focused on planetarium displays, is immersing sports fans with giant screens and desirable angles.
- ‘The Pitt’ Season 2: Behind the Scenes with Noah Wyleby Sam Anderson on 5 Jan 2026
Noah Wyle and his castmates turned one harrowing day at an E.R. into an unforgettable season of television. Can they do it again?
- 9 European Exhibitions Worth Traveling For in 2026by Emily LaBarge on 5 Jan 2026
With Björk, Parisian photography, and beauty and ugliness in the Renaissance, it’s shaping up to be an innovative year in art on the continent.
- Critics Choice Awards 2026: The Complete Winners Listby Kyle Buchanan on 5 Jan 2026
“One Battle After Another” won best picture, while the top acting honors went to Timothée Chalamet (“Marty Supreme”) and Jessie Buckley (“Hamnet”).
- This Playwright Has Seen the Future. It Isn’t Human.by Alexis Soloski on 5 Jan 2026
In “Marjorie Prime” and other works, Jordan Harrison delivers sweet-bitter anatomies of human connection mediated through technology destined to supersede us.
- 24 Fun Things to Do in NYC in January 2026by Erik Piepenburg on 5 Jan 2026
Welcome to a new year. It promises Ian McKellen, fresh jazz, free exhibitions, restored films and comedy with latkes.
- Francis Patrelle, Champion of the Story Ballet, Dies at 78by Marina Harss on 5 Jan 2026
Founding his own company, he built a tightly knit community in New York around his classes. His “Nutcracker,” set in the city in 1895, was his most popular production.
- ‘The Dutchman’ Review: André Holland Is Lost in New Yorkby Lisa Kennedy on 5 Jan 2026
The actor stars along side Kate Mara in a psychological thriller that goes deep into the Black Arts archives.
- Robert Heide, Daring Playwright and Warhol Collaborator, Dies at 91by Alex Traub on 5 Jan 2026
He helped create the Off Off Broadway theater scene, wrote and acted in Andy Warhol’s films, and turned his fascination with collectible Americana into books.
- Georgian National Ballet Brings Country’s Folk Dance to New Yorkby Marina Harss on 5 Jan 2026
The Georgian National Ballet Sukhishvili brings its blazing version of the country’s folk dances to New York.
- Dance Moves From the Street, City Editionby Brian Seibert and Vincent Tullo on 5 Jan 2026
Dancers from Detroit, Chicago and Philadelphia demonstrate the fundamentals of their styles, revealing deep historical roots.
- I’m New to Jazz. Where Do I Start?by David Renard on 5 Jan 2026
A Gen Z reader wants to get into the genre but wonders, “Who should I listen to?”
- Kevin O’Leary on ‘Marty Supreme’ and Notes He Gave Josh Safdieby Sarah Bahr on 5 Jan 2026
When it came to his film acting debut, the“Shark Tank” investor had some notes for the director Josh Safdie.
- ‘The Pitt,’ Plus 10 Things to Watch on TV This Weekby Shivani Gonzalez on 5 Jan 2026
The series, set in a Pittsburgh emergency room and starring Noah Wyle, returns. And a new group of players enter a castle in Scotland for “The Traitors.”
- Janet Fish, Painter of Luminous Still Lifes, Dies at 87by Michael S. Rosenwald on 5 Jan 2026
From her student days, she stubbornly refused to follow popular artistic trends. Instead, she spent decades exploring the effects of light on glass.
- Stephen Schwartz Criticizes Kennedy Center, Saying He Won’t Host Galaby Matt Stevens and Adam Nagourney on 4 Jan 2026
The Washington National Opera said the “Wicked” composer was scheduled to host its annual event at the center this spring.
- Marina Viotti: The Opera Star With Heavy-Metal Chopsby Roslyn Sulcas on 4 Jan 2026
The busy mezzo-soprano Marina Viotti has made a career out of versatility: “I think generally people should not do only one thing in their lives.”
- $650,000 in Pop Star Memorabilia? These Superfans Know Few Limits.by Derrick Bryson Taylor on 4 Jan 2026
For megafans of megastars like Madonna and Mariah Carey, obsessive collecting is an emotional, not a financial, investment. The tradition dates to ancient Rome.
- Overlooked No More: Pamela Colman Smith, Artist Behind a Famous Tarot Deckby Emily Palmer on 4 Jan 2026
She hand-painted around 80 illustrations for the Rider-Waite deck, which is still used around the world to predict destinies.
- For Some Nazi Loot, Value Is Measured on a Different Scaleby Milton Esterow and Michaela Towfighi on 3 Jan 2026
Heirs of families that suffered in the Holocaust have gotten back precious items: not treasured art, but the keepsakes of dead relatives.
- Julie Halston Sees Herself in Dorothy Parkerby Kathryn Shattuck on 3 Jan 2026
She stole the show in “And Just Like That …,” but theater is where the actress’s heart lies.
- Angie Katsanevas Went From Real Housewives Outsider to the Center Snowflakeby Jessica Roy on 3 Jan 2026
Angie Katsanevas has carved her own path through life, and her deadly quips on “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” have made her a breakout star.
- Violinist on Will Smith’s Tour Files Wrongful Termination Lawsuitby Jason M. Bailey on 2 Jan 2026
A lawyer for the musician, Brian King Joseph, says in the court papers that Mr. Joseph was fired after reporting sexual harassment.
- Gabriele Münter, an Overshadowed Pillar of Modern Art, Gets a Spotlightby Martha Schwendener on 2 Jan 2026
“Contours of a World” at the Guggenheim Museum includes paintings as well as photography that suggests an alternate path.
- Art Gallery Shows to See in Januaryby Will Heinrich on 2 Jan 2026
This week in Newly Reviewed, Will Heinrich covers Jana Euler’s delightful absurdity, Lotty Rosenfeld’s portraits of the Pinochet dictatorship and Erich Heckel’s eerie dream world.
- Five Horror Movies to Stream Nowby Erik Piepenburg on 2 Jan 2026
A new year brings thrillers galore, with evil emerging from a pandemic, a summer camp and a rideshare app.
- On ‘Best Medicine,’ Josh Charles Has a Heartby Alexis Soloski on 2 Jan 2026
After years of playing smarmy characters, the actor is stepping up as the lead in a comedy about a grumpy but charming doctor.
- Mohammad Bakri, Palestinian Whose Film Was Banned in Israel, Dies at 72by Adam Nossiter on 2 Jan 2026
His 2002 documentary “Jenin, Jenin” exposed the often harsh realities of life experienced by his fellow Arabs in Israel.
- 8 Things Our Critics Are Looking Forward to in 2026by Holland Cotter, Maya Phillips, James Poniewozik, Joshua Barone, Alissa Wilkinson, Mike Hale, Gia Kourlas and Jason Zinoman on 1 Jan 2026
Christopher Nolan goes (even more) epic, Lisa Kudrow makes another “Comeback” and Marcel Duchamp gets an overdue retrospective.
- ‘We Bury the Dead’ Review: A Down Under Twist on the Zombie Flickby Natalia Winkelman on 1 Jan 2026
Daisy Ridley plays a woman who hopes her husband will spring back to life after a tragedy annihilates the population of Tasmania.
- ‘The Mother and the Bear’ Review: Dating for Her Daughterby Brandon Yu on 1 Jan 2026
This Korean Canadian soap opera is a moderately charming, if blandly earnest, drama about the dissonance and frictions between immigrant parents and their children
- Review: The Met Opera Unveils ‘I Puritani’ on New Year’s Eveby Joshua Barone on 1 Jan 2026
Charles Edwards’s deceptively traditional, exceptionally sung production of Bellini’s “I Puritani” makes space for its stars.
- The Top Movies of 2025, According to Times Readers: ‘Marty Supreme’ and Moreby Stephanie Goodman on 1 Jan 2026
We asked you to vote on the best films of the year. The results ranged from big box office hits to small art-house indies.
- ‘Stranger Things’ Has Ended. What Happened in the Series Finale?by Noel Murray on 1 Jan 2026
There was a lot to tie up after five seasons and nearly 10 years, and the show gave itself another two hours to do it. Here are the major events.
- He’s Chevy Chase, and He’s Still Like Thatby Nicole Sperling on 1 Jan 2026
The famously prickly comedian found a sympathetic adversary in the director of a CNN documentary about him. Their conversation with a reporter was … spirited.
- ‘The Night Manager’ Season 2: Evoking John le Carréby Calum Marsh on 1 Jan 2026
After nearly a decade, a second season to the popular spy show is out this month. The showrunners explain how they created a sequel without a novel to draw from this time.
- The Best Movies and TV Shows Coming to Netflix in Januaryby Noel Murray on 31 Dec 2025
The first month of 2026 includes the latest Harlan Coben adaptation and the return of “Bridgerton.”
- Isiah Whitlock Jr., Scene-Stealing Character Actor in ‘The Wire,’ Dies at 71by Hannah Ziegler and Clay Risen on 31 Dec 2025
He was reliably versatile across TV and screen roles and a regular presence in Spike Lee movies like “25th Hour,” “BlacKkKlansman” and “Da 5 Bloods.”
- Richard Smallwood, 77, Choral Leader and Composer of Gospel Hits, Diesby Clay Risen on 31 Dec 2025
He sold millions of albums with the Richard Smallwood Singers, and his songs, many influenced by classical music, were recorded by stars like Whitney Houston.
- T Magazine’s Most-Read Art and Culture Features From 2025by T Magazine on 31 Dec 2025
A look at Japan’s microseasons, a retrospective on Gen X and more: These were readers’ 15 favorite stories.
- Women Directed Fewer Box Office Hits in 2025, Report Findsby Michaela Towfighi on 31 Dec 2025
The number of female filmmakers dropped to 8.1 percent this year from 13.4 percent in 2024, according to a study from the University of Southern California.
- 6 Splendid Games You May Have Missed in 2025by The New York Times on 31 Dec 2025
Check out a beat-’em-up roguelite, a superhero corporate comedy and a museum simulator.