A Week in The Arts. Saturday the 20th of September 2025

Subscribe today so you never miss an episode! Today on A Week in The Arts we reported on major developments across literature, music, theatre, fashion, and visual culture. Arthur Sze was named U.S. Poet Laureate amid Library of Congress upheaval (AP News). Massive Attack pulled their music from Spotify in protest of CEO Daniel Ek’s €600 million investment in military AI (The Guardian). Madonna reunited with Warner Records and teased Confessions Part 2, due in 2026 (People.com). Swedish punk legends Refused announced final shows but promised a rebirth as a new band (Pitchfork). Paul Cocksedge’s installation What Nelson Sees opened in Trafalgar Square for the London Design Festival (The Guardian). A new Resident Evil film set in the game universe was announced for 2026 (EW.com). Bulgari launched its Kaleidos exhibition in Tokyo (Vogue). The Monterey Jazz Festival saw leadership changes ahead of its 68th season (DownBeat). The Flanders Festival canceled the Munich Philharmonic over controversy around Lahav Shani (Deutsche Welle). Opera Philadelphia reinvented itself with $11 tickets and multimedia premieres (The New York Times). Tomas Lindberg of At the Gates passed away at 52 (Pitchfork). Talia Byre made her runway debut at London Fashion Week (Vogue). The Royal Shakespeare Company sought major staff cuts amid financial strain (The Guardian). A Broadway revival of Dreamgirls was announced for Fall 2026 (Playbill). Christie’s will auction Hockney’s rare Isherwood double-portrait for $50M+ (Christie’s). Rodrigo Abd won the 2025 POY Latam Photojournalist of the Year (AP News). Christelle Oyiri debuted her Dead God Flow installation in Berlin (Artforum). Finally, Grammy-winning songwriter Brett James tragically died in a plane crash in North Carolina (People.com). These news summaries were written using AI technology. While every effort has been made to ensure factual accuracy, occasional mistakes or omissions may occur. Your understanding is appreciated, and we warmly welcome any feedback to help us continue improving the quality of our reporting. Thank you for being part of our journey!