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With just days left of the school summer holidays and the days drawing in as we enter autumn, there couldn’t be a better activity than heading to the theatre.

Here are all the shows ending (and some exciting ones launching) in the coming months:

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Shows ending soon

Hercules

Disney‘s Hercules is due to end on September 5.

The high-energy musical is based on Disney’s 1997 animated film, where Hercules sets off on a quest to prove himself as a hero.

It is a great option for Disney fans as well as families, and those who love a good singalong.

Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical

The popular immersive experience from Secret Cinema is set to end on September 13.

The interactive show allows people to fully immerse themselves in Rydell High, with actors roaming around and giant screens showing the film.

It is adult-only, but a load of fun with people getting dressed up and dancing around with actors as well as having fun on carnival attractions.

Brainiac Live!

The fun, family-friendly and interactive show Brainiac Live! is due to end on August 30.

Ideal for a last minute activity to head to with the kids before they go back to school, you can expect explosive experiments and messy stunts.

The Gruffalo

Another great family option is ending for the season soon – The Gruffalo, on September 6.

The show follows Julia Donaldson’s classic picture book.

The Tiger Who Came to Tea

Similarly, The Tiger Who Came to Tea will end on September 5 for the season.

The stage adaptation follows the story of Judith Kerr’s beloved tiger who loves a cuppa.

Now You See Me Live

Set to close on September 6, Now You See Me Live will have only run for five weeks.

Caroline McGuire, Head of Travel (Digital) recently visited and said: “This is as close to a Vegas-style magic show as you’re going to get in the UK, which is why it makes sense that the next stop on its world tour will in fact be the Nevada city.

“Without spoiling too much of the magic, the moment the escapologist is locked, handcuffed, upside down in a tank of water in a recreation of Houdini’s water torture stunt, is undoubtedly a highlight of the show.”

Death Note The Musical

Death Note The Musical will end on September 12 at the Barbican Theatre.

The show is based on the famous Japanese manga series.

Harry Potter and The Cursed Child (two parts)

The two parts of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will soon become one continuous and shortened show.

The two-part show will end on September 20 before being replaced by the reimagined one part show on October 9.

The show follows Harry’s son Albus Severus Potter who struggles with the weight of his family’s legacy.

The Comedy About Spies

The Comedy About Spies stage show is set to end on September 26.

The show is set in a 1961 London hotel where a rogue British agent steals plans for a top-secret weapon.

Stranger Things: The First Shadow

Stranger Things: The First Shadow is set to end on December 27.

The show acts as a prequel to the famous Netflix series.

Shows coming soon

10 Things I Hate About You

Dates are yet to be set but a 10 Things I Hate About You stage adaption has been announced.

The show will follow the story of the 1999 rom-com but will now feature music by Carly Rae Jepson and a book by Lena Dunham.

It will premiere on Broadway before moving to the West End.

The Greatest Showman

Set to launch in the spring and replace Hercules is Disney’s The Greatest Showman.

Based on the 2017 film by the same name, the stage adaptation will feature the film’s original songs.

High School Musical

Opening on October 12 in time for the film’s 20th anniversary is High School Musical.

The story follows Troy and Gabriella as they disrupt social cliques at East High.

The production is set to feature McFly’s Harry Judd as Coach Bolton and original film cast member Kaycee Stroh as Ms Darbus.

Pirates of the Caribbean

Opening on February 26, 2027, Secret Cinema will have their first permanent theatre in London on the Greenwich Peninsula.

And the show will be Pirates of the Caribbean: The Immersive Adventure.

Visitors can expect a walkthrough stage as well as an interactive experience.

Billy Elliot The Musical

Set to open on February 12, 2027, Billy Elliot is returning to the West End.

Revived by Elton John, the show follows a young boy in the 1980s in a Northern English mining community, who discovers he has a talent for ballet.

Dirty Dancing

Opening on October 16, Dirty Dancing will be London’s first show at the Capital Theatre.

The show will be an intimate production set at Kellerman’s 1963 resort with live music and lots of dancing.

Rent

Opening on September 26, 2026 is Rent.

The production is a 30th-anniversary West End revival of Jonathan Larson’s rock musical, which will star Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo as Mark.

The show follows a year in the life of a group of young artists and musicians in Manhattan’s East Village coping with HIV/AIDS, love, loss and community.

The Jungle Book

Launching on November 13, the National Theatre will be running a stage adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book.

The show will be set in the mangroves of the Sundarbans.

It is not a Disney musical, but instead a more serious show with original music and live puppetry.

Harry Potter and The Cursed Child (one part)

Launching on October 9, will be the new stage format of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, which will be one part not two.

It follows the same story as the two-part show, just reimagined and condensed into one performance.

Offer is open to UK residents aged 18+ only. Save an additional 10 per cent off tickets. Offer ends at 23:59pm on Thursday, December 31, 2026. Full T&Cs apply, see here.

Jack Tucker descends from the rafters inside L.A.’s Montalbán Theatre like a kamikaze crash landing into his big moment. He’s flanked by fountain fireworks while a buff guitarist with a blond mullet and glittery spandex shorts wails on guitar to the tune of Lenny Kravitz’s cover of “American Woman.” With the garish gusto of a WWE wrestler, Tucker’s entrance as the ringleader of the show “Stamptown” electrifies the stage.

But the show truly starts when it falls apart with technical mishaps. Everything breaks, guns go off, an illusionist loses his clothes and jumps fully nude into the crowd — all within the first five minutes.

It’s a chaotic comedy world created by classically trained performers, including clowns, who’ve studied the art of physical humor and shredded the rule book. For more than 10 years the Stamptown troupe led by Tucker, the alter ego of comedian Zach Zucker, has created an insane asylum on stage — from Elysian Theater in Echo Park to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. The show’s comedy thrives on failure, interruption and never actually getting to the “script.” This week the madness leaps from the stage to the screen as Stamptown premieres its first Netflix special Tuesday.

“This is a lot of people’s first time being exposed to this,” Zucker said, cracking a mischievous smile while sitting in a red velvet chair inside the empty Elysian Theater where his crew has performed “Stamptown” for years. “I have seen a man light his penis on fire 45 times in my show. I forget that when it comes to comedy, most people are used to seeing a person with one microphone stand still and talk.”

Filmed over the course of three performances during Netflix Is a Joke Fest in May, the spliced together “Stamptown” special directed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg and edited by show co-creator Dylan Woodley captures the chaos of clowning mixed with a cerebral roast of traditional comedy and plenty of playful danger. The result isn’t a piece of art but rather “a pile of art,” Zucker said.

“Our strength is being a ‘you gotta see it to believe it’ type of performance, but if I really had to boil it down, it’s a modern day vaudevillian variety show that features any and all alternative performances … our ethos is, ‘against all odds, this show works,’ ” Zucker said.

Zach Zucker tosses props in the air inside the Elysian Theater.

(Carlin Stiehl / For The Times)

On a recent afternoon, the lanky, mustachioed Zucker, wearing a T-shirt, ballcap and small hoop earrings, bears little resemblance to his comic alter ego who sports a tattered suit with gag props stuffed in every pocket. In real life, the New York native is a former baseball and basketball star athlete who went down an extremely different path to become “a bisexual traveling clown.” After enrolling in what he assumed would be an easy acting class during his senior year of high school, Zucker became obsessed with improv and comedy. His teacher advised him to check out the renowned improv troupe Second City. So he flew to Chicago to see the show “Spoiler Alert: Everybody Dies” featuring Tim Robinson, Sam Richardson, Timothy Edward Mason and more. “It changed my life,” he said.

After taking up comedy classes and street performances on the East Coast, Zucker quickly transitioned to working in theater and eventually moved to L.A. at 18 to pursue comedy, interning at Upright Citizens Brigade. He scrubbed toilets in exchange for free improv classes. It was at UCB where he first crossed paths with celebrated clown teacher Philippe Gaulier, whose former students include Sacha Baron Cohen, Rachel Weisz and Geoffrey Rush. The wily, frizzy-haired Frenchman with red-framed spectacles taught Zucker everything he knows about clowning.

“Our strength is being a ‘you gotta see it to believe it’ type of performance, but if I really had to boil it down, it’s a modern day vaudevillian variety show that features any and all alternative performances … our ethos is, ‘against all odds, this show works,’” Zach Zucker said.

(Carlin Stiehl / For The Times)

“Philippe is by far my greatest influence,” Zucker said. “There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about him or that I’m not actively implementing all the lessons he taught me as a man and as an artist.”

One of those lessons became the ethos of “Stamptown”: “If you’re having fun, maybe we like you. If you’re not having fun, for sure we hate you.”

Inspired by his wisdom, Zucker moved to France for two years to study with Gaulier. It was there that he met his future “Stamptown” collaborator Jonny Woolley, a Canadian performer who became the show’s sound tech, adding to the menagerie of aural mayhem through sound effects that punctuate the show’s every move.

“There’s a lot of different ways of approaching clowning, but ultimately, for us, it’s more of a philosophical approach to making art than it is like a rigorous set of rules or styles. It’s just being a lovable idiot,” Woolley said.

The name “Stamptown” is a tribute to the place where they learned their artform: the town of Estampes (which loosely translates to “Stamp”) in France where they studied with Gaulier, who died this year before the special was filmed.

Though he‘s known for his offbeat humor, Zucker’s brain is firing on a perpetual metronome. He’s snapping his fingers incessantly during our interview while describing the comedic timing of each show, which grooves like a jazz band on stage.

”Sometimes there’s a few different rhythms that I’m balancing at once. I can really zone in on what is the most fruitful at the moment while still keeping these other balls in the air,” he said. “Thankfully we’re not always pushing a message. Sometimes it is just about entertaining the crowd at all costs.”

Before “Stamptown,” Zucker was performing with Norwegian friend and fellow clown Viggo Venn as “Zach & Viggo,” a side act in the original variety show Zucker started with his friends in 2017 in Melbourne called “Midnight Madness” that eventually turned into “Stamptown.”

Working with Venn, Woolley and Woodley, Zucker devised the show to include a rotating cast of clowns, and comedic performers from around the world, including L.A. Staples in the local clown community include the slapstick of clown kingpin Chad Damiani playing a janitor, comedic actor Natalie Palamides as a comedy nepo fetus birthed by Riki Lindhome of “Garfunkel and Oates” and the riotously robotic gyrations of Courtney Pauroso as fembot temptress Vanessa 5000.

“‘Stamptown’ is extraordinary; it’s finely calculated nonsense,” said actor Neil Patrick Harris, a longtime friend and supporter of Zucker who appears on the Netflix special, in a statement to The Times. “Each performance is unique — stand-ups colliding with circus artists, and improvisers swapping talents and fluids, even the stagehands’ utter chaos and running gags, a ridiculous fever dream … it’s absurdly genius.”

The international performers who have become part of the “Stamptown” universe run the gamut from jugglers to steel drum players to acrobats to pianists. Trans comedian Jordan Gray is extremely unafraid to bare it all, including her soul, when behind the piano. The physicality of the performances goes beyond regional references and punchlines that might get some laughs in one country but not in others. Venn says it’s clear that at their core people tend to share the same sense of humor.

“It was fascinating to us to see that in Australia and France and England and the U.S., they really laugh at the same things if it’s like a deeply human kind of failure,” Venn said. “That’s the beauty of this show.”

Zach Zucker sits inside the Elysian Theater in Los Angeles.

(Carlin Stiehl / For The Times)

A tangled web of masterfully timed sound effects has unintentionally become the heartbeat of “Stamptown” . With Woolley now living full time in London, the duties for the U.S. shows were recently passed down to fellow performer Jeremy Elder, who did the sounds for the Netflix special tapings. He says the show is at its best when they throw out the game plan for the night, even while filming for Netflix.

“I think it’s as soon as we went off script, the audience could feel that. In the final product, we planned so much, but once you’re in the room with people it’s a very clown-like sentiment to just roll with what the audience is feeling,” Elder said.

While traditional stand-up is Netflix’s bread and butter for comedy programming, this form of comedy is mostly a target for mockery in “Stamptown” to show how limiting it is compared with the physical comedy of clowning. The one caveat, Zucker says — a clown is by far the most embarrassing brand of comedian you can be.

“It’s not cool, you don’t do this to be cool,” he said, laughing. “The whole point is that with all the love and fantasy and pleasure of your life, you have to step in a bucket of s— over and over and over and enjoy it. ‘Isn’t it awesome how I humiliate myself for you?’ And you embrace it.”

England women’s hopes of success at the FIH Hockey World Cup ended at the group stage after a 0-0 draw with India.

David Ralph’s side finish third in Pool D on four points, with two teams moving forward to the next round, and will now play in a classification phase that sees teams placed from 9th to 16th.

England won their opening match 4-0 against South Africa on Sunday but lost to China two days later, conceding four before Tess Howard and Sophie Hamilton reduced the deficit.

The national side have not challenged in tournaments since winning Commonwealth gold in 2022, finishing fourth in the 2023 EuroHockey Nations Championship, and fifth last year.

Teams from England and Great Britain have finished no higher than sixth in the FIH Pro League since a third place in 2020-21, while Great Britain also finished eighth at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Meanwhile England’s men are through to the second stage of the men’s World Cup, topping Pool D with three wins out of three.

They defeated Pakistan 4-1 and India 4-2 prior to beating Wales 8-2 in their final group stage match on Wednesday.

They move in a second stage pool with India, with their 4-2 win carried forward, and will face two qualifiers from Pool A on Saturday and Monday as they attempt to reach the semi-finals.

England women play Chile on Friday and Japan on Sunday in their classification pool, with both World Cups being held in Wavre in Belgium and Amstelveen in the Netherlands.

The Olympics have soared before in Los Angeles. In less than two years, the Paralympics will take flight from L.A. for the first time.

LA28 hopes to raise the bar for the Paralympic movement when the Paralympic Games open in SoFi Stadium on Aug. 15, 2028. The city that already changed the Olympic movement by hosting the most commercially successful Games ever in 1984 could leave an equally indelible mark on the Paralympic movement.

“In the opening ceremony in two years’ time, we will be about to witness the Paralympic Games that can really put our movement in a higher step,” International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons said, “in a higher position as a sport movement.”

While the Olympics were blossoming in L.A. in 1984, the Paralympics that year were hosted in New York and Stoke Mandeville, England in a patchwork plan that came to be known as the “Last-Minute Games” because a U.S.-based organizing committee failed to secure funding to host the Paralympic Games at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

The LA28 Olympics and Paralympics logos are featured on a sign outside an event in 2024.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

Forty years later, the Paris Paralympics solidified the movement’s position as one of the largest sporting events in the world. The 2024 Paralympics sold 2.5 million tickets, the most for a Paralympic Games, and had a record 12,941 global broadcast hours. The overall live audience for the Paris Paralympics grew by 40% compared to 2021 and 117% from 2016.

Seeing the Paralympics leaves a lasting impression on fans. A Nielsen Sports study commissioned by the IPC found that 73% of people thought the Paris Paralympic Games positively changed their attitudes toward people with disabilities.

LA28 wants to build on that momentum.

“I really would love to see the change of perception of what people with disabilities can do, but also most importantly see the athletes perform,” said Ileana Rodriguez, the LA28 vice president of Paralympic strategy and relations and a 2012 Paralympic swimmer. “Because oftentimes we forget the sport side of the athletes and put the disability in front, and I really hope that this is reversed in our Games.”

American Alexandra Truwit competes during the women’s 400-meter freestyle during the Paralympics on Sept. 5, 2024, in Nanterre, France.

(Adam Pretty / Getty Images)

It didn’t take long for Ali Truwit to see the Paralympic standard. The former Yale swimmer had always respected Paralympians for their grit, courage and strength, but after she lost the lower part of her left leg in a shark attack in 2023, Truwit had her own Paralympic awakening.

She realized that to even make the U.S. team for Paris, she needed to swim faster with one leg than she did with two.

“A lot of people would come up and say, like, “Oh well you could do the Paralympics,’” said Truwit, who had 15 months between having her leg amputated on her 23rd birthday and the opening ceremony of the Paris Paralympics. “I’m like, ‘Well, you can’t just do the Paralympics actually!’ It’s elite and it’s fast.”

Her American record time of 1 minute, 8.98 seconds seconds in the S10 100-meter backstroke at the 2024 U.S. Paralympic swimming trials was faster than the times she was putting up to be recruited for Division I schools. Also the U.S. record holder in the S10 400-meter freestyle (4:31.39), Truwit won silver medals in both races in her first Paralympic Games.

But as she starts training for 2028, Truwit knows even her national record times might not be enough to get on the podium in L.A.

In Paris, 175 world and 218 Paralympic records were broken across 22 sports. The quality of the performances are better than ever, Parsons, the Paralympic president, pointed out. Athletes have become more refined with their training techniques.

“If you raise the expectations for what high performance is, for what an athlete is, then gosh, that’s just going to open up so many more opportunities,” said Brent Hardin, an associate professor of kinesiology at the University of Alabama and director of Alabama Adapted Athletics. “The Paralympics has the ability to do that like no other sporting event in the world for athletes with disabilities.”

The last time the Summer Paralympics were in the United States, in 1996, the event was run by a separate committee from the Olympic organizers. Disorganized and under-publicized, the event was underwhelming, Hardin said. Since 2002, organizing committees have been required to put together joint bids to host both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, using the same venues, facilities and infrastructure.

LA28 will rely on mostly existing venues for both the Olympics and Paralympics, relieving many of the biggest headaches that have plagued previous organizing committees. But hosting 4,480 Paralympians in one village is an especially unique challenge.

UCLA students walk up and down stairs on a campus that features many hills. The school is scheduled to host the athletes’ village for the 2028 Paralympics.

(Al Seib/For The Times)

LA28 will host the Olympic and Paralympic villages at UCLA. While renowned for its red brick buildings and lush green lawns, UCLA’s campus is also notorious for its steep hills. In 2025, two students who used wheelchairs sued the university and the UC Board of Regents for discrimination, citing, in part, elevators that are often out of service, insufficient signage and dangerous conditions in pedestrian paths of travel.

Rodriquez recognized the campus’ geographical challenges that organizers can’t change. LA28 said in a statement it is focused on building upon UCLA’s existing accessibility foundation while exploring additional modifications and services to support Paralympic athletes and team officials, such as temporary ramps and modified restrooms. Construction is expected to begin this year, trying to minimize impact on normal campus activities.

“One solution is not going to solve it for everyone, but a system of different ones hopefully will for most of them,” said Rodriguez, an architect consulted on previous Games before working with LA28. “We’re aiming, of course, for 100% of the users, but it doesn’t mean that there might be challenges in some points.”

The Games will also need to accommodate millions of fans traveling around Southern California. The FIFA World Cup tested the transportation system and it was largely a success, but it presented problems for some fans.

Kate Scott, founder of Only Everywhere, a directory providing accessibility information about more than 400 venues in California, heard from fans who paid hundreds of extra dollars for accessible parking and a shuttle to the stadium only to learn later that a free shuttle option was available. Fans struggled to secure wheelchair accessible seats, especially after they were sold at astronomical resale values, and couldn’t get clear answers about what accommodations would be available in the stadium.

Fans pack SoFi Stadium during a World Cup match between the United States and Paraguay on June 12.

(Kelvin Kuo/Los Angeles Times)

SoFi Stadium aced the physical infrastructure with working elevators, wheelchair escorts and accessible seating with clear sightlines on every level. It was mostly an information gap that left fans wanting.

“It’s not a problem if you say there’s no way to get to the cafe on the second floor. It is a problem if they find that out at the bottom of the stairs,” Scott said. “They can plan ahead if you just give them the information. It’s not about perfection. It’s about telling people what to expect.”

Of the 400 California venues Scott has added to Only Everywhere’s directory, more than half don’t publish anything online about accessibility. Only 7% cover accommodations for mobility limitation, hearing disability, vision impairment and sensory disabilities.

Disability advocates hope the Paralympics can lead to improved access to social services and structures for people with disabilities during and after the Games.

“Not just a one-in-every-four-years kind of event,” said Juliann Anesi, an associate professor of gender studies at UCLA and an affiliate faculty member with the disabilities studies department.

After the 1984 Olympics helped fund youth sports in L.A. for decades with a $230-million surplus, the 2028 Games have already jump-started adaptive sports opportunities as part of the PlayLA program.

Hunter Woodhall from the U.S. wins the men’s 400-meter T62 final at the 2024 Paralympics on Sept. 6, 2024, in Paris.

(Thibault Camus / Associated Press)

The program is run by L.A. Department of Recreation and Parks and will have 12 adaptive sports (adaptive archery, athletics, kayaking, skateboarding, lacrosse, pickleball, para swimming, blind soccer, goalball, para surfing, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis) for the 2026-27 season. The program is on track to reach 5,000 total adaptive sports program enrollments in 2027, LA28 said.

“LA28 is an opportunity not only to think about people with disabilities as part of [society], but instead to really reshape the conversation around disability, especially in sport,” Truwit said. “… We don’t look at Paralympians as an inspiration or as something where they’re overcoming a limitation, but rather as just part of human diversity and potential.”

At the halfway mark of the Olympic quadrennial, Truwit is already dreaming about L.A. The Connecticut native can picture the opening ceremony in SoFi Stadium, where she will be flanked by her fellow American Paralympians. That group could even include several athletes who received grants from her nonprofit Stronger Than You Think, which helps provide prosthetics to girls and women experiencing limb loss. Being at the Paralympics together would be a dream, Truwit said.

Parsons will open what will be the final Paralympic Games of his IPC presidency. He envisions going out on a high note.

“The best Paralympic Games,” Parsons said of his 2028 expectations, “ever.”

ARIANA GRANDE revealed she felt “overwhelmed” with emotion on stage as she thanked her fans for their support.

At the opening night of the UK leg of her Eternal Sunshine Tour, the American singer said: “London, I love you so much.

“I feel overwhelmed right now. I’m so grateful to be doing this with you all.

“As you know, London is my final stop on this tour. And I just wanted to say I’m going to savour every last second of these last ten shows with you guys. As this is one of my favourite places in the world.”

There was no hint of any underlying upset as Ariana took to the stage at The O2 London despite her shock decision to take an extended break from the public when her ten-night stint in the capital ends.

She seemed excited to be back, having spent so long living and working here during filming for the Wicked movies.

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Ariana said: “I lived here for a while so it will always have a special place in my heart.

“I want to say thank you to my fans for being the most incredible, loving beings and a presence in my life. I’ll always cherish you.”

Perhaps Ariana had something else to smile about.

Her boyfriend, Ricky Alvarez — who she first dated a decade ago before recently rekindling their romance — was watching at the side of the stage.

Ariana’s powerhouse vocals were pitch-perfect throughout her 26-song set, and the choreography was flawless.

But this show, her first since 2019’s Sweetener World Tour, felt like a deep exploration of her inner psyche.

It was littered with references to her childhood, ballet and old Hollywood-style glamour.

Enjoy your stint here, Ari, we’re grateful to have you.

Marvel’s new X-Men are ready for their close-up — finally. The cast of the upcoming superhero film took the stage together for the first time Friday night during the Disney Entertainment Showcase at D23.

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige capped off his portion of the presentation by formally introducing Sadie Sink, whose role in “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” had been kept under wraps before its release, as Jean Grey. Then, along with “X-Men” director Jake Schreier, they welcomed the rest of the cast.

Joining Sink in “X-Men” are Kit Connor as Cyclops, Christopher Abbott as Professor Charles Xavier, Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, Inde Navarrette as Rogue and Maya Boyd as Storm. Adam Driver, who appeared at the event in a recorded video bit, will be playing Nathaniel Milbury, better known to fans as Mr. Sinister.

“X-Men” is expected to hit theaters May 5, 2028.

Held at the Honda Center, the Disney Entertainment Showcase is one of the marquee presentations of the three-day D23 fan event where the various arms of Walt Disney Studios — including Lucasfilm, Pixar and Disney Animation — take the stage to promote their upcoming film and television projects. New CEO Josh D’Amaro received a rock star’s welcome from the more than 12,000 Disney faithful attending this year’s showcase, which was emceed by “Zootopia 2” stars and self-proclaimed “super fans” Ke Huy Quan and Ginnifer Goodwin.

Among the stars tapped to help promote their upcoming projects were Anne Hathaway (“Princess Diaries 3”); Joe, Kevin and Nick Jonas (“Camp Rock 3”); Benjamin Bratt (“Coco 2” and “Kingdom Hearts IV”); Kathryn Hahn (“Tangled”); Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans and Hayley Atwell (“Avengers: Doomsday”); Ryan Gosling (“Star Wars: Starfighter”); and Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel and Josh Gad (“Frozen III”).

Here are the biggest reveals and takeaways from Disney’s studios showcase.

Marvel’s television future remains unclear

As expected, Marvel Studios turned its spotlight to “VisionQuest,” the upcoming Disney+ series starring Paul Bettany (Vision) and James Spader (Ultron). Picking up after the events of “WandaVision,” the show will see Vision “beginning to ask rather more complicated questions” about his identity and humanity, according to Bettany.

After several movie announcements at San Diego Comic-Con last month, fans had been anticipating Marvel’s D23 presentation would focus on its series slate. But “VisionQuest” was the only TV show represented at the event. (Marvel’s presentation also included a new “Avengers: Doomsday” clip and a mention of the upcoming game “Marvel’s Wolverine.”)

The lack of new series announcements, along with the recent cancellation of “Wonder Man” Season 2 and reports that Marvel is cutting back on live-action Disney+ shows, has cast a shadow on the MCU’s TV future. “VisionQuest” will premiere Oct. 14.

‘Star Wars’ fans still love Hayden Christensen

Lucasfilm President Dave Filoni brought the cast and creatives of “Ahsoka” Season 2 and “Star Wars: Starfighter” for his portion of the showcase, along with new footage from both projects.

When “Ahsoka” star Rosario Dawson invited Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker) and Eman Esfandi (Ezra Bridger) to join her on stage, fans had an especially warm welcome for the prequel trilogy star.

“As always, it is such an honor to get to play Anakin Skywalker,” said Christensen. “In this new season. Anakin continues to advise Ahsoka. He challenges her and pushes her to answer the most important question in her life: Are you or are you not a Jedi?”

“Star Wars: Starfighter” director Shawn Levy, left, and Ryan Gosling, who is showing the symbol of his character Kade on his jacket.

(Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for Disney)

Director Shawn Levy and Ryan Gosling were on hand to discuss “Star Wars: Starfighter,” which will be set during a time period in the galaxy far, far away that has not yet been shown before. Gosling plays Kade Auberon, a Starfighter pilot (and possible mechanic), in the standalone film that will be set some time after the sequel trilogy.

Disney is leaning on the magic of nostalgia in live-action and animation

Mira Sorvino, right, and Lisa Kudrow appeared onstage as Romy and Michele, respectively, to tease their sequel.

(Jesse Grant / Getty Images for Disney)

Much of Disney’s studio showcase focused on sequels of franchises past and present. “Romy and Michele 2” (2027) stars Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino showed up in character to tease their upcoming sequel to the much-loved 1997 original, proclaiming they were now Disney princesses.

“Princess Diaries” star Anne Hathaway made an appearance to reassure fans the team was hard at work to make sure “Princess Diaries 3” was getting done right, while “Camp Rock” stars Joe, Kevin and Nick Jonas came to plug “Camp Rock 3” and its new stars. A brief first-look teaser for the live action “Tangled” (2028) concluded on a shot of Kathryn Hahn as Mother Gothel calling out to Rapunzel, right before the “Agatha All Along” star took the stage.

Even one of Disney’s oldest characters is getting a revival, thanks to filmmaker Jon Favreau. The “Mandalorian and Grogu” director shared a first look at his miniseries, “Oswald the Lucky Rabbit,” a hybrid live-action and hand-drawn 2D animated show expected to hit Disney+ in February.

On the animation side, Pixar’s Pete Doctor came armed with news about “Incredibles 3” (2028) and “Coco 2” (2029), while Disney Animation’s Jared Bush announced “Zootopia 3” before turning it over to “Frozen III” (2027).

According to Benjamin Bratt, who is returning to voice Ernesto de la Cruz, “Coco 2” is set some time in the future, where a teenage Miguel is sent back to the land of the dead for another adventure. “Frozen III,” meanwhile, will see Anna and Kristoff finally get married before the sisters meet a mysterious stranger who also wields ice magic. Olaf is also expected to find love.

The event also featured teases for “Ice Age: Boiling Point” (2027), “The Bluey Movie” (2027) and a “Kingdom Hearts” anime series.

But don’t worry, Pixar and Disney are still making original movies

Billie Doe (Hailee Steinfeld) and Beef Roger Crummchuk (Walton Goggins) in “Hexed.”

(Disney)

Fans of animated originals can rest assured that both Pixar and Disney Animation have new stories on the way. In addition to “Hexed,” a magical coming-of-age adventure about a young girl named Billie who discovers she’s a witch that will hit theaters Nov. 25, Disney Animation announced “Clay” for 2028. According to Jared Bush, “Clay” is a story about a mentor and student named Flip and Mushi.

“I believe that new stories, new characters, new worlds are vital to the future of Disney Animation,” said Bush.

Pixar, meanwhile, announced “Ghost Market” will hit theaters in 2028. Set in Hawaii, “Ghost Market” will follow a young content creator named Kyle who encounters hungry ghosts. The studio also has “Gatto,” from “Luca” director Enrico Casarosa, on deck for 2027.

Hugo Lara and Manolo Cabrera — the Mexican DJ pair better known as RØZ — casually strolled through Sightglass Coffee in Hollywood, one gripping a half-melted iced coffee, the other an empty Erewhon juice bottle.

To any onlooker, they might appear as two standard Gen Z Angelenos in sardonic streetwear: 22-year-old Cabrera flaunted a hat that referenced the 2008 financial crisis while 25-year-old Lara’s faded tee read, “You don’t dream of a better version of yourself.”

But over the past year, this fresh-faced pair from Querétaro, a small state just outside Mexico City, has dominated the festival world circuit. Spinning heart-thumping electronic beats and Latin house rhythms, RØZ has taken the stage at many a popular event, such as the most recent Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Lollapalooza Chicago, Hard Summer, EDC Las Vegas and Sueños.

“We’ve had huge crowds at festivals, even the workers on stage are like, ‘No way, you filled more venues than yesterday’s headliner,’” Cabrera told The Times. “We filled it up and people started leaving for the next person, which is obviously not cool. It feels awful. But you do think: good! They value Latinos and Mexicans now.”

Besides regaling ravers at their concerts — which will continue for the remainder of the calendar year, including a 20-city North American tour that kicks off in Boston on Oct. 21 — RØZ has landed another major artistic goal.

“Everyone will give [the album] a different interpretation, but I think the through line is the idea of drama, or poetic essence,” said Hugo Lara.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Last Friday, they released their first full-length album, “Se Esta Haciendo Tarde.” It’s a 19-track, introspective debut that solidifies the duo’s standing in the EDM world as both masterful mixers and vocalists.

“We are neither fully DJs, or fully singers, but artists,” said Cabrera. “Our shows, with the album, are going to be us playing synths, at another point singing and at another point we mix some songs.”

Featuring cameos from Latin superstars like Peso Pluma, J Balvin and Ryan Castro, the LP itself is hard to define as simply house music; RØZ is known best for peppering its EDM with a heavy dose of Latino sazon. It’s a sonic recipe that the two former schoolmates have been mastering since they were under lockdown from COVID.

This era also saw the commercial rise of other Mexican artists in their generation: Natanael Cano and Latin Mafia were among the most prominent Mexican acts who maximized their creativity during the isolation period and used social media platforms like TikTok to gain traction.

“It’s like if Fred Again, Skrillex, Frank Ocean, Mora and Bad Bunny adopted a child and raised him,” said Cabrera about their own music, which they began uploading to the streaming platform Soundcloud in 2022.

At the start of their disc jockey journey, they remixed already established songs, from Bad Bunny and Bomba Estéreo’s “Ojitos Lindos” to Bellakath’s “Gatita.” By 2024, they would release their frosty original track, “Cora de Hielo” under Warner Music Mexico; this featured Natt Calma and Mau Moctezuma, artists whom they met through the local indie scene.

Their subsequent releases went viral — including the dark-synth pop “Flashes” with Yng Lvcas and atmospheric “Apaga la Luz” with a rather mellowed performance from Peso Pluma — which were released under LT:Vision Records, Queens Road Music and Atlantic Records.

“At that time, emotions were secondary [in the music],” said Cabrera when looking back on those early songs. “Perhaps we didn’t resonate with the artist’s lyrics, we might have helped with some ideas. But with this [new] project, we wanted to find more of a balance — we want to be transparent, while also releasing f— bangers.”

Inspired by the transient beauty of cherry blossoms, known in Japan as sakura — which is illustrated in their album cover, alongside a dark pegasus — much of the LP also hinges on melodrama. Glitchy beat drops in “Acelero Lento” (featuring Chitra) fade into acoustic ballads. The bouncy freestyle rhythm in “Soho” melts into feverish pop harmonies. There’s also an interlacing spiritual hymn in “Yo Gospel” (featuring Rodrii) that showcases the heavenly vocals of an American-style church choir.

“Everyone will give [the album] a different interpretation, but I think the through line is the drama, or poetic essence,” said Lara. “Perhaps in 10 years we will listen to the same song and have a different interpretation.”

The new LP is imbued with various Latin genre fusions. In “Ya es de Noche” (featuring Rodrii and Olisso) they open with neo-perreo rhythms that slowly wade in and out of a cumbia-guided trance. In “Hanami,” named after the traditional Japanese custom of observing a floral bloom, RØZ is joined by Colombian producer Sky Rompiendo, whose pulsating reggaeton beats undergo a warping process, as their lyrics harp on romantic tension.

“Cherry blossoms only last a while, so it was our way of saying that we must appreciate the moment in which beauty exists,” said Lara.

The magnetic pull of RØZ — whose stage name is pronounced like the second syllable in “arroz” — cannot be overstated. They’ve already sold out six shows in their upcoming tour, which will wrap up Feb. 27 in their home state of Querétaro. Their popularity comes at a time when electronic music was registered as the largest-growing genre in the U.S. in the first half of 2026, per Luminate’s 2026 data report, which also found that casual monthly listenership in Latin music peaked at 54% of streams in the first quarter.

The growing admiration for Latin-fused EDM by Latino listeners was most visually evident during their Coachella debut in April. One attendee uploaded a video to Instagram showing the jammed entrance to the Sonora Tent, which reached full capacity before the duo began their Sunday set: “Coachella underestimating the Latino crowds like [what do you mean] I can’t see RØZ [because] it’s at full capacity both weekends,” the subtext on the video read.

Even before their breakout year, on the night of their first U.S. performance on the rooftop of the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles last August, the line to get inside stretched across the Hollywood Boulevard sidewalk with attendees eager to hear the pair’s early tracks.

Still, it doesn’t surprise RØZ that a Latino act like themselves might be early on the call sheet — or left to assemble a last-minute crew after their original team ran into visa processing delays ahead of the first Coachella weekend. “In this genre that we’re moving in, you’d never picture a Latino headliner. Latinos are always put down, down, down,” said Cabrera.

But some milestones have given them faith that the mainstream world is opening up to putting Latino acts at the top of the bill; including the fact that Colombian singer Karol G was the first Latina Coachella headliner this year. “And with music in Spanish, not English,” marveled Lara.

And rather than sulk about the conditions of Latino artists, RØZ is ready to put up a fight.

“Just because I’m Mexican or Latino doesn’t mean that I can’t connect with people the same way a person from the United States can,” said Cabrera. “Headlining is possible, without a doubt.”

The Telegraph’s Dominic Cavendish wrote, external: “At almost four hours, it’s a long evening, sometimes too dense with detail, and it lacks the grit and gore (not to mention the nudity) of the TV series.

“Still, it capably serves newbies and devotees, and speaks in a timely fashion to our age of unruly leaders.”

He added: “It’s not up there, yet, with the Harry Potter or Stranger Things prequels but, on balance, the Game of Thrones franchise has yet another worthwhile and lucrative spin-off on its hands.”

The Times’ critic Clive Davis, external had greater reservations, writing that while the play “gives hardcore GoT fans a chance to go hunting for ‘Easter eggs’, it seldom comes close to matching the grim aura of the TV series”.

“Duncan Macmillan’s script is sorely lacking in poetry. Events plod forward, one after the other, and although Michael Shaeffer is a thoroughly compelling presence as the cruel and chronically unstable monarch Aerys, other performances seem nuance-free. Too many lines are simply shouted. You expect better of the RSC.”

Davis concluded: “It goes without saying that there are more than enough GoT devotees to keep the box office ticking over for the rest of eternity, but only the most dedicated of them will have the energy for this marathon.”

NICE, France — Dutch rider Demi Vollering won the Women’s Tour de France for the second time and in style by winning Sunday’s ninth and final stage to extend her overall margin of victory.

The 2023 champion raised her bike in the air moments after crossing the finish line in Nice comfortably ahead of Polish rider Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney, the 2024 champion. Niewiadoma-Phinney started Sunday’s stage eight seconds behind Vollering, who got a time bonus for winning the stage.

Knowing that she was well clear of her rival, Vollering began to celebrate as the line approached, raising her arm in triumph and then tapping her head with her finger to show her mental strength.

She finished the stage 1 minute, 4 seconds ahead of Spaniard Paula Blasi Cairol and Niewiadoma-Phinney and, after collecting the time bonus, ended up 1:18 clear of Niewiadoma-Phinney overall.

Former Giro d’Italia champion Elisa Longo Borghini of Italy was third overall in the Tour — 4:29 behind — after Marlen Reusser lost valuable time after crashing going downhill after the second of the day’s four climbs.

Niewiadoma-Phinney had it all to do on the final climb, especially with her rival sitting on her wheel, and was unable to pressure Vollering.

Vollering attacked about 800 meters from the top and dropped Niewiadoma-Phinney — as she did when winning Saturday’s eighth stage to take the overall lead from her rival.

Two years ago, Vollering missed out on Tour victory after finishing an agonizing four seconds behind Niewiadoma-Phinney on the last stage.

She made full amends this time.

The 29-year-old Vollering has now won five Grand Tours, including two Spanish Vuelta titles and the Giro d’Italia secured in June to join countrywoman Annemiek van Vleuten as the only other female cyclist to have won all three Grand Tours.

Four climbs

Each of the first three climbs on Sunday was 7.7 kilometers long with a 5.9% average gradient. But the final ascent branched off onto a slightly different route which, even though it was shorter at 6 kilometers, had a steeper average gradient of 7.6% with one portion stretching to a grueling 12%.

It made little difference.

After winning Friday’s seventh stage with an impressive solo attack of her own up the iconic Mont Ventoux, Niewiadoma-Phinney seemed short of energy and Vollering’s lead was never under threat.

CANTON, Ohio — Drew Brees stood on stage next to his bronze bust, in front of Who Dat Nation, and took his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Getting benched three times in the NFL helped him get there.

“Marty Schottenheimer, one of the greatest coaches and motivators to ever coach this game and who belongs here in Canton,” Brees said Saturday. “Marty was my biggest fan. He would tell me all the time, even as he benched me three times and made me fight for my job every year with two greats, Doug Flutie and Philip Rivers.

“The first two times I got benched, I deserved it. The third time, I still don’t think I deserved it, Coach. But nonetheless, it lit more than a fire. It forced me to access a place in my mind and heart that I had not yet been. The adversity was not expected, but very necessary. I would never have reached the heights I did without it. I knew I needed to play better, but more importantly, I knew he believed I would play better.”

Brees eventually left the San Diego Chargers and joined the New Orleans Saints, where he won a Super Bowl playing for coach Sean Payton and became one of the most prolific passers in NFL history, to the delight of fans who filled the Superdome with chants of “Who dat?”

Payton took time off from coaching Denver to introduce Brees on stage.

Brees got emotional thanking Payton.

“You always had a plan and vision for every player you coached,” Brees said. “I’m not sure if this is how you envisioned my journey or how big a role you would play in it, but I love you for it.”

Brees has the second-most yards passing (80,358) and touchdown passes (571) in league history, behind only Tom Brady. He was a first-ballot selection and joined a class that includes Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechly, Adam Vinatieri and Roger Craig.

“I often ask myself how in the world did I play 20 years in the NFL,” Brees said. “Yes, it was for the love of the game. Yes, it was a relentless attempt to master my craft. Yes, it was the grind and challenge of preparation and the thrill of game day. But you want to know what it really was: for the love of my teammates. I would wake up every day with a burning desire to commit, sacrifice and command in a way that would give them everything they deserved.”

Roger Craig

Craig, who revealed in a video speech that he has vascular dementia, became the first player in NFL history to have 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in a season. Only Marshall Faulk and Christian McCaffrey have done it since.

“You spend your whole life trying to prove you belong and one day you’re told you’re one of the all-time greats. Man, it’s overwhelming,” Craig said.

Larry Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald was the first player to have his bronze bust revealed on stage Saturday at Tom Benson Stadium.

The 11-time Pro Bowl wide receiver, who played his entire 17-year career for the Cardinals, was introduced by the oldest of his three sons, Devin.

He finished his speech with a message to his boys that’s applicable to everyone.

“Don’t just pursue excellence for yourself,” Fitzgerald said. “Help other people pursue it, too. That’s the part of this story that matters the most. Not the likes. Not the fame. But the people you travel with. The values you uphold. In the end, it’s not just about the excellence. It’s about the people who help get you there.”

Being drafted No. 3 overall in 2004 by Cardinals coach Dennis Green reunited Fitzgerald with the man who was Minnesota’s coach when he was a ball boy for the Vikings.

“When coach Green hired me as a ball boy, I grew up watching legends being built right in front of me,” Fitzgerald said. “Hall of Fame players like John Randle, Chris Doleman, Randall McDaniel and Warren Moon, who taught me what it means to demand more of yourself than anyone else ever would. Plus, they saw me.”

Fitzgerald thanked Hall of Fame receivers Cris Carter and Randy Moss for their influence on his career during his time working for the Vikings as a kid. He singled out former Cardinals teammates Emmitt Smith and Kurt Warner for showing him how to be a professional.

“Kurt, when you demanded that I elevate my preparation, consistency and accountability, you dragged me to the winner’s circle,” Fitzgerald said. “The timing couldn’t have been better for an impressionable kid, and I continue to aspire to be the kind of man you are.”

Fitzgerald is second on the NFL’s career list in receptions (1,432) and receiving yards (17,492). His 121 touchdown catches are sixth.

Adam Vinatieri

Vinatieri became only the third full-time placekicker to be inducted into the Hall, joining Jan Stenerud and Morten Andersen.

He may have a new career in comedy.

Vinatieri drew plenty of laughs and cheers with jokes about Bill Belichick, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

“And Peyton, thank you for generously donating your forehead for today’s teleprompter,” Vinatieri cracked. “A gigantic forehead means big brain and your football IQ is unmatched.”

Manning nodded his head with a smile from his seat among the Hall of Famers.

Vinatieri retired with NFL records of 2,673 career points and 599 field goals. Only George Blanda (26) and Andersen (25) had longer NFL careers than Vinatieri’s 24 seasons.

“When people hear the word greatness, they usually think about the biggest names on the biggest stages,” Vinatieri said. “But greatness isn’t created under bright lights. Greatness is built on empty practice fields when it’s below zero. Greatness is sacrificing temporary fun for meaningful outcomes. Greatness is turning doubt into belief. Preparation matters. Character matters.

“And to all the doubters, thank you. Your criticism became fuel. Your doubt became motivation. You helped make me better.”

Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon introduced Vinatieri, who won his fourth Super Bowl with Indianapolis after earning three championship rings in New England.

Luke Kuechly

At 35, Kuechly became the second-youngest player inducted into the Hall. Chicago Bears running back Gale Sayers was 34 when he was inducted in 1977.

Introduced by his father, Tom, Kuechly was inducted on the same field where he led St. Xavier High School to a state championship in 2007.

Known for his intense study habits, Kuechly was a five-time All-Pro linebacker, the 2012 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year and 2013 AP Defensive Player of the Year during his eight-year career with the Carolina Panthers. Kuechly decided to retire in part to preserve his brain health after suffering several concussions.

“This game teaches you a lot if you’re willing to observe and listen,” Kuechly said. “It’s taught me resilience, consistency, toughness, the value of communication, how to find common ground, and most importantly how to enjoy it along the way cause oftentimes the best moments are the ones you are in.”

Maaddi writes for the Associated Press.

Just a day before the Head in the Clouds Music & Arts Festival takes over the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, a member of the headlining pop group Katseye has announced she is taking a hiatus from performing.

Sophia Laforteza announced on Instagram on Friday that she’ll be stepping away to take care of her mental health.

“It truly breaks my heart to have to miss out on a lot,” she wrote in an Instagram story. “You know how much I love being on stage, performing, and sharing these moments with you. Making this decision wasn’t easy, but I’m learning that health has to come first. I’m realizing that if I don’t take care of my mind and body now, I won’t be able to keep doing what I love the most for so long.”

Laforteza thanked her fans for being “patient, understanding, and always showing me so much love,” and said she’d be joining Katseye fans, aka “eyekons,” in cheering on the group in the meantime.

“I promise I’m going to work as hard as I can to get through this, heal properly, and come back stronger,” she wrote.

A post on the group’s official Instagram account said Laforteza “will be temporarily unable to participate in upcoming promotional activities.”

“We understand how much EYEKONS were looking forward to seeing Sophia on stage, but it is imperative that her mental health and wellness are prioritized,” the post stated.

According to the statement, the pop star has been working with medical professionals who advised that she take “dedicated time for extended rest and ongoing care to ensure a full recovery.”

While Laforteza is eager to get back to work with her fellow Katseye members, the post said her “health, safety, and long-term well-being” will always be top priority.

Laforteza’s progress will be monitored and she’ll be reassessed in September — just as the group is slated to kick off their world tour. Fans can expect an update around that time, according to the post.

Earlier this year, Katseye member Manon Bannerman also hit pause on performing with the pop group, meaning Saturday’s headlining performance in Pasadena will feature four of the group’s original six members. Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel and Yoonchae Jeung are still set to take the stage.

Laforteza’s announcement followers similar decisions from actor-musician Ariana Grande, who told fans earlier this week that she would be stepping away from the public eye and that “human beings can need a break sometimes.”

Country music star Jelly Roll also announced a hiatus this month, saying he needed “to heal” following news that he finalized his divorce from Bunnie XO after nearly 10 years of marriage.

The Houthi rebels of Yemen have launched one of their biggest attacks on Saudi-aligned forces in that country in years. The strikes are a flare-up in what up until recently has been a largely dormant conflict. They took place in eastern Yemeni provinces of Marib and Hadhramaut, which are areas controlled by local forces opposed to the Houthis. This unfolded as the Iranian-backed rebel group is also expanding its campaign against Saudi shipping in the Red Sea region and its oil production infrastructure.

The Houthis claim they killed and injured hundreds of the Saudi-aligned troops. Yemeni government officials said that at least 30 troops were killed while there has been no official comment from Riyadh. However, the U.S. Embassy in Yemen, the Yemeni Defense Ministry and the Saudi-led forces confirmed the attacks.

“Our armed forces carried out a broad and precise military operation targeting the Saudi enemy’s mobilizations in the areas of Al-Ruwaik, Al-Abr, and Al-Thaniyah, and other camps belonging to what is called the First and Third Emergency Divisions, using a large number of ballistic missiles and drones,” Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree stated on X. In addition to “the deaths and injuries of hundreds of Saudi enemy mercenaries,” Saree claimed the “destruction and burning of a large number of Saudi enemy camps, mobilizations, storage depots, and weapons in the Al-Wadiah area in the east of the country” as well as the “destruction of a large number of vehicles.”

Saree added that the actions were preemptive to prevent an assault on Houthi forces.

In a statement on X, the Yemeni Defense Ministry said the Houthis “carried out a treacherous attack using ballistic missiles and drones, targeting several camps and units of the Armed Forces deployed in the provinces of Marib and Hadramaut… The Ministry of Defense affirmed that the Yemeni Armed Forces will respond to this aggression at the appropriate time and place, and that this treacherous attack will not undermine the resolve of the Armed Forces’ heroes or affect their ability to perform their national duties; rather, it will increase their steadfastness, cohesion, and determination to defend the Republic, restore the state, and end the coup.”

The target of these strikes, the Yemen Emergency Forces (YEF), acknowledged they had been hit. 

“In a new military escalation, the Houthi terrorist militias targeted several military bases and military units, including emergency forces, resulting in material and human losses,” YEF claimed on Facebook. “This targeting comes after the military forces’ success in carrying out their duties under the directives of the Minister of Defense, aiming to secure areas, protect international roads, pursue gangs of kidnappers and smugglers, and apprehend those involved in robbery, kidnapping, and organized crimes.”

The Yemen Emergency Forces “are made up mostly of Salafi-aligned fighters from Yemen’s northern governorates and fall entirely under the Yemeni Forces Authority, itself commanded by the Saudi-led Joint Forces Command,” according to Defenseliney, an independent Yemeni media platform focusing on security issues. “Their roots trace to an earlier nucleus called the ‘Happy Yemen Forces,’ formed with Saudi funding, training, and support since 2019 and deployed along the Saada border strip extending north into Al-Jawf; most of its brigades had earlier operated under separate presidential decrees before being absorbed into the Emergency Forces.”

The U.S. Embassy in Yemen derided the Houthi attack as an act of terrorism.

“The U.S. Embassy to Yemen expresses our deepest condolences to the families of the brave Yemeni soldiers killed today in Hadhramawt and Marib,” the embassy announced on X. “The Iran-backed Houthis’ cowardly attacks represent yet another example of their terrorism against the Yemeni people. We wish the wounded a speedy recovery.”

Several videos emerged online purporting to show the Houthi attacks. They depict plumes of smoke wafting from what appear to be strikes and the sounds of small arms fire and what appears to be a drone strike can be heard, but they offer little real sense of the scope of the incidents or the damage inflicted.

Yemen’s Houthis frame the strikes as a pre-emptive response to a large Saudi military build-up they say was in its final stages, aimed at escalating against them to force them to abandon their push to end the blockade.

Houthi statement warns Saudi Arabia against any “folly,”… https://t.co/WkpUIyGxTQ

— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 6, 2026

Reports are emerging of a significant Houthi assault on the Saudi backed Yemen Emergency Forces encampment near Marib, Yemen with several casualties reported. This video purports to show the aftermath of one of the attacks, though it has not been verified.

Marib is the… pic.twitter.com/6LmQyHkhW2

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) August 6, 2026

🔴 Update 3 |

Exclusive sources: The 13 ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi group were fired from three Yemeni governorates: Sana’a, Ma’rib, and Al-Jawf, while the drones were launched from Al-Bayda governorate.

💢 Missile launch sites identified:

▪️ The mountainous… https://t.co/fICrwP6KBV pic.twitter.com/7FDHTMQeXz

— عاصم المجاهد | Asem Al_Mujahed (@Asem22mo) August 6, 2026

There was also video purporting to show Houthi missile launches against the Saudi-backed forces; however TWZ cannot confirm any of claims about these videos.

Today’s engagement marks a major escalation both in Houthi-Saudi hostilities and in the battle for Yemen, one of the world’s poorest countries, but strategically located along the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

The civil war in Yemen erupted in 2014 and expanded a year later when a Saudi-led coalition joined forces with the government ousted by the Houthis. For a while, the U.S. was supporting that coalition’s bombing campaign by providing aerial refueling and intelligence. However, then-Defense Secretary James Mattis ended that in 2018 during the first Trump presidency after growing concerns over the large number of civilian casualties being inflicted. The Saudi coalition’s fight against the Houthis also complicated the U.S. counterterrorism campaign against Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

The fighting between Saudi-led forces and the Houthis largely abated after a tenuous ceasefire was signed in 2022. Tensions, however, reignited in recent weeks after the Houthis joined the U.S.-Iran conflict on the side of their major supporter. The Houthis imposed a blockade on the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and began striking Saudi ships in the southern part of the Red Sea as well as refineries along the northern portion. As we noted yesterday, the Yemeni rebel group said it was expanding its campaign against Saudi Arabia to strike vessels in the northern part of the Red Sea.

All this is adding to the pressure on oil supplies flowing out of the region, which has created global economic stress.

In response to attacks on its shipping, Saudi Arabia hit Houthi missile-launch platforms, a rocket-launch site, and weapons depots. However, the Saudi reaction was limited in nature. It remains to be seen how the kingdom will respond now given that many of the fighters it supports have been killed.

The uptick in Saudi-Houthi fighting comes as the region is already roiled in conflict, though efforts are underway to achieve a diplomatic solution to the U.S.-Iran war, now paused in an uneasy ceasefire.

As we have reported in the past, the two countries and Oman are working toward a deal that would essentially give Iran control over the Strait of Hormuz. 

Tehran is “insisting the framework represents a new security model for the strategic waterway rather than a full reopening of the strait,” CBS News reported on Thursday, citing Iran’s state news agency IRNA.

The proposed mechanism would regulate the movement of commercial vessels, with ships entering through Iranian waters and exiting through Omani waters.

IRNA said the talks are aimed at defining “a new model that is different from the 60-year-old practice of the past” in which ships passed through the strait at will.

Iran state media Fars: according to the negotiations between Iran and Oman, after an initial period, “passage of vessels through both the northern and southern corridors [of the Strait of Hormuz] will cease, and all traffic will occur through the central corridor. However, the… pic.twitter.com/ezIj2Bf5We

— Steve Lookner (@lookner) August 6, 2026

The flow of traffic through the strategic chokepoint has become the main sticking point between Washington and Tehran as the two sides work toward ending hostilities. U.S. President Donald Trump has insisted that Iran must fully open the vital chokepoint or face new and more intense attacks that would include power plants, other civilian infrastructure and even leadership.

How much increased fighting between the Saudis and Houthis complicates these matters is an open question. As we have frequently noted, the closing of the BAM to Saudi oil traffic and now threats to the transit route north to the canal have already raised the specter of the U.S. having to get as involved as it did during the previous Houthi campaign against shipping that ended last September, which could pull resources away from Iranian-focused operations. It’s possible Egypt would have a major problem with such actions too, as it would impact the canal’s revenue and freedom of movement. 

A major intensification of Saudi-Houthi hostilities represents yet another complication in a region already in turmoil. 

Contact the author: howard@twz.com

BERLIN — An experiment with artificial intelligence at the famed annual Richard Wagner festival in the southeastern German town of Bayreuth drew boos from the audience after producing a staging that appeared to leave some spectators confused.

Curator Marcus Lobbes and his team were greeted with boos and whistles as they took to the stage at the end of Saturday evening’s performance of “Götterdämmerung,” German news agency DPA reported. However, there was warm applause for the singers and musicians, and particularly for conductor Christian Thielemann.

Festival organizers said ahead of the performance that it would be the first time AI took part on stage at the event, “not as a character, but as an image-generating force.” They said that singers would be “the fixed point within a visually seething cosmos of light, texture, history, and association, amidst projections that erupt, constantly shift, and merge into one another.”

The AI-assisted projections included scenes from previous performances of Wagner’s “Ring” cycle and historical themes, and drew from images preselected by Lobbes, the director of the Academy for Theater and Digitality in Dortmund, and his team.

The collage that the technology projected on stage puzzled the audience, DPA reported, with images including late former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, the towers of the World Trade Center after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and a special postage stamp marking German reunification in 1990.

The festival website said that “every performance will be unique — because the images and associations never stand still.” Two more performances are scheduled.

POPSTAR Boy George has broken his silence after pulling out of the West End musical production of Jesus Christ Superstar just days before he was due on stage.

He was pulled from the show by his manager amid fears a backlash from his song We Will Dance Again would overshadow the performance.

The track voices support for Israel’s military action in Palestine in response to Hamas’ October 7 attack at the Nova Music Festival, which saw more than 1,200 innocent men, women, and children killed.

The Culture Club legend, 65, insists he was simply trying to call for peace.

George said: “Sometimes, I realise that being an air sign I expect the world to understand me without having to explain myself.

“The suggestion that I feel no compassion for Palestinian’s is both untrue and absurd.

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Boy George ‘pulls out’ of Jesus Christ Superstar amid Israel song controversy

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Eurovision shock as Boy George fails to make the final after cameo performance

“I am devastated for the loss of the innocent lives on both sides of this war and I call for peace.

“I have read members of the press calling me a ‘genocide denier’ yet those who deny the suffering of Israelis are given a free pass.”

In a long statement, the former The Voice mentor said: “My song is pro peace and about the emotions I felt after visiting the Nova Exhibition and talking to Michael and Lisa Marlowe who had their son Jake taken from them. Murdered trying help others.

“I also spent time talking to May Hayat who survived while her best friend was murdered. We took a picture standing in front all the people who were killed that day.

Everyone knows what happened to innocent women, kids, babies, sons and fathers on that day, innocent people who were at a festival celebrating life.

“The Nova Festival is a mirror of my world as a DJ and I have played many such festivals, including in Israel so it resonated with me and I felt compelled to write something. I could have been there and we know that there were people from more than 40 countries who were. I felt these deep emotions and is wrote this song for them.

“My personal opinion is that this is sadly a war , but not an attempt to wipe out Palestine. But I respect that everyone has their own opinions and believe we should all be allowed to have that right.

“Look around and tell me one musician speaking out for the Jewish community, but you can absolutely guarantee they have made their living from working with a Jewish team member.

“I understand that is uncomfortable to defend your friends when a war like this is raging but the woman who sells me bagels is not to blame, neither is my doctor or publicist, manager, ex boyfriend or my thousands of Jewish friends. This song is for them.

“I come from a place of peace. I am a jew loving, trans hugging queer hippy and my mother would be proud of me.”

George was set to take on the role of King Herod in the London theatre show, beginning August 3rd, but in a statement on Thursday night, his manager announced he will ‘no longer appear’.

Taking to social media, George’s manager Paul Kemsley wrote: “After careful consideration, I have decided, in my capacity as Boy George’s manager, that he will no longer be appearing in Jesus Christ Superstar at the London Palladium.

“The decision has been made with the utmost respect for the producers, the creative team and the entire company. We are grateful for the professionalism and understanding they have shown throughout and sincerely wish everyone involved every success with the production.”

George’s PR apologised to fans who purchased tickets in the hopes of seeing George perform, admitting the decision would be a “disappointment” for some.

He added: “George has never been afraid to stand by his personal convictions, and I have always respected him for that. Equally, I believe it is my responsibility to make decisions that are in the best interests of my artist while also showing respect to others.

“In this instance, I felt it was right to step aside, allowing the production to remain the focus, while ensuring everyone involved can move forward with mutual respect and goodwill.”

One of the most entertaining riders in the race was Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz of EF Education-Easypost. He toiled earlier in the race before coming into great form to claim the king of the mountains’ polka dot jersey.

He won stage 18 and Saturday’s stage 20 after topping the race’s highest point first and after 5,450km of climbing.

The green points jersey was awarded to Pedersen of Lidl-Trek, after tenacious riding on climbs he is not typically strong on to hoover up mid-stage points, alongside winning stage four.

He beat a number of sprinters to the jersey, including Japser Philipsen of Alpecin-Premier Tech. Philipsen won stage 17 and fellow Belgian Tim Merlier of Soudal-Quick Step won three bunch sprint stages.

Tour de France stage 21 results

1. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned/Alpecin-Premier Tech) 1hr 58mins 49secs

2. Jasper Philipsen (Bel/Alpecin-Premier Tech) same time

3. Mads Pedersen (Den/Lidl-Trek)

4. Max Kanter (Ger/XDS-Astana)

5. Olav Kooij (Ned/Decathlon-CMA CGM)

6. Matej Mohoric (Slo/Bahrain-Victorious)

7. Rick Pluimers (Ned/Tudor Pro-cycling)

8. Anthony Turgis (Fra/Total Energies)

9. Milan Fretin (Bel/Cofidis)

10. Clement Russo (Fra/Groupama-FDJ United)

Tour de France general classification after stage 21

1. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 73hrs 56mins 26secs

2. Remco Evenepoel (Bel/Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +6mins 26secs

3. Isaac del Toro (Mex/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +9mins 42secs

4. Paul Seixas (Fra/Decathlon-CMA CGM) +11mins 56secs

5. Lenny Martinez (Fra/Bahrain-Victorious) +13mins 2secs

6. Mattias Skjelmose (Den/Lidl-Trek) +14mins 59secs

7. Juan Ayuso (Spa/Lidl-Trek) +17mins 48secs

8. Richard Carapaz (Ecu/EF Education-Easypost) +20mins

9. Tom Pidcock (GB/Pinarello-Q36.5) +29mins 28secs

10. Jordan Jegat (Fra/Total Energies) +33mins 21secs

Helicopters played a major role in this year’s Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) sinking exercise (SINKEX), with at least three allied rotorcraft types employing weapons against retired U.S. Navy vessels. U.S. Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopters fired Spike NLOS (Spike Non-Line of Sight) missiles at the guided missile cruiser ex-USS Mobile Bay, a Royal New Zealand Navy SH-2G(I) Seasprite struck the amphibious assault ship ex-USS Peleliu with an AGM-119 Penguin missile, a Royal Australian Navy MH-60R Seahawk launched an AGM-114N Hellfire missile against a target ship, and an Italian Navy SH-101 helicopter launched a Marte anti-ship missile.

Collectively, the engagements underscored how helicopters are emerging as key contributors to distributed maritime strike, complementing fighters, warships, submarines, and land-based missile batteries with precision-guided anti-ship weapons.

The Apache strike, conducted July 11, saw AH-64s assigned to the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, 7th Infantry Division, Multi-Domain Command–Pacific engage the former Ticonderoga-class cruiser ex-USS Mobile Bay during the live-fire SINKEX. The Army’s previous demonstration of an Apache destroying a much smaller boat with a Spike NLOS was something TWZ was first to report, but employing the weapon against a full-sized cruiser during the world’s premier maritime exercise marks another significant milestone in the service’s expanding maritime mission.

The Apache’s participation in RIMPAC reflects the Army’s steadily growing role in maritime operations across the Indo-Pacific. Long associated with close air support and anti-armor missions, the AH-64 is increasingly being tasked with engaging naval targets. This is something that has also played out in recent combat operations against Iran.

Spike NLOS has emerged as one of the key tools enabling that mission. The Israeli-developed missile provides an operator-in-the-loop datalink that allows course corrections and aimpoint refinement throughout much of the missile’s flight. That capability makes it particularly useful against moving or time-sensitive maritime targets, where target discrimination and battle damage assessment can be especially challenging.

AH-64 fires Spike NLOS during integration tests at the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground in 2023:

Spike missile integrated into AH-64 at Yuma Proving Ground

Compared with the AGM-114 Hellfire and AGM-179 Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM), Spike NLOS dramatically extends the Apache’s reach while retaining the flexibility to engage both land and maritime targets.

According to manufacturer Rafael, the latest version of Spike NLOS has a maximum range of roughly 20 miles, giving it a substantial stand-off advantage over the Hellfire and JAGM. The variants of those weapons currently fielded on U.S. Army Apaches have maximum ranges of less than 10 miles, though they are typically employed at considerably shorter distances in operational use. At the same time, extended-range versions of both missiles have been demonstrated, with Hellfire tested at approximately three times its standard range and JAGM at roughly double its baseline reach.

The Royal Australian Navy’s contribution highlighted another facet of the growing helicopter anti-ship mission. An MH-60R Seahawk embarked in the Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer conducted a live AGM-114N Hellfire engagement against a target ship. While Hellfire lacks the standoff reach of Spike NLOS and is primarily associated with engaging smaller surface vessels, it remains a highly capable maritime strike weapon and is a standard part of the MH-60R’s surface warfare arsenal.

Imagery released by the New Zealand Defense Force showed a Royal New Zealand Navy SH-2G(I) Seasprite embarked aboard the Anzac class frigate HMNZS Te Mana launching an AGM-119 Penguin anti-ship missile against the decommissioned amphibious assault ship ex-USS Peleliu. According to the NZDF, the missile penetrated the hull before detonating inside the vessel, inflicting significant internal damage and compromising its integrity.

The Italian Navy also revealed that an SH-101 helicopter embarked aboard the multirole combat ship Giovanni delle Bande Nere launched a Marte anti-ship missile during RIMPAC 2026, although it did not specify which target the missile was fired against.

Together, the Apache, Seahawk, Seasprite, and SH-101 illustrated just how diverse helicopter-based maritime strike has become. Although each of the weapons described above is optimized for different targets and mission profiles, all three point toward helicopters assuming an increasingly prominent role in coalition anti-surface warfare operations.

The U.S. Army’s maritime application for Spike NLOS aligns closely with the Army’s Multi-Domain Operations concept, which increasingly envisions aviation units contributing to sea-denial missions alongside their more traditional roles. Apache crews have repeatedly demonstrated maritime strike capabilities during exercises across the Pacific, and RIMPAC provides one of the largest and most complex venues yet to refine those tactics alongside allies and partners.

Beyond the Army’s work with Spike NLOS, the U.S. Marine Corps has been experimenting with arming its AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters with small cruise missiles, dramatically expanding their reach and giving them the ability to strike ships from well beyond the range of traditional helicopter-launched weapons. Above all else, it’s yet another example of the attack helicopter’s changing role in the maritime environment.

Although helicopters featured prominently, they represented just one layer of the larger SINKEX strike package.

Video released this week also showed a U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet carrying AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM), along with live launches from U.S. Army M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Type 12 coastal defense missile batteries. U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft were also seen supporting the event. Based on the imagery that has been published, submarines were also involved in the SINKEX strikes. Full details of which weapons and platforms ultimately sent which retired ships to the bottom remain unclear, and TWZ has asked officials for additional information.

As well as the decommissioned Ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser, the Tarawa class amphibious assault ship ex-USS Peleliu also served as a SINKEX target. As we have discussed previously, the pair represented two very different classes of major warship, providing participants with valuable opportunities to employ and evaluate a wide range of anti-ship capabilities.

Live-fire events like RIMPAC’s SINKEX remain among the most valuable aspects of the exercise, providing opportunities that are difficult to replicate in synthetic training environments. They allow participating forces to observe weapon performance against full-sized ships, refine targeting procedures, and integrate air, sea, and land-based fires while operating within a coalition framework.

RIMPAC 2026 brings together 30 nations, more than 30 surface ships, five submarines, 15 national land forces, over 206 aircraft, and approximately 30,000 personnel operating in and around the Hawaiian Islands from June 24 through July 31. Now in its 30th iteration since beginning in 1971, RIMPAC remains the world’s largest international maritime exercise, designed to improve interoperability while strengthening the partnerships that underpin maritime security and freedom of navigation across the Indo-Pacific.

While long-range anti-ship missiles launched by fighters, warships, submarines, and coastal batteries remain central to modern naval warfare, this year’s RIMPAC SINKEX also demonstrated that helicopters are increasingly indispensable members of the maritime strike team. Whether armed with Spike NLOS, Hellfire, Penguin, or Marte missiles, allied rotorcraft showed they are increasingly expected to contribute directly to the joint force’s anti-ship kill chain. For a region where distributed operations and coalition interoperability are becoming ever more important, that evolution is likely only to accelerate.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

Jon Bon Jovi’s “Forever” tour stop was cut short after the singer said he needed to cool it.

Nearing the end of his nine-show residency at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, the 64-year-old rock icon apologized to fans when he had to pull the plug nearly an hour early.

Just before launching into “Livin’ on a Prayer,” he told the audience in a raspy voice, “I am the most grateful man in the world right now because I know I’m letting you down, and it’s not like me to do that. I feel f— great, but I’m gonna do one more song. I’m gonna need your help. I might have to cool it because I’m f— hurt.”

He performed the 1986 megahit, with the audience belting the chorus in his place toward the end. Bon Jovi then said, “I’m sorry, I’ve got to go. Stay tuned.”

“I’ve got to cool it,” he continued. “It’s just not going to get any better. Don’t throw away your ticket stubs. I’m gonna figure something out, OK? Just hold onto it, we’ll figure out how to reschedule.”

Bon Jovi embraced his band mates in a group hug before heading off stage.

Representatives for the “Bad Medicine” rocker told The Times that the concert ran for 90 minutes before ending.

“Jon Bon Jovi spoke from stage and told fans he has been battling a sinus infection, which led to the show’s early ending,” the statement continued. “As part of the Bon Jovi residency at Madison Square Garden, Jon has said numerous times that it has been a joy to return to live shows for the band.”

Bon Jovi’s “Forever” tour is the first since the namesake frontman had surgery to repair a vocal cord injury in 2022.

The tour kicked off July 7 at the New York City venue and then will head overseas for a series of international stadium dates, including stops at Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh on Aug. 28, Croke Park in Dublin on Aug. 30, and a three-night stand at Wembley Stadium in London on Sept. 4, 6 and 9.

In 2024, Bon Jovi spoke on a Hulu panel in support of his docuseries “Thank You, Goodnight” and revealed that one of his vocal cords was “atrophying.”

“I pride myself on having been a true vocalist,” the musician said. “I’ve sung with Pavarotti. I know how to sing. I’ve studied the craft for 40 years. I’m not a stylist who just barks and howls. I know how to sing.”

“So when God was taking away my ability, and I couldn’t understand why — I jokingly have said the only thing that’s ever been up my nose is my finger — you know, so there’s no reason for any of this,” he added.

The same year, he told The Times that his voice was a “work in progress.”

“I’m an athlete coming back from an injury — Kobe Bryant with his Achilles torn off. Before I got on the plane this morning, I was at vocal therapy. The goal is 2½ hours a night, four nights a week,” he said.

In June, he told People that he was fully recovered. “It was longer than I’d ever expected, but it had to be right. We never lost faith.”

OAKLAND — The 17th year of Mosswood Meltdown at Oakland’s Mosswood Park brought with it a parade of free-thinking freaks on stage and in the crowd that descended on a punker’s picnic paradise for its annual outing of 20 bands over three days last weekend.

Hosted by the pencil-mustachioed art film icon John Waters, it began with a “pre-party” that exploded with main-event energy courtesy of lo-fi indie rock heroes Pavement, along with Wednesday and Vivian Girls on Friday night. The main fest lineup, topped by underground legends Iggy Pop and Bikini Kill, brought wild music with a message of unity among generations of punks to the tree-lined stages surrounded by a city that knows how to throw a good-time rager while staying deathly serious about its musical taste. Here are 10 moments that stood out at this year’s fest.

John Waters hosted the entire weekend, bringing his cackle-inducing foul-mouthed band intros to nearly every set at Mosswood Meltdown.

(Dick Slaughter)

Saturday

Singer/guitarist Toyozo (Yusuke Toyoshima)of The Fadeaways at Mosswood Meltdown

(Dick Slaughter)

The Fadeaways stand out early

Performing Saturday in Mosswood Park was a homecoming for Japanese revival rockers the Fadeaways. It was barely a year ago that they played a guerilla-style set by the festival entrance for a crowd of unsuspecting new fans. Going from ground level to being introduced on the main stage by Waters was a bucket-list achievement. “Their intense leaps in the air remind me of a throwback ricocheting tear-gas canister landing in a crowd of ICE agents,” the fabulously filthy host told the crowd before bringing them up. When they took the stage, the band wasted no time exploding into a searing 10-song set led by “That Girl” and including a screeching cover of the Kingsmen’s “Louie Louie.”

Snooper lead singer Blair Tramel performing on the Field Stage at Mosswood Meltdown

(Dick Slaughter)

Snooper and its puppeteers of chaos

Performing its third set at the festival since 2022, this Nashville four-piece band has quickly become a staple of this fest thanks to a larger-than-life-size puppet show and an electro-shock energy that helped it rumble through an early set on the Field Stage Saturday. Frontwoman Blair Tramel let the creativity of her paper-mache puppets made for the show match her highly caffeinated caterwaul on songs like “On the Line” and “Long Way,” where blown-out guitar tones, glitchy beats and shrieking vocals took Saturday’s decibel level unapologetically into the red.

The Spits performing on the Amphitheater Stage at Mosswood Meltdown.

(Dick Slaughter)

The Spits went full throttle

The sunken Amphitheater stage was a tough place to see anything if you didn’t show up to grab a spot at least 20 minutes early (or just climb a tree). But sweating in the sun to watch a band like the Spits, another Mosswood favorite, was worth pre-planning to get into the pit. The four-piece from Kalamazoo, Mich., hilariously clashed with the all-pink game show backdrop of the stage. Entering in sleeveless denim vests backed with a hailstorm of machine samples and maniacal Vincent Price laughter, the band clearly wasn’t playing any games as the members pounced on the crowd with 26 songs performed at breakneck speed, with dirty, piston-pumping rhythms on “Spit Me Out,” “Rip Up the Streets,” “Bring” and “SK8.”

Mannequin Pussy singer Missy Dabice and bassist Colins “Bear” Regisford on the Field Stage at Mosswood Meltdown

(Dick Slaughter)

Mannequin Pussy end with a loud bark

Blissfully ferocious and never short on words from the stage, frontwoman Missy Dabice didn’t get to say as much as she wanted to between songs due to the brevity of a festival set. But after a well-received set full of songs off 2024’s “I Got Heaven” and 2019’s “Patience,” Dabice still left room for some fiery parting words that embodied the tone of the weekend before wrapping things up with the band’s seething battle cry “Loud Bark.” “Don’t forget to celebrate the beauty of life while in every breath in turn fighting against fascism in every section of this country, good night!”

Otoboke Beaver drummer Emi “Leo” Morimoto performing on Saturday at Mosswood Meltdown

(Dick Slaughter)

Otoboke Beaver’s fury lights a fire

This quartet from Kyoto, Japan, put the Mosswood crowd in a stranglehold at the Field Stage and didn’t let up once during its entire set of math-rocky, manic, candy-colored fury. Even if you had no idea of the meaning behind song titles like “Don’t Light My Fire” or “I Am Not Maternal” or “Hey Where’s the Thank You?” sung mostly in Japanese, its joyous hell-raising energy left a lasting impression with the crowd. You couldn’t help but smile watching the members shred as an inflatable, beaver-shaped inner tube bounced around the mosh pit while they did their best to sound like a satanic garage band.

Iggy Pop headlining Saturday night at Mosswood Meltdown.

(Dick Slaughter)

Iggy Pop’s eternal lust for life

Iggy Pop’s ability to stay shirtless and savage at 79 goes beyond scientific explanation. One can only assume he’s made a deal with the devil that he’ll never stop performing. That seemed OK with the packed crowd that watched him headline Saturday night, rolling through all the Stooges and solo classics that made him the king of the underground. He kicked off his 18-song set with “T.V .Eye” and continued ripping into “Raw Power and “I Got a Right” before anyone in the crowd had a chance to catch their breath. With the Los Tropicanos backing band behind him, Iggy’s energy was transferred through the players who bolstered his catalog of Detroit-bred proto punk with tight precision and the right amount of stumbling sleaziness. Though he ended the set in a cage from “Wild One” to “Mass Production,” it’s clear that he’ll never be confined and that should give us all a bit of extra hope for ourselves.

A crowd surfer at Mosswood Meltdown.

(Dick Slaughter)

Sunday

Peaches Christ performing on the Field Stage at Mosswood Meltdown.

(Dick Slaughter)

Peaches Christ sings with punk pride

The fire on stage for Day 2 of the fest started early by a pack of drag queens led by Peaches Christ. She sauntered on the stage with electrified green and purple hair and Vivienne Westwood-style chic to perform a cover of the Sex Pistols’ “God Save the Queen.” Showing the true rainbow colors of the punk scene has always been an important aspect of Mosswood’s ethos and as a staple of the fest, Christ compelled everyone in the crowd to sing loud and proud as she and her squad each took turns performing classics from the canon of mosh pit hits including “New Rose” by the Damned and “Add It Up” by Violent Femmes. Following her was fellow queen Kochina Rude who came out dressed as Pee-wee Herman to perform the Germs’ “Lexicon Devil” before stage-diving into the crowd. Between flamboyant showmanship and a strong commitment to the vocals on tough songs like Suicidal Tendencies’ “Institutionalized” (slayed by Trixxie Carr) the LGBTQ community’s spirit was on display throughout the set.

Drummer Nick Aguilar and bassist Nikki Piclle of Frankie and the Witchfingers.

(Dick Slaughter)

Frankie and the Witchfingers leaves the crowd spellbound

Casting a spell on the crowd with their sharp synth-laden aggression and bouncy ‘80s dance punk rhythms, Frankie and the Witch Fingers arrived with a bang in the late afternoon sun. With a guitar hiked up to his clavicle, frontman Dylan Sizemore convulsed with energy that saw the power of every chord electrify his bones during the jam-heavy “Conducting Experiments” while the rhythm section of drummer Nick Aguilar and the neon green-haired bassist Nikki Pickle kept the crowd bouncing and magnetized the attention of eyes all around the fest. The best crowd surfing of the day came thanks to a seasoned, white-haired fest attendee in a bike helmet who was getting tossed around like a white-water rafter. The head gear was definitely a smart idea.

Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein of the Return of Jackie and Judy perform on the Field Stage at Mosswood Meltdown.

(Dick Slaughter)

The Return of Jackie and Judy revive the Ramones

It’s one thing to perform a set of cover songs, but it’s another thing to play tunes that ensure the vibe of an entire festival is covered as well. “I hope you like the Ramones ‘cuz that’s all we’re playing,” said Carrie Brownstein of Sleater Kinney. Alongside SK bandmates Corin Tucker, Toko Yasuda and “Portlandia” co-star/“Saturday Night Live” comedian Fred Armisen, the quartet formed Ramones tribute the Return of Jackie and Judy. From the thunderous opening chant of “Blitzkrieg Bop” (“Hey! Ho! Let’s Go!”), the all-age crowd strapped in for a roller-coaster ride of leather-clad punk classics that had everyone shouting along. Brownstein did a good job of meeting the moment with both joy and reverence, at various points talking to the crowd about the enduring spirit of the songs as well as dedicating “Rock-n-Roll Radio” to L7 bassist Jennifer Finch, who died Saturday.

Kathleen Hanna and Tobi Vail of Bikini Kill performing on Sunday at Mosswood Meltdown.

(Dick Slaughter)

Bikini Kill passes the torch

The entire vibe around Sunday was fueled by female empowerment thanks to riot grrrl godmothers Bikini Kill. Throngs of young girls in Day-Glo punk garb and face paint mashed against the barricade to see the roots of revolutionary aggression come crashing through the chords of classics like “Carnival,” “Alien She” and, of course, “Rebel Girl.” But frontwoman Kathleen Hanna was just as stoked to see them having a good time in front of her. “I can’t wait to open for you in 10 years,” Hanna said to inspire all the girl bands yet to form in the crowd. . Giving a shout-out to female-fronted young bands like Bitchfit that played one of the most impressive ground-level sets of the weekend was a warm and fuzzy torch-passing moment that summed up the reason a festival like this is still so vital to the survival of punk culture.

As the U.S. continues to expend offensive and defensive munitions in the fight against Iran, the Pentagon’s top leaders are testifying before the Senate today about how to pay for the war, including to replace $21 billion in strike weapons and air defense interceptors already used. The appearance of War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine comes as resumed hostilities have entered an 11th day and President Donald Trump renewed threats to attack Iran’s deeply buried Pickaxe Mountain facility.

Hegseth and Caine are appearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee to explain why the extra money is needed. It is included in a nearly $90 billion supplemental budget request made by the White House last month. Of that, the administration is seeking $67.1 billion to address “operational costs incurred by the Department of War (DoW) during OEF [Operation Epic Fury], including funding for military personnel and readiness expenses, operational costs to rebuild stocks expended by DOW, classified programs, and other key expenses,” the White House stated. 

As we noted earlier, the largest line item in the request is $21 billion for the munitions fired off during the conflict. We have frequently highlighted concerns over U.S. stocks of high-end offensive missiles and bombs and air defense interceptors and the difficulty in replacing them.

An official told The Washington Post that “the expansion of U.S. operations will be limited by dwindling stockpiles of air defense and long-range munitions and constraints on the ability to surge more troops and aircraft into the area because of battle damage.

Meanwhile, the money being used to fund the conflict is having a cascading downstream effect on the U.S. military.

“The funding crunch is already leading the Pentagon to limit training and maintenance that help maintain military readiness,” The Washington Post reported, citing four current and former officials.