summer

As summer heats up alongside the exhausting news cycle, it’s crucial to find ways to unplug and wind down. Golden Hour in the newly renovated sculpture garden at the Norton Simon Museum is just the thing. Taking place tonight (Friday), and on two more Fridays this season (July 31 and Aug. 28), the event lasts from 4:30-6:30 p.m. and features a different musical group each time.

Tonight is the Verbena Quartet; a North Indian ensemble and a jazz trio are upcoming.

The fun is free with museum admission, and guests are encouraged to bring blankets to relax in the grass. I took my family of four to a recent event and it proved to be the rare occurrence when both the 10-year-old and the 17-year-old were happy. The museum provides all kinds of great art supplies on a big table by the entrance, including sketch paper, clipboards, colored pencils and charcoal drawing utensils.

There are also sheets of paper encouraging creative ways to approach drawing various sculptures in the garden, alongside a family-friendly Golden Hour bingo card with squares including “Spot something framed by tree branches” and “Look at the space between two objects.”

I did some drawing with my toes in the grass while my kiddos curved their necks over their own mini masterpieces. My husband read a book. The sun slanted low as the afternoon melted into early evening, casting lovely shadows on the families, couples, friend groups and solitary artists scattered around the garden sipping wine and snacking on cheese and crackers from the nearby cafe.

When we had our fill of relaxing, we ambled into the museum. My daughter wanted to gaze at the Picassos and the Van Goghs. As did I. I never don’t cry when I look at “The Mulberry Tree.”

“Can you imagine what he was thinking?” I asked my 10-year-old as we regarded the painting. “The pain and the beauty of it?”

She nodded sagely, gently smoothing her thumb against her own recent drawing, her deep inner world a mystery to me. The beauty and the pain of it. I was glad we had cuddled together in the late afternoon sunshine.

I’m arts editor Jessica Gelt, wishing you and your loved ones peace. This is your arts and culture news for the week.

The week ahead: A curated calendar

FRIDAY

Antigone
The Bebelos Players present a back-to-basics production of Sophocles’ classic drama about a young woman who defies a king to honor her dead brother.
7 p.m. Friday-Sunday. Theosophy Hall, 245 W. 33rd St. eventbrite.com

Rick Bartow
Last chance to catch “All of these things have happened,” an exhibition of works on paper by the late Native American artist that touch on tragedies from throughout his life, as well as “Horse,” a 2014 sculpture covered in tar, wax, false teeth and nails that is “a study of sustained resilience.”
Noon-5 p.m. Friday-Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday (last day). Timothy Hawkinson Gallery, 7424 Beverly Blvd. timothyhawkinsongallery.com

Spencer Finch
“Balboa of House and Garden,” composed entirely of new work, is the artist’s first exhibition in Los Angeles. The show includes more than 50 unique works on paper, a site-specific skylight installation and a monumental outdoor sculpture. Finch’s “Memory Landscape (Nairobi, Chicago, Honolulu, Jakarta),” 2025, a commissioned tile wall mural inspired by places from President Barack Obama’s formative years, was recently installed at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.
Opening, 6-8 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, through Aug. 22. Lisson, 1037 N. Sycamore Ave. lissongallery.com

Bodo Mato
The pseudonymous multidisciplinary artist uses a subconscious dreamworld to access a legendary lost city to find real-world parallels in the exhibition “Atlantis: Echoes of Hubris.”
Opening reception, 6-10 p.m. Friday. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Tuesday. 7811 Gallery (West), 7813 Melrose Ave. 7811gallery.com

Raymond Saunders
“Flowers From a Black Garden” is a career-spanning look at the painter (1934-2025) as he moved from Dada, expressionism and assemblage to Fluxus, Pop and postmodernism, beginning in the 1960s.
11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday, through Jan. 3. UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 3333 Avenue of the Arts, Costa Mesa. langson.uci.edu

SATURDAY

Alternative Palm Springs: Other Desert Architectures
In some parallel reality there may exist a Coachella Valley unlike anything you’ve ever imagined. In lieu of that, this exhibition shares the unbuilt visions of prominent architects, off-grid designs of the counterculture, and private and public worlds created by the LGBTQ+ during the 20th century, yielding an expanded view of the area’s architectural ambitions.
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday-Sunday; noon-8 p.m. Thursday; through Jan. 4; closed June 26 and July 4. Architecture and Design Center, Edwards Harris Pavilion, 300 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs. psmuseum.org

Declarations of Independence
Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles and guest artist Justin Tranter celebrate national and individual freedom and pride for America’s 250th anniversary.
7 p.m. Saturday; 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Saban Theatre, 8440 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. gmcla.org/declarations

A Great Night in Hip-Hop
The Roots return for their third year at the Bowl, joined by Nas, with appearances from T.I., Bun B, De La Soul and more.
7:30 p.m. Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N Highland Ave. hollywoodbowl.com

Rota Fortunae
A one-night-only experimental opera featuring Jordan Slaffey reimagines the four women of the 1996 crime thriller “Set It Off” using movement, live music and fashion. Directed by Chris Emile, music by composer and DJ Cody Perkins and designs by James Flemons.
7:30 p.m. Indoor Swap Meet, 128 S. La Brea Ave., Inglewood. eventbrite.com

Peter Stampfel
An innovator of anti-folk, freak-folk and psych-folk, the 87-year-old co-founder of the Holy Modal Rounders makes a rare West Coast appearance.
8 p.m. McCabe’s Guitar Shop, 3101 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. mccabes.com

THURSDAY

Ojai Film Society Summer Screening Series
Annual presentation of independent, foreign, documentary, critically acclaimed and classic films kicks off Thursday with Taika Waititi’s 2016 adventure comedy “Hunt for the Wilderpeople,” starring Sam Neill. Other screenings: “Selena Y Los Dinos” (July 10); “Cookie Queens” (July 17); “Best in Show” (July 24); “Arrival” (Aug. 20); and “Jurassic Park” (Aug. 27).
7:30 p.m. Thursday; various dates through Aug. 27. Libbey Bowl, 210 S. Signal St., Ojai. ojaifilmsociety.org

Tank and the Bangas
The Grammy-winning New Orleans music group shares its signature blend of funk, soul, hip-hop, rock and spoken word. Featuring an opening set by Butter Funk Family and DJ sets by Tosstones.
7 p.m. Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd. skirball.org

Arts anywhere

Broadway unbound

Two of the biggest hit musicals ever are in town simultaneously starting this week — “Mamma Mia!” is at the Ahmanson through July 19 and “Phantom of the Opera” plays the Hollywood Pantages through Aug. 9. If you want to bone up beforehand or relive the hits after you’ve been to the theater, the cinematic adaptations of both are widely available. The 2008 movie version of “Mamma Mia!” starring Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried streams on Prime through the end of June and the 2004 “Phantom” with Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum is streaming on Prime and Apple TV. Both films are available to rent or buy on various platforms and, if you’re into physical media, relatively inexpensive Blu-ray and DVD versions can be had online. Public libraries are also great resources for arts-related content.

— Kevin Crust

Culture news and the SoCal scene

With the new Metro D Line subway extension up-and-running with new stations at Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax and Wilshire/La Cienega, we asked architecture writer Sam Lubell to take an aesthetic look at these new displays of public art. “Suddenly the city feels different. Not transformed, exactly. But more connected,” wrote Lubell. “The fracturing grip of the city’s incomprehensible expanses, clogged arteries and stagnant governance — all intimidating barriers to healthy civic life — feels a little looser. … The stations, too, feel more connected, with art, architecture and infrastructure blending seamlessly into a cohesive experience … But above ground, it’s a tale of two (transit) cities. Outdoor plazas lack the kind of textured civic presence that’s been created below.”

The Hollywood Bowl opened its summer season with a lavish production, “The Best of Broadway,” starring Lea Salonga, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Darren Criss, Renée Elise Goldsberry and Halle Bailey, and hosted by Billy Crystal. The program including a selection of Broadway tunes old and new, was delivered with flair to an appreciative audience. “I had a lovely time,” reports Times theater critic Charles McNulty, “but I can’t say the concert lived up to its title. Not that impressive virtuosity wasn’t on display, but Broadway is truly at its best when musical numbers are embedded in a story, allowing the performers to feed off each other and reach heights that they might not be able to reach on their own. Too much of the bill required the actors to stand and deliver, ‘American Idol’-style. It was a little unfair to place such a heavy burden on them.”

McNulty also reviewed the Geffen Playhouse’s Los Angeles premiere of Pearl Cleage’s “Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous,” about an American expat actor angling for her big comeback. The play, wrote McNulty, “is hamstrung with exposition. More time is devoted to setting up the dramatic situation than to activating it. … The intentions are noble and the themes are handled with admirable complexity, but the writing is sluggish. The plot is like an old car whose engine just refuses to start on a cold winter morning.”

The final show of L.A. Opera’s production “Marriage of Figaro” last Sunday also marked the end of James Conlon’s tenure at the podium as the organization’s music director. Stepping down after 20 years, Conlon spoke to Times classical music critic Mark Swed. “I love L.A. and I’m not going to leave,” said Conlon. “I am absolutely happy at this point in my life. You know my age is 76. It is not a secret. I wear it proudly. But I’ve been a music director for 47 years, and I don’t want to be a music director any longer. I will still conduct.” Will he return regularly to L.A. Opera? “That’s the theory,” he said

Another maestro who can’t quit L.A. is Esa-Pekka Salonen. Last weekend, the beloved composer and conductor, who is back with the L.A. Phil as creative director, returned to the Ojai Music Festival after a quarter-century absence. “Salonen found renewal not from the desperation of rethinking but from freshening, illuminating the perception of exceptional young musicians first encountering greatness,” wrote Swed in his review of the four days. “In these uncertain times, that may be the most remarkable act of artistic optimism.”

Not yet 30, Spanish painter Nieves González is a burgeoning international art star with an exhibition at Richard Heller Gallery in Santa Monica. “Fashion inspires me,” she told writer Jane Horowitz in a recent interview. “Just as 17th century artists drew inspiration from the fashion of their day — often creating paintings that served as catalogs of current styles — I do the same. The goal is to not merely convey a specific message or ideology but to create a testament to a generation and the era in which we live.”

“California Gothic: A Bus Tour,” an avant-garde sightseeing event organized by the New Theater Hollywood, turns Tinseltown “into a stage, drawing locals for a mash-up of state history, gothic storytelling and public-intellectual riffing on the broken California dream,” wrote Times staff writer Eloise Rollins-Fife. The tour ended its latest run in mid-June, but will reopen during the last week of October for a special “ghost tour” edition.

Times columnist Patt Morrison reported from the City of Lights on Paris-born street artist JR’s “La Caverne du Pont Neuf,” which she describes as “an enormous art installation, a trompe l’oeil inflatable snow-clad mountain range … an homage to the innovative work of groundbreaking environmental artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude.” The work uses about 200,000 square feet of printed fabric on the city’s oldest bridge to create the illusion and the artist told Morrison, “Your eye wants to believe it, and for a moment you let yourself. That gap between knowing and believing is where the play happens, and people love being inside that gap.”

In the 1940s, Norman Rockwell spent time in the visitor’s lobby of the White House sketching U.S. senators, members of the military, the press and a Miss America as they awaited entry into the Oval Office to see President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Eight decades later, four of the sketches have been acquired by the White House Historical Assn. for $7 million, according to the Associated Press. Titled “So You Want to See the President!” the sketches will be on public display through June 2027 at the historical association’s “The People’s House” education center near the White House.

It was a busy week for announcing some of this fall and winter’s Broadway openings. Lincoln Center Theater’s Vivian Beaumont will host a revival of Aaron Sorkin’s “A Few Good Men,” starring Bradley Whitford and Tom Blyth, directed by six-time Tony winner Michael Arlen, starting Oct. 8. In March 2027, LCT Artistic Director Lear deBessonet will helm a new production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The Sound of Music,” for its first Broadway run in nearly 30 years. A revival of Richard Greenberg’s “Three Days of Rain” lands in February 2027 at a Shubert Organization-owned theater to be announced with Anna D. Shapiro directing. The cast will include “Heated Rivalry’s” François Arnaud and David Corenswet of “Superman” in their Broadway debuts, joined by Yvonne Strahovski of “The Handmaid’s Tale.” The play was previously on Broadway in 2006 with Julia Roberts, Bradley Cooper and Paul Rudd. Walter Hill’s 1979 gang saga “The Warriors” will make the leap from screen to stage as a musical, with a book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis. Previews begin at Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in March 2027 with an opening slated for April. Jenny Koons will direct.

— Kevin Crust

And last but not least

We cover a lot of awards in this space, but today we get to give a shout-out to one of our own. Times theater critic Charles McNulty was awarded the prestigious Nell Minow Award for Cultural Criticism by the National Press Club this week. His submission included a reflection on the Los Angeles wildfires through the poetry of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”; a tribute to South African anti-Apartheid trailblazer Athol Fugard; and an essay on the complexities of Audra McDonald’s performance in “Gypsy,” among others. The Times also won the Breaking News Award in the print/online category for its reporting on the January 2025 L.A. firestorms. A presentation ceremony and dinner will take place Aug. 27 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. For the complete list of winners, visit press.org.

THERE’S a brand-new woodland playground opening this weekend with everything from slides and climbing walls.

The even better news is that they’re offering discounted tickets throughout the summer holidays.

Tucked away in the Helmingham Estate in Suffolk is Guildenacre – an immersive playground with slides, climbing walls and zip lines.

The play area is inspired by nature and animals is split into four.

The first part is Flint’s Hollow which is home to Flint the Badger and full of tunnels and burrows.

There are two-storey lookout spots too and a covered, twisty slide.

Up high in the trees is Eira the Owl’s Canopy Keep which has a rope ladder to climb and wooden walkways which lead up to a huge telescope on the stargazing deck.

The Elderglade is where kids will find Atlas the Stag.

It’s the largest play area featuring climbing walls, tunnels, ladders, multi-level walkways, bridges and impressive twin slides to race down.

Vex the Vixen’s Ember Den is designed for older children in mind, it has a more challenging climbing structure with monkey bars and balance beams.

It even has a zip line and the younger ones won’t miss out either as there’s a mini version for the youngsters.

Each area of the playground is linked through bark pathways – so anyone with pushchairs or wheelchairs can easily access it.

When it’s time to eat, visitors can pop into The Black Dog Deli for snacks, pastries, children’s lunchboxes and ice creams.

Tickets to the play area are discounted too thanks to the temporary reduced rate of VAT over the summer.

From when it opens until August 31, tickets booked online are £11.50 for children aged five and over, £8 for adults and £6 for children aged three and over.

You can buy tickets on the day too – these are £13 for children aged five and over, £9.50 for adults and £7.50 for children aged three and over.

Children under three go free.

There’s no restriction on how long you spend at Guildenacre either as there are no allocated time slots.

Guildenacre will be open for weekends from June 27 and then daily for the summer holidays from July 18 until August 31, before returning to its weekend opening.

The play area is set in amongst the four-acre woodlands at Helmingham Hall which is a moated 16th century manor house with a 400-acre deer park.

It has Grade I listed gardens surrounding the house – those who visit Guildenacre will also receive a 25 per cent discount on.entry to the gardens

From the playground the gardens are a short 10-minute walk away or a two-minute drive away.

British tourists have been warned to be careful in France this summer after new rules were brought in during a heatwave as temperatures rise across the country

British tourists have been warned they could be hit with a fine of up to £129 this summer if they visit France. The ban, which applies to non-Brits as well, is in relation to public decency.

Just like the UK, though to a greater extent, France has been experiencing incredibly high temperatures in recent days. In response, several measures have been put in place to protect the public.

One of the laws brought into place has been a ban on men being topless in public places, resulting in a fine that could be as high as €150 (£129.62). The bans have been brought into force in coastal towns including Narbonne in southern France.

In some cases, the ban has been brought in to maintain respect for urban spaces, whilst others have brought it in for hygiene reasons. In places such as Narbonne, the ban will be in place until the end of September.

Residents have so far, it appears, backed the plan. Speaking to the Times, an Australian living in the town, Anthony Hill, 53, said: “This isn’t something the staff of our café can easily police on their own without getting into arguments with customers.

“So I think it’s a very good thing. Having bare-chested guys on the terrace can put off other customers.”

Meanwhile the local mayor Bertrand Malquier, added: “It’s about hygiene and avoiding exhibitionism.”

The attitude has been reflected in La Grande-Motte where local Marie, 37, expressed her support to the publication. She said: “If I’m out with my kids in the town centre I really don’t want to see guys without shirts. It’s a matter of decency — and there’s also the smell when they walk past you.”

A French Twitter user, Yannick Moreau, agreed: “This is inappropriate behaviour that has an unfortunate tendency to increase year after year. So it’s time to make it clear: it is forbidden to walk around shirtless or in swimwear in Les Sables d’Olonne. A bit of decency, please!”

This isn’t the only ban that has been introduced in France, with the country’s capital Paris also introducing a ban on drinking takeaway alcohol in the street.

The ban began at midday today (June 26) and will run all the way until 7 o’clock France time on Saturday morning. It will then return at midday on Saturday and the end again at seven o’clock on Sunday morning.

Talking about the ban, the city’s police chief Patrice Faure, told BFM TV: “As you know, drinking alcohol with the sun beating down can have a devastating effect. We are reaching a saturation point in hospital facilities.

“I must ensure that the pressure decreases.”

Hospitals in the city have been under increasing pressure as more people have come in after being affected by the heat which has been so high that the city’s LGBTQ+ Pride march has been delayed until September.

They offer stunning views and culture without a hefty price tag.

Travel expert Simon Calder has shared his pick of European holiday destinations that won’t break the bank. While they come with a lower price tag, the spots are still packed full with stunning scenery, culture, food and activities.

Montenegro

Travel expert Simon has championed Montenegro as a breathtakingly beautiful yet criminally overlooked European gem, boasting a spectacular coastline, sweeping national parks and enchanting medieval towns.

The Balkan nation also happens to rank among Europe’s most affordable destinations, according to a recent study by Jersey Island Holidays.

The crown jewel of Montenegro is Kotor Bay, hailed as “a jewel of the Mediterranean,” and brimming with picturesque fishing villages and jaw-dropping scenery. On Tripadvisor, one visitor declared Kotor to be one of the “nicest places” they’d ever set eyes on.

Another wrote: “The bay is gorgeous with hills and mountains surrounding it. There are plenty of viewpoints to see it. The towns also look pretty with the red tiled roofs.”

A further holidaymaker gushed: “What a spectacular scene. Kotor Bay is winding and resembles a fjord. It is located in the Adriatic Sea and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

“The natural beauty is stunning, with Mediterranean landscapes, mountains, and cliffs in contrast with the historic buildings.”

Portugal

Though better known as a summer hotspot, Portugal is a stunning destination in its own right, offering vibrant towns and a glorious stretch of coastline.

Simon singles out Lisbon, along with the charming towns of Cascais, Estoril and Sintra as must-visit locations.

He said: “I love Lisbon, one of Europe’s most beautiful capital cities, and the locations on its western flanks – in particular Cascais, Estoril and Sintra.

“But until now I haven’t strayed south to the Setubal Peninsula: much less well known, but full of surprises.

“Do try O Barbas – an amazing seafood restaurant overlooking the Atlantic in Costa da Caparica; the wild, windy and atmospheric cape of Espichel; and Setubal itself, a sleepy, friendly city.”

Bulgaria

Bulgaria is yet another undiscovered treasure and a destination where “your money goes further,” according to Simon.

He said: “We’ve been telling everyone for years that Bulgaria is a great holiday destination, about how wonderful the weather is, how soft the sandy beaches are, the excellent hotels and of course the low cost of living there.”

THE summer of warned EES chaos is almost upon us – but two airports are set to scrap the new entry rules for Brits.

Both Rome Fiumicino Airport and Rome Ciampino Airport could suspend the requirements to avoid length queues at passport control.

Talking to the Financial Times, Aeroporti di Roma Chief Executive Officer Marco Troncone said that allowing passengers to skip EES checks is the only way to avoid “disaster”.

He added “we are very worried for the summer” and rated his concerns an “eight or nine” out of 10.  

Marco Troncone said: “The process proves to be incompatible with the peak volumes that we are going to face. 

“So the only way is to open up the valve. There is no way that we can deliver 100 per cent of the enrolment.”

These two Italian airports can be particularly busy during the summer period.

Rome Fiumicino Airport sees over five million passengers per month during the peak summer travel season.

In recent years, numbers have been as high as 180,000 in a single day.

Rome Ciampino Airport is a little quieter but can still see up to 3.9million total passengers per year.

During the summer, there are estimates of up to 400,000 passengers per month through the airport, according to Aeroporti di Roma.

EES requires UK and other non-EU nationals to register at the border with their biometrics and will replace manual passport stamping.

But since their introduction there have been reported issues which have caused up to six- hour queues through airports.

Another issue was raised by Olivier Jankovec, head of the airports industry group ACI Europe.

H said that one of the biggest problems is that the self-service EES points “don’t work”.

He also said that there is congestion caused by a lack of organisation.

Once enrolled with EES, travellers should be able to go through gates automatically on future trips without needing to use the machines again.

But at the moment, lots of airports haven’t introduced separate queues for those who have already completed EES checks which is adding to wait times.

Queues at passport control have been so long at some airports that passengers have missed flights.

Earlier this month, a Ryanair flight was forced to leave up to 50 of its passengers behind when they were stuck in Athens Airport in what they dubbed a ‘mega queue’.

In April, an easyJet flight left Milan Airport without all of its passengers who were stuck in border control queues.

A FRESH warning has been issued over a major travel item that many of us now use, that actually poses a huge threat when flying.

Over the past couple of years, power banks have caused several issues across a number of flights.

In response, airlines have introduced new measures that specify the type of power bank you can or cannot take onboard.

As the school summer holidays approach, travellers are now being reminded to carry these items in their hand luggage.

Power banks contain lithium batteries, which according to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), pose a huge risk to aircraft, with more and more devices being found in hold luggage over the past year.

The aviation body also said that the average person now takes four different lithium-powered devices on a flight.

However, they are prone to overheating, especially if they are defective and this can cause a fire.

The CAA states: “Passenger awareness remains low – over a third (36 per cent) of travellers are unaware of the dangers of packing batteries in checked baggage, even though 92 per cent fly with a mobile phone, 55 per cent with a laptop and 49 per cent with a power bank – suggesting hundreds of batteries could be incorrectly packed on a typical flight.”

While some airlines have responded to the increased use of lithium batteries by carrying containment bags – such as Virgin Atlantic and Wizz Air – they still pose the biggest risk of fire to flights.

And it’s not just power banks that have lithium batteries though and they aren’t anything new – you’ll also find them in your laptop, mobile and smart watch.

When an incident regarding a lithium battery occurs in the cabin, cabin crew can handle it more easily.

However, if the issue is in the hold it is a trickier problem to solve.

According to the CAA, there are around two lithium battery incidents every week.

And these incidents can cause delays as well as the plane diverting.

The rules to be aware of include taking items such as your mobile phone, vapes and power banks on board in the cabin.

If you are taking power banks, you are allowed a maximum of two and you cannot charge them during the flight.

Laptops must be switched off if they are in hold bags.

As part of its new campaign ‘Pack right, Safe flight’, the CAA added that travellers should “choose reputable suppliers and brands when buying devices and spare batteries” and that “batteries that show signs of damage, overheating, or swelling should not be used and should never be carried on an aircraft”.

Giancarlo Buono, Director of Aviation Safety at the UK Civil Aviation Authority said: “Flying is by far the safest way to travel, and we want to keep it that way.

“Pack right for a safe flight, and that means don’t put your batteries in your checked bag. Take them into the cabin with you.

“This simple tip will make your flight safer for you, and the other passengers you’re flying with.”

Here are the rules on batteries for some of the major airlines:

British Airways

You can take up to 15 battery-operated Personal Electronic Devices (PEDs) that contain lithium batteries such as laptops, tablets, smartphones, cameras, music players, smart baggage tags (e.g. Apple AirTag) onboard.

If in hand luggage, they must be switched off or placed in flight safe mode.

If in checked luggage, they must be completely switched off – not in sleep or hibernation mode.

You can only carry up to two power banks per person and they must be in the cabin in either the seat pocket or in a bag under the seat in front of you and they cannot exceed 100Wh.

Ryanair

Electronic devices and spare lithium batteries must be carried in the cabin only.

Each passenger can carry up to 15 electronic devices for personal use in the cabin “including but not limited to: smartphones, tablets, laptops, cameras, handheld gaming consoles, headphones”.

Each passenger can only carry up to two power banks and these are included in the overall limit of 20 spare lithium batteries – which cannot exceed 100Wh.

Ryanair adds: “Spare lithium batteries and power banks must be carried on the passenger’s person or in the under-seat cabin bag stowed under the seat in front.

“Power banks and spare lithium batteries must not be placed in cabin baggage stored in the overhead lockers.“

Power banks cannot be recharged when onboard or during the flight.

EasyJet

EasyJet has a limit of 15 electronic devices per passenger, which must be 12V or less and 100Wh or less.

When it comes to power banks, Wh ratings cannot exceed 160Wh for lithium batteries, and only two can be carried per passenger.

EasyJet states: “Power banks are prohibited from use on easyJet aircraft and must not be used to charge other devices.

“Power banks must be carried in carry-on baggage only, and it is recommended that power banks are carried where they can be monitore, d i.e. on your person.”

Virgin Atlantic

For Virgin Atlantic, you can travel with up to five spare batteries and/or power banks, depending on their watt-hour (Wh) rating.

All batteries and power banks must be able to fit inside the airline’s onboard Fire Containment Bag, which measures 37×28×10cm.

The airline states: “Please keep them in an accessible place during your flight — not in the overhead locker.

“Power banks cannot be plugged into your seat’s power supply at any time.

“Power banks cannot be used to charge other devices while onboard.

“Batteries and power banks must be under 100Wh.”

Wizz Air

For Wizz Air, power banks cannot be used during any phase of the flight, and they are not allowed in checked luggage.

Each traveller is limited to a maximum of 20 spare batteries, including a maximum of one power bank, which cannot exceed 100Wh.

The airline states: “Power banks and e-cigarettes should be carried where they can be monitored, i.e. on the person.”

SOMETIMES, one day at a theme park just isn’t enough.

So Alton Towers is offering a second ticket free this summer – and there are two ways you can redeem it.

This year is a great year to go, with new Bluey rollercoaster opening earlier this year.

Or if you want to go full throttle, hop onto Wicker Man, Nemesis Reborn, the Toxicator and The Smiler – so here is how to claim the deal.

Second Day-Ticket

Let’s start with claiming a second-day ticket with the Twice the Fun offer.

Families who book an Alton Towers Resort theme park ticket between June 25 and July 27 will receive a free second-day ticket.

You can use it to return to Alton Towers, or check out one of the other three Merlin attractions; Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures and LEGOLAND Windsor Resort.

The offer is valid on visits between June 25 and September 30.

Overnight Stays

The other way to get a second-day ticket is if you book consecutive-night stays on dates between June 25 to October 22 2026.

This includes stays during the school holidays too.

To claim the offer, you have to book an overnight stay at one of the on-site hotels between June 25 and July 29.

You’ll get an overnight stay at the resort, full entry to the theme park plus a completely free second day.

You can choose from four hotels. There’s the Alton Towers Hotel which has the Secret Garden Restaurant and Dragons Bar.

It has themed rooms so you can even choose to sleep in a bed that is like a bathtub, a hot air balloon or even a princess carriage.

A weekend stay between July 11 and July 12 in the Explorer Room for a family of four starts from £363 – or £90.75pppn.

Little ones will love the CBeebies Land Hotel which has live shows, games and exciting meet and greets with CBeebies characters.

A two-night stay in the Bugbies Room at the CBeebies Land Hotel from August 10 to August 12 for a family of four is £735 – or £91.87pppn.

The Caribbean-inspired Splash Landings Hotel is a tropical retreat with themed exotic family-friendly restaurants and entertainment.

There are the luxurious Enchanted Village Woodland Lodges which have come with private outdoor decking and a play area for children.

If you want to really indulge, check out the Luxury Treehouses which sleep up to eight people and have private hot tubs.

Or there are even Star Gazing pods which come with telescopes for admiring the night sky.

A three-night stay in a Star Gazing pod for July 10 to July 13 for a family of four works out at £458 – or £38.17pppn.

At the hotels are plenty of evening entertainment, 9 holes of crazy golf, free parking and breakfast is included too.

A WHOLE load of UK holiday parks will be cheaper this summer thanks to the new Government initiative.

From today until September 1, there will be the Great British Summer Savings tax cut across UK attractions.

In addition to days out and meals, holiday parks will also be cheaper this summer.

The scheme means there will be between a five and 20 per cent tax cut on days out across the UK .

All 39 Haven holiday parks will be participating in the scheme, as well as three Butlin’s resorts.

For Haven, it doesn’t matter whether you have already booked a holiday or book it in the coming weeks – you will still make savings.

Across the parks, kids’ meals will be cheaper and those who purchase a Play Pass as a part of their booking will also get a £7.50 voucher per child which can be use for any of the activities at Haven’s parks.

Simon Palethorpe, CEO of Haven, said: “Summer is a time for making memories, and that’s why we’re giving back up to £5 million to our guests and owners as part of the Government’s Great British Summer Savings initiative.

“We know household budgets remain under pressure, and we want to help our holidaymakers enjoy more of what matters – whether that’s a hole-in-one on the Crazy Golf, a leap of faith off The Jump tower or another shot to hit the bullseye in the Archery.”

In the summer holidays you could head to Haggerston Castle between August 24 and 28 for £435, working out at £27.19 per person per night, based on a family of four.

The holiday park is located near Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland and is on a historic estate.

At the park you can head to a large indoor swimming pool with its own waterslide, or outside try out Aerial Adventure.

There’s also a Wetherspoons onsite for cheap tipples.

If you want to head away sooner than this, you could visit Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park, which is Britain’s oldest holiday park.

Not too far from Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, the holiday park has direct access to the beach.

You can also head to the family activity hub onsite with off-road 4×4 mini karts.

There’s also both indoor and outdoor pools.

A four-night stay between July 6 and 10 costs from £169 – which equals just £10.57 per person, based on a family of four.

Butlin’s Minehead, Skegness and Bognor Regis will also participate in the scheme.

A Butlin’s spokesperson said: “We’re pleased to support the Great British Summer Savings initiative by passing on the temporary VAT reduction where eligible.

“Families visiting our resorts will enjoy savings on Day Visits and children’s meals across a range of our dining venues during the campaign period.”

Away Resorts has also confirmed to Sun Travel that it will be participating in the scheme – all children’s food at Away Resorts will be reduced, even including kids eat for £1 for now less than £1.

The resorts are also discounting show tickets.

Away Resorts still has lots of availability for the coming weeks as well as the summer holidays.

For example, you could stay at Tattershall Lakes in the Lincolnshire countryside.

The holiday park has both indoor and outdoor pools and is a great place to cool down in the head as you can head paddleboarding or jet skiing.

There’s also adventure golf, a high ropes course, zip-lining and even axe throwing.

A three-night stay between July 3 and 6 costs from £291 – which works out at £24.25 per person per night, based on a family of four.

Alternatively, if you wanted a holiday park break during the school summer holidays, you could head to Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire.

The holiday park is surrounded by forest and rolling hills and even has hot tubs.

As for things to do at the site, you can hire bikes and head off on a cycle.

And nearby, you could try out a round of golf at Worksop Golf Club & Clumber Park Lodges.

A three-night stay between August 13 and 16 costs from £420 – which works out at £35 per person per night, based on a family of four.

Center Parcs told Sun Travel: “While we welcome measures to support the hospitality and leisure sector, the majority of the VAT reductions announced are targeted at day attractions and therefore don’t apply to us here at Center Parcs.

“However, throughout the summer we have introduced our ‘Kids eat for £2’ promotion across our village restaurants during the summer holidays, which provides an even greater saving for guests.”

Over the period, Park Holidays are reducing their kids’ menus cost from £7.95 to £7.45.

Parkdean Resorts declined to comment.

Families will also be able to save money on children’s meals, cinema tickets, theatre shows, soft play centres, theme parks, museums and zoos.

There will also be free bus travel for children in England across August.

Sun Travel has contacted Park Holidays UK and Bluestone National Park Resort to see if they are participating.

Prices correct at the time of publication.

Data experts have analysed UK airport punctuality figures for the first half of 2025, ranking airports by the lowest number of flights recorded as on time

Plenty of us will be filling up our suitcases this summer ahead of a well-deserved holiday. Whether you’re a spontaneous booker or someone who organises trips months in advance, there’s always a thrill about heading to an airport.

Yet, not every journey runs as seamlessly as we’d hope. Data specialists at SEO Backlinks examined UK airport punctuality statistics for the first six months of 2025 and ranked airports according to the lowest proportion of flights departing on schedule.

The results serve as a useful reminder to factor in potential disruption when preparing to leave home.

Daniel Weston, spokesperson for SEO Backlinks, said: “Flight time and ticket price are usually the first things people compare, but punctuality can make a huge difference to the start of a holiday.

“If you are booking a tight connection, travelling with children or paying for airport parking by the hour, a lower on-time score can quickly become expensive and stressful.

“Passengers should check the latest airport and airline status before leaving home, keep screenshots of disruption notices, and know when they may be entitled to support or compensation if a delay is within the airline’s control.”

So which UK airport suffers the worst delays?

Manchester Airport is where British travellers are most likely to experience a departure that doesn’t stick to the timetable.

The airport ranked bottom of the table, with merely 71.5% of flights departing on time. That indicates 28.5%, or roughly one in four passengers, failed to leave within the punctuality standard.

Birmingham International came in as the second worst performer, with Stansted and Bournemouth joint third, both recording just 73.5% of flights departing on schedule.

While London airports didn’t monopolise the bottom 10, both Stansted and Gatwick featured in the rankings, highlighting that the problem isn’t confined to regional airports alone.

The top 10 UK airports most likely to delay your holiday are:

• Manchester, 71.5% of flights on time, 28.5% not recorded as on time
• Birmingham International, 72.5% of flights on time, 27.5% not recorded as on time
• Stansted, 73.5% of flights on time, 26.5% not recorded as on time
• Bournemouth, 73.5% of flights on time, 26.5% not recorded as on time
• Bristol, 74.5% of flights on time, 25.5% not recorded as on time
• Teesside, 75% of flights on time, 25% not recorded as on time
• Newcastle, 75.5% of flights on time, 24.5% not recorded as on time
• Gatwick, 75.5% of flights on time, 24.5% not recorded as on time
• Jersey, 75.5% of flights on time, 24.5% not recorded as on time
• Exeter, 76% of flights on time, 24% not recorded as on time

A Manchester Airport spokesperson told the Express: “This analysis of the Civil Aviation Authority’s data is misleading as it ignores important context – context which is directly referenced by the CAA in the notes accompanying the research and in the research itself. Punctuality is affected by factors that are outside of an airport’s control.

The two most significant factors contributing to delays in the last year have been industrial action affecting air traffic control in Europe, and the weather. These were exacerbated by airspace restrictions above conflict zones meaning airports with significant long-haul networks, like Manchester, were more significantly affected than others.

“As an industry we are working collectively to achieve the best possible on-time departure rates, while protecting flight schedules and avoiding the need for cancellations.”

OFF THE coast of Northumberland is a “pint-sized island” where you’re more likely to spot a cute seal than a local.

Holy Island, also called Lindisfarne, is often overlooked as a holiday destination.

However, we spoke to tour guide Patrick Norris who has visited hundreds of times, and raved about the nature of the island.

In fact there’s so much wildlife that it has even 6,000 seals to its 150 permanent residents.

Patrick, who hosts guided tours across the Pilgrim’s Walk to the island, told us: “The Atlantic grey seals haul out on the sandbars during the summer and sit and shout – they can be really noisy.

“Bottlenose dolphins are regularly seen too, and there’s the occasional minke whale that passes through the harbour.

“Porpoises are regular visitors to the offshore areas around Holy Island too.

“For birds, the Farne Islands are the best place to visit as they are home to around 200,000 summer seabirds.

“The puffins and pretty much all the seabirds nesting on the Farnes are only there really from mid-April to mid-August.”

You can see the Farne Islands from Holy Island, and the best way to see them is on a boat trip from Seahouses Harbour.

Northumberland is also known for its beautiful coastline and has some of the best beaches in the country, like Bamburgh, and Patrick tells us that Holy Island is no exception.

He said: “The white sandy beaches are well hidden on the eastern and northern shoreline.”

Patrick added: “To get to them you’ve got to go beyond the castle, walk to Emmanuel Head and head down.

“They’re small, hidden beaches and not many people go to them either so they’re usually quiet.”

While it was once a religious place, hence the name, Holy Island has recently become all the more popular – along with its huge castle, it has pubs, cafes and even a distillery.

Patrick told us: “I’m a regular at all of them, there are three pubs, The Ship Inn, The Manor House and The Crown and Anchor – all are lovely.

“There are three cafes, Chare Ends, 1st Class Food which is also a post office, and then there’s one of my favourites, Pilgrims Coffee.

“I love it there because they roast their own coffee in the garden and serve it in the cafe, the food and atmosphere there are great too.

“There’s a new one that’s just opened as well called Causeway Cafe, it’s inside the former Coastguard station – I’m yet to visit it.

“There’s a distillery too, and winery where you can buy locally made mead.”

Holy Island is tidal and so is only accessible at certain times of the day, so Patrick advise visitors to take precautions when visiting.

He said: “I’d seriously consider going with a guide for those who want to walk Pilgrim’s Way.

“It’s a path across the bay, which dates back 1,400 years or so and is marked by a line of poles.

“But if you have a young family and a car full stuff then you can just drive over – there is a car park on the island.”

“As it’s a tidal island you must look at the safe crossing times before you go – one of my bugbears is there people talk about tide times but these vary.

“Visitors have to follow the safe crossing times.”

You can check the safe crossing times here.

Both the path and causeway will flood with water twice a day – cars have even been stranded in the water, but Patrick assures us that this is very rare.

He added “the hardest conversation will be with your insurance company.”

When it comes to the best time to visit, Patrick says you’ll see all sorts year-round.

He told us: “In the summertime the pubs, cafes and shops are full. Just be prepared in July and August for it to be busy – it won’t be a peaceful retreat.

“But between September and October it is, it’s fantastic.

“You can see the sites in four hours, see the old buildings, head to the castle, grab a good coffee, and the wildlife is amazing. Right now the meadows are overflowing with wildflowers.

“Don’t miss Emmanuel Head either, it’s a huge white pyramid which is a daymark and the first on the English coast.

“There’s a nice walk out to it, and you might even spot dolphins along the way.”

THERE’S enough going on this summer with EES checks and extreme heat – and your passport could cause problems as well.

Affecting millions, we’ve explained the two things you need to check before your next holiday.

Expiry Dates

You might think that expiry dates have been spoken about enough – but it is still catching people out.

Old rules let passports have more than 10 years on them, but these rules have since been scrapped.

To find the true expiry date, you need to check the start date rather than the expiry listed in the passport.

If your passport was issued in April 2016, but has an expiry of December 2026, your passport is out of date as it’s over 10 years old. The REAL expiry date is actually April 2026.

These rules especially affect those still with burgundy passports with the last of these expiring in 2030.

Figures have shown that up to 100,000 holidaymakers a year face being turned away at airports if their passport is more than 10 years old.

Make sure to check the rules of the country you’re travelling to as well.

Some places like Dubai and Thailand require at least six months left on your passport to enter..

Dual National Passport Holders

The change in new rules for dual national passport holders is thought to affect as many as 1.2million people.

Since February 25, those with dual nationality can no longer use their foreign passport to enter the UK.

Travellers must enter with a valid UK passport or a certificate of entitlement, which costs £589.

This affects anyone trying to enter the country by plane, ferry or train, and anyone without these is likely to be refused boarding.

There have been multiple cases where people have been caught out by the change in rule.

One British woman was stopped from boarding a flight from Copenhagen to Manchester with her two children because she didn’t have the right documents.

Colette Bjorn-Alderson has lived in the UK for 28 years, but was trying to return to the UK with her two young children – both of which only had Danish passports.

She told The Times that she felt “unwelcome in my own country” after being turned away from the flight.

She added that her only two options were getting a new UK passport from Denmark – which can take three months – or the certificates, which can take up to eight weeks.

Those close to the Dutch national team speak of a unified squad and, after a difficult domestic season, Gakpo has started the tournament impressively.

His World Cup record – including the 2022 tournament – is impressive, with five goals in seven games. Twenty-three goals across 52 international caps in total since his debut five years ago bears further testimony to his quality.

For now, his focus is entirely on the national team, where he also plays an important role off the pitch too in helping fellow Christians within the squad.

“Cody is our pastor – he leads the prayers,” said Crysencio Summerville.

Netherlands and Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk needs no convincing of Gakpo’s qualities on the pitch.

“He is an outstanding footballer,” he said after the 5-1 win over Sweden. “He works so hard for the team, he’s disciplined and his quality stands out – his crosses, his assists, his goals.”

Continuing to impress at the World Cup may well enhance Liverpool‘s desire to retain Gakpo for at least another season.

One need only consider the relative struggles of Isak and Wirtz in their debut campaigns at Anfield to be reminded of just how challenging it can be for new signings.

But as Iraola and Liverpool‘s recruitment team reshapes an attack that laboured last season, the Gakpo conundrum is one to keep an eye on this summer.

A NUMBER of iconic landmarks have closed around the country, as Brits brace for record-breaking heat.

Temperatures today have already broken June weather records, with highs of 36C seen in Surrey.

Multiple British landmarks have completely closed or restricted public access today as the Met Office’s red weather warning takes effect.

This comes after over 1,000 schools shut doors across the South of England, West Midlands and Wales due to rapidly rising temperatures.

Tower Bridge, a London landmark that attracts nearly one million visitors annually, has shut entirely today and will remain shut tomorrow.

Operators have said the decision was made for “the welfare of our staff and visitors”, and plan to reopen the bridge on Friday.

Changing of the Guard ceremonies at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle are suspended for the rest of the week.

The Household Division said: “We take the wellbeing of our soldiers and military working horses very seriously.

“Whilst it may be disappointing not to experience the Ceremonial Operations in full, it is important the wellbeing of the public, our soldiers and military working horses is maintained at all times.”

The historic spectacle, taking place on alternative days at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, is a popular tourist attraction and “must see” for London visitors.

Greenwich landmarks the Cutty Sark and The Royal Observatory have also both announced their closures, with visitors of the area recommended to view the Queen’s House and National Maritime Museum as an alternative.

Away from the capital, various National Trust properties are operating on shortened hours, such as the Stourhead Estate in Wiltshire, Blists Hill Victorian Town in Shropshire, and Mottisfont House in Hampshire.

Longleat House and the Severn Valley Railway in Wiltshire, alongside the Wild Zoological Park in Wolverhampton, have also closed today and tomorrow.

The UK’s most visited museum, Natural History Museum, alongside the Victoria and Albert Museum have temporarily closed certain sections of the building, with the Young V&A shutting entirely.

The British Museum has further said on its website: “We may also temporarily close some galleries in the Museum to ensure the comfort and safety of staff and visitors.”

Beloved family attractions London Zoo and Chester Zoo are also shutting early on certain days, with London closing at 4pm both days, and Chester Zoo closing at 2pm on Thursday.

Outside, playgrounds in London’s Royal Parks have shut to keep staff, wildlife and visitors safe, including popular sites in Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Regent’s Park, and more.

Hampton Court Palace has also shut its Magic Garden from 1pm today, continuing until the end of tomorrow as the hot weather continues.

The Met Office red alert is in place for swathes of the country until late tomorrow night, with warm weather anticipated for the rest of the week.

NEW passport rules that came into force earlier this year are STILL catching people out, with one mum recently left stranded abroad.

Brits who are dual national passport holders – thought to be as many as 1.2million – can no longer use their foreign passport to enter the country.

Since February 25, the change in rules meant that anyone with dual nationality has to use a valid British passport when arriving into the UK.

Anyone without this must instead have a certificate of entitlement, which costs £589.

Passengers trying to enter the country by plane, ferry or train without either of these risks being banned from travelling.

One British woman was recently caught out when she was trying to travel from Copenhagen to Manchester with her two children, only to be stopped from boarding her flight.

Colette Bjorn-Alderson, who has lived in the UK for 28 years, had been in the Danish country since April, but was returning to the UK with her six-week old and 23-month old for a friend’s wedding.

However, her two children only had Danish passports which meant they didn’t have valid travel documents for returning to the UK.

She told The Times that she felt “unwelcome in my own country” after being turned away from the flight.

Colette sent photocopies of her documents to the Home Office – but ultimately the decision was made that the family could not fly.

Not only has she been left £1,000 out of pocket, she said the only way to get UK passports for them while in Denmark can take up to three months, while the certificates take eight weeks.

She added: “It was a nightmare. I’ve cried a lot.”

Others have been caught out too. In June a dad-of-two, Kyle Harris, was refused boarding onto his booked flight from Kefalonia in Greece to the UK.

He only had an American passport with him at the time.

Another holidaymaker with dual nationality was refused to board a plane home after a trip to Amsterdam after having the incorrect documents.

The new rules are in line with the electronic travel authorisation (ETA), which also launched on the same day.

Any non-British national must now pay for the £16 ETA to enter the country.

Lasting up to six months, it is a requirement for people who are from destinations such as Europe, the US and Australia.

Anyone who is a dual national cannot apply for an ETA under the new rules.

The Latin Quarter’s cobblestone Rue Mouffetard is a walking street lined with fishmongers, bakeries, cheese shops, produce stands and cafes. Once you’ve talked triple-cream Brillat-Savarin with the cheese pros at Androuet and admired displays of glistening seafood along Mouffetard (Poissonnerie Quoniam sells fresh oysters that you eat standing with an inexpensive glass of wine), there is lunch or dinner to consider. A wonderful choice is Otto, a modern izakaya-style project with MOF chef Eric Trochon, who provided menu guidance to proprietors Stéphane Offner and Tony Alvarez-Parage plus occasional turns at the binchotan-fueled grill when he’s not running his Michelin one-star restaurant Solstice 700 meters away. Observe the action in the open kitchen from your bar seat or find an intimate corner to enjoy Otto’s small plates — maybe “fish no chips” with black curry mayonnaise, razor clams with garlic butter or celery root beignets. Oh, and at lunch you can choose three dishes for €22. A terrific deal.

5 Rue Mouffetard, 75005 Paris

It’s been more than 30 years, but Andy’s toys are proving irreplaceable at the box office.

Walt Disney Co. and Pixar’s “Toy Story 5” opened to a massive $160 million in the U.S. and Canada last weekend, marking the biggest domestic box office debut so far this year. Internationally, the film brought in $152 million for a worldwide total of $312 million.

With those numbers, “Toy Story 5” broke several franchise records for opening weekend totals. As my colleague Cerys Davies and I wrote last week, it’s a sign of the long-running juggernaut’s firm grip on audiences amid a sea of Hollywood sequels, reboots and spinoffs.

“‘Toy Story’ has been breaking ground since it first hit the screen more than 30 years ago,” Disney Entertainment Studios Chairman Alan Bergman said in a statement. “It’s wonderful to see ‘Toy Story 5’ continuing that tradition and connecting with audiences around the world to deliver the biggest opening for the franchise and the biggest of this year as well.”

For theater owners, “Toy Story” may have seemed like a surefire bet. After all, the franchise has grossed more than $3 billion in worldwide box-office revenue, and its third and fourth installments each made more than $1 billion globally.

The big opening weekend for “Toy Story 5” has no doubt brightened the outlook for many theater operators as the all-important summer movie season gets underway.

Already, last weekend’s box-office totals were a whopping 80% improvement compared with a year ago, when Universal Pictures’ live-action “How to Train Your Dragon” was in its second weekend in theaters. But more importantly, the domestic box office is now up 14% to $4.46 billion compared with the same time a year ago, according to data from Rentrak.

This summer’s lineup of films, including “Toy Story 5,” will play an important role in terms of whether 2026 will truly be the year that the theatrical business turns the corner from the COVID-19 pandemic and the dual Hollywood strikes of 2023.

In one promising sign, summer box-office revenue so far is up 15.2% to about $1.84 billion compared with the same May to mid-June period in 2025. (That summer ultimately ended in a dismal finish of $3.67 billion.) Compared with pre-pandemic 2019, this year’s summer box office to date is down just 1.9%.

Studio executives and theater owners have told me they feel good about this summer and are optimistic about the overall outlook for 2026.

It’s easy to see why. The deck is stacked, with upcoming titles such as Universal and Illumination’s “Minions & Monsters,” Disney’s live-action “Moana,” Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” and Sony Pictures’ “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”

In a propitious sign, presales for “The Odyssey” and “Spider-Man” have already shown massive demand. Overall, there’s just more and varied movies in theaters now, which expands the pool of potential moviegoers, theater owners have said.

Take A24’s “Backrooms” or Focus Features’ “Obsession,” for instance. The two original and digital-native films shocked the industry by keeping a weeks-long grip on the box office, largely by attracting Gen Z audiences who were familiar with the 20-something directors from their followings on YouTube.

Beyond these two, as well as Steven Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day,” many of this summer’s films continue established franchises.

Although not all spinoffs have performed this year — including Disney and Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu,” which saw ticket sales drop sharply after its late May opening — “Toy Story” has remained a consistent force in theaters over the decades.

Disney and Pixar executives credit the films’ focus on character relationships, particularly that of Tom Hanks’ Woody and Tim Allen’s Buzz Lightyear. And as the franchise spanned years, its appeal became generational.

“Having parents now that say, ‘I grew up with ‘Toy Story,’ and now I’m showing my kids,’ has been really gratifying,” Pixar Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter told me by phone a week before the movie’s opening.

“Toy Story” is now the most-watched franchise on the Disney+ streaming service, with more than 2 billion hours streamed. And its beloved characters have spawned 19 theme park rides, four themed lands, two hotels and roughly $1 billion a year in global retail sales.

That has no doubt kept the franchise front and center for both adults and children, as well as fueling interest in future stories.

Stuff We Wrote

Film shoots

Number of the week

The FIFA World Cup has been a major boost for broadcasters, as an average of 6 million viewers tuned in to Fox and cable network FS1 for the first 16 group stage matches, an increase of 128% compared with the last World Cup in 2022, according to Nielsen data released last week.

On Spanish language network Telemundo, which is owned by Comcast, the first 12 group stage matches drew an average of 7.5 million viewers, up 234% from four years ago. (The Telemundo telecasts are also streamed on Peacock.)

I was in the Bay Area last week on vacation and didn’t watch many of the games, but I did catch my colleague Clara Harter’s great read about the mutual love and respect between fans of Mexico and South Korea and how that has played out in Los Angeles.

What I’m watching

Since I was out of town last week, I didn’t watch a ton of TV. But I did make time to watch the series finale of “The Way Home,” a quirky time-travel drama on Hallmark that I’ve followed for all four seasons.

I’m a big fan of time-travel stories (The “Back to the Future” trilogy is one of my favorites), so the usual past-future questions, plus the complicated family dynamics anchored by matriarch Andie MacDowell, made this a must-watch for me. The series finale was a satisfying ending, though there are definitely some loose strings that deserve further exploration.

NO ONE wants to start their holiday with delays, but with hotter weather and new travel rules, it’s becoming all the more common.

New research from AirAdvisor has found the top airports around Europe where you are most likely to be delayed this summer.

The study looked at flights between June and September 2025, to see where flights either to or from the UK were likely to be delayed for over an hour.

The top of the list was Milan Bergamo, an airport which sits just outside of Milan in Italy which had 11.96 per cent of its flights delayed by one hour or more.

Also in Italy, Pisa came fourth on the list which had 10.58 per cent of its flights affected by delays last summer.

For anyone heading to the Greek islands this summer, some of these destinations experience hold-ups too.

The pretty island of Kefalonia is third on the list where 11.79 per cent of flights being delayed by an hour or more last year.

Also in the top 20 is Corfu, Zante, Paphos in Cyprus, Kos, Rhodes and Mykonos.

Anton Radchenko, CEO of AirAdvisor explained why the airports at Greek islands are badly affected.

He explained: “They tend to be much smaller than hubs in major metropolitan centres and are incredibly popular with holidaymakers from across the world.

“During the summer period, they frequently operate at maximum capacity, so that means that when a mass disruption event occurs, there are implications for other services.”

He continued: “Similarly, the sheer volume of flights between popular Spanish holiday hubs in Palma and Reus can result in full days of travel chaos when multiple services are delayed.”

Anton Radchenko added that these delays often result in a “domino effect” where flights across a single day are then pushed back, especially during peak times.

Spain is a popular getaway destination for Brits as it’s just a few hours from the UK.

But there are some airports here that have experienced issues too.

This includes Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza and Alicante, which all appear in the top 20.

Of course, last summer EES checks at passport control hadn’t been enforced yet.

But these have had a big impact in some airports around Europe – so there could be even more delays at certain destinations.

If you are delayed for more than three hours or have a flight cancelled then under the UK261 regulation you could be eligible for compensation.

For more information on this, check out the rules on AirAdvisor. 

At the beginning of Mary H.K. Choi’s wildly entertaining presentation for her new novel “Pool House’” at Skylight Books, she reveals she won’t be reading.

“Readings are boring,” she says, tapping her Prada loafers. “It’s like you’re watching someone else play video games.”

Instead, she and Yasi Salek, host of the hit podcast “Bandsplain,” spend the evening riffing on literature, coolness, autism diagnoses and a literary perennial: unrelenting pain.

“How is your mother wound?” Salek asks in her signature vocal fry most often heard ad-libbing about the band Weezer. Salek reveals she is in Jungian therapy, adding, “What Carl says, goes.”

Throughout the discussion, Choi describes her novel as a challenging read — calling it a “gross, decaying meat soup.” She jokes that her career as an author feels like a “Make-A-Wish Foundation wish,” bewildered by any attention her work has garnered. Yet dozens of eager readers have packed into the independent bookstore, spilling into the aisles with copies of the novel balanced on their laps.

“Publishing is so slow, it’s like giving birth to a lawn chair,” Choi remarks. Later, she professes tedium with the resurgence of an alt-lit scene.

“Don’t you find that everyone has to be cool right now? Why is everyone so cool?” Choi asks Salek.

Let’s be clear: Salek and Choi are very cool. Salek sits cross-legged, dressed in all black, with a heart tattoo on her forearm that reads “books.” Before “Pool House,” Choi authored three New York Times bestselling novels. Salek recounts dropping out of her MFA program at Bennington College in 2020 to start what would become a cult-classic podcast.

“I love that you started a podcast instead of getting an MFA,” Choi replies.

Like Skylight Books, independent bookstores across Los Angeles have become gathering places for readers and writers alike. Authors ranging from household names to debut novelists regularly draw enthusiastic crowds. Increasingly, bookstores are functioning not only as retail spaces but as community hubs.

A few blocks from Echo Park Lake, local favorite A Good Used Book has transformed Sunday mornings into one of the neighborhood’s liveliest recurring gatherings. Visitors browse used books while enjoying charcoal portraits, handmade jewelry and Hawaiian shaved ice. Buy a book and you might even end up on the store’s coveted Instagram Story — the hottest plug in town.

“It feels like in a city as big as Los Angeles, books are still underrepresented. So there’s a lot of room to grow, and that’s exciting,” says Chris Capizzi, who founded the bookstore in 2017.

Earlier this month, the Los Angeles Review of Books hosted its annual Little Literary Fair at SCI-Arc, drawing hundreds to literary panels and workshops on zine-making, publishing and finding an agent. Vendors from across California filled the space, representing independent presses, bookstores and literary magazines.

“I find writers based [in the L.A. area] to be socially incisive in equal measure as being experimental, innovative and just fun,” says Emily VanKoughnett, the events director at the Los Angeles Review of Books. “I love the L.A. lit scene because it invites people to explore pockets of the city and connect over writing.”

This summer, literary events across Los Angeles are continuing to draw readers into bookstores, community spaces and alternative venues alike. The city’s literary scene remains as weird, profane and sentimental as ever.

Wales have named hooker Dewi Lake as captain for their summer internationals ahead of fit-again flanker Jac Morgan.

Lake led the side for eight Tests in the 2025 autumn series and 2026 Six Nations while Morgan was injured.

The British and Irish Lions flanker captained Wales in the first game of the Steve Tandy era against Argentina but dislocated his left shoulder when scoring a try.

The Gloucester-bound Ospreys have both been named in the squad for the summer internationals, which start against the Barbarians at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham on Saturday.

Lake will be skipper after recovering from a shoulder injury that required an operation after the Six Nations.

Looking at a blank calendar for the six week summer holiday? With less than a month until the schools break up for the summer, here are some days out that will keep the kids entertained without costing a fortune

Most schools in England and Wales will break up for the six-week summer holidays in less than a month, leaving many parents scrambling to fill the days with things to do.

A theme park is a classic family day out, but it’s not exactly a cheap option, and some deals don’t cover peak summer holiday dates. But there are ways to cut the costs if you’re planning a day out at one of these attractions, and here are some of the parks with discounts you can use in July and August.

Flamingo Land Theme Park & Zoo – 58% off

Wowcher is currently running a deal for day tickets to Flamingo Land in Yorkshire, with 50% off single tickets and 58% off if you buy four. This means a family of four can enjoy access to the theme park, zoo, and a host of other attractions for £97. The offer includes full school holiday availability.

Flamingo Land includes a number of thrilling rollercoasters, Dino-Stone park, and the adorable Muddy Duck Farm where younger kids can visit Peter Rabbit and his friends. Flamingo Land also offers on-site accommodation for longer breaks, including lodges and cottages for those who want to spend multiple days in the park.

Gulliver’s – up to 99% off children’s tickets

Gulliver’s, which has four locations across the UK, is running a unique offer that could snag you up to 99% off children’s day tickets. The catch is that it’s tied to England’s World Cup performance. The discount will be based on the minute of England’s final goal in each group stage match.

So, as an example, if England’s final goal was at 75 minutes, the deal would mean these tickets were discounted by 75%. The deal will be live on June 24 from 10am after England vs Ghana, and June 28 from 10am after their match against Panama and available to snap up for only 24 hours.

However, if you don’t want to base your school holiday plans on the England team’s performance, there’s also a deal running on Wowcher for 50% off Gulliver’s tickets for all four of their locations in Milton Keynes, Rother Valley, Matlock Bath, and Warrington, with good availability across school holiday dates and prices from £11.50.

Alton Towers, Chessington, Thorpe Park – unlimited visits from £16.99 a month

If you live near an attraction owned by Merlin, such as Alton Towers, Chessington, Thorpe Park, or LEGOLAND, then a Merlin annual pass can work out excellent value for money. At the moment, the Merlin annual pass sale includes prices from £139 for the essential pass, while Gold and Platinum passes have £50 off, making them £189 and £249 respectively.

It’s worth noting that the essentials pass does exclude Saturdays in August, but you can still enjoy the parks on other days of the week. If you don’t want to pay in one go, you can also sign up for a monthly pass at Gold or Platinum level for either £16.99 or £20.99.

In addition to its theme parks, Merlin also operates attractions such as the London Eye, Cadbury World, and SEA LIFE centers, so you can ensure you make the most of your pass with a wide range of days out.

Drayton Manor – VAT-free tickets

Drayton Manor is one of the attractions offering VAT savings this summer as part of the government’s scheme to cut the prices of family days out.

If booked in advance, tickets start at £25.80 for peak dates such as the school holidays. Another option is the three-park ticket, although it is only valid until July 31. For £49.50, you get a day at Drayton Manor, one at West Midlands Safari Park, and one at Waterworld in Stoke-on-Trent, a huge indoor waterpark. This works out at just £16.50 per attraction, far below the usual gate price.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach – tickets and stay for £38.03 per person

A deal from Virgin Experiences means a family of four can enjoy a night in a Blackpool hotel, as well as tickets to its iconic Pleasure Beach for just a few pounds more than the usual admission cost.

A Blackpool Pleasure Beach Resort and Family Stay at the Big Blue Hotel costs £169, and if you use discount code DEAL10, this brings it down to £152.10, or £38.04 per person. Day tickets to the park alone usually start at £31.50, so this is a great deal if you want a night away at the seaside.

This deal is not available on bank holiday weekends or Saturdays in July and August, but can be redeemed for other school holiday dates.

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Jet2 has rolled out a ’72-hour’ update so passengers can check live flight times and its status before even getting to the airport, to help make travel over summer even easier

Just ahead of the summer holidays, Jet2 has rolled out a new ’72-hour’ update for passengers.

Travellers flying with Jet2 will now be able to check live flight times, monitor their flight status and receive any updates 72 hours prior to departure. The new functionality was introduced this week and is designed to provide customers with accurate, up-to-date information about their flight to help ensure their journey runs as smoothly as possible.

The new handy features come courtesy of an upgrade to the airline’s app, which will also enable passengers to find out how and when they can meet their Jet2 in-resort Customer Helper. Times, locations and the Customer Helper’s name will be made available to holidaymakers via the app, making it even easier to access assistance and information about their holiday.

The update comes at the ideal moment ahead of the summer holidays, one of the busiest periods for travel. It’s expected to make travel more straightforward for passengers as they’ll have instant access to crucial flight information at the touch of a button, reports Chronicle Live.

David Hills, Chief Customer Officer at Jet2, said: “We are always looking at how we can continually improve the experience for our customers and digital innovation is a critical part of that. We are very pleased to be launching this new app functionality, which makes travelling with Jet2 even easier and more convenient. By putting more real-time information in our customers’ hands, we are improving our industry-leading customer experience even further.”

“This is part of our continued investment in delivering the very best customer service there is, and it is another example of how we are continuing to evolve our app and digital offering in response to what customers want from us.”

Last year, Jet2 introduced its ‘Live Transfer Status’ app feature, enabling passengers to track their coach transfer to the departure airport from their holiday destination in real time. This covers coach services when returning from the Balearics, Canaries, Mainland Spain, Morocco, Turkey, and Bulgaria, and is set to expand to Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Faro, and Madeira this summer.

Elsewhere, Jet2 has urged passengers to take action “at least 12 hours” before their flight.

With a packed summer season on the horizon and thousands of holidaymakers expected to board their flights, Jet2 has published guidance on arrivals and departures on its website. The airline advised customers: “Please check this section of the website at least 12 hours before your flight for the latest flight information.”

It continued: “Further information can be found by using the [above] search panel by entering your flight number or route. We recommend arriving at the airport at least 2 hours before your scheduled departure time.

“Please remember – check in desks close 40 minutes before this. In the event of flight disruption our dedicated Operations teams are working hard behind the scenes at our UK-based HQ to get you on your way as soon as possible.”

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L.A. bars offer something for everyone. Want to sip amaro cocktails in a moody Echo Park bar? We’ve got the spot for you. Or maybe you prefer a beachside tiki haunt with frozen Dole Whip and crab rangoons. What about a sprawling West Hollywood rooftop overlooking the hills, or a destination for locally produced sake in Sawtelle Japantown? Much like the drinks that flow from these newly established institutions, the options are endless.

A neighborhood favorite dive relaunched in its former Echo Park location, while a new gastropub brings Korean bar culture to Highland Park. In West Hollywood, a karaoke lounge elevates the art with luxurious surroundings, and just next door, a lesbian-owned LGBTQ+ club debuted just in time for Pride Month. Tapas seemingly is taking the city by storm, with two Spanish cafes on opposite sides of the city offering pintxos and bocaditos alongside vermouth and Tempranillo wines.

Nonalcoholic options are more thoughtful than ever, presenting those of us who aren’t drinkers with smart and layered concoctions that prove just as complex as their boozy counterparts. In Los Feliz, a veteran bar team launched a cocktail destination that puts the focus on L.A.’s seasonal produce, and in Beverly Hills, a three-Michelin-starred chef is behind a stylish new restaurant and lounge in a luxury retail shop. Here are 23 of L.A.’s best new bars to visit this summer and beyond. — Danielle Dorsey