Here are the biggest, best cultural moments of 2025
The year that was 2025 will be remembered as the 365 days in which Taylor got hitched, Trump clashed with Musk and Celebrity Traitors captured the nation. Here are the nine defining cultural moments of 2025.
Cultural moments of 2025: Britpop’s back, baby!
Can anything top the capitalist monolith of the Oasis reunion this summer for sheer cultural impact? What could have been a cash-in from two brothers looking to top up the family coffers ended up being a joyous experience reminding everyone just what a powerhouse Oasis were for that golden time during the mid-1990s, arguably the last time UK PLC felt like a vibrant and hopeful institution. Indeed, all but three tracks on the set-list were recorded in that incredible mid-1990s run when Noel couldn’t write a bad song to save his life. Purists, of course, will argue that the Pulp reunion was even better, with Jarvis reminding the world that he was the better songwriter, even if he couldn’t quite stretch to a string of sold-out stadium gigs.
Trump becomes Palpatine, Elon assumes role of Darth Vader
When Donald Trump was signed in for the first time in 2017, a sizable portion of the beau monde wrote off his power-grab as a strange anomaly. The MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements were still in full swing and the Trump administration carried an air of chaos and temporality. There was no such sentiment in January 2025, when guests including tech founders Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and Sundar Pichai all lined up to pay homage to a two-term president. Now Joe Biden seems like the anomaly. The world had shifted and the men running America’s most valuable companies were eager to tip their collective hats. The love-in and explosive fallout between Musk – a man embracing his inner Darth Vader – and Trump would dominate the press for much of the year.
TayTay’s mixed bag of a year
“I like shiny things but I’d marry you with paper rings,” so sang Taylor Swift about British lover boy Joe Alwyn in 2019. In 2025, it’s safe to say a lot has changed. In August this year, the girl-next-door-styled pop megastar left her single era behind with her engagement to American football tight end Travis Kelce – and got a shiny diamond (with an estimated worth up to $2m) to boot. The picture perfect proposal shoot, in which Kelce got on his knee to Swift in an enchanted garden setup in the backyard of their Missouri mansion, became the most reposted picture on Instagram ever, cementing the Ralph Lauren-clad pair as the ultimate Mr and (soon-to-be) Mrs Americana.
Fears that the engagement could cause the songstress’s music (known for killer breakup anthems) to suffer were sadly confirmed in October with the release of A Life of a Showgirl, Ms Swift’s 12th and arguably most disappointing album, which included a diss track about Charli XCX along with a whole song, Wood, dedicated to her husband-to-be’s genitalia. In better news, 2025 also saw Swift regain ownership of the masters of her first six albums, bringing to an end her six-year battle with Big Machine Records and the era of ‘Taylor’s Versions’ rerecordings.
Cultural moments of 2025: Stranger Things comes to an end (almost)
The show that turned the world Upside Down reaches its conclusion. In 2016, Will Byers disappeared into the Upside Down and a phenomenon was born. Netflix’s most successful show has done more than entertain, it sparked a resurgence of Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill and fuelled yet another pop culture clothing line from Primark. But, after nearly ten years, Stranger Things has reached its final chapter. We don’t have to wait much longer to see who will make it out alive and if series villain Vecna will be vanquished for good, with the last few episodes set to drop over the Christmas period. What will we do without Steve ‘The Hair’ Harrington lighting up our screens every couple of years?
Celebrity Traitors brings out the worst in us all
The Celebrity Traitors proved that, in uncertain times, the one thing guaranteed to bring a nation together is schadenfreude. Whether it was Kate Garraway’s moronic speculation about sun-dried tomatoes or supposed “genius” Stephen Fry’s consistent failure to do anything clever at all, the show’s most delicious moments were those that punctured the contestant’s public personas. But it wasn’t just about betrayal and humiliation – there was camp, wit, the ingenuity of the “big dog theory” and Claudia Winkelman’s wardrobe proving nothing is more chic than being warm and comfortable. And of course the best performance came from Alan Carr, whose unorthodox tactics – copious sweating and an inability to keep a straight face or say the word “faithful” without bursting into hysterics – won the game.
Girl Power dominates sport
It has been a year in sport the Spice Girls would be proud of because 2025 was the season of Girl Power. Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses defended their Euros crown in Switzerland and were rewarded with a 60,000-strong crowd for their bus parade along the Mall, while a home Rugby World Cup delivered a first title for the Red Roses since 2014. A huge number of role models, fashion icons and personalities have emerged from 2025, although the less said about former England goalkeeper Mary Earps’ autobiography – and the PR surrounding it – the better. Onto 2026, where we have World Cups galore!
Cultural moments of 2025: Labubu sinks in its teeth
When something reaches conspiracy theory status, you know that it’s become a true cultural phenomenon. At £14, the Labubu became Gen Z’s version of quiet luxury. The highly coveted doll started off this year on Rihanna’s Louis Vuitton bag, soon after factories started churning out fakes or “Lafufus”, people on Tiktok and Instagram reels were singing the Labubu theme song, hiding under beds and scaring friends and family by screeching the doll’s name. It became so popular that Facebook posts were being made about it being an ancient demon spirit. As the year closes, the hype is finally dying down and Chinese toy company Pop Mart’s stock prices are dropping along with its resale value. Soon the last Labubu will see the light of day and finally be banished to the back of a Gen Z drawer.
A sky full of lies?
‘ColdplayGate’ was nothing short of A Rush of Blood to the Head for corporate HR. During a stop in Foxborough, Massachusetts, a high-res kiss cam proved that Spies really do hide in every corner – or in this case, on every screen. When Astronomer’s chief executive was caught in a cozy embrace with his HR head, Chris Martin didn’t Wait for It, quipping that they were “either having an affair or very shy”. Sparks flew, but the footage went viral at High Speed, and despite a fake apology citing Fix You trended, the reality put the pair, and the firm, in deep Trouble. The event became a Warning Sign for the digital age: in a world of Clocks and constant surveillance, even a Sky Full of Stars can’t hide a secret. The internet issued a swift Yellow card to their reputations, and the sun finally set on the pair’s momentary Paradise.
Cultural moments of 2025: Bonnie who?
Porn star Bonnie Blue allegedly shagged 1,000 men in a day – a stunt which garnered national tabloid interest, and reawakened conversations around the morality of porn. Did she actually do it? Who knows, but next she wants to hang upside down like a “meat rack” and let double the amount of men do what they want to her. Say what you want about the way she treats her body, it’s her affinity for far-right sexist Andrew Tate which seems more problematic: he’s “the most misunderstood man on the internet”, according to Blue. Being promiscuous is one thing, but she’s arguably way more outrageous when fully clothed.