The first day of summer is finally upon us (well, 20th June, to be exact), and while we can’t guarantee that means a month of brilliant sunshine, we can confirm that there are plenty of cultural happenings all over the country that are worth your time this month.
Princess Diana fans won’t want to miss the chance to see some of the most iconic photos ever taken of Diana and her family at the Princess Diana: Accredited Access Exhibition, which has just started its stint in London. And from actual royals to fashion royalty, the V&A’s exhibition celebrating the life, style and groundbreaking career of British model Naomi Campbell also deserves a spot in your diary this month.
For those days with less-than-desirable weather, a trip to the cinema is sometimes the only tonic. Make sure to catch Jodie Comer and Austin Butler in The Bikeriders, while the sequel to Pixar's brilliantly heart-warming Inside Out promises belly laughs and all-too-relatable moments for all generations.
Read on to discover our number one hot ticket this month, plus the best of the rest from around the country.
EXHIBITION: Princess Diana: Accredited Access Exhibition
When: Until 2 September
Where: Dockside Vaults, Ivory House, London E1W 1AT
“Having toured the world, this must-see exhibition featuring the life of Princess Diana through the lens of royal photographer Anwar Hussein has finally landed in London.
Together with his sons Samir and Zak, the Husseins are the longest-serving family of official royal photographers, having collectively spent over four decades capturing some of Diana’s most famous, and private, moments, as well as those of her sons, William and Harry, and their families.
Now, this interactive exhibition offers the opportunity to get up close and personal with these iconic moments in history for the first time, through larger than life images and first-hand narration.
The hour-long experience includes an audio guide, through which Anwar, Samir and Zak tell the never-before-heard stories behind the images. The pictures on display range from the iconic - on her wedding day to Prince Charles, presenting their first-born son to the world outside St. Mary’s Hospital, and, perhaps most famously of all, Diana in her ‘revenge dress’ - to more intimate moments, such as a family holiday in Majorca with her beloved sons and running in the mum’s race at a school sports day.
I particularly enjoyed the second half of the exhibition, which highlighted Diana’s incredible humanitarian work - meeting with an AIDs patient, walking through a landmine field in Angola and holding the hands of dying and impoverished women and children in India and Pakistan. It was a real treat to hear how these images came to be.
I also loved watching Diana’s style transformation throughout the exhibition, from the ruffling gowns of the 80s to her sleek 90s style that was (and still is) emulated the world over. The exhibition expertly highlights her devil-may-care attitude to fashion, breaking royal protocols left, right and centre and paving the way for future royals to take a more personality-driven approach to their wardrobes.
Whether you’re a devoted fan of the people’s princess or are seeing many of these images for the first time, this exhibition has something for everyone and reminds us of the true icon Diana was, in every sense of the word.”
By Georgia Green, Senior Celebrity Writer
Tickets from £18 for adults; £15 for children aged 5-15 years
TV
Queenie (Channel 4)
This adaptation of Candice Carty-Williams’ bestselling novel stars newcomer Dionne Brown as a 20-something British-Jamaican woman struggling to neatly identify with either culture. From bad dates to bad decisions, it’s an honest take on millennial life from an underrepresented perspective.
I Am: Celine Dion (Amazon Prime Video)
For the first time since sharing her diagnosis of stiff-person syndrome in 2022, pop icon Céline Dion pulls back the curtain and provides an insight into a pivotal time in her life. In this raw and honest documentary, the Canadian singer shares the music that has guided her life and discusses the journey from her diagnosis to learning how to live with it.
Douglas is Cancelled (ITV1)
From BAFTA-winning screenwriter Steven Moffat comes this comedy drama about news anchor Douglas Bellowes (Hugh Bonneville) and the social media storm he finds himself in after making an ill-advised joke. Is there no escape from the perils of cancel culture? Karen Gillan plays Hugh’s internet-savvy co-host, Madeline.
FILM
Inside Out 2
One for the whole family to enjoy together, get ready to fall in love with the Inside Out gang all over again. Riley is now a teenager and, with that, comes a fresh cohort of new emotions to navigate. Joining Joy (voiced by Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Tony Hale) and Disgust (Liza Lapira) is Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos) and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser). Together, they must help Riley sail the choppy seas of early teenage life - something every generation can relate to.
In cinemas from 14 June.
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1
In Kevin Costner’s first directing role since Open Range in 2003, this is the first instalment of the new Horizon franchise - an American Civil War epic, and a labour of love for Costner, who’s own money has funded the production. Costner also stars as the film’s protagonist, alongside Sienna Miller. Chapter 2 is set for release in August, with at least a further two films rumoured to be in the pipeline.
In cinemas from 28 June.
The Bikeriders
Jodie Comer, Austin Butler and Tom Hardy star in this drama about the rise of a fictional 1960s Midwestern motorcycle club. Initially a safe space for local outcasts, the group evolves into something much less palatable over time.
In cinemas from 21 June.
THEATRE
A Child of Science
This brilliant new play tells the pioneering story of Patrick Steptoe, Robert Edwards and Jean Purdy - the brilliant minds behind the development of in vitro fertilisation, or IVF. Despite changing the world as we know it, hardly anyone knows their names - until now. Starring Tom Felton (of Harry Potter fame) as biologist and physiologist Edwards, this play tells of the fierce criticism and hostility the trio received for ‘playing God’, alongside the army of women from across the UK who helped them to achieve a medical breakthrough, which has gone on to help over 12 million babies be born worldwide over the last 45 years.
From 5 June to 6 July, Bristol Old Vic.
Kathy and Stella Solve A Murder
Kathy and Stella are two best friends who also host Hull’s least successful true crime podcast. When their favourite author is killed, they are thrust into the epicentre of their very own whodunnit, putting their friendship on the line in order to become part of the story - and maybe even podcasting superstars, too. Following sell-out runs in Manchester, Bristol and Edinburgh, this big-hearted musical spins the very modern phenomenon of true crime podcasting and into a laugh-out-loud crime-cracking show.
From 25 May to 14 September, Ambassadors Theatre, London.
People, Places and Things
Denise Gough is remarkable in this National Theatre reprisal for which she won an Olivier Award in 2016. She plays Emma, a struggling actress who checks into rehab when her life spins out of control, in this funny, moving and powerful play about addiction. Sinéad Cusack also stars in this must-see production which grabs you by the heart and stays with you long after the lights go up.
Until 10 August, Trafalgar Theatre, London.
EXHIBITIONS
Naomi: In Fashion
In a new exhibition sponsored by BOSS, the V&A celebrates the cultural impact of model Naomi Campbell via a selection of outfits she’s worn over the course of her 35-year career. ‘I’m honoured to be asked to share my life in clothes with the world,’ she says.
22 June to 6 April 2025, Victoria & Albert Museum, London.
Hannah Perry - Manual Labour
British artist Hannah Perry presents a major body of new work that considers the intersection of labour, motherhood, gender and class as its subject matter. Having grown up in a working class family in the north of England, Perry considers the gendered and intergenerational ideas of labour, using materials such as sheet metal, car lacquer, body wrap and hydraulics to create emotionally charged installations that capture the force, violence, struggle, shock and trauma of labour.
22 June to 14 January 2025, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead
Igshaan Adams: Weerhoud
Igshaan Adams is a South African artist best known for his weaving, sculpture and installation work. For his solo show at The Hepworth Wakefield, titled Weerhoud, which means ‘Withheld’ in Afrikaans, Adams examines the impact of lived experiences and traumas on the human psyche. The exhibition will include three new commissions created specifically for the exhibition, including one of his largest immersive ‘cloud’ installations to date, alongside a selection of his existing sculptures and textile pieces.
22 June to 3 November, The Hepworth Wakefield, West Yorkshire.
EVENTS
Forest Live
The likes of Tom Jones, Nile Rodgers, Paloma Faith, Anne-Marie, Becky Hill, Bryan Adams, Gregory Porter and more will take to the nation’s forests this summer for a series of live music events immersed in nature. The events - which are held at Staffordshire’s Cannock Chase Forest, Dalby Forest in North Yorkshire, Cheshire’s Delamere Forest, Thetford Forest in Suffolk, Sherwood Pines in Nottinghamshire and Gloucestershire’s Westonbirt Arboretum - support the work of Forestry England, who protect England’s trees and wildlife habitats from climate threats.
Every weekend from 13 June to 12 July, various venues across England.
Women’s Prize Live
‘Girls power’ is the theme of this day-long literary celebration in London’s Bedford Square Gardens. Hear from top authors, steal some reading inspiration from a book club or hone your skills at a writing workshop.
12 June, Bedford Square Gardens, London.
Royal Ascot
Surely one of the highlights of the summer, Royal Ascot is a treat of a day out for all, and with tickets at a range of prices starting from £49, everyone can enjoy the excitement of the races. Tickets are selling out fast, so if you want to be at one of the most stylish events of the year, we’d advise booking your tickets without delay.
18-22 June, Ascot Racecourse, Berkshire.
TICKETS TO BOOK AHEAD
Happy Place Festival
Fearne Cotton’s celebration of all things joyful is back. Held across two weekends - at London’s Chiswick House & Gardens and Cheshire’s Tatton Park - it offers mindfulness sessions, live podcast recordings, book signings and more, with appearances from Fearne Cotton herself, as well as Frankie Bridge, Roxie Nafousi, Dawn O’Porter, Lisa Snowden and plenty more.
13-14 July, Chiswick House & Gardens; 31 August to 1 September, Tatton Park.
Wild Canvas
With a new boutique camping village and a riverside sauna - say no more! - the five-week camping festival is back for another summer. Now in its fifth year, Wild Canvas is the perfect camping destination for families who want to escape the everyday and immerse themselves in nature - but also have a jam-packed music, creative arts and wellness schedule on hand to entertain all ages. With a range of free and paid-for activities on offer, from paddle-boarding lessons to yoga classes, no one will ever be bored at this pop-up camping experience with a difference.
25 July to 27 August, Turvey Estate, Bedfordshire.
Hello, Dolly!
In London for a limited summer season, this brand new production of the classic 1969 musical stars multi-Olivier and BAFTA Award-winning Imelda Staunton as Dolly Levi, a socialite turned matchmaker who travels to New York to find a match for an unmarried miser. Only once she gets there, she realises the next match she needs to make might actually be for herself. An all-singing, all-dancing classic that you won’t want to miss.
6 July to 14 September, The London Palladium.
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