Fashion, Feathered Friends, and Fresh Beats: Europe's Must-See Events This Week

Meryl Streep makes her triumphant return as the formidable fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly, while former Spice Girl Melanie C unveils her ninth studio album. Here's what deserves your attention across Europe this week.

As May arrives with promises of warmer weather and outdoor festivities, indoor entertainment options remain equally compelling. From celebrating avian artistry at the Netherlands' esteemed Mauritshuis to exploring comic book influences on contemporary art at Vienna's Albertina Modern, cultural venues are brimming with fresh offerings.

The small screen delivers gripping narratives through newly launched Netflix productions, while Streep's return to cinema promises her signature blend of cutting wit and sophisticated menace in The Devil Wears Prada sequel.

Exhibitions

BIRDS

When: Until 7 June 2026
Where: Mauritshuis (The Hague, Netherlands)

An exhibition celebrating humanity's captivating relationship with birds and their profound influence on artistic expression. Curated alongside The Goldfinch and featuring the expertise of Simon Schama, the showcase brings together works spanning centuries. Masterpieces by Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Pablo Picasso, and contemporary creator Tracey Emin sit alongside modern interpretations, exploring how these creatures have symbolized freedom, beauty, and love throughout art history.

KAWS: Art & Comix

When: Until 27 September 2026
Where: Albertina Modern (Vienna, Austria)

American street artist KAWS' melancholic, character-driven compositions have become emblematic of contemporary pop and street art movements. This exhibition interrogates the blurred boundaries between high and low art by positioning KAWS' consumer-commentary works alongside comic-inspired creations by Roy Lichtenstein, Claes Oldenburg, H.C. Westermann, and Keith Haring.

Bonus: Hungarian photographer Brassaï's atmospheric portraits of vintage Paris are on view at Stockholm's Moderna Museet through 4 October 2026.

Events

May Day

When: 1 May
Where: Across Europe

Ancient springtime traditions come alive across the continent as communities gather for May Day celebrations marking summer's arrival and renewal. Participants don flower crowns and ribbons while dancing, singing, and raising maypoles in festivities that vary regionally—Germans and Finns typically celebrate the evening before—creating an occasion for collective joy and seasonal optimism.

Film

The Devil Wears Prada 2

Where: Cinemas
When: 1 May 2026

Two decades after the original 2006 release, this long-awaited sequel reunites audiences with the ruthless world of high fashion publishing. Streep reprises her iconic role as Miranda Priestly, the ice-veined Runway magazine editor whose cutting remarks defined a generation of quotable cinema moments. Hathaway's Andrea has transformed into an accomplished publisher, returning to Runway to oversee editorial features and rehabilitate the magazine's fortunes. Her fraught dynamics with the acerbic Miranda and competitive colleague Emily (Emily Blunt) remain combustible.

Bonus: Supernatural horror film Hokum, directed by Damian McCarthy (creator of 2024's Oddity), follows a novelist trapped in a haunted Irish inn and is currently screening in select theaters.

Television

Man on Fire

Where: Netflix
When: 30 April

Netflix's answer to streaming's action-thriller craze arrives with visceral intensity. Adapted from A.J. Quinnell's 1980 novel, the series stars Abdul-Mateen as John Creasy, a former Special Forces operative tasked with protecting a teenage girl navigating dangerous circumstances in Brazil. Audiences seeking high-octane drama and morally complicated protagonists will find ample material here. Those unfamiliar with the material might explore Tony Scott's 2004 film adaptation afterward.

Bonus: Jack Thorne, acclaimed screenwriter behind Enola Holmes and Adolescence, adapts William Golding's Lord of the Flies for Netflix, streaming from 4 May.

Music

Melanie C: SWEAT

When: 1 May

The former Spice Girl releases her ninth studio album, a project the artist describes as her "most euphoric record to date." Having launched her solo trajectory in the late 1990s with defining UK pop hits including 'Never Be the Same Again' and 'I Turn To You,' C channels that era's effervescent dance-pop sensibility. Sweat functions as a contemporary rallying cry—encouraging listeners to embrace liberation, celebration, and the uninhibited spirit of Sporty Spice.

Bonus: An abundance of musical releases share the 1 May date, including Tori Amos' 'In Times of Dragons,' Kneecap's 'Fenian,' and The Black Keys' 'Peaches!'