Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Features

Best of 2025

The 20 greatest albums of 2025, from Rosalía to Lily Allen

From the thrills and spills of Lily Allen’s ‘divorce album’ to dazzling pop debuts, introspective UK rap and country romps, Roisin O’Connor, Hannah Ewens and Ellie Muir reflect on the best in music 2025 had to offer

<p>Gloria Swanson as the faded movie star Norma Desmond in Billy Wilder’s ‘Sunset Boulevard’</p>

Inside film

Hollywood is poison – and 75 years ago Sunset Boulevard exposed it all

<p>Richard Osman</p>

The sad truth about Richard Osman and the books you should buy instead

<p>Russell Tovey is starring in ‘The War Between the Land and the Sea’</p>

Interview

Russell Tovey: ‘We all have a responsibility to choose empathy’

Features & Reviews

<p>Balvinder Sopal's Musicals Week performance</p>

Comment

Strictly’s dance-off queen Balvinder Sopal has so much to be proud of

<p>A real boy: Aya Nakamura and Andrea Sadler as Puppeteers and Lee Braithwaite as ‘Pinocchio’ at Shakespeare’s Globe</p>

Full of heart, Pinocchio at Shakespeare’s Globe is anything but wooden

Doctor Who spin-off The War Between is bland without the Time Lord

<p>Stranger than fiction: John Travolta and Samuel L Jackson in ‘Pulp Fiction’</p>

19 movies that rescued actors’ careers

<p>‘I’m as actory as they get’: Billy Crudup was amused by the idea of playing a Method actor in ‘Jay Kelly’</p>

The Saturday Interview

Billy Crudup: ‘America is becoming an increasingly lawless community’

<p>Nick Cave’s creative output has been the subject of admiration for decades</p>

In Focus

Nick Cave’s Veiled World is a captivating look at his artistic genius

<p>‘It’s like we’re walking around as a kind of Frankenstein of different tweets. It’s this poisonous, internet-bred irony that’s very stunting’</p>

Interview

Search Party’s John Early: ‘We don’t have thinkers. We have memes’

<p>Pro-Palestine protesters march outside the arena in Basel, Switzerland, at Eurovision 2025</p>

Comment

As Israel is set to compete, Eurovision’s future hangs in the balance

<p>Christmas confections abound on the West End and beyond</p>

Christmas 2025

Festive shows you can still book in time for Christmas

<p>From us to you: The Independent team pick their favourite books to gift this year</p>

Christmas 2025

The best books to give as presents this Christmas

<p>Gary Lineker has had plenty to smile about since leaving the BBC</p>

In Focus

For Gary Lineker The Rest Is… world domination

<p>Mariam Afshari, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi and Vahid Mobasseri in ‘It Was Just an Accident’</p>

Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident should frighten us all

The Saturday Interview

The Saturday Interview

Josh Brolin: ‘I shouldn’t have ended up where I ended up’

<p>‘Media is co-opting children so early. And it is because of the devices we have in our hands’</p>

The Saturday Interview

Benedict Cumberbatch: ‘I’m nearly 50. I’ve experienced grief’

Rising Stars

<p>Petticrew stars in a classic tale of forbidden love set against the backdrop of the Troubles</p>

Interview

Lola Petticrew: ‘Calling it the Troubles minimises what it really was’

Tom Blyth

Interview

Tom Blyth: ‘The Hunger Games taught me I don’t act to get attention’

<p>Sadler won the Best Scripted Comedy Bafta for her show</p>

Interview

Kat Sadler: ‘I don’t care if Such Brave Girls makes you uncomfortable’

<p>‘We all need an opportunity. And I’m fortunate that I got mine’</p>

Interview

James Nelson-Joyce: ‘I thought kids like me don’t act’

Roisin O’Connor’s Good Vibrations podcast

Ella Eyre is a guest on Roisin O'Connor's Good Vibrations podcast

Ella Eyre: ‘I’ve had to unlearn what I was shown early in my career’

Bon Jovi

Jon Bon Jovi: ‘There have been days where I thought I was done’

Zara Larsson is the latest guest on Roisin O'Connor's Good Vibrations podcast

Zara Larsson ‘didn’t expect’ reaction to support slot for Tate McRae

Roisin O'Connor's Good Vibrations with Bret McKenzie

Bret McKenzie reveals how Ian McKellen made him break character

News

The Countdown

<p>Tom Cruise and Michelle Monaghan in ‘Mission: Impossible III’</p>

The Countdown

15 times a director walked away from a blockbuster

<p>Overrated?: Daniel Day-Lewis in ‘There Will Be Blood’ and Cillian Murphy in ‘Oppenheimer’</p>

The most overrated films of the 21st century

<p>Glast from the past: A snapshot of the famous festival from 1982</p>

17 of the weirdest things we’ve seen at Glastonbury

<p>Not even music’s greats are immune to writing absolutely terrible songs</p>

13 worst songs by brilliant artists, from The Beatles to Taylor Swift

Independent TV

<p>Lewis Cope comforted an emotional Katya Jones on 'It Takes Two'</p>

Teary Katya Jones blames herself for Lewis Cope’s Strictly elimination

Queen meets Rivals star inspired by former husband

Lewis Cope sent touching video from ‘nana’ after Strictly elimination

The sweet text Strictly’s Lewis Cope sent Katya Jones before each show

Explore news for you

Visit the USA

Art Me Up: A Gallery Guide to Miami’s Thriving Arts Scene

Sounds of the South: Exploring the Evolving Music Scene of Atlanta

Memphis to Maryville: Urban Adventures in Tennessee

<p>Scratch the surface or Orlando’s theme park scene and discover a world of culture and adventure experiences </p>

Discover Orlando’s hidden treasures beyond the parks

Entertainment deals

<p>Bag discounts on 4K, OLED and smart TVs</p>

Best TV deals for November 2025, from Sony, Samsung and more

<p>From tell-all memoirs to historical novels, there’s something for every taste </p>

Best Audible deals for December 2025 – how to save £20

<p>A fast and reliable internet connection means fewer dropouts</p>

Hyperoptic promo codes for December – the best broadband deals

<p>Upgrade your tablet with my pick of the best iPad offers.</p>

Best iPad deals for November 2025, selected by an expert

indy100

politics

Trump falling asleep gets the ‘Turn the Lights Off’ meme treatment

Trump falling asleep gets the ‘Turn the Lights Off’ meme treatment

tv

Stranger Things villain Vecna is getting body shamed and it perfectly sums up social media right now

viral

This woman's $10 charity shop find came with a wild surprise

tv

Did a Pluribus advert really trigger a psychotic episode in a woman named Carol?

science-tech

How Musk's billion-dollar company could threaten human life on Earth

science-tech

How Musk's billion-dollar company could threaten human life on Earth

celebrities

Sydney Sweeney says silence on controversial American Eagle advert 'widened the divide'

viral

Influencer sparks debate for 'ditching Santa' this Christmas: 'Goofy and foolish overreaction'

Sponsored

Christmas at The White Company: Seasonal scents and thoughtful gifts

Where to buy Christmas gifts for her

Simplify managing your business finances with Sage AI cloud accounting

Bettervits: the collagen supplement we’re adding to our basket