8 Things To Look Forward To in 2022

2021 was a mixed bag. We didn’t win the Euros and a new COVID variant arrived just in time for Christmas, but there was plenty to be joyous about – from the epic new James Bond film to Britney being freed and Adele’s new album. So what’s on the cards for this year? Shake off the January blues with our pick of all the things to look forward to in 2022.

Things To Look Forward to in 2022

Films

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From big blockbusters to thrillers and long-awaited revivals, there’s something for everyone on the 2022 film calendar. Keenly anticipated is Warner Bros’ latest Batman reboot starring Robert Pattinson, plus star-studded spy thriller The 355 featuring Penélope Cruz, Jessica Chastain and Diane Kruger. It’s set to be a big year for sequels too. A new Scream film will star alumni Courteney Cox, David Arquette and Neve Campbell, while Reese Witherspoon will be reprising her role as Elle Woods in a third Legally Blonde movie, 20 years after the original. We have Reese to thank, too, for the movie adaptation of Delia Owen’s hugely popular novel Where the Crawdads Sing, where Normal People’s breakout actress Daisy Edgar-Jones will take on the lead role.

Winter Olympics

Beijing is gearing up to host the 2022 Winter Olympics this February, with a record 109 events set to take place over 15 disciplines – from curling to bobsledding. This will make the Chinese capital the first city in the world to have hosted both the Winter and the Summer games, having held the latter back in 2008. While international spectators won’t be able to attend this year, the Games will be screened all over the world on TV. The Team GB line-up is yet to be announced but likely names include Gus Kenworthy, Katie Ormerod and Laura Deas.

Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

There’s nothing better than a Bank Holiday – and this year, we’re getting an extra one. It’s all thanks to Queen Elizabeth II, whose 70-year reign is being marked with a weekend of festivities from 2 – 5 June 2022. The Platinum Jubilee event is set to be the country’s biggest ever celebration, featuring a colourful parade with marching bands and circus acts, and a concert at Buckingham Palace starring some of the world’s biggest artists.

World Cup

Still mourning England’s loss to Italy at the Euro 2020 final? Perhaps 2022 will be the year they bring it home. Gareth Southgate’s team have secured a spot in the 22nd edition of the Fifa World Cup, which takes place in Qatar through the winter months. Kicking off on 21 November, the tournament will see 32 teams battle it out across 64 matches. Cue ‘Sweet Caroline’…

TV

2021 was a great year for TV, but 2022 has perhaps even more to offer. Period drama fans will be kept busy with much-awaited seasons of established favourites: notably, the second series of Bridgerton and season five of The Crown, plus Julian Fellowes’s new drama The Gilded Age. There are also some exciting book-to-screen adaptations coming out, such as Dolly Alderton’s wildly popular memoir Everything I Know About Love and Adam Kay’s This Is Going To Hurt on the BBC, and Anatomy of a Scandal on Netflix – the latest launch from Big Little Lies creator David E Kelley. Also premiering this year on Netflix is nine-part drama Inventing Anna, which is based around the story of fraudster Anna Sorokin, who posed as a billionaire heiress to facilitate a luxurious lifestyle.

Doctor Who

BBC Pictures

Who will be the next Doctor Who? Jodie Whittaker is stepping away from the tardis this year after completing the 13th season, Flux, leading to much speculation about her replacement. An initial frontrunner was It’s A Sin’s Olly Alexander, but he recently put a stop to the rumours in an interview with British GQ. Other actors being tipped for the role are Omari Douglas, Michaela Coel and Alexander’s co-star Lydia West. Whoever it is will be joining the show at an exciting time, as former showrunner Russell T Davies will be returning as head writer in 2023.

Hotel openings

Despite ongoing uncertainty surrounding Omicron, the travel industry is getting back on its feet. Whether you’re sticking to staycations or planning a trip further afield, there are a whole host of exciting new hotel openings primed for this year. On UK soil, Gleneagles Townhouse will be shaking up Edinburgh’s hotel scene, while London will welcome a palatial new branch from the Raffles group. Elsewhere, the Oetker Collection is opening Hotel La Palma on the picture-perfect Italian island of Capri, The Ned London’s sister property will launch in New York, and The Maybourne Riviera will open for its first full summer season.

Book releases

The 2022 reading list is mega. We’ve got new launches from a number of big names, kicking off this January with another brilliant work from A Little Life author Hanya Yanigahara, titled To Paradise. Douglas Stuart is also releasing his second novel, Young Mungo, and Kamila Shamsie has a new book coming out in October, Best Friends. Loved Jennifer Egan’s A Visit From the Goon Squad? She’s back with something of a follow up, The Candy House, made up of interconnected short pieces. Debuts to look out for, meanwhile, include Daphne Palasi Andreades’s Brown Girls and Jean Chen Ho’s Fiona and Jane.

Food Trends 2022 / Wellness Trends 2022