From Barbie Movie to Gladiators and Magic Mike, we reveal all the films, TV shows and festivals for 2023
FROM more of your favourite telly and box-sets to chortle-tastic live comedy and music, plus some of the best festivals in the world, 2023 looks set to offer all sorts of cultural delights.
Laura Stott reveals everything to get excited about next year.
TV AND STREAMING
HAPPY VALLEY (Jan 1, BBC One): The third and final series of the BBC’s Yorkshire crime drama hits our screens on New Year’s Day to start our 2023 viewing with a bang.
Sarah Lancashire reprises her role as Sergeant Catherine Cawood, squaring up once again with her ongoing adversary Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton).
SQUID GAME 2 (date tbc, Netflix): There’s no release date or any spoilers yet for the next instalment of Netflix’s Korean TV phenomenon Squid Game, but it’s likely season two will air at some point next year.
The 2021 show was a record-busting smash hit so expect huge viewing figures.
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CLARKSON’S FARM 2 (Feb 10, Amazon Prime): Tractors and troublesome sheep at the ready, Jeremy Clarkson and his trusty, rural sidekick Kaleb Cooper are back for a second series showing Cotswold farming life as it really is.
The next instalment of real-life agricultural adventures at Diddly Squat Farm can’t come soon enough.
SUCCESSION Season 4 (spring, Sky Atlantic): Media mogul Logan Roy (Brian Cox) and his power-hungry offspring are back for a fourth series of tussles at the Waystar Royco empire.
On screens in spring, the upcoming drama promises to deliver more of the backstabbing that drew in 1.7million viewers to the Season 3 finale.
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THE MANDALORIAN Season 3 (March 1, Disney+): Star Wars fans are already searching 30,000 times a month for spoilers on what Mando and “Baby Yoda” will get up to in their third series.
The show’s producers have confirmed Pedro Pascal will be back on screen as the galactic bounty hunter with his super-cute companion Grogu in March.
GLADIATORS reboot (date tbc, BBC): Contenders ready! The smash hit of 1990s Saturday night telly is being rebooted by the BBC.
Original cast member Jet (Diane Youdale) is rumoured to be at the helm as the yet-to-be revealed line up of new Gladiators prepare to do battle in epic sporting and action challenges.
EXTRAORDINARY (January 25, Disney+): Touted as the must-watch new comedy of next year, debut writer Emma Moran and the makers of Killing Eve are behind this funny new spin on superheroes.
Mairead Tyers stars as Jen, a normal girl living in a world where everyone over the age of 18 has a superpower, except for her. Co-starring Siobhan McSweeney (Derry Girls), and Robbie Gee (Motherland).
TEN POUND POMS (date tbc, BBC): Coming in 2023 this BBC original drama stars Michelle Keegan (Our Girl), Faye Marsay and Warren Brown as British citizens who migrated to Australia as “Ten Pound Poms” after the Second World War.
It’s produced by the team behind the award-winning Sex Education.
ALBUMS
NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH-FLYING BIRDS (due May): Ex-Oasis guitarist Noel’s band have already released single Pretty Boy from their upcoming fourth studio album.
The record is set for release in May.
DEPECHE MODE – MEMENTO MORI (March): Due for release in March, the fifteenth studio album from Depeche Mode is their first following the death last year of the band’s co-founder and keyboard player Andy “Fletch” Fletcher and is eagerly awaited by fans.
SAM SMITH – GLORIA (January 27): The singer has announced their new album Gloria will be released next month, to be followed by a UK tour of the same name. Featuring singles Love Me More and Unholy, it is their first album since 2020’s top-selling Love Goes.
MOVIES
(February 10): Channing Tatum and his six-pack are back for the third, and reportedly final, Magic Mike fling.
Salma Hayek, Caitlin Gerard and Gavin Spokes also star, with the original Magic Mike director Steven Soderbergh at the helm.
INDIANA JONES 5 (June 30): More than a decade since his last outing, Harrison Ford returns for the fifth instalment of Indy action.
This sequel to Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull is directed by James Mangold, who co-wrote the script with Brit brothers Jez and John-Henry Butterworth.
Executive-produced by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas with Fleabag’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge as the female lead and Indy’s goddaughter Helena, it promises to be a top-tier big-screen adventure.
BARBIE MOVIE (July): Think pink this summer as Margot Robbie brings Mattel’s Barbie doll to life with Ryan Gosling as her Ken.
Directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Greta Gerwig and starring Will Ferrell and Emma Mackey it sees the pneumatic blonde expelled from Barbieland and in search of love.
WONKA (December 15): We’ll have to wait until the end of 2023 to see Timothee Chalamet starring in this eagerly awaited musical fantasy prequel to Roald Dahl’s Charlie And
The Chocolate Factory. Wonka tells the tale of the crazy cane-wielding chocolatier in his early days. Singing and dancing alongside will be a stellar cast including Rowan Atkinson, Olivia Colman and Matt Lucas.
LIVE COMEDY
PETER KAY UK TOUR: Bolton funnyman and star of Car Share and Phoenix Nights Peter is finally back on the road. Tickets for the stand-up arena tour, which runs at venues nationwide, are already on sale and extra dates will be released throughout the year. See .
JAYDE ADAMS – MEN, I CAN SAVE YOU TOUR: After her appearance on the Strictly dance floor Jayde is back to her comedy day-job and on tour for 2023.
The Bristolian comedian and previous Funny Woman award-winner will be delivering stand-up dates around the UK from March. For ticket info and venues see .
MICHAEL McINTYRE – BIG WORLD TOUR: The UK’s highest-grossing comedian is back on the road with his Big World Tour visiting venues around the UK, and as the name suggests, worldwide.
UK dates include Wembley Arena and the Edinburgh Playhouse, both in March. Stay tuned and keep an eye on for ticket info and updates.
BABATUNDE ALESHE: BABAHOOD (from January): After starring in this year’s I’m A Celebrity, popular campmate and comic Babatunde returns to the stage for a new live tour. Tickets on sale now .
MUSICALS
MRS DOUBTFIRE THE MUSICAL (from May 12, Opera House, Manchester, and Shaftesbury Theatre, London): After sell-out stints in Manchester, Mrs Doubtfire The Musical makes its way to London’s West End for a limited run from this spring.
The stage version of the much-loved Robin William’s movie stars Gabriel Vick as the grey-haired Scottish nanny. See .
ASPECTS OF LOVE (from May 12, Lyric Theatre, London): Michael Ball returns to the West End in a major revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber romantic musical that first made him a star back in 1989.
This time he’s playing George, the uncle to his original character Alex. Tickets at .
THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF MUSICAL (from February, Noel Coward Theatre, London): TV’s most famous tent is recreated on stage for GBBO The Musical.
Inspired by the telly format, it follows a gang of amateur bakers as they compete to be star bakers.
With song, dance and comedy, it promises to be a real showstopper. See .
GIGS AND FESTIVALS
BLUR reunion (July 8-9, Wembley Stadium): The Britpop giants have added a second date to their 2023 show at Wembley Stadium on July 9 to celebrate their 35th anniversary.
Damon Albarn, Alex James, Dave Rowntree and Graham Coxon reunite for the band’s first headline gig since 2015 and their first-ever at Wembley. Tickets are out now.
BILLY JOEL (July 7, British Summer Time Festival, Hyde Park): Piano Man Billy takes to the stage in London next year for the British Summer Time Festival’s 10th anniversary and his only European performance of 2023.
Expect live hits including We Didn’t Start the Fire, Uptown Girl and The River Of Dreams. Pink, Bruce Springsteen and Take That are also on the all-star bill. See bst-hydepark.com.
PARKLIFE (June 10-11, Heaton Park, Manchester): The line-up for Manchester’s biggest festival of 2023 has yet to be announced but last year’s headliners included 50 Cent, Lewis Capaldi and DJ Carl Cox so you can expect big-name performers from the worlds of rap and pop. Find out more at parklife.uk.com.
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GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL (June 21-25, Worthy Farm, Pilton): Elton John has been announced as this year’s first headline act for the Pyramid Stage.
The rest of the line-up has yet to be revealed but as well as the Rocket Man himself the Arctic Monkeys are hotly tipped to appear. See glastonburyfestival.co.uk.