Entertainment News

Cyclists are celebrating Wolverhampton’s rich history of manufacturing bikes – and its own cycling champion Hugh Porter – in a new exhibition now on show at Bilston Craft Gallery. Two Tyres champions the design, manufacture and sporting history of cycling in the city as the pastime enjoys a renaissance across the region.

Multi-platinum selling rapper Wiz Khalifa has been confirmed to perform at Isle of MTV Malta, which is celebrating the 10th anniversary year of the open-air concert on the sunlit Mediterranean island. The free live music event, a partnership between MTV and the Malta Tourism Authority will return to Il-Fosos Square on Tuesday, June 28, 2016.

Landscape artist Anthony Garratt has completed work on High and Low, a spectacular outdoor painting installation which he has created in Snowdonia, North Wales.  The installation evoques a unique and compelling narrative about the history, geography and industrial heritage of North Wales. It features two giant canvases, both of which were painted by the artist in situ. 

As part of the annual nationwide Museums at Night initiative, Compton Verney is aiming to host a magical, light-filled evening at the Warwickshire gallery in October – but needs YOUR help to secure the creative genius of artist Aowen Jin. An exciting aspect of the Museums at Night concept is Connect! This is an opportunity for galleries and venues across the UK to compete with one another for the services of a leading contemporary artist. However, in a neat twist, the artists themselves select their own short-list of venues with which they would work.

Latimer Place in Buckinghamshire, known as 'Britain's most secret home', has launched a new two night history package with specialist secret service historian and author, Helen Fry. This showcases the manor house property's incredible WWII history, where secret listeners who bugged the Nazi's garnered vital information, which ultimately helped win the war.

Hastings Pier has begun a phased reopening to the public starting on Wednesday 27th April following two years renovation works at a cost of £14.2m. Closed for safety reasons in 2008 and virtually destroyed by the fire of October 2010 a local action group raised the funds to rebuild the 140 year-old structure, the lion's share from an £11.4m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. 

Guests can download themselves into an all-new 4D film experience starring the Lego Nexo Knights - at the Legoland Windsor Resort this May. In an immersive 4D animated adventure created especially for Legoland Parks and Legoland Discovery Centres around the world. It's up to the Lego Nexo Knights to defeat the evil Jestro, the Book of Monsters and all their Lava Monsters all set in a 4D world - think wind, water and smoke - bringing the battle to life all around the cinema.

Get ready for a warm welcome from the BBC Good Food Show Summer, sponsored by Lexus, this June.  The Show returns to the NEC Birmingham, promising to be one of the summer’s tastiest days out and a great way to spend a day with food loving friends. With many of the nation’s favourite chefs and celebs, a wide range of local and regional artisan producers and everyone’s favourite big name brands, there’s something for everyone.

Country houses and music events are well known - but an art gallery with its own music festival? Now that rocks! The Compton Verney Festival returns this summer (1-3 July), and promises three days of brilliant beats, fantastic food and lots of family fun.

From 24 April to 28 August, the Thuringian state exhibition “The Ernestines. A Dynasty Shapes Europe” sheds light on a fascinating dynasty of rulers who shaped the history of Germany and Europe. Members of the Ernestine line can still be found in several royal dynasties in Europe including – guess what – the UK where the Ernestine line of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha has survived in the current Royal Family, albeit as the House of Windsor after a name change in 1917.

The fabulous Deer Park Country House Hotel's launch of its exquisite new Orangery went off with a bang. In true Deer Park style, Friday night saw their most extravagant event yet which ended with a remarkable fireworks display setting the sky above Weston alight. Nigel Wray, owner of both Saracens Rugby Club and the Deer Park Country House Hotel also made a special appearance. 

Don't miss the chance to discover the temporary exhibition: 'Capability' Brown at Blenheim Palace open daily until Monday 2nd May. Blenheim Palace was one of 'Capability' Brown's most significant landscape projects. Commissioned by the 4th Duke of Marlborough in 1763, he spent a total of 11 years transforming the Palace's landscaped parkland which, although appearing quite natural, is 'contrived to pleasing effect'.

It’s proving to be a solemn year with April’s noted passing of Funk/Rock ‘God,’ Prince, who superseded that – almost within hours - of comedienne Victoria Wood and soul singer Percy Sledge. The death of ‘The Purple One,’ might have caused greater reverberations throughout the entertainment world, but the loss of the lyrical genius that is Victoria and the soul legend with the smoothest of voices  is showing a rise in the number of significant celebrity death being reported for this year – so far.

Finding Dory – the sequel to Pixar's Finding Nemo - is set to be this summer's blockbuster animated film, following the underwater adventures of forgetful fish, Dory (voiced by Ellen De Generes) and her amphibian pals.  With a UK release date of 29 July (perfect timing for the school summer holidays) and a voiceover cast that includes Hollywood big hitters Idris Elba, Michael Sheen, Dominic West and Diane Keaton, Finding Dory is set to make the underwater world a big draw for summer 2016.  

Victoria Wood, singer, writer and comedian died yesterday after a "short but brave" battle with cancer aged 62. Her publicist announced that the star "died peacefully at her north London home with family" on Wednesday. Known best for her BBC comedy Dinnerladies and sketch Acorn Antiques, Wood found fame in the 1980's, winning 5 BAFTA's including 2 for her ITV drama Housewife, 49.

In May, Coventry’s Mead Gallery will invite local people to take part in a unique opportunity to help curate a new exhibition based on the work of celebrated poet T. S. Eliot. A Journey with The Waste Land is part of a project, led by Coventry-raised Michael Tooby, which will lead to exhibitions in 2018 at Turner Contemporary in Margate, Leeds Art Gallery and the Mead Gallery in Coventry to coincide with the centenary of the end of the First World War.