Encore!

The Korean superstar boyband is wrapping up the European leg of their Arirang album tour in the French capital before dates in North and South America. FRANCE 24 takes a look at the K-pop phenomenon's meteoric rise. 

His blossoming, botanical and flowing forms recall the life cycles of plants and humans. Designer Ali Zalzali tells FRANCE 24 about creating his first couture collection, ‘Natura Morta' and the evocative short film he made to conjure up the universe of these hand-crafted pieces. 

In this edition, Critic Emma Jones tells us why Christopher Nolan's take on the Greek epic was worth the wait – and the eye-watering budget – and how the themes of this ancient story still speak to contemporary audiences. The all-star cast includes Matt Damon as a world-weary Odysseus, Anne Hathaway embodies a very patient Penelope and Lupita Nyong'O plays both Helen of Troy and her twin sister Clytemnestra. 

In this edition, arts24 decamps to the south of France for a special show from the world-renowned Avignon theatre festival as it celebrates its 80th edition. Korean is this year's guest language at the event, offering audiences an insight into drama, dance and literary work from Korean artists. We also check out Julien Gosselin's high-tech, literary exploration of evil in ‘Maldoror', on stage at the Palais des Papes and talk to Egyptian director Ahmed El Attar about his recent work.

On today's Arts24 music show, Jennifer Ben Brahim brings us a roundup of upcoming album releases to add to your summer playlists. From the return of indie sleaze icons The Strokes, who are set to release their first album in six years, "Reality Awaits", to a British pop star hoping to recreate the success of her 2024 record Brat – the album that sparked the viral internet trend dubbed "Brat Summer". Her seventh album, Music, Fashion, Film, features musician John Cale, designer Marc Jacobs and filmmaker Martin Scorsese on the cover. Here's the single "Wink Wink".

Paris has been hosting its autumn-winter couture collections amid simmering temperatures, with celebrities sporting parasols and fans as they watch the shows. Fashion journalist Alice Pfeiffer tells us why "Blazymania" has taken hold, as Chanel's new artistic director continues his winning streak with designs inspired by Coco Chanel herself. At Dior, Jonathan Anderson presents an accessible, floral collection, while Pierpaolo Piccioli draws stars including Cynthia Erivo, Demi Moore and Teyana Taylor to the front row for his Balenciaga debut.

From Netflix's ambitious reboot of “Little House on the Prairie” to Anya Taylor-Joy's high-stakes crime thriller “Lucky”, this summer's TV line-up has something for every viewer. We also preview “GIGN” (Elite Force), a gripping French action series that takes viewers inside one of the world's most elite police units. Fan favourites are returning too, with a new season of “Ted Lasso” and Will Ferrell taking on his first major TV leading role as an ageing golf champion in The Hawk. Arts24's Dheepthika Laurent rounds up the biggest series to add to your watchlist this summer.

Manon Kerjean explains why the animated feature In Waves, Phuong Mai Nguyen's adaptation of a bestselling graphic novel, has been moving audiences to tears. We also take a look at Stéphane Demoustier's dark summertime thriller The Heat and enjoy the behind-the-scenes comedy of La Comédie Française, set inside France's most prestigious theatre. Finally, 20th-century cinematic visionary Jacques Tati is back in the spotlight with a retrospective of his quirky, forward-looking films, now being screened in newly restored 4K versions.

Two-time Booker prize-winning author, Margaret Atwood has spent four decades warning what happens when democracy, women's rights and free expression begin to erode. Today, many readers believe the world has caught up with her fiction. In this interview with FRANCE 24's Eve Jackson, the author of The Handmaid's Tale reflects on US President Donald Trump, the expanding book bans in the United States, the rollback of reproductive rights, censorship and why she torched an “unburnable” edition of her most famous novel. 

FRANCE 24's Olivia Salazar-Winspear brings us all the latest from the Avignon performing arts festival, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary. This year, Golden Globe winners, Brazilian actor Wagner Moura and French actress Isabelle Huppert are starring in shows. The festival has also chosen Korean as its language of honour and turns the spotlight on artists from the Mediterranean region. Salazar-Winspear also talks to the co-director of Avignon's fringe program. It's known as the "off" in French and features more than 1,700 shows performed in public spaces around the city. Finally, she gives us her recommendation for a fringe show that is not to be missed.

Why has Madonna made Paris the heart of her latest comeback? In this edition of arts24, we unpack the Queen of Pop's new album Confessions II – fresh from her Paris Fashion Week appearance and exclusive fan events in the French capital. We also look at Bad Bunny's historic new wax figure at Paris's Musée Grévin ahead of his sold-out French concerts, and meet MIND, the French pianist and producer blending electronic music with Afro-jazz and his Guyanese heritage before he performs at the Paris New York Heritage Festival. Plus, a preview of the Rolling Stones' upcoming album, Foreign Tongues.

More than three decades after the fatwa over "The Satanic Verses" and nearly four years after surviving a knife attack that left him blind in one eye, Salman Rushdie returns with "The Eleventh Hour", his first work of fiction since the assault. Speaking to arts24's Eve Jackson at Porto's new BABELL literary gathering, the celebrated novelist reflects on resilience, censorship, mortality and why storytelling remains one of humanity's greatest acts of freedom.

Australian actress Milly Alcock stars in the Superman spinoff "Supergirl" – less a superhero movie than a space epic. The film also introduces a fan favourite: bounty hunter Lobo, played by Jason Momoa. Next, Hugh Jackman offers a different take in "The Death of Robin Hood". The film is very dark and sad and returns to the story's earliest origins, where Robin is not a swashbuckling hero but a feared medieval outlaw. 

Afghan-American photographer Daniel Malikyar talks to arts24 about his new photography book, "Afghanistan". It is his most personal project yet. From his perspective as the son of Afghan immigrants, he documents remote communities in the country. 

In this edition of arts24, Marjorie Hache is in the town of Vienne in southeastern France, where the 45th edition of "Jazz à Vienne" is taking place. Headliners include the likes of Jon Batiste, Marcus Miller, Buena Vista Social Club and Jeff Mills. The festival is also shining a spotlight on late jazz legend Miles Davis, 100 years since his birth. The American musician played at the festival four times during his life and left a lasting mark on the town. Marjorie also shares one of her festival highlights: Cameroonian band Akutuk's concert in a swimming pool in an ode to their ancestral links with water. She also chats with New Orleans trumpeter James Andrews, who is transforming the streets of Vienne into a giant parade.

Dancer, photographer and artistic director Mathieu Forget talks to FRANCE 24 about celebrating 10 years of his "Levitation" project. Part sport, part travel, the series features photos of himself or French athletes mid-air against breathtaking backdrops. He also recounts going viral last year after a publishing a video online of his real-life partner, Victoria Dauberville, dancing on a ship's bow in Antarctica. The video was viewed 500 million times on social media. Finally, he details some of his possible future projects, including a series for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. 

In this edition, we look at Tate Modern's exhibition dedicated to Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. It displays her famous self-portraits and works by other artists who were influenced by her. Also: French World Cup fans go crazy for Panini sticker albums as newsstands experience shortages. Meanwhile, the Ghanaian music genre of Highlife has been added to UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage. Finally, one of France's biggest music festivals, Solidays, kicks off this Friday with French stars Gims, Orelsan, Bigflo & Oli and American EDM group Major Lazer all set to perform.

France's biggest film gamble of the year arrives in cinemas as "De Gaulle: Liberté" returns with its second chapter – a €74 million historical epic that's betting big on international audiences. Film critic Manon Kerjean breaks down whether the ambitious biopic succeeds as a wartime thriller rather than a traditional war movie.

Ten years after the referendum that shook the United Kingdom, what impact has Brexit had on one of its greatest exports: music? From major festivals in the UK to the grassroots venues in Europe determined to host British bands, FRANCE 24's Olivia Salazar-Winspear sets out to meet the people keeping the music scene alive.

In this edition of our arts24 music show, Jennifer Ben Brahim chats with British Afrobeats superstar Afro B. He is the brains behind the smash hit "Drogba (Joanna)", one of first Afrobeats songs to break the US charts. He has collaborated over the years with the likes of French Montana and Chris Brown. He is back with a new single called "Mapouka", a love letter to Ivory Coast. It's the first taste of his upcoming album, "Afro Ivoire".

Our TV critic Dheepthika Laurent joins us fresh from the Monte-Carlo Television Festival with exclusive interviews, red-carpet moments and the biggest winners of this year's Golden Nymph Awards. From career honours for Kurt Russell and Kristin Scott Thomas to breakthrough stars like Ester Expósito, we round up the highlights before looking ahead to the return of fan favourites "The Bear" and "House of the Dragon".

In this edition, we discover how some of Paris's most famous landmarks are being transformed by technology, culture and contemporary art. We travel beneath the Eiffel Tower with a new virtual reality experience that brings the monument's history to life, celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Quai Branly Museum and its extraordinary collection of art and artefacts from around the world, and cross the Pont Neuf as French artist JR turns the city's oldest bridge into a spectacular cave-inspired installation. Together, these three stories offer a fresh perspective on Paris and the many ways it continues to reinvent itself.

On this week's film show, critic Emma Jones joins Eve Jackson to review the latest cinema releases. They discuss "Backrooms", the record-breaking horror hit from 20-year-old director Kane Parsons, now the youngest filmmaker ever to top the US box office. Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve, the film is shaking up Hollywood's ideas about who gets to make movies.

In this edition of arts24, we meet a musical polymath and an icon of British popular music. Graham Coxon is one of the founding members of Blur, pioneers of the Britpop movement that dominated the 1990s music scene. A solo artist in his own right, Coxon has released nine studio albums and three soundtracks over the last two decades. Now for the first time, he is re-releasing his entire solo catalogue as well as a new record, "Castle Park", which had been locked away in the musical vaults for more than 15 years. Our Music Editor Jennifer Ben Brahim sat down with him in Paris.

Janis is an alternative pop and soul artist who will this week be releasing a stunning new album, "Cry With Us", through which she draws from her experience as a trans woman. She popped by the FRANCE 24 studios to chat to Marjorie Hache and share more about her story and evolution from teenage pop sensation Sliimy in the late 2000s to alternative pop artist. We also take a look at new releases by French star Mylène Farmer and British band Muse. 

His career spanned London's swinging '60s, the counter-culture of 1970s Los Angeles and the bucolic calm of springtime in Normandy. David Hockney was a master painter of portraits and landscapes, injecting riotous colour into canvases that hang in collections from New York to Tokyo. We take a look back at the career of the British artist following his death at 88 years old. 

With a sensual voice that contrasts with the strength of her lyrics, Mélissa Laveaux creates music that blends her Haitian and Canadian heritage with themes of history, sexuality, and the dark humour she brings to questions of life and death. She joins us in the studio to discuss her latest album, “At My Softest, I Am Most Dangerous”, and her exploration of Voodoo traditions and beliefs surrounding mortality. We also look at her personal geography – the places and influences that have shaped her artistic journey. We also discuss Paris's first Pride Ball, a star-studded gala celebrating LGBTQ+ communities.

Superstar director Steven Spielberg has returned to his first love – aliens – for the blockbuster of the summer. Film critic Emma Jones tells us why "Disclosure Day" is a timely, entertaining and funny movie, starring Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor and Colman Domingo.

One hundred years after his death, Antoni Gaudí remains one of the world's most influential architects and the creator of Barcelona's most iconic landmarks. In this special edition of arts24, Eve Jackson travels to the Catalan capital to explore the extraordinary legacy of the visionary behind the Sagrada Família, Park Güell and Casa Batlló. Through exclusive access, interviews with the architects continuing his unfinished masterpiece and a journey through the buildings that shaped modern Barcelona, discover why Gaudí's imagination still captivates millions a century later. 

US citizen Nick Hinman moved to London six years ago, where he nurtured his music project Fast Money Music – a name partly inspired by New York band Suicide's track of the same name. He popped by the arts24 studio to tell Marjorie Hache about his influences and working with band members from Klaxons and The 1975. They also take a look at new releases by Olivia Rodrigo, Fatoumata Diawara and Vince Staples. 

A film about Iran's protest movement is making cinema history. "Dreams of Violets" is the first fully AI-generated feature film ever selected by a major international film festival. The 75-minute drama will premiere at New York's Tribeca Festival next week. Created by Iranian-British director Ash Koosha from his home in London, the film took just three months to produce and cost less than 2,000 euros. There were no actors, no cameras, no sets and no film crew. Koosha says the film simply could not have been made through conventional means. Living in exile and unable to safely film inside Iran, he turned to AI to recreate events linked to the country's deadly crackdown on anti-government protesters. The film is based on journalistic reports, photographs and eyewitness accounts, and explores themes of memory, censorship and resistance. But as Tribeca becomes the first major festival to embrace a fully AI-generated feature, the film is also reigniting a fierce debate. Can artificial intelligence tell deeply human stories? Does AI democratise filmmaking or threaten the future of the industry? Eve Jackson speaks to Ash Koosha about Iran, ethics and the future of cinema.

He's been described as a prodigy of African-American art. Khalif Tahir Thompson combines vibrant colours and family photos in portraits painted for his new exhibition, "Beautiful Land" at Paris' Zidoun-Bossuyt gallery. He talks to us about the two movements which inspired his work, Fauvism and the Harlem Renaissance and why Beauford Delaney inspired him artistically. He also talks about his upbringing and self-identity through his work.

Critic Emma Jones tells us why North Macedonian production "DJ Ahmet", starring first-time actors, is a gem of an independent movie and proof that the small country punches well above its weight when it comes to cinema. We also discuss unsettling thriller "The Plague", starring Joel Edgerton, as a group of teenage boys at a swimming camp prompts comparisons with "Lord of The Flies"-style dynamics. Plus, body horror "Saccharine" explores contemporary obsessions with weight loss and body image, and the "Scary Movie" horror spoof franchise returns for a sixth outing, 26 years after its Y2K debut.

Premiering in the Directors' Fortnight section at the Cannes Film Festival, "I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning" is Clio Barnard's adaptation of Keiran Goddard's acclaimed novel about five childhood friends from working-class Birmingham whose lives have drifted far from the futures they once imagined. "Peaky Blinders" actor Joe Cole stars as Rian – the one who escaped, made money and seemingly "made it", only to discover that success cannot free him from the place he came from.

In this edition of our arts24 music show, Jennifer Ben Brahim chats with sibling duo The Lemon Twigs. The Long Island natives could easily be mistaken for a British Invasion band, thanks to their unmistakable harmonies and retro blend of pop, folk and psychedelic rock. 

Nearly 20 years after his first Palme d'Or, Romanian auteur Cristian Mungiu once again takes the festival's top prize for “Fjord” – a film exploring the tensions between religious conservatism and social liberalism. It stars “Marvel” actor Sebastian Stan and Norwegian actress Renate Reinsve as parents accused of domestic abuse. Before the big win, Eve Jackson sat down with Mungiu and Reinsve in Cannes.

Critic Dheepthika Laurent unpacks this month's TV releases, including the gripping Soviet space race drama told from the Russian side, "Star City", the return of the outrageously scandalous 1980s hit "Rivals" and Nicolas Cage stepping into his very first TV role in "Spider Noir".

Ben Croll takes us through four films from the Cannes Film Festival which are being released in cinemas this week. One of France's biggest film events of the year is Antonin Baudry's "De Gaulle: Resistance", the first of a two-part WWII epic centred on French general Charles de Gaulle, from the fall of France in 1940 to the liberation in 1945. Ben tells us why this film is part of a new trend of French blockbusters focused on uniquely French stories.

One hundred years after the late Miles Davis was born, the revolutionary trumpet player remains one of the 20th century's most influential artists. We look back at the life and legacy of a complex, visionary figure with one of his collaborators, musician Jason Miles, who recorded the albums "Tutu", "Music for Siesta" and "Amandla" with Davis during his later years. Jason's latest record "100 Miles for Miles Davis" is a reflection on those recording sessions.

Formed in Brittany in the late 2000s, Sax Machine blend funk, soul and hip-hop thanks to their joyous beatmaking and brass-infused melodies, as well as featuring the rapping of Chicago native MC Days. 2026 is looking exciting for the band, who will be releasing a new album this autumn and are set to tour Colombia extensively in September. They popped by arts24 to talk about their new single "Untrapped", which celebrates intellectual freedom.

Romanian director Cristian Mungiu has won the Palme d'Or for "Fjord", a tense family drama starring Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve. In FRANCE 24's special Cannes awards programme, Eve Jackson and critic Emma Jones break down all the major winners from the closing ceremony – from the Grand Prix for "Minotaur" to the double acting prizes for "All of a Sudden" and "Coward".

From giant pink bows to dramatic Valentino capes, the Cannes red carpet delivered plenty of standout style moments this year. Demi Moore dominated the Croisette with elegant jury looks, while Bella Hadid paid tribute to Jane Birkin in a vintage-inspired Schiaparelli gown. For the men, Colman Domingo stole the spotlight in a theatrical purple Valentino cape ensemble.