Audley’s Cultural Highlights: Summer 2025
Need a book to get lost in on your holidays? Or music while relaxing on the beach? Maybe something to watch in the cinema or at home? The Audley team share their cultural recommendations for this summer.
EXHIBITION: David Hockney 25 at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris
For this enormous retrospective of his career, David Hockney has taken over the entire building of the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris. Boasting 400 pieces, from his most well-known paintings to the more modern “works on iPhone [and] iPad,” the exhibition is anything but unwieldy. It is a brilliantly curated show of Hockney’s best work, showing how his talent has adapted to developments in modern technology to capture what doesn’t change: the beauty of the world around us. It’s the ideal art exhibition for the summer season – well worth the trip to Paris, particularly when you get to sit in the chair Hockney himself paints from, as I did. Sir Michael Lockett KCVO, Chairman.
Audley Chairman Sir Michael Lockett KCVO, sat in David Hockney’s chair.
BOOK: Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson
Peter Swanson’s Kill Your Darlings flips the typical script: it opens with a woman murdering her husband, then peels back the years, chapter by riveting chapter, to show how we got to that point. The structure is ingenious, unfolding like a puzzle that deepens the intrigue with every reveal. Swanson keeps readers gripped not with the question of who the murderer is - we know from the beginning - but the motive, the why. This is a novel about secrets, stories, and the dangerous power of imagination. Perfect for those who like their summer reads smart, stylish, and deliciously dark. Annie Coleman, Senior Advisor.
MUSIC: Lotus by Little Simz
My tip for summer listening is Lotus by Little Simz. Her first album release since 2022, the hiatus was apparently the result of several false starts and a creative crisis triggered by falling out with her old friend and collaborator Inflo, who she recently sued for failing to pay back a £1.7m loan. He is surely the subject of the blistering opening track ‘Thief’ and others on the album that describe her sense of betrayal. Yet the experience seems to have restored her zeal and she is back in fine form. Listen to the lovely ‘Blue’ for a taster. Harry Wynne-Williams, Director.
FILM: 28 Years Later
23 years later, filmmakers Danny Boyle and Alex Garland reunite with a sequel to their modern classic 28 Days Later (2002). 28 Years Later returns to Britain, as the title suggests, 28 years after the deadly ‘Rage’ virus overran the island in the first film, turning a large part of its population into ‘zombies’ gripped by an unstoppable, bloodthirsty frenzy. We follow Spike, a teenage member of a colony that survived the outbreak, as he travels to the post-apocalyptic wasteland of mainland Britain for the first time. He comes face to face with those infected by the Rage virus and much more, in a coming-of-age tale that is as strange, psychedelic, and even beautiful as it is violent and pulse-pounding. Catch it while you can. Harri Adams, Associate.
TV: MobLand
Tom Hardy delivers his signature simmering intensity in MobLand, a crime saga set in the underworld of a fading British empire. As Harry Da Souza, fixer to the formidable Harrigan dynasty (led with chilling grace by Helen Mirren), Hardy anchors a brooding thriller that explores loyalty and legacy. The writing is lean, the direction by Guy Ritchie sharp, and the mood thick with foreboding. It’s not concerned with being flashy; it’s gripping, a masterclass in tension. Watch for a dose of grit on rainy summer days. Annie Coleman, Senior Advisor.
EXHIBITION: Cartier at the V&A South Kensington
Oft described as the ‘jeweller of kings and king of jewellers’, Cartier has long been synonymous with craftsmanship, opulence, elegance, and royalty. This groundbreaking and bedazzling exhibition at the V&A includes a sprawling cohort of Cartier pieces from all four corners of the globe, from brooches designed for Queen Elizabeth II to pieces belonging to Maharajas Ranjitsinhji of Nawanagar and Bhupinder Singh of Patiala. All are suitably dazzling, with the tiara room that closes the exhibition providing the crowning glory (the 1903 Manchester tiara is an absolute show-stopper). A fascinating exhibition that tells the tale of a brand’s ascension through these beautifully curated artefacts, and the stories behind them, open to visitors until November 16 at the V&A South Kensington. Emily Callaghan-Sloane, Senior Associate.
FILM: Palm Springs
While it did not come out in 2025, Palm Springs deserves to be included on this list as an inventive romcom that offers more than just the usual genre fare. Imagine something along the lines of Groundhog Day, set in sun-soaked California and with reflections on what makes life meaningful in addition to the jokes and love plot. It’s absurd in all the best ways, and a true summer cinema gem. Annie Coleman, Senior Advisor.
MUSIC: BBC Proms 2025 at the Royal Albert Hall
Britain’s arts scene may feel somewhat beleaguered but the fine tradition of the Proms, now in its 130th year, continues to move and impress. This year’s season blends the classics with bold premieres, showcasing rising stars and championing female conductors and composers. Look out for wunderkind Yunchan Lim playing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto no. 4 (August 1), and Bruce Liu performing Tchaikovsky’s rarely-played Second Piano Concerto (August 20). For something warm and flowing try Brahms’ Second Symphony (September 11), and for banger after banger The Marriage of Figaro (August 27). The BBC’s coverage remains strong, but if you can come by tickets, it is hard to top the live experience. Rolf Merchant, Director.