Lisa Nandy, Zack Polanski and Nitro from Gladiators share their favourite cultural moments of 2025 

It’s been a big year for popular culture. From the global phenomenon of Adolescence on Netflix to the thrill of CMAT becoming a bonafide pop superstar, via Oasis and Radiohead delighting millions by returning to the live arena, KPop Demon Hunters smashing audience records and The Celebrity Traitors making faithful viewers of us all.

But who have the biggest names in politics and culture been listening to or watching? Do they match up with our own highlights? We asked everyone from culture secretary Lisa Nandy to Harry Aikines-Aryeetey (aka Nitro from Gladiators) for their favourite moment of the year.

Lisa Nandy, culture secretary

It’s an easy choice – despite the mixed reviews, my album of the year is The Life of a Showgirl by Taylor Swift. I’m sorry, to all the critics, you are completely wrong. It is a classic.

John Swinney, First Minister of Scotland

My top moment of 2025 was Scotland qualifying for the World Cup against Denmark. I was lucky enough to be at Hampden that night and the scenes will stick with me forever. The historic result echoed far beyond Hampden’s walls with Scotland fans across the country, and the globe, celebrating the men’s team reaching their first World Cup since 1998. 

The morning after the game I caught an early train to London, and the smiles on the faces of those passing through Edinburgh Waverley was evidence to me of the scale of this enormous moment in Scotland’s sporting history and what it meant to so many of us.

Get the latest news and insight into how the Big Issue magazine is made by signing up for the Inside Big Issue newsletter

Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee

On an unusually sweltering evening at the Edinburgh Fringe I chanced upon How to Win Against History a sparkling musical retelling of the tragic but fabulous story of Henry Paget, brought back to life through the remarkable talents of Seiriol Davies. Henry was notorious in the late 1800s for defying gender stereotypes and squandering his inheritance on a lavish social life and unbridled passion for theatre.

The production had it all – fantastic performances, glorious costumes and a whip-smart script. I laughed and cried in equal measure and wanted to experience it all over again.

Philip Barantini, director of Adolescence

Watching Sam Fender at Wythenshawe Park in Manchester over the summer. His performance was electrifying and experiencing it with my young daughter by my side made the occasion particularly meaningful. Sam is an exceptionally talented individual whom I am proud to call a friend. I was delighted to see him win the 2025 Mercury Prize, especially because he chose to donate his prize money to support grassroots music venues.

Zack Polanski, leader of The Green Party

There are moments in music that can shake the foundations of where we as a society stand. When Kae Tempest took to the stage at Glastonbury Festival this summer, as a proud trans man, he did more than headline; he reclaimed space. He didn’t shrink himself but filled that stage with all of his healing and beauty. He stepped into the lights, raw and unashamed, bearing scars, identity, truth. It was a moment of defiance, beauty and hope all at once. 

His new album, Self-Titled, arrives as a manifesto for love, hurt, belonging, and healing. It overflows with the reality of being trans in a world that still centres trans lives in a vicious politics. In a moment when fear, hate and silence still stalk us, Kae offered vulnerability as strength, and trans identity as dignity and beauty. That matters. Not just for trans people, but for everyone tired of politics that refuse to listen and society that tells you: be small, be quiet. Kae refused. And for one golden Glastonbury set, we saw what it looks like when someone dares to embrace themselves fully. This is more than music. This is courage and beauty.

Claire Foy, award-winning actor

I went to see Sigur Rós at the Royal Albert Hall, which was a spiritual experience. Live music, everybody, where’s it gone? Can we have it back? I was howling crying for the whole first section and it was so embarrassing.

But I actually physically couldn’t stop. Their music just goes straight through you. Unbelievable.

Nathan Sykes, The Wanted singer

Alan Carr on The Celebrity Traitors. It was just the most amazing TV moment.

Éanna Hardwicke, star of Saipan

We play this game every New Year, me and my friends, where we sit at the table and do our play of the year, gig of the year, film of the year, new friend of the year. We do a round robin of all these things and it is such good fun.

So this is a great question, and I really appreciate it. I’m going to say Fontaines DC at Finsbury Park. It was immense. It was euphoric. And it was rock’n’roll – and that’s what I love about them. It can seem like a corny statement now, but in every sense, they are rock’n’roll…

Saint Etienne, indie heroes who released their final studio album, International

Sarah Cracknell: Blitz : The Club That Shaped the 80s at the Design Museum was a highlight, I had fun watching my new favourite band The Parallels at Paper Dress Vintage in October, and I have been doing my bit to save the Prince Charles Cinema in Soho by attending screenings there – seeing Paris Texas again was special.

Bob Stanley: We were lucky enough to have the Turner Prize in Bradford this year, at Cartwright Hall, which was the perfect space for it. They should do it there every year. Zadie Xa was the winner for me – her work was immersive and aqueous and definitely psychedelic. I also got to see Michael Head playing the Piece Hall in Halifax, which felt like we were watching him onstage back in the days of the Romans.

Pete Wiggs: The most cultured thing I did in 2025 was attending a civic reception to mark the 10th Havana Glasgow film festival, seeing some great films and briefly meeting the Lord Provost and Cuban Ambassador. My mother-in-law runs it, so I was very proud.

Read more:

• Fontaines DC, TikTok crazes and trouser chains: The unsettling return of nu metal, explained
• Cynthia Erivo on identity, migrant crisis and what she’s learned playing Elphaba in Wicked
• Why ‘noodle dramas’ like The Guest are just as enjoyable as ‘caviar dramas’ like Slow Horses

Josh Finan, Say Nothing star

I’ve gone to the Prince Charles cinema in Leicester Square, London, a lot this year. It’s the best. I’ve caught up on stuff I had never seen before, like The Piano Teacher and, on a lighter scale, Run Lola Run. What’s great about the place is that you can see both those films back-to-back. 

Yerin Ha, new star of Bridgerton

The Wicked press tour has been incredible. At the end of the day, they are two theatre girlies, and I’m a theatre girl at heart. I love seeing them rave about how much this film has affected them and how much joy it is bringing to people. I love watching it. And also, Olivia Dean’s album, The Art of Loving, has been on repeat.

Harry Aikenes-Aryeetey, gladiator Nitro 

I bonded with Cynthia Erivo this year – that was my highlight! Wicked has been a fantastic thing in life. My daughter absolutely loves it and being a girl dad allows you to really enjoy these things. So to be on Strictly Come Dancing and have a moment with Cynthia Erivo, when she was a guest judge, is one of the highlights of my year. For my daughter to be like, ‘Daddy, you were talking to Elphaba’ and I can say, ‘Yeah, me and Elphaba are friends.’ Nothing tops that.

Lola Petticrew, actor, Trespasses 

Getting to see Sunny Day Real Estate play at Outbreak Fest. They are such an important band to me. Turnstile headlined the festival directly after. I think their latest album Never Enough is truly phenomenal. It soundtracked a lot of my summer. Right now, I’m pretty much yo-yo-ing between CMAT’s Euro-Country and Hayley Williams’ Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party. 

Evan Dando, The Lemonheads singer

I saw Oasis at Wembley and it was so fun. It was really cool we were able to go. I don’t know how we were able to do it because I was already getting sick after a long and difficult tour, but we made it to Wembley and the show was fun. They’re really good.

Don Gilet, lead detective, Death in Paradise

There was a great mini-series called Black Rabbit, with Jude Law and Jason Bateman playing his loose-cannon brother. I suppose it had similarities with Death in Paradise, where Mervin is a detective and he finds out his brother is on the other side of the tracks. It’s the only thing where I felt I must watch the next episode when I should really be looking at my script.

Jon Richardson, actor, comedian

Slow Horses has been a privilege to watch. When you’ve worked in telly it ruins it for you a little bit – I can’t even watch a documentary now. If somebody knocks on a door, I think, well, they’ve shot that, then they’ve had to shoot a close up of the hand, then the camera’s behind the person in the door so they’ve had to do it again. There are very few shows that are so good I just lose myself in it completely.

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. 

Change a vendor’s life this Christmas.

Buy from your local Big Issue vendor every week – or support online with a vendor support kit or a subscription – and help people work their way out of poverty with dignity.