Cultural Events We’re Looking Forward to in 2026

Kayleigh already covered all of the movies we’re looking forward to in 2026. It’s a good list, and it’s going to be a good year for cinema. Let’s all try to get to the movie theater a little more often. But Pajiba does not live on movies alone. Here’s a list of just some of the cultural events we’re eagerly anticipating in the new year.

The Great Meme Reset

As the parent of a teenager, I’m most excited for The Great Meme Reset. Back in the fall of this year, TikTok unanimously decided that the New Gen memes are lame. The brain rot has worn thin. Even the fancy, Italian brain rot. 6-7, Skibidi Toilet, 100 men vs. 1 gorilla, it’s all gonna go. No more of any of that beginning January 1st, 2026.

@noahglenncarter He great meme reset is coming January 1st 2026 #greatmemereset #foryou #meme ♬ original sound - NoahGlennCarter

I am ready for the second coming of Nyan Cat. Let’s goooo! May I interest anybody in I Can Has Cheezburger? Or, is that going too far back? Maybe we’ll get a set of new, original memes instead. I’m either not clever enough or dumb enough to be a meme creator. But I do appreciate a good meme, and they lost me somewhere along the way. Maybe if I can get in on the ground floor of new memes taking over the internet, I’ll know what’s going on again.

Here’s a catchy song about it that’s sure to get stuck in your head for a few days. Enjoy!

@endigopink FULL VERSION The Great Meme Reset 😌💕 Rotoscoping by @Ali Jones ~ #memereset #thegreatmemereset ♬ original sound Endigo

A New Season of Will Trent

There are a few series and television events to look forward to in 2026. The Scrubs reboot (begins February 25th), The Muppet Show special (February 4th), the rest of High Potential’s second season (January 6th), and whatever weirdness Ryan Murphy comes up with for The Beauty.

Admit it, Will Trent is our favorite though. And we’ve missed it! Season 4 will premiere on January 6th. That will give you just enough time to clean up from the holidays and recover from your New Year’s hangover before you tune into ABC.

Bad Bunny’s Halftime Show

I know, I get it. NFL Bad. Bad for many, valid reasons. And if you’re boycotting the NFL, that’s fair. But if you, like me, only participate in the Super Bowl as a vehicle for snacks, expensive commercials, and the halftime show, this year is going to be spectacular. The Red Hat Crew has been up in arms over this performance since it was announced because they’re all too dumb to realize Puerto Rico is part of America and they really get off on being mean to brown people.

Let the haters hate. The rest of us can enjoy the show, the inevitable (and embarrassing) social media meltdowns, and hopefully some tasty, thematically appropriate snacks on game day.

The MidTerm Elections

I don’t want to jinx it, but I’m feeling pretty hopeful about the midterms. It’s either feel hopeful or launch myself into the sun at this point. I’m holding on to hope, at least for Christmas.

There’s no denying that we’ve been living in a nightmare that feels like the prelude to every dystopian fiction ever written. But the GOP is running around like a chicken with its head cut off. They’re renaming things, ramming through Executive Orders, and committing blatantly illegal acts both foreign and domestic. If we can make a strong showing at the midterms, maybe we can put the brakes on some of this nonsense and start holding some people accountable.

I don’t have a related video. Enjoy this song by The Magnetic Fields. No, I didn’t use the phrase just so I could include this link. How dare you! The song starts with what I think is a fair list of qualifications to run for office. Like, bottom-line stuff.

Sports! Sports! Sports!

I know Pajiba isn’t really a sports site, but 2026 is an Olympic year and a FIFA World Cup year. Yes, both of those organizations are corrupt AF, but that does not negate the existence of women’s figure skating, ski jumping, ice hockey, or bobsledding. I’m also very interested in observing how the World Cup will overcome the goat rodeo of America’s current rules around immigration and temporary Visas. Will the World Cup actually happen here? Who knows! If they pull it off, it will either be despite the current administration’s best efforts to tank it. Or there will be massive bribes involved. Or maybe a little bit of both. If all else fails, I’m sure Canada and Mexico will happily carry the weight.

Here’s the video Milano Cortina 2026 produced as a trailer for the Olympics Opening Ceremony.

Happy New Year. Here’s to good things happening to good people.