While pop culture continues to evolve, our fondness for the past hasn’t gone anywhere. That’s exactly why the “2026 is the new 2016” trend has struck such a chord with the Gen Z, because it blends nostalgia with the pop culture moments that shaped 2016.
The world we’re living in today demands dissociation from reality to make life more bearable. With AI-generated slop suffocating art, widespread political misinformation fuelling polarisation, and wars breaking out across the globe, it’s no wonder people are turning to nostalgia for comfort.
While it may have started as Gen Z’s coping mechanism, the “2026 is the new 2016” trend has now become a cultural movement, with everyone trying to jump on the bandwagon. This romanticisation of 2016 has also drawn some criticism, however, as the year was marked by major political shocks, such as Brexit and the election of Donald Trump, as well as a global public health crisis — the Zika outbreak.
In terms of pop culture, 2016 was truly that year. Beyoncé released her sixth album, Lemonade; One Direction went on hiatus; Leonardo DiCaprio won his first Oscar; and fashion was dominated by millennial pink. However, 2016 was also the year we sadly lost many legends, including Prince, Carrie Fisher and David Bowie — figures whose impact on culture cannot be overlooked.
If you’ve found yourself missing 2016 lately and falling for the nostalgia bait (no judgement; we all need a bit of escapism), here’s an A-to-Z glossary of the year’s biggest pop culture moments. See how many of these you can remember.
The biggest pop culture moments of 2016 we still think about
A: Apple introduces AirPods
In September 2016, Apple revolutionised earbuds by unveiling its first wireless earphones, the AirPods. Launched alongside the iPhone 7, they soon became the company’s best-selling accessory. Despite initial criticism, AirPods quickly turned into a cultural phenomenon, inspiring memes and spurring competitors to develop similar products.
B: Bottle-flipping challenge goes viral
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that 2016 was quite a wide-ranging spectrum. On one side, there were astonishing technological advances; on the other, people were… flipping bottles. In the summer of 2016, the bottle-flipping challenge went viral across social media, with people recording videos of themselves attempting the trick. The challenge was initially popularised by a video of Mike Senatore, a teenager who performed it at his school talent show. He was later invited to appear on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Wild times!
C: “Closer” by The Chainsmokers dominates the music scene
In the pop culture and music scene of 2016, The Chainsmokers absolutely crushed it with “Closer”, featuring Halsey. Hailed as an “instant classic” by critics, the song dominated the charts, reaching number one in many countries. First performed at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in June 2016, it was on everyone’s lips for the rest of the year, and to be fair, even now, if it comes on, you can’t help but croon along to the lyrics. As of January 2026, the song’s lyric video has 3.3 billion views on YouTube.
D: DiCaprio wins his first Oscar
Another major pop culture moment of 2016 was the end of Leonardo DiCaprio’s Oscar drought. After years of impeccable performances and multiple nominations, he finally won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the survival drama The Revenant, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu. He was happy, we were happy, and the whole world was happy.
E: Election season shockers — Trump’s win, Brexit
The politics of 2016 were nothing short of shocking and volatile. The United Kingdom voted in a referendum to separate itself from the European Union, which marked the beginning of Brexit.
But that was not all. Across the ocean, another storm was brewing. After a controversial campaign featuring contentious debates and remarks directed at his opponent, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump won the US presidential election in November. He served as the 45th President from 2017 to 2021, and took the oath again in 2025.
F: Football frenzy — UEFA Euro won by Portugal
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Although Portugal hosted Euro 2004, they fell short in the final. Twelve years later, they won their first major men’s international title at Euro 2016, edging France in a tense final despite Cristiano Ronaldo being forced off injured early on.
G: Ghostbusters reboot (and all the controversies around it)
One of the year’s major themes was reboots and revivals, and one pop culture event from 2016 that stands out is the Ghostbusters reboot. It attracted intense criticism and sparked significant controversy. The film reimagined the franchise with an all-female lead cast, prompting trolling and misogynistic attacks directed at the actors. Cast member Leslie Jones also faced racist abuse.
Despite this, the film ultimately received positive reviews from critics, and the episode sparked important conversations about online trolling, hate and the misogyny faced by women in the public eye.
H: Harambe’s death
In May 2016, at the Cincinnati Zoo, a three-year-old boy climbed into the enclosure of a gorilla named Harambe. As the gorilla went to investigate the child, without showing clear signs of aggression, zoo staff, fearing for the boy’s life, shot and killed Harambe. The incident caused a huge uproar on social media, with many people condemning the decision. Almost overnight, Harambe became a cultural icon, followed by a flood of memes.
I: In memoriam — David Bowie, Prince, George Michael, Muhammad Ali, Carrie Fisher, Alan Rickman and Leonard Cohen
As the year progressed, it was also marked by the deaths of the great boxer Muhammad Ali; rock legend Prince; poet, singer and songwriter Leonard Cohen, who gave us the original “Hallelujah” (1984); musician George Michael; and actor Carrie Fisher.
J: Juno finally reaches Jupiter
In terms of space exploration, NASA made headway with its probe Juno, which was sent to pierce the dense clouds surrounding Jupiter. In July 2016, it entered the planet’s orbit to study its atmosphere. Fun fact: Juno was named after the Roman goddess who was Jupiter’s wife. So, in a sense, NASA sent Jupiter’s wife to check on him while he was hidden behind a fog of clouds — because only she could get through to him. How romantic!
K: King Kylie’s reign
Banking on Tumblr’s mid-2010s soft-grunge aesthetic, Kylie Jenner’s King Kylie era peaked in 2016 with the launch of her famous Lip Kits. This era shaped her style, public image and overall persona, and these elements worked together to drive her brand’s success.
The era remains especially relevant because it predated the point at which influencer culture became truly mainstream. Jenner combined a distinctive aesthetic with her ability to shape young people’s tastes, helping to set a standard in internet culture.
L: Lin-Manuel Miranda makes Broadway cool again with Hamilton
Although Hamilton debuted on Broadway in 2015, it didn’t become a major pop culture phenomenon until 2016. The musical dominated awards season, sweeping the Tony Awards and also winning the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. In addition, a documentary about its creation, titled Hamilton’s America, was released in 2016. The musical tells the story of one of America’s Founding Fathers, Alexander Hamilton, through song and rap.
M: Mannequin challenge
If summer was swept up by the bottle-flipping challenge, then autumn brought the mannequin challenge. In November 2016, videos of people standing still in strange poses, like mannequins, with “Black Beatles” by Rae Sremmurd playing in the background began doing the rounds on social media. The hashtag #MannequinChallenge went viral, with various celebrities and public figures taking part as well.
It is believed that the challenge was started by some students from Edward H. White High School in Jacksonville, Florida.
N: Netflix’s domination — Stranger Things and The Crown premiere
Although streaming and Netflix already existed, it was in 2016 that both really took off and began to dominate pop culture discussions around television, filmmaking, cinemas and more. With the premieres of Stranger Things and The Crown, Netflix entered the big leagues. The former became a cultural phenomenon that ran for a decade until its final season premiered in 2025. Over those 10 years, Netflix completely changed the media landscape.
O: One Direction goes on hiatus
Your support is truly indescribable! It’s just a break :) we’re not going anywhere !!
— Louis Tomlinson (@Louis_Tomlinson) August 24, 2015
The break-up of one of the biggest boy bands in the world began in 2015, when Zayn Malik left. The four remaining members released one final album before going on an 18-month hiatus, which, although announced in 2015, began in January 2016. The news shocked fans, who mourned the loss of their favourite band. Members such as Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan tweeted that it was just a short break and that they would be back. The full reunion never materialised with Liam Payne’s tragic passing in 2024.
It was also the year Malik released his first solo single, “Pillowtalk”, after leaving the band. The music video featured model Gigi Hadid, with whom Malik now shares a daughter.
Also read: Which directions did the One Direction members go in since the hiatus?
P: Pokémon Go‘s mania
The summer of 2016 also brought a new mobile game called Pokémon Go, which had people in a chokehold. Children, teenagers and adults alike roamed their neighbourhoods, parks, schools and even workplaces, trying to ‘catch ’em all’. Few things can get people to leave their homes in the age of social media obsession, but Pokémon Go managed to do exactly that.
Q: Queen Bey drops Lemonade
Another major pop culture moment of 2016 was Beyoncé’s surprise sixth studio album, Lemonade, which was hailed as genre-blending and one of the artist’s best works to date. Lauded as a classic upon release, the album, along with its companion 65-minute film, shaped the American musical zeitgeist in a significant way through its socio-political commentary on the lived experiences of Black women in America, as well as its exploration of marital infidelity, the five stages of grief, and ultimately, healing.
R: Rio Olympics
The 2016 Summer Olympics were the first to be held in South America. However, many concerns and controversies surrounded the games at the time, from the Russian doping scandal to the Zika virus outbreak and pollution in Guanabara Bay. Despite this, the games ran smoothly, with some historic victories, including those of Simone Biles, Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps.
S: Superhero showdowns — Captain America vs Iron Man, Batman vs Superman
Everyone remembers how Marvel and DC had comic book fans in a chokehold with Captain America: Civil War and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. People were picking teams, cosplaying, going to fan conventions and so on. The two films were released within months of each other, although Civil War performed better commercially.
The mid-2010s also marked the peak of the superhero film genre, especially for Marvel, building towards concluding films such as Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, which came out a couple of years later. Other influential films that fuelled public discourse in 2016 included Suicide Squad and Deadpool.
T: Taylor Swift’s controversies with Kanye West and Calvin Harris
While the rest of the world looks back at 2016 through the lens of pop culture nostalgia, it was probably not the best year for Taylor Swift. She was involved in a variety of controversies. The biggest was with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, when West released his song “Famous”, which included derogatory lyrics about Swift. As the feud intensified, Kardashian released a recording of a phone call, claiming that Swift had approved the lyrics before the song’s release. This led to significant backlash against Swift, with many citing it as the end of her career.
The second controversy involved Swift’s ex-boyfriend, Calvin Harris, who claimed she was trying to ruin his career when news emerged that she had co-written one of his songs.
Swift’s public image took further hits: her friendship group, known at the time as her “squad”, was perceived negatively by the press, and her alleged romance with Tom Hiddleston drew further criticism. The whole episode, however, marked a turning point in her career, as she released her album Reputation the following year.
The debate also sparked conversations about women’s roles and treatment in the music industry, and the ways misogyny can fuel hateful narratives.
U: Uncharted 4 ends an iconic franchise
In the gaming world, 2016 marked the end of one of the most revered video game franchises, Uncharted. With the final instalment developed specifically for the PlayStation 4, fans hailed it as the perfect conclusion to the iconic series. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End became one of the highest-selling video games of the year and dominated discussion around action-adventure games with its cinematic qualities. Over the past decade, it has become a pop culture classic.
V: Van Gogh paintings recovered after being stolen in 2002
In 2002, two paintings by Vincent Van Gogh, View of the Sea at Scheveningen (1882) and Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen (1884), were stolen from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. At the time, the works were estimated to have a combined value of around USD 100 million. In September, it was reported that the paintings were recovered from the Naples mafia in Italy and were in good condition.
W: White Oscars — #OscarsSoWhite
#OscarsSoWhite has ALWAYS been about ALL marginalized communities: race, sexual orientation, gender, differently abled, & indigenous folks.
— April (@ReignOfApril) March 3, 2016
One of the most impactful pop culture movements, not just of 2016, but of all time, #OscarsSoWhite sparked debate about the lack of diversity among Oscar nominees and within the Academy itself. The movement was spearheaded by activist April Reign. The backlash pushed the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to pursue systemic change, prompting other institutions like the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) and the Golden Globes to examine their own practices as well.
Fortunately, that momentum wasn’t wasted. At the 2017 Oscars, Moonlight (2016) won Best Picture, after the infamous wrong-winner announcement, and Black Panther (2018) later earned a Best Picture nomination. Now, heading into the 2026 Oscars, Sinners (2025) has set an all-time record with 16 nominations.
X: The X-Files revival
Following the conclusion of the original series in 2002, 2016 brought the highly anticipated 10th season of The X-Files. After nearly 14 years off the air, the franchise returned with a bang. In just six episodes, it reminded audiences of the good old days while delivering timely, relevant critiques of American society — including the era of Donald Trump.
Y: Year of the millennial pink
Of all the fashion trends of 2016 — off-the-shoulder tops, chokers, knee-high boots and mom jeans — millennial pink eclipsed the lot. The groundwork had been laid a few years earlier, helped along by Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) and Apple’s rose-gold iPhones. But it was in 2016 that pink truly became a cultural phenomenon, when Pantone named Rose Quartz its Colour of the Year.
After that, the soft, almost salmon-tinged shade was everywhere: make-up, jewellery, clothing and interior design. Even Kylie Jenner wore a pink wig on multiple occasions during her ‘King Kylie’ era.
Millennial pink’s dominance also aligned neatly with the girlboss culture that gathered momentum in the mid-2010s.
Z: Zara Larsson’s “Lush Life” becomes song of the summer
Although the song was released in 2015, it climbed the global charts in the summer of 2016, propelled by social media. With its breezy, light and vibrant feel, “Lush Life” became the song of the season, with everyone dancing along to the Swedish singer and songwriter’s peppy vocals. The same year, Larsson was also featured in the official song of UEFA Euro 2016, David Guetta’s “This One’s for You”.
Now, fuelled by the “2026 is the new 2016” trend, the track is surging again online — particularly on TikTok, where a dance video featuring it went viral in December 2025. It later peaked at number four on Spotify’s Global chart in January 2026. Larsson has also enjoyed a major comeback, performing the song live amid its renewed popularity.
(Hero and featured image credit: IMDb/Stranger Things; Instagram/Leonardo DiCaprio; Mimzy, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons)
Note : The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
