In Pictures: Oasis back, Tom Cruise’s final mission and a farewell to Ozzy

EntertainmentLifestyle
1 Jan 2026 • 6:12 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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Oasis’s long-awaited return to the stage was one of the highlights in the entertainment world in 2025 as brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher put their differences aside and reformed the famous Britpop band.

Music fans also headed to Worthy Farm in Somerset, where The 1975, Neil Young and Olivia Rodrigo headlined the Glastonbury Festival.

Meanwhile, thousands flocked to Birmingham to pay tribute to Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne, who died just weeks after the band were reunited at Villa Park.

Photographers from the Press Association were on hand throughout the year to capture the events.

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Awards season saw Charli XCX pick up the prize for artist of the year at the Brits, while Sam Fender won the Mercury Music Prize.

In the film world, Mikey Madison won a Bafta and an Oscar for her role in Anora, which also picked up the best picture gong at the Academy Awards.

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Red carpet events this year attracted Hollywood stars, such as Tom Cruise, to Britain, while home-grown talent was also out in force, including at the premiere of Paddington: The Musical.

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This year’s red carpets also served us some of fashion’s most memorable moments, including from Wicked star Ariana Grande, as well as Zendaya and Rihanna at the Met Gala.

In London, West End fans who did not have a ticket could still see Rachel Zegler dressed as Eva Peron in a new production of Evita at the London Palladium, as she sang Don’t Cry For Me Argentina on a balcony outside the theatre.

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BBC show Strictly Come Dancing was rarely out of the news. And while another award was no surprise, fans of the dance show were shocked to learn that it would be the last series for hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.

An amazing year for Winkleman, who also hosted BBC hit The Celebrity Traitors, was capped with an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle where she was made an MBE by the King.

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