Your Spring Culture Forecast

Spring has sprung—and that means an absolute onslaught of new TV, music, film and books that have arrived for the season. If you, like me, are looking for a pick-me-up at the tail-end of this dreary winter, here’s what Team Chatelaine and I are looking forward to reading, watching and listening to this spring.

What to watch this spring

I am not a film buff, or even a super casual moviegoer—this year I hadn’t seen a single Best Picture nominee (oops). But no film marketing campaign has me more excited to get to the theatre than A24’s The Drama (April 3). It stars Zendaya and Robert Pattison as a soon-to-be-wed couple, and it features a massive twist that I haven’t stopped contemplating since it was teased in the film’s synopsis earlier this year. Ahead of their wedding, the couple shares what they think is the worst thing they’ve ever done—and whatever Zendaya’s character says sends Pattison’s character into a full tailspin. I’ve seen some rumours about what The Twist might be, and if they’re true, this movie could be as deceptive and wild as Parasite.

Also on the spring calendar: a Team Chatelaine field trip to see The Devil Wears Prada 2 (May 1). I can ascertain that working at a magazine is nothing like Miranda Priestly’s Runway, but it’s always fun to laugh at what Hollywood thinks I do for a living. 

When it comes to TV, as I’ve written before, I am a Bravo girlie through and through. Andy Cohen never takes a holiday (seriously, how do these producers keep up?), so there is always a never-ending slate of reality shows airing, no matter the season. But I am most looking forward to the premiere of the latest Housewives franchise out of Rhode Island (April 3). It is allegedly one of the most outrageous instalments yet, which is a high bar if you consider we’ve seen Housewives do everything from throw their prosthetic legs onto tables at dinner parties to evade arrest by Homeland Security. I’m seated. 

Editor-in-chief Maureen Halushak, meanwhile, can’t wait for the return of Your Friends & Neighbors on Apple TV (April 3): “I have a lot of nitpicks with this show, but Jon Hamm as a one percenter-turned-cat burglar and Amanda Peet as the ex he has insane chemistry with override all lesser concerns.”

What to listen to this spring

Whenever I think of Robyn, I think of crying in the club to “Dancing On My Own.” But the Swedish pop sensation is now onto her ninth studio album, Sexisential (out now), and she is on a new wavelength. For example: She’s openly horny for Adam Driver! She’s having phone sex! She’s a single mom! And we can’t stop dancing about it! 

Speaking of dancing: I am eagerly awaiting MUNA’s Dancing On The Wall (May 8), the indie pop band’s fourth album and the kind of collection you blast with the windows down on the first warm day of the year. (It does not hurt that every member of this trio is the hottest person you’ve ever seen.)

But the album I’m really, really waiting for? It’s been six years since the queen of sad-girl bangers Phoebe Bridgers dropped the album of the pandemic, Punisher—and rumours are swirling that her third record is slated for 2026. Seeing as Punisher came out on a bit of a whim, I’m not counting Bridgers out for a spring release. And honestly? Who couldn’t use a bit of existentialism to start the season?

What to read this spring

Whenever I fall into a reading slump, I look to Chatelaine resident bookworm Maureen’s recommendations for my next pick, and this spring, her reading list is filled with must-reads. At the top of my library holds list: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke (out now), a Ballerina Farm-inspired romp that sees a modern-day tradwife influencer wake up to find herself in “a 19th-century funhouse mirror version of her highly filtered life.” 

I am always partial to a book with complicated, complex queer characters (though I appreciate the fluffy, horny Heated Rivalry craze as much as everyone else!), and Sam K MacKinnon’s The Body Riddle (May 19) ticks all the boxes. In it, Lex, who is recovering from top surgery, navigates non-monogamy, their cis girlfriend and a new crush on a non-binary co-worker. Queer yearning? Sign me up.

And if light-hearted, lakeside romances are more your speed, Carley Fortune has yet another for you. In her fourth novel, Our Perfect Storm (May 5), Frankie’s engagement ends and her best friend, George, encourages her to take her planned honeymoon to Tofino, B.C., with him. (You can probably guess what happens next.) 

Want more spring culture? Check out the Spring 2026 issue of Chatelaine, out now.

This story originally appeared in our weekly newsletter, Group Chat. Subscribe for more stories like this, delivered straight to your inbox.