National Pub & Bar Awards: Ayrshire venues in running for London grand prize

Kate Forbes has refused to address whether she will run for the SNP leadership in her first statement since Humza Yousaf resigned as First Minister.

Naman Ramachandran Sunrise Films has acquired Luna Carmoon’s “Hoard” for the U.S. and Canada. The film debuted at Venice in 2023, where it won three prizes.

Employees at the Office for National Statistics, including those at its offices in Manchester, are refusing to comply with an instruction to spend two days a week in offices, it's been announced by a union.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Carrousel Studios, the newly launched production company of “Lupin” star Omar Sy, “Fast X” director Louis Leterrier and “Gangs of London” producer Thomas Benski, has appointed Cécile Gaget as CEO. A seasoned executive, the Paris-based Gaget previously worked at Wild Bunch as head of film, and also worked at Anton Capital and Gaumont where she spearheaded international sales and co-productions.

Taylor Swift on her new album.The boozer, which is based in Vauxhall, south London, is mentioned by the pop star in the song ‘The Black Dog’ from the extended ‘Anthology’ edition of ‘The Tortured Poets Department’.“And your location, you forgot to turn it off/ And so I watch as you walk/ Into some bar called The Black Dog/ And pierce new holes in my heart/ You forgot to turn it off,” Swift sings. “And it hits me/ I just don’t understand/ How you don’t miss me/ In The Black Dog….”The track is thought to address Swift’s ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn, who lives in the same area as the pub (and inspired 2019’s ‘London Boy’).

Thania Garcia Música Mexicana artist Carin León has announced his international “Boca Chueca Tour,” slated for this fall. León will kickoff the trek later this year after making debut appearances at both Coachella and Stagecoach. The “Boca Chueca Tour” will hit major cities across North America and Europe, including a night at Madison Square Garden in New York City, two nights at the United Center in Chicago, Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto, and BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.

K.J. Yossman Wondery U.K. has hired Spotify exec Chris Baughen as its new head of podcasts.

Ever since The Tortured Poets Department was released last week, Taylor Swift‘s fans have been trying to decode the meanings behind the songs.

Naman Ramachandran “My Neighbor Totoro,” a stage adaptation of Miyazaki Hayao‘s beloved 1988 Studio Ghibli film, is transferring to the Gillian Lynne Theatre in London’s West End in early 2025. The production is a collaboration between multi-award-winning composer Joe Hisaishi, who executive produces, the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), Improbable and Nippon TV. Adapted by Tom Morton-Smith (“Oppenheimer”), it opened at London’s Barbican in 2022 and broke the venue’s box office record for most tickets sold in a single day.

Zendaya is a woman on-the-go these days and she admits that no city currently feels like her true home.

Stevie Nicks has announced the first wave of special guests for her forthcoming show at London’s BST Hyde Park – find all the details below.The Fleetwood Mac legend is due to play a solo headline set at the concert series on Friday, July 12. It comes as part of her 2024 UK and Ireland tour, which kicks off in Dublin earlier that month.Today (April 23), it’s been confirmed that Brandi Carlile will support Nicks at Hyde Park this summer.

New ITV drama Red Eye is set between an all-night flight from London to Beijing, the streets of London and the corridors of power within Whitehall. The series has been described as a "brilliantly addictive thriller" by ITV bosses.

A huge new shuffleboard bar from the team behind Flight Club has announced when it will open its doors in Manchester. Electric Shuffle has taken over a prime spot on Deansgate ready to open in the summer.

Selena Kuznikov The Spice Girls reunited at Victoria Beckham’s 50th birthday party on Saturday, where they danced to their hit song “Stop” in a video posted by David Beckham on Instagram. Posh Spice did the signature dance to the hit alongside fellow former bandmates Mel B, Geri Halliwell, Melanie C and Emma Bunton at her birthday celebration at Oswald’s, a private members club in London.A post shared by David Beckham (@davidbeckham) Victoria Beckham reposted the video to her own Instagram account, captioning it: “Best night ever! Happy birthday to me! I love you all so much.” She also added the hashtag #SpiceUpYourLife.

SAG-AFTRA, IATSE the WGA, and even the DGA have united behind a legislative move to put up some new and slightly punitive guardrails around Artificial Intelligence.

Damon Albarn recently joined Thundercat on stage and performed a handful of solo tracks and a Gorillaz song.The Gorillaz frontman appeared at the third night of Thundercat’s four-night residency at London’s KOKO venue on Friday April 5 as part of his UK tour.Albarn joined the bassist towards the end of his set. Together they performed ‘Oh Sheit It’s X’, ‘Funny Thing’, ‘Them Changes’ and Gorillaz ‘Cracker Island’, the lead track from the animated band’s album of the same name in which Thundercat was originally featured on.Has this crowd been euthanised like do they know thundercat and damon albarn are in front of them playing cracker island pic.twitter.com/bJMLD0aVwX— tara (@drknesstolight) April 5, 2024Damon and Thundercat playing Funny Thing tonight in London.

MIPTV is coming to an end – but the hard truth is that people did not travel here to Cannes in the numbers of yesteryear to say goodbye. Market organizers RX France said Tuesday that the final MIPTV has attracted 3,500 people including 1,100 buyers. For context, there were over 5,000 in town last year and the event regularly topped 10,000 delegates in the earlier 2000s. MIPCOM in October, by contrast, still hits those numbers and remains a focal point for the international TV industry.

Mae Muller and Self Esteem are set to perform as part of this week’s Club NME event. Grab free tickets here and find all the details below.The legendary Club NME series returned last September with Courteeners playing in London before Blossoms delivered a special show in Manchester earlier this year.On Friday (April 12) Club NME will take over London’s Scala in King’s Cross, with Muller due to deliver a live headline set at the venue.

Passengers have been left stranded on stationary trains for two hours amid the London Euston chaos on Tuesday (April 2). A fault with the signalling system at the major station meant lines were blocked, with services cancelled or severely delayed throughout the afternoon.

Coronation Street is reportedly gearing up for its most chilling storyline yet, involving a tragic secret from over 20 years ago. The devastating storyline will centre around Toyah Battersby (played by Georgia Taylor) whoe buried her stillborn baby in a park after being raped 23 years ago. Her secret will be revealed when she learns the park is due to be dug up.