Dear Reader,

And a Happy New Year. I’m not a massive one for resolutions but I do believe reflections and resets are critical to the ebb and flow of being human. Otherwise we end up like the capitalist system we’ve created and yoked ourselves to – always on the go, growth and speed being our masters, and then quite often ending in burnout. Without our health, those things we think are so important suddenly feel less so, so giving our bodies and minds what they need is critical. Thinking in cycles, thinking in seasons, conserving energy to expend it when needed, this is how we were built to be. But we’ve constructed our lives differently – and then created the drugs to help us cope (the news that you will now be able to pop weight loss pills instead of jabbing is going to do nothing to address the reasons why we’re all getting fat). I hope you’ve all had at least some time to switch off, be with family, read a book, cook some hearty food and go for wintry walks, ready for a new year where anything and everything is possible.

Below, we bring you our ultimate C&TH guide to 2026.

Lucy Cleland
Editorial Director

Staying In

Plan your year in books

Starting 2026 with a bang is Jeanette McCurdy, whose confessional memoir (and soon-to-be TV series) I’m Glad My Mom Died made waves in 2022; her debut novel Half His Age – a black comedy about a yearning 17-year-old in love with her creative writing teacher – will hit shelves on 20 Jan. And hot on the heels of her luminous 2024 sci-fi Gliff, Ali Smith returns with the second half of the duology, Glyph, on 19 Jan. In spring, don’t miss Booker winner Douglas Stuart’s highly anticipated third novel John of John, which spins a tale of love, religion, fatherhood, art and land on the Isle of Harris (21 May). As 2026 continues, we can expect a new characteristically poetic historical novel from Maggie O’Farrell (Land, 2 June) – plus titles from Matt Haig, Meiko Kawakami, Robert Harris, Bella Mackey and RF Kuang.

Add these British shows to your watchlist

It’s an annual tradition: a new Harlan Coben thriller, Run Away, is streaming now on Netflix, resetting another of the author’s American mysteries in the north of England and starring Ruth Jones, James Nesbitt, Minnie Driver and more. Meanwhile on BBC One this evening there’s a double bill of goodness: a new series of The Traitors, followed by the much-anticipated return of The Night Manager. All three kick off a thrilling year of great British telly, which includes rebooted cop drama Lynley on 5 Jan, Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials on Netflix on 15 Jan, the return of Bridgerton on 29 Jan, plus new mystery Under Salt Marsh on Sky (date TBC) and Pride & Prejudice spin-off The Other Bennet Sister on the BBC (TBC). Here’s everything to get excited for.

Tap into one of 2026’s biggest interiors trends

What’s hot in home design? In 2026, it’s all about individualised interiors. As minimalist-led interiors fade into the background, expect to see more of those personalised touches – a pop of colour here, a quirky fixture there, home tech attuned to the individual’s wants and needs – and a real emphasis on giving your space character. So if you fancy splicing tiles into new patterns, decking out the living room with panoramic wallpapers, colour capping the ceiling, tying up the bedroom in ribbons, installing subshowers and smart mirrors in the bathroom or even making the kitchen an ode to the bucolic beauty of the Cotswolds, you’re in luck. These are all the top interior design trends the experts are predicting for 2026.

Going Out

Eat at a new London restaurant

There are lots of exciting London restaurant openings on the cards, including expansions of small-chains, like new sites from Sri Lankan bib-awarded Hoppers and cult pasta place Padella. There will be fresh offers from big names including Jeremy King (reinventing the iconic Simpson’s In The Strand as two glamorous dining rooms) and Gordon Ramsay, who brings his TV concept Hell’s Kitchen to London for the first time. Then there’ll be exciting debut ventures from chefs who have built their names up in cult kitchens (chef Meedu Saad from Kiln goes solo with Egyptian/French Impala, for starters). In short, lots of places for you to bookmark ahead of launch.

Book an upcoming fashion exhibition

There’s a stellar line-up of fashion exhibitions coming to the capital too. You can catch the tail-end of Cecil Beaton’s Fashionable World at the National Portrait Gallery until 11 January, a major photography exhibition tracing his career from early experiments to royal and Hollywood portraiture, with a special focus on his relationship with Vogue.​ Design and Disability is at the V&A South Kensington until mid-February, an exhibition celebrating how Disabled, Deaf and neurodivergent people have shaped design and culture since the 1940s.​ Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style is sure to be a buzzy one at The King’s Gallery from April 10. It’s a major show on Queen Elizabeth II’s style legacy, displaying her colourful wardrobe and signature accessories, including the iconic black handbag.​ There’s also the V&A’s Schiaparelli show, the UK’s first exhibition devoted to the luxury label. But we can’t wait until October, when The 90s hits Tate Britain, Edward Enninful’s exhibition celebrating the bold creativity of 1990s Britain through art, photography and fashion from key cultural figures.​

Get excited about this year’s big hotel openings

A night out just doesn’t compare to a night away, and there are plenty of new hotel openings to get excited about in 2026. In the capital we have The Newman in Fitzrovia, a debut from Kinsfolk & Co arriving with 81 rooms, a European brasserie, cocktail bar and a wellness floor crowned by a four-bedroom rooftop suite. Mayfair will see the long-awaited UK debut of St. Regis, transforming the former Westbury into an art-filled retreat while Admiralty Arch’s conversion into a Waldorf Astoria will bring 100 rooms and suites, destination dining and a rooftop terrace overlooking The Mall. Further afield, Zannier Bendor on Île de Bendor in France will relaunch the tiny island in spring 2026 as a 93-key Provençal-style boutique resort with a spa, beach club, diving centre and eight distinct dining spots. The Cormorant at 55 South in Chile’s Fuegian Archipelago, meanwhile, will be the world’s southernmost hotel, a 150-room Silversea outpost designed as a luxurious jumping-off point for Antarctic adventures. Find more in our guide.

Competition Time

Win a £2.9m Cornwall dream home with Raffle House

Win a five-night stay at Shangri-La Le Touessrok in Mauritius

Win a relaxing stay and spa treatment at The Midland Hotel in Manchester

Psssst…

Black sesame is set to become the new matcha in 2026, according to Google Trends, which has reported a surge in searches surrounding the trendy ingredient. Black sesame latte, anyone?

The Full Story

Wellness Trends For 2026

From creatine going mainstream to new-age treatments prioritising cellular health, here’s what’s hot in the world of wellness

Health & Longevity MOTs

The latest flex for celebs and influencers? A snap beside the Instagram-famous Neko Body Scan, the preventative health check with a 10,000-person-strong waiting list. For a flat cost of £300, advanced technology will scan your entire body in just an hour, providing information on an array of markers – from mole mapping to heart health and eye function. Neko isn’t the only one: the test is part of a wider trend surrounding new-age health MOTs. These are on the rise as the preventative and personalised medicine sector continues to grow (it’s one of the fastest growing wellness industries, forecast to reach $745 billion by 2028, according to the Global Wellness Institute).

Creatine

The health supplement creatine has long been used by gym bros to increase muscle mass, but new research shows it may offer more far reaching benefits – particularly for women. ‘Emerging studies have shown that creatine may support muscle strength, bone density, cognitive function and even mood, especially during perimenopause and menopause,’ says nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert, founder of Rhitrition. We’re seeing new creatine products from brands targeted at women, like Ancient + Brave and ARTAH – and according to market research firm Grand View Research, the creatine market is expected to grow by 17.9 percent from 2024 to 2030.

Bone Health

When thinking about markers of longevity, we often look to metrics like cardiovascular fitness and muscle mass – but what about bone health? The crucial metric is often overlooked until later in life, but pioneering clinics like Hooke London are beginning to incorporate it into their healthspan programmes. There's increased noise around DEXA scans, a type of low dose X-ray measuring bone density. Meanwhile dedicated bone health clinics are popping up in the UK, like the New York-born OsteoStrong in Kent, and interest is growing among the general population, with Google searches for terms like ‘bone health’ and ‘bone density’ having steadily increased over the past five years.

Cellular Health

A much talked about topic in the longevity world is cellular health, which is all about the functioning of the cells that make up our bodies, AKA the cornerstone of overall health. We’re seeing an increase in products claiming to support cellular function, from shakes to supplements to electrolytes, as well as cutting-edge treatments like hyperbaric oxygen chambers, and experts are flagging it as a pivotal trend for 2026.

Cellular health is a key focus at London wellness clinic Grey Wolfe. ‘Cellular healing is considered the future of wellness because it focuses on addressing health issues at the cellular level, aiming to restore optimal cellular function and overall wellbeing,’ says founder Sarah Jones St John. 

Infrared Workouts

Bikram yogis are already well-accustomed to cranking up the heat, but other types of hot exercise are gaining traction. Particularly buzzy at the moment is the use of infrared heat panels in fitness studios, which work by converting electricity into warmth, directly heating the body rather than the room. As well as creating a more challenging workout environment, infrared heat offers benefits ranging from reduced inflammation to increased flexibility and pain relief.

By Ellie Smith, read more here