Going out: Cinema

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues
Out now
Following up one of the greatest comedies ever made is a tough act, but here come Rob Reiner et al to have a bash at rekindling the magic. Luckily the subject matter of an ageing band still determined to take it to 11 has plenty of real-world touchstones to keep this particular parody relevant.

From Ground Zero: Stories from Gaza
Out now
Twenty-two directors come together via producer Rashid Masharawi and exec producer Michael Moore to create this documentary about Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, which – as reported by a UN special committee, Amnesty International and Médecins Sans Frontières – has created the largest group of child amputees per capita in history and created a deliberate man-made famine, among other violations of international law.

The Long Walk
Out now
In a version of the United States ruled by a fascist regime, a group of young men take part in a contest where they must always walk a speed of at least three miles per hour or be shot by their military chaperones. So it’s got a Squid Game meets Hunger Games vibe, based on the 1979 novel by Stephen King.

Islands
Out now
Sam Riley plays a jaded tennis coach at a bougie island resort, whose days are filled with drinking and sex. When Anne (Stacy Martin) and her husband, Dave (Jack Farthing), ask for lessons for their young son Anton, the stage is set for an extramarital affair with a twist. Catherine Bray

Going out: GigsDouble bubble … Busted v McFly.

Busted v McFly
16 September to 8 November; tour starts Birmingham
A decade after the two titans of UK pop-punk conjoined as McBusted (sans Charlie Simpson), they are back together for this co-headlining tour (plus Simpson). Expect middle-aged rock star jumps, plenty of pyro and some stone-cold crowdpleasers such as Year 3000, Obviously and Air Hostess. Michael Cragg

The Beths
17 to 27 September; tour starts Dublin
This New Zealand indie quartet juxtapose their joyful music with vocalist Liz Stokes’s knotty lyrics touching on anxiety and depression. Their janglesome fourth album, Straight Line Was a Lie, will be showcased during this two-week tour. Michael Cragg

Led Bib
Lancaster jazz festival, 14 September; Halifax, 15 September; Bristol, 16 September; Nottingham, 17 September; Birmingham, 18 September; London, 19 September; touring to 20 September
The urgently exciting two-sax, bass and drums lineup of these 2009 Mercury nominees has had a consistently singular sound since its invention by expat US drummer-composer Mark Holub, inspired by the quirks of Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart and punk, and latterly embracing hip-hop and electronics. John Fordham

The Dream of Gerontius
Symphony Hall, Birmingham, 17 September
The CBSO and its magnificent Chorus open their new season with a work first performed in Birmingham 125 years ago. Kazuki Yamada conducts Elgar’s masterpiece, with Toby Spence as the expiring Gerontius. Andrew Clements

Going out: ArtFigures of fun … Lesley Barnes and Ross McAuley’s Rita and Roberto. Photograph: Ross McAuley/Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Lesley Barnes and Ross McAuley
Yorkshire Sculpture Park, nr Wakefield, to 2 November
There are echoes of Kazimir Malevich and also of the Bauhaus school in this exhibition of bright and colourful wooden figures that are designed to display the fun of fashion. These abstract puppet-like people are defined by the colours they “wear”, which fashion their ever-changing identities.

Radical Harmony
National Gallery, London, 13 September to 8 February
Art collector Helene Kröller-Müller had dots in her eyes: she assembled a great collection of pointillist paintings by Seurat, Signac and more who broke up the image into specks of colour. They saw themselves not just as optical painters but political ones, as these masterpieces from the Kröller-Müller Museum reveal.

Theatre Picasso
Tate Modern, London, 17 September to 12 April
The Tate collection of Picasso, from his early cubist assaults on the European artistic tradition to his great surrealist paintings The Three Dancers and Weeping Woman, is the backbone of this show. It explores his performance as a celebrity artist, with films and photos, and sees his art as theatrical.

Matthew Dean
Salisbury Museum, to 4 January
This Wiltshire artist walks the wide chalk landscapes, making quick sketches of trees or hills that catch his eye, working on them in his studio to create abstracted but evocative contemporary takes on the traditional landscape view. He’s keeping alive the spirit of Constable, who also painted Salisbury and Stonehenge. Jonathan Jones

Going out: StageParental guidance … Josh Widdicombe. Photograph: Justin Goff Photos/Getty Images

Josh Widdicombe
Touring to 16 May
First he was a crowd-pleasing observational comic, then he was the amiable star of his own underrated sitcom. But it was during lockdown that the 42-year-old really won hearts as a beleaguered parenting podcaster. He parlays that parasocial appeal into his first post-pandemic tour, Not My Cup of Tea. Rachel Aroesti

Creditors
Orange Tree theatre, London, to 11 October
Artistic director Tom Littler’s autumn season kicks off with Howard Brenton’s adaptation of Strindberg’s brutal comic thriller about marriage and manipulation. There’s a cracking cast: Charles Dance, Nicholas Farrell, Geraldine James. Miriam Gillinson

Romeo and Juliet
Liverpool Everyman, 13 September to 4 October
Director Ellie Hurt’s contemporary production will focus on the gulf between the old and young generations – and the role this plays in the lovers’ downfall. It’ll be stripped back and infused with live song and music, starring Zoe West and Alicia Forde. MG

Joss Arnott Dance: Meet the Hatter
Stanley & Audrey Burton theatre, Leeds, 19 September; touring to 21 February
This brand new production to celebrate the company’s 15th anniversary takes Lewis Carroll’s Mad Hatter on a journey of self-discovery. The solo performer interacts with digital projections, music and animation. Suitable for ages 5+. Lindsey Winship

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Staying in: StreamingBig breakfasts … The Morning Show. Photograph: Erin Simkin/Apple TV+

The Morning Show
Apple TV+, 17 September
Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon’s breakfast TV presenters continue to butt heads while walking purposefully down corridors in this star-studded drama, known for grappling with hot-potato topics in reliably ridiculous style. Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons and William Jackson Harper join the cast for season four.

Black Rabbit
Netflix, 18 September
The Bear meets an irreverent gangster thriller in this new series starring Jude Law as the owner of a swish New York restaurant who gets dragged into the city’s criminal underworld by his renegade brother (an extremely hairy Jason Bateman). Laura Linney is part of the big-name directing lineup.

Gen V
Prime Video, 17 September
Returning for season two, this eyewateringly violent, drily comic and visually wild spin-off of superhero satire The Boys follows a group of teens with special powers at a university for crimefighting. Campus capers, however, are few and far between – especially once a sinister new dean intent on turning young supes into deadly soldiers takes charge.

Haunted Hotel
Netflix, 19 September
Between #1 Happy Family USA and Long Story Short, it’s already been a great year for smart and funny adult animation. Now those shose are joined by Rick and Morty writer Matt Roller’s madcap comedy about a woman who recruits her dead brother (the inimitable Will Forte) to help run a ghost-riddled hotel. RA

Staying in: GamesDead good … Dying Light: The Beast. Photograph: Techland

Dying Light: The Beast
Out 19 September, PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
A follow-up to gruesome survival adventure Dying Light 2, The Beast has antihero Kyle Crane using every weapon available to survive the undead-infested confines of Castor Woods. If 28 Years Later has reignited your hunger for zombified slaughter, here’s your next meal.

Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree
Out 19 September, PC
Beautiful anime-style visuals and intricate combat mechanics combine in this magical rogue-lite adventure. Lead character Towa sets out with a group of friends to save her world from a malign god – but sacrifice will be inevitable … Keith Stuart

Staying in: AlbumsShady character … Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Photograph: Bekky Calver

Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Perimenopop
Out now
Following Murder on the Dancefloor’s Saltburn-assisted revival in 2023, Sophie Ellis-Bextor channels its sparkly dance-pop essence onFor this her eighth album, Ellis-Bextor is assisted by a coterie of banger merchants including MNEK, Hannah Robinson and Biff Stannard. It’s anchored by the sugary swirl of Freedom of the Night.

Ed Sheeran – Play
Out now
After 2023’s pair of acoustic albums, the When Will I Be Alright hitmaker ups the tempo for what he warns is the first of his planned symbol-themed albums (Pause, Fast Forward, Rewind, and Stop are due to follow). Singles Azizam and Sapphire feature musical influences from Persia and India, respectively.

Jade – That’s Showbiz Baby
Out now
Already home to six top-tier singles, the debut solo album from the erstwhile Little Mixer is unleashed. While the chaotic Angel of My Dreams skewers the music industry over glorious kitchen sink production, tracks such as the pensive Plastic Box and the lithe disco of Fantasy showcase Jade’s pop range.

Jens Lekman – Songs for Other People’s Weddings
Out now
Inspired by the Swedish indie pop practitioner’s sideline as a wedding singer, Lekman’s typically lush seventh album arrives with a book of the same name. Centred on a fictional character called J, the album’s baroque lead single, Candy From a Stranger, marks the moment the couple meet for the first time. MC

Staying in: Brain foodBehind the Pass

Behind the Pass
Podcast
There are a glut of podcasts promising to uncover the secrets of the restaurant industry but Marcus O’Laoire’s series is a genuinely intriguing insight into Irish hospitality: he speaks to chefs about the country’s exciting new ventures.

Jared Henderson
YouTube
Jared Henderson’s video essays provide accessible insights into philosophy, from reading list recommendations to analyses of ancient movements such as stoicism and more current terms including techno feudalism.

The Thousand Voices of Cathy Berberian
BBC Radio 3 & iPlayer, 14 September, 7.15pm
This charming and creative audio documentary immerses listeners in the world of opera singer, mimic, multilinguist and comic Cathy Berberian. We follow her influential career through a collage of interviews, musical recordings and expert analysis. Ammar Kalia