Your January 2026 Pop Culture Dump!

Here is what you need to know about January 2026:

JANUARY—Ever since the start of 2026, social media has been ringing in the New Year with the new quote, “2026 is the new 2016.” People have started longing with nostalgia for the early 2010s. Characterized by memes, Pokemon Go, Snapchat filters, and the unicorn frappuccino, many content creators have been posting or referencing their old videos from the time period.

JANUARY—It is the 20th anniversary of High School Musical. Castmates Ashley Tisdale-French, Lucas Grabeel and Monique Coleman reunited to reminisce about the film. The actors themselves have expressed interest in creating a sequel but there has been no confirmation as of yet.

JANUARY—Numerous musicians have announced concert tours for this year. Some of the following include:

BTS with their “BTS World Tour ‘AIRANG’.” This comes recently after the completion of all seven members’ military service.
Ariana Grande with the “Eternal Sunshine” tour. The tour will kick off here in the Bay at the Oakland Arena on June 6, 2026.
Conan Gray’s Wishbone World Tour which will start in February 2026.

JANUARY 8— Bruno Mars announces his new album “The Romantic” set to be released in February 2026 after a nine-year solo hiatus. Soon after Mars releases his single, “I Just Might,” and the announcement of “The Romantic” world tour which has garnered fans’ attention worldwide. This is a good month for Bruno Mars fans as the tour begins in April. And it will come to the Bay Area in Santa Clara’s Levi Stadium on October 10 and 11.

JANUARY 17—In an intense game, the Seattle Seahawks beat the San Francisco 49ers 41-6 in the NFC divisional round. After beating the LA Rams, the Seahawks are now set to play against the New England Patriots.

JANUARY 18—The Australian Open starts its series of matches for the next two weeks until February 1. Around 70 countries bring their best tennis players to represent their nation at Melbourne Park.

JANUARY 22—Oscar nominations have been released. Overall the movie with the most nominations is first-time nominee Michael B. Jordan’s Sinners at a whopping 16. Also in the race for Best Picture is F1, Frankenstein, and Bugonia, only three of the many films in the running. More information can be found on the The 98th Academy Awards | 2026 here.