Predicting the unpredictable: The top 10 cultural trends and moments of 2026 

Did 2025 even happen? Looking back at the year in culture, it’s a fair question. No Barbie effect. No Brat takeover. No song of the summer. Instead, culture surfaced in random expressions – Etsy witches, Labubus and 6-7 – untethered from any larger shifts.  

 

Chasing these moments earn us cultural relevance. But when unpredictability is the defining reality, cultural resonance is the smarter play. Tapping into the mood beneath the moment unlocks original, deeply human ideas. Take the satirical A24 Marty Supreme promo staged as a Zoom brainstorm, or fliers inviting strangers to smoke a cigarette in Washington Square Park. Moments like these quietly subvert our expectations of media, storytelling and influence. In 2026, expect brands to follow – leaning into long form, cinematic content, analog channels and hyperlocal community activations.  

 

Here’s where we’re placing our bets for 2026.  

 

 

Top 5 cultural trends  

 

Wisdom Flexing. What happens when the attention economy meets AI-driven everything? Information overload, insight shortage. Demonstrating depth and cultural sophistication has never been cooler. Books are the new handbag, everyone has a Substack, nerding out is trending and performative males are called out for intellect signaling. In 2026, wisdom flexing will replace the hot take.  

 

Remixing Classics. We’ve entered an era of cultural déjà vu. Frankenstein and Hamnet are making waves, while remakes of Wuthering Heights, The Odyssey and Pride & Prejudice are set to dominate next year. Taylor Swift references Shakespeare, Tame Impala channels Dracula. With half of Hollywood’s slate reading like an English Literature syllabus, expect mythology-core and folklore to be remixed into modern canon.  

 

Friends for Sale. In today’s economy, even connection has a business model. Community has become hot commodity: friendship apps pulled in $16M this year, members’ clubs are back and ticketed singles events are booming. But the backlash is equally real: accusing bad actors, like AI necklaces, of profiting off the loneliness epidemic. Like it or not, paying to play seems here to stay. 

 

Serving Looks. Once upon a September, NYFW was the cultural be-all, end-all. Call it the Challengers effect, but tennis is now doing laps around traditional fashion houses. Last year, the US Open generated 690% more online coverage than NYFW – mirroring a larger trend of sports as the new arena for fashion and lifestyle influence. In 2026, move from front row to courtside.  

 

Energy Overload. As drinking habits sober up, the search for a different kind of kick is on. From coffee buckets to Monster Lattes, Zyn binges and protein-everything, we’re supersizing our stimulants. Paired with aesthetics romanticizing ‘80s banker culture – and whispers of an American Psycho remake – this raises the question: are we seeing the dawn of a new Yuppie era? If so, hedonism this time around looks a lot like hyperfueling.  

 

 

Top 5 cultural moments  

 

America 250. The U.S semi-quincentennial isn’t just a birthday, it’s a cultural reset. Expect renewed storytelling around identity, legacy and who gets included in the American narrative. Brands will mine history and symbolism, at their own risk.  

 

Royal Wedding. Pop culture’s power couple Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce tie the knot on June 13th. Every detail of the wedding – from décor to menu – will set new trends and dominate conversations all summer long.  

 

World Cup. The world’s biggest stage is coming stateside. With three host countries, new rules (hello hydration breaks) and the expected retirements of living legends, this World Cup is destined to make history.  

 

Grand Theft Auto 6. After a 13-year wait, one of the most successful game franchises in entertainment history releases its sixth iteration. Get ready for Miami Vice vibes to ripple across culture as the most anticipated game of all time finally lands.  

 

Wild World of Sports. From continued UFC growth to Tom Brady pioneering a flag football tournament and the Women’s Pro Baseball League’s inaugural season, 2026 will redefine the biggest moments in sports – on and off the field. 

 

This is our read on the year to come but culture rarely follows a script. The real magic happens in the messy middle – when you capture the mood of the moment.  

 

Matilda von Scheele, Strategy Director 

Chris Kooluris, Executive Creative Director