The Fiver – Five British Things to Look Forward to in 2022

After the last couple years, we remain tentatively hopeful that 2022 will be an improvement.  Between the United States and the United Kingdom, we certainly need something to look forward to and Britain has answered the call.  From monumental celebrations to the return of one of the country’s biggest festivals, 2022 has something for everyone to anticipate.  We’ve identified five of things we think are the biggest deals for the UK in 2022, and if you think we left out something or just want to share what makes you hopeful for the near year, you can do that in the comments.

Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee

Queen Elizabeth passed Queen Victoria as the longest-reigning British monarch about seven years ago.  2022 marks a feat that Victoria never achieved with Her Majesty’s 70^th year on the throne.  To celebrate, the country will be celebrating with events from June 2 to June 5, some of which will be special for the jubilee while others are traditional ceremonies such as the Queen’s Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour) with a special jubilee twist.  Buckingham Palace will be hosting a special party and concert that will be broadcast to the nation and you can bet many boroughs and neighborhoods will be throwing their own parties during the weekend.  You can check out royal.uk for more information on the upcoming festivities.

Doctor Who Specials

As the era of Chibnall and Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor comes to an end, Team TARDIS will face a trio of dangers.  The first special was Eve of the Daleks, which premiered on New Year’s Day.  The second features the Sea Devils in Legend of the Sea Devils, while the third has yet to be announced.  Nonetheless, each is highly anticipated, especially with the knowledge that Russell T. Davies will be coming back in the next series.  Speculation is still rampant about who the next Doctor will be, and it remains to be seen whether they’ll be revealed in a big media event or at the end of Chibnall’s last special.

2022 World Cup

England managed fourth place in the 2018 World Cup and had its first final since 1966 as the Euro Cup competition last year, so it’s fair to say that expectations are (cautiously) optimistic for the 2022 World Cup.  With the Three Lions still led by Gareth Southgate, England will head to Qatar with one of the best managers and teams it has had in years.  England successfully became the Group I winners this past November in the qualifiers, but it remains to be seen whether this is the year that football will (finally) come home.

Coventry City of Culture

Back in 2017, Coventry was announced as the next UK City of Culture, but the coronavirus pandemic delayed celebrations that were due to start in January last year to May.  Naturally, this means that there are still about five months left in the year-long celebration and there are plenty of events to experience between now and the end of May 2022.  From window art along the city streets to a big three-day music festival put on by Radio 1, the festival is by no means over yet.  For more information about what’s on between now and May 31, you can go to coventry2021.co.uk.

Glastonbury

The largest music festival in England, Glastonbury, comes back to live performances from June 22 to June 26.  Festival headliners for 2022 include Billie Eilish and Diana Ross, with more certain to follow.  Such is the public’s hunter for live music that the show has already sold out even with only two acts announced.  Keep your eye on the news as it gets closer to June.  While it may not quite resemble previous year’s festivals, you can bet it’s going to be one of the most important music events the country sees all year.