2026 Trend Predictions

Is it already reaching the point where Christmas feels like a hundred years ago? That's because we're solidly into 2026! And along with making new resolutions for the year ahead we wanted to get some trend predictions from some of our marketing, media, press and digital friends. 

Do you have any other predictions for the arts and culture sector this year? We'd love to hear them.

You can also have a look at our 2025 Trends blog from last year here, interesting to read in retrospect...

• Cath Hume, CEO, Arts Marketing Association

Brand-building will need to be a strategic priority for theatres and other arts organisations in 2026.

With online advertising costs increasingly volatile and social media reach at the mercy of the algorithms; it will never be more important for cultural organisations to be clear about who they are, what they stand for, and why people should care. 

Consistent branding creates clarity internally, which shows up as better marketing, strategic decisions, and more meaningful relationships with audiences; as they are clear about what you do. 

Brand consistency builds authority which supports your external communications and your organisational awareness, with visibility increasingly mediated by AI. Agents and generative AI will have a bigger say in ticket purchase decisions, so a clear brand will be crucial in the battle to maintain and increase visibility.

Key to consistency will be how aligned teams are in living the brand internally. If your culture doesn’t match the message, it won’t be authentic to audiences. Brand is not purely a logo or a refresh, its positioning, cultural relevance, lived values and emotional differentiation. Arts marketers are storytellers and brand guardians for their organisations; make sure they are at the top table when it comes to brand. 

• Reuben Litman, Director of Cousin Media Group 

Over the next 2-3 years, VOD will continue to absorb a greater share of TV budgets. 

When looking at the paid media landscape, it’s hard to ignore the growth of VOD; ad-funded subscriptions allow advertisers to reach people across major streaming platforms. 

Over 30m people have access to a Netflix account, making it the most-used VOD channel. However, it is Prime Video that has the largest ad-reach, with over 70% of its users subscribed to the ad-funded model in comparison to 45% of Netflix’s users. 

Amazon have been pushing their ad offering on Prime Video more and more, with it available via the Amazon DSP, allowing advertisers to bypass large minimum spends. They have recently added inventory on Disney+ across their DSP too, providing them with a huge inventory pool across the VOD ecosystem. Of course, VOD also offers improved measurement and targeting when compared to Linear, with Amazon bridging the gap between upper-funnel exposure and lower-funnel outcomes. 

It’s hard to see an end to the shift to VOD, with Paramount+ also gaining a larger footprint in recent months, as the landscape becomes increasingly fragmented. It’s important not to forget that Linear TV reach remains unmatched by Subscription VOD; shows like I’m A Celebrity, Great British Bake Off and live football all regularly pull in bigger episode viewers than any of the latest and greatest releases across Netflix. This means it is still the fastest way to deliver national scale, especially around culturally-relevant programming. 

• Jocelyn Burnham, AI Communicator for Arts & Culture 

In my work, I deliberately lean away from making predictions about how AI might affect those working in arts and culture. I tend to believe that confident predictions can reduce a sense of agency in how we respond to AI’s continued emergence, positioning certain changes as inevitable and beyond meaningful influence. Given how overwhelmed many of us already feel when it comes to AI, any sense of autonomy within the sector feels worth protecting and actively championing. 
 
That said, there are perspectives, practices, and conversations that have become noticeably more prevalent across the sector over the last twelve months, and it seems reasonable to assume that some of these trends will continue. 
 
These include professional creatives beginning to tentatively explore ‘vibe coding’ (creating games, applications, and interactive experiences using natural language prompts with AI models); growing interest in open-source AI models (which allow users to work with highly capable systems entirely offline, offering the best assurances around data security and energy use); and increased confidence in speaking up about critical issues. These issues include how large language models are trained, whether an ‘opt-out’ approach is an adequate or fair mechanism for protecting intellectual property, and whether models developed in the United States may increasingly reflect ideological bias when engaging with sensitive social topics. 

• Jamie McLaren, Founder/Creative Director of Run Riot

2026: Grab the popcorn.  

“You basically create the single biggest narrative institution on earth.” That was Lewis Goodall’s take on the proposed (at time of writing) Netflix acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, discussed with Jon Sopel on The News Agents. It’s a useful provocation for 2026 - because this is the year our headline trend has to be 'The Storyteller’ - the battle for narrative control becomes impossible to ignore.

Podcasts exploded in 2025. Looking ahead, the real trend isn’t format but authority: the power of storytellers and champion communicators. In arts, media and marketing, getting a good story out there has never mattered more. Those who shape the narrative shape the world - and 2026 will be dramatic.  

If 2025 was the year of “slop” and rage-bait, 2026 is about discernment. The backlash against lazy AI is real. Compare the Dutch McDonald’s AI Christmas ad (pulled within 24 hours) with Apple’s A Critter Carol - puppets, handlers, full production crew. People loved it. The message is clear: human craft signals value. People want Muppets? Give them Muppets. 

We also saw the rise of “vibe marketing” - evolving from tech’s “vibe coding” into campaigns led by mood and cultural texture rather than data and demographics. Think Charli XCX’s Brat Summer. Check out WeTransfer's deck on this - they're experts on brands and culture. This year, pair vibe with storytelling and you'll land something that actually hits the mark. 

Legacy media gets playful too. Film company A24 put an 'engagement announcement' in The Boston Globe for The Drama, their new movie with Robert Pattinson and Zendaya (out later this year). The film is set in Boston. So clever, right? This was a masterclass in local storytelling ahead of a trailer drop. Of course, it went viral. Job done. 

Elsewhere, creators are organising: Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Creators Coalition on AI, and Yancey Strickler’s Metalabel and Artist Corporations, point to new models for protecting and monetising creative work. Let’s also give a nod to the Fete of Britain, the UK movement (inspired by Brian Eno) that’s giving voice to creatives in shaping our future. 

Final whistle-stop: Australian kids (the envy of parents worldwide) will thrive away from social media. Europe will follow suit. ‘Hope (Season 2: ‘2026')’ will be championed by Mamdani and Polanski. Storytellers will step up (even Spread the Word have re-branded to London Writers Centre). 'Soft clubbing' (think literary nights, talks, listening sessions) will bloom - from the Groucho Club to our world class arts centres and grassroots spaces. Those arts institutions with the broader shoulders will give a boost to grassroots venues and emerging creatives through collaborative programming - you’ll see a gear change this year. Def Leopards 1987 hit 'Run Riot’ will go big. Since Donald Trump (will he reach his 80th this year?) has replaced Calibre typeface with Times New Roman for all official documents, woke Calibre will hit its stride in Europe. Productions of King Lear will do really well, everywhere. 

There will be drama. Grab the popcorn. 🍿 

• Phoebe Cleghorn, Partnerships and Events Manager at HdK

In HdK’s December webinar predicting digital marketing trends for 2026, ‘calm’ was a recurring theme.

With so much in the world to make us feel anxious and exhausted, long-term goals are losing power. As a result, people are seeking out more immediate rewards, valuing smaller pockets of joy in their daily lives. Marketers can respond to this shift in human behaviour by incorporating ‘micro-moments’ into website user journeys, offering small rewards in daily social media interactions, and leaning into calm web design: with a clearer hierarchy, fewer choices and more breathing room. Though controversial, Pantone’s choice for colour of the year, ‘Cloud Dancer’ - a tranquil, lofty white - captures this mood perfectly: “a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of quiet reflection.”

• Elaine Chapman, Fringe Theatre Awards

I think the message should be one of positivity for the new year. The wonderful thing about theatre is that whatever is happening in the world you can rely on theatre creatives to continue to make amazing theatre. Also pleased that the vibrancy and expansion of the fringe theatre scene is being acknowledged with more and more performers self-producing and making their own work. And, of course, looking forward to the awards ceremony in May recognising and celebrating brilliant talent in the fringe theatre world.

If you have any thoughts on the way things are moving this year or resources you’re happy to share please do let us know, we’d love to hear from all walks of the cultural spectrum.

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