March is a big old month. Daylight saving is finally on the horizon and we can look forward to our days being longer and brighter. Relieved? Us too. As we muddle our way through the rest of the month, though, there are a few milestone days to have on your radar – Mother's Day, St Patrick's Day, Pancake Day and International Women's Day all take place over the next four weeks.
Peppered among these excuses for celebration, we've also got a load of noteworthy film, music and TV releases, of course. The Fab Five make their long-awaited return to Netflix, and the next chapter in (one of) Phoebe Waller-Bridge's critically acclaimed TV series has a brand new Monday night slot on BBC One. Elsewhere we've got Jordan Peele's latest horror masterpiece, new albums from some of the coolest women in music and the art shows your Instagram feed didn't know it was missing. Read on for our culture highlights to see you through to the beginning of spring.
Captain Marvel
Avengers fans, rejoice. The first female titular superhero of the Marvel universe is finally here, and she's about to save the world. Though we first learned of her existence at the end of Avengers: Infinity War, the film will take us back to the '90s to fill us in on her complicated origin story. By the looks of the trailer, there's a lot to uncover. How she got her powers, how she came to meet a young Nick Fury and who on earth Jude Law is meant to be playing are all set to be revealed. Safe to say, we're pretty excited.
In cinemas Friday 8th March
Little Simz, Grey Area
Between tours with Lauryn Hill and Nas, making music with Gorillaz and earning international acclaim from peers and critics alike, 25-year-old rapper Little Simz found time to create another LP. Grey Area is her third album and if there was a time to engage with Simz' unique, entrancing sound, it's now. Why? Because although she's already got a lot of brilliant music behind her, it feels like this record will launch her to the level of mainstream recognition that she should've been awarded last year.
Available Friday 1st March
Dorothea Tanning exhibition
The first large-scale exhibition of celebrated surrealist Dorothea Tanning is about to open at London's Tate Modern. Showcasing her breadth of work over the last 70 years, the show brings together 100 pieces – from paintings to sculptures, poetry to ballet designs – a third of which have never been seen in the UK before. Keep an eye out for her room-sized installation "Hôtel du Pavot, Chambre 202". Tickets are available on the Tate website.
At Tate Modern, London until 9th June
Derry Girls
They're back: five best friends living in Northern Ireland in the '90s, trying to navigate secondary school, parents and teenage angst against the backdrop of the Troubles. Brace yourself for more of the show's sincere nostalgia and hilarity as we rejoin Erin, Clare, Orla, Michelle and "wee English fella" James in Derry very soon.
Starts on Channel 4 on Tuesday 5th March at 9.15pm
Lana Del Rey, Norman Fucking Rockwell
Having teased new songs and mysterious lyrics on social media for a couple of months, Lana Del Rey fans will be relieved to hear that the singer's sixth studio album is just weeks away. Featuring already released tracks "Hope Is A Mysterious Thing For A Woman Like Me To Have... But I Have It", "Mariners Apartment Complex" and "Venice Bitch", the new LP promises to be everything you'd expect and hope for from a Lana album. If that's not enough, Lana revealed that she's looking to publish a book of poetry this year, too.
Available Friday 29th March
Fleabag
A series that needs no introduction, but we'll give you one anyway. Phoebe Waller-Bridge's play turned hit TV series about a hilarious, crass and self-destructive young woman is back. Instead of finding our #relatable protagonist online on BBC Three, however, you'll find her on BBC One every Monday night. The new series sees our protagonist muddling through the same sort of drama – sex, financial struggles, an awful stepmother – but this time with the addition of a priest. Yep, season two is Fleabag vs the big guy upstairs. We can only imagine how this is gonna go...
Starts Monday 4th March on BBC One at 10.35pm
Women Of The World Festival
The annual arts and science festival returns to the Southbank Centre for its ninth year and another celebration of the power and potential of women and girls. The lineup is always very exciting – there are talks, workshops and other surprises from some of industry's leading women. Friday's (International Women's Day) key speaker is Angela Davis while Naomi Klein headlines events on Saturday evening. Have a look through the full lineup on the Southbank Centre website.
8th-9th March at Southbank Centre, London
Us
This just might be my top pick of March 2019. The anticipation for Jordan Peele's directorial follow-up to Get Out has been insanely high, and the sneak peeks of his next film Us don't disappoint. We know very little about the plot, apart from the fact that Lupita Nyong'o and Elisabeth Moss both star. Lupita's character, Adelaide, and husband Gabe (Winston Duke) take their kids to their beach house but it's not long after they arrive before they realise that something very, very worrying is going on in the area.
In cinemas 22nd March 2019
Kaleidoscope
The Saatchi Gallery's next exhibition unites nine international contemporary artists for a striking new showcase. At the centre of it is a human-sized kaleidoscope. That's right. An actual, giant kaleidoscope that you'll be able to go inside and take pictures within. Named "Fata Morgana" and crafted by London artist Laura Buckley, the exciting installation is poised to take over many an Instagram feed. If you're not down with mirror distortion, though, other brill exhibitors include Florence Hutchings, whose abstract work is inspired by everyday, domestic life.
At the Saatchi Gallery, London, 15th March-5th May 2019
Dido, Still On My Mind
If someone were to say Dido, you wouldn't be blamed for flashing back to her iconic, yet harrowing feature on Eminem's "Stan" way back in the year 2000. But we're a long way from those days now, and the singer has a brand new body of work for the first time in five years. If Dido's latest single, "Hurricanes" is anything to go by, the tone of Still On My Mind will be immediately familiar – disarmingly soothing, despite her typically emotionally challenging lyrics.
Available Friday 8th March
Queer Eye Season 3
Let's be honest – we were all disproportionately concerned that Netflix would keep us waiting for the next season of Queer Eye but thankfully, the third instalment of one of 2018's most popular reality TV shows is back this month. This time around they're heading to Kansas City to deliver the makeovers of dreams to a fresh set of unsuspecting subjects. No, we can't contain our excitement either.
On Netflix from Friday 15th March
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