FOR the first time in the history of the World’s 50 Best Bars list by William Reed Business Media, two things happened in the Spanish city of Barcelona last week. One, since the list’s inception in 2009, the awarding ceremony was held in Barcelona, the first city to hold it outside London; and, two, for the first time, a bar from Barcelona holds the top spot for the Best Bar in the World for 2022.

SOME people who love classical music also dance to Celine Dion. Others are craft beer aficionados who also enjoy a cold bottle of mass market beer at the beach. Some love independent movies while indulging in the guilty pleasure of blockbuster franchises and “trashy” reality TV.

MARKS & Spencer (M&S) presents an opportunity to bring people together in a safe space outdoors with the first pop-up cafe for any M&S franchise globally.

THE CAST of Repertory Philippines’ production of Carousel was three weeks into rehearsals when the world shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. After two years, they are finally able to step out and perform it on stage.

JUST over two years since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down live events and nearly three years after a fire ravaged its home theater, Ballet Manila has returned to live performance with a special show, Rise!, a double bill featuring all the elements of the performing arts such as opera, popular, OPM, and orchestral music.

THE CULTURAL Center of the Philippines (CCP) Library and Archives will be closed from October 2022 to June 2023 in view of the impending renovation of the CCP Main Building and the relocation of the CCP offices by the end of the year. Library services will resume by the third quarter of 2023.

MEXICO CITY — Cultural ministers and representatives from 150 countries committed to expanding efforts to return historical artifacts to their countries of origin, according to a declaration released last Friday, following a UNESCO conference in Mexico City.

SHANGHAI — For most of China’s 1.4 billion people, regular COVID-19 tests have become a way of life. Siyuan Zhuji is trying to turn them into a work of art.

LONDON — Star Wars villain Darth Vader’s gloves will be among the famous and familiar items from films, television and the world of music up for grabs in British memorabilia company Propstore’s annual live auction next month.

LOS ANGELES — Actor Will Smith’s first movie since he slapped Chris Rock at the Academy Awards, a historical thriller called Emancipation, will debut in cinemas in December, a move that makes the film eligible for next year’s Oscars.

PROFESSIONAL dancer Madge Reyes had just come home from New York — where she had an artist fellowship grant in dance with the Asian Cultural Council — when the world shut down in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Being on the dance floor and feeling the energy of the audience was postponed indefinitely.

TI WEST’s Pearl (2022) is several things at once: 1.) a horror film; 2.) a prequel; 3.) a claustrophobic character sketch of two women percolating in a pressure-cooker setting.