Three young people from the movie stranger things (Millie Bobby Brown played Eleven on the left, Finn Wolfhard played Mike Wheeler in the middle and Noah Schnapp played Will Byers on the right.) They stand outdoors, looking forward. The background is a field with a colorful sky border and an exclamation mark icon on the right.

Important dates for 2025

By NCS

5 min read

A new year is coming, and with it a whole load of new things to look forward to.

From much-anticipated UK film release dates to festivals, games, and need-to-know dates for your GCSEs or A levels, we’ve got all the important dates you need to know for 2025. 

Ready to start adding stuff to your calendar?

Let’s go… 

2025 Cinema releases

What’s better than sitting in a dark room (preferably with a big bucket of popcorn) and watching a movie? Not much! Thankfully, 2025 is chockablock of new releases to get you laughing, crying, and involved in the action. Check it out…

Interior view of a movie theater, featuring an audience seated in rows watching a film on the big screen.

What to watch in the cinema

Nosferatu - 3 January
If gothic horror is your thing, this is your movie! A remake of the 1922 German version, the story is loosely based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel, and follows the obsession between a haunted young woman, Ellen Hutter, and the ancient Transylvanian vampire stalking her, Count Orlok. Casual.

We Live in Time - 3 January
Get the tissues ready for this one! Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh are brought together in a surprise encounter that changes their lives. We see their life together over a decade, jumping back and forth between falling for each other, building a home, becoming a family, and a difficult truth that rocks its foundation.

Bridget Jones: Made About The Boy - 14 February
Almost ten years after the last movie, Bridget is back. In the last film Bridget gave birth to a baby boy with Mark Darcy. Cut to now, Mark is tragically out of the picture and Bridget faces middle-age, and even worse (or good for us?) Daniel Cleaver is back on the scene…

Captain America: Brave New World - 14 February
Does the MCU ever stop? No! Phase Five continues as Sam Wilson (formerly the Falcon) takes over the Captain America mantle from Steve Rogers. Lots of chaos to ensue…

A Minecraft Movie - 4 April
Four misfits. A mysterious portal into a bizarre, cubic wonderland. And lots of twists and turns. Will they master this world and carry out their quest? Watch and see!

Thunderbolts - 2 May
Another from the MCU, and the conclusion of Phase Five. Prepare to meet the Thunderbolts. Not quite the Avengers, but an ensemble who pack a punch or two; Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, among others.

Elio - 13 June
With the success of Inside Out 2 (the biggest movies of 2024!) Pixar studios are back with Elio, the story of a space fanatic with an active imagination, who finds himself on a cosmic misadventure where he must form new bonds with alien lifeforms, navigate a crisis of intergalactic proportions and somehow discover who he is truly meant to be. Just a normal day then. 

Wicked Part Two - 21 November
Time to head back to the Emerald City for the second half of one of 2024’s most anticipated and enjoyed film. Glinda and Elphaba return for the dramatic and song-belting conclusion around!

Avatar: Fire and Ash - 19 December
Back in 2009, Avatar broke new ground in its use of performance-capture CGI. People became thoroughly obsessed with being blue! The second movie, in 2022, was also highly successful, and this, the third out of five sequels, extends the Pandoran mythology and the destiny of characters including Jake Sully, Neytiri, Kiri, Quaritch and Ronal.

TV shows to watch in 2025

Alongside cinema releases, you’ll have loads of opportunities to snuggle on your sofa and catch up on your favourite tv shows. A few brand new ones, and lots of highly anticipated next-in-the-series moments to catch up on!

A hand holding a remote control pointing at a TV set

What to watch from your sofa

The Traitors (season three) - 1 January
Backstabbing. Scheming. Claudia Winkleman’s fringe. This is peak TV! Watch the faithfuls and the traitors battle it out for the third time, and see who ultimately wins. 

Severance (season two) - 17 January
A sci-fi drama where people can divide their consciousness and memories between their work and personal lives. Sounds pretty simple. But is it really? Of course not! Where would the fun be in that? Back for season two for more hijinx, psychological battles and weirdness (in the best way possible).

The Studio - 26 March
A brand new series from Seth Rogan, who stars as the newly appointed head of movie studio, Continental Studios. As movies struggle to stay alive and relevant, Seth’s character Matt has to fight his own insecurities, narcissistic artists, and corporate overlords…all whilst trying to make great films.

The White Lotus (season three)
The plot of White Lotus is always kept pretty under wraps until it’s out, because y’know, spoilers. But, if you’re a fan of the first two seasons, it’s unlikely the third installment will disappoint! Be prepared for drama, drama, drama.

The Last of Us (season two)
Season two is set a few years after the dramatic finale of season one, with Ellie and Joel finding a home in the Wyoming settlement founded by Joel’s brother. All seems well (of course) until a figure from Joel’s past arrives looking for revenge. Dun dun dunnnn…

Stranger Things (season five)
It might seem like forever ago that we were last transported to Hawkins (2022!) but series five is finally lined up to release next year. And, despite his defeat at the end of season four, Vecna is still out there, ready to wreak havoc and complete his vengeful conquest.

Black Mirror (season seven)
The world right now sometimes feels more and more like an IRL episode of Black Mirror, so why not have a brand new season to compare it to! Expect your mind to be blown, nightmares haunted, and a guy who just needs to stop predicting every single bad thing that happens.

Festivals happening in 2025

If you’re looking to get out and about this year, make sure to whack these dates in the calendar. From music to literature to yoga festivals, 2025 has it all!

A large group of people throwing colourful powder into the air.

 

  • London Short Film Festival: 17-26 January
  • Leicester Comedy Festival: 5-23 February
  • Download Festival: 13-15 June
  • Glastonbury: 25-29 June
  • Radar Festival: 4-6 July
  • Latitude Festival: 24-27 July
  • World Yoga Festival: 31 July - 3 August
  • Edinburgh Fringe Festival: 1-25 August
  • Reading: 21-24 August
  • Notting Hill Carnival: 24-25 August
  • Cheltenham Literature Festival: 10-19 October

Important education dates to remember

A group of students sat at desks which are spaced out in an exam hall setting.

GCSE exams 2025

Taking your GCSEs this year? Here are the key dates you need to know:

  • Exams start: Monday 05 May
  • Exams finish: Friday 20 June
  • GCSE results day 2024: Thursday 21 August

A level exams 2025

Will you be doing A levels this summer? Lock these dates in your diary:

  • Exams start: Monday 12 May
  • Exams finish: Tuesday 24 June
  • A level results day 2024: Tuesday 14 August 

UK Bank Holidays

Bank holidays are one of the best things of the year - free days to spend how you like? Perfect! 2025 brings a delightful eight bank holidays to enjoy yourself. 

  • Wednesday 01 January: New Year’s Day
  • Friday 18 April: Good Friday
  • Monday 21 April: Easter Monday
  • Monday 05 May: Early May bank holiday
  • Monday 26 May: Spring bank holiday
  • Monday 25 August: Summer bank holiday
  • Thursday 25 December: Christmas Day
  • Friday 26 December: Boxing Day

Sporting events of 2025

Rugby. Football. Tennis. Cycling. There’ll be plenty of goals, cheers, and winners this year. Who will you support?

A group of cyclists on their bikes in a race

 

  • Rugby: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales battle it out to be rugby champs from 31 January to 15 March. And the Women’s Rugby World Cup takes over summer from 22 August to 27 Sept.
  • Football: In football you’ve got the FA Cup Final on 17 May, the UEFA Champions League on 31 May, and the Women’s Euros from 2 to 27 July.
  • Tennis: Plenty of moments to watch balls fly across courts. The Australian Open is on 12 to 26 January, the French Open 19 May to 8 June, and of course, Wimbledon goes from 30 June to 13 July.
  • Cycling: If wheels up is your thing, catch the Tour de France from 5 to 27 July.

What’s happening with NCS in 2025?

You’ve probably heard the news that the government is winding down NCS in 2025, which means from March, we won’t have any more experiences. 

We’re incredibly sad by the decision and wish we could spend the next year (and forever!) giving you all opportunities to help you grow your strengths, build your confidence, and find out what you’re really made of.

But we’re also super proud of everything we - and you! - have achieved since 2009. Over one million experiences and 18 million hours of volunteering is pretty impressive. To see more amazing stories of the impact of NCS, head over to our Insta, at @NCS.