Daily Recap: Entertainment — 24 September 2026

Entertainment news is led by artists using releases and tours to make statements, while major franchises and studios push high-profile new projects. Alongside those launches, the sector also faces legal and business fallout, from museum corruption charges to a criminal case tied...

Macklemore launches a “Free Palestine” tour with dates including Dublin, Paris and London, and says all proceeds will go to Palestinian aid groups. The announcement turns a political stance into the core of a live music rollout and comes after he is dropped as a support act on Ed Sheeran’s tour following pro-Palestine remarks onstage in the United States.

U2 announce “Carnaval de Luz,” their first album of original material in nearly nine years. The 12-track record is set for release on November 13, and the band also puts out a new single, “Silencio,” as an early preview. The album draws added attention because it includes Dolly Parton’s final recorded vocals.

Taylor Swift prepares to unveil a new cinematic video for “Patient Zero” at the 2026 VMAs. The project features Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell, and Swift has already released a teaser ahead of the full premiere. The rollout frames the video as a major event rather than a routine music-video drop.

Rockstar Games reveals a $399.99 collector’s box for Grand Theft Auto VI called “The Goodtime State – Vice City Collection.” The package is filled with branded merchandise but does not include the game itself. Pre-orders open in limited quantities, making the release a premium marketing push tied to one of entertainment’s biggest upcoming titles.

Amazon MGM Studios releases the first full trailer for “Madden,” David O. Russell’s biopic about John Madden starring Nicolas Cage. The footage traces Madden’s rise from leading the Oakland Raiders to becoming one of football’s defining television voices. The trailer gives the clearest look yet at how the film approaches a larger-than-life sports figure.

Starbucks says it will close about 250 stores in North America later this week as part of a turnaround effort. The company describes the move as a review of underperforming locations, affecting roughly 1% of its more than 18,000 cafes across the region. The closures underline ongoing pressure on major consumer-facing brands.

Victoria’s anti-corruption watchdog charges a former senior National Gallery of Victoria employee over an alleged $8 million mobile-phone scheme. The case brings a criminal corruption investigation into one of Australia’s best-known cultural institutions and shifts attention from programming and exhibitions to internal oversight and financial controls.

Three animal rights activists are convicted of stealing three lambs from King Charles’ Sandringham Estate in Norfolk. Rose Patterson, Rosa Sharkey and Sarah Foy are found guilty of theft after a trial at Norwich Crown Court. The case links protest activism with a high-profile royal property and ends in criminal convictions.