It's a busy season filled with seemingly infinite things to do and see. So we've narrowed down the list for you—here are the ten most essential cultural events of the week.
Photo: © Art Basel1/10Art Basel in Miami Beach
If you’re jetting down to Miami for Art Basel, remember, the annual art fair is as much about the beaches and the parties as it is about the paintings. The nightlife events kick off tonight, but you still have time to head south if you haven’t planned your trip yet—the festivities last throughout the week, with some of the choice moments happening on Thursday and Friday, including the premiere live performance for **Rashaad Newsome’**s latest video project and a concert and private after-party with FKA twigs.
December 2–5
Photo: Courtesy of © Fox Searchlight Pictures2/10Wild with Reese Witherspoon
Wild has yet to premiere, but that hasn’t stopped the film from already attracting Oscar buzz for its lead actress, Reese Witherspoon. Adapted from **Cheryl Strayed’**s memoir of the same name, the movie depicts the author’s incredible 1,100-mile solo trek on the Pacific Crest Trail—think of it as a rugged Eat, Pray, Love.
Opening Friday, December 5
Photo: Courtesy of © HBO3/10Dressed to Kill: Arms and Armor from Medieval Knights to Game of Thrones
If you’re a diehard Game of Thrones fanatic, you should make your way to the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Tuesday. Michele Clapton, the woman behind all of the show’s fantastical costumes, will be discussing the cast’s wardrobe, joined by artist Miya Ando and the museum’s curator of arms and armor, Pierre Terjanian.
Tuesday, December 2, 6 p.m.
Photo: Courtesy of Radio City Music Hall4/10Radio City Christmas Spectacular
A tradition that comes around every holiday season, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular promises a bevy of Rockettes high-kicking all month long—if you’ve never gone, it’s definitely a New York City moment to check off of your bucket list.
Until December 31
Photo: Getty Images5/10Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting
And while you’re in Midtown, why not stop by and see the annual lighting of the 85-foot-tall Christmas tree?
Wednesday, December 3, 7 p.m.
Photo: Courtesy of Bob Dylan6/10Bob Dylan at the Beacon Theatre
**Bob Dylan’**s Never Ending Tour is stopping for a five-day run in New York City, and while three of the shows have already happened, there are still two left. If you’ve never seen Dylan, now is the time: His band is as tight as it has ever been. And even though the shows are practically sold out, there is still hope on Stubhub—act fast.
December 2 and 3 at the Beacon Theatre
Photo: © Chris Ofili, Courtesy of David Zwirner, New York/London7/10“Chris Ofili: Night and Day” at the New Museum
This retrospective spans the entirety of English artist **Chris Ofili’**s career, so expect to see the incredible diversity that’s marked his two decades in the art world: the infamous paintings using elephant dung, the shiny, serpentine sculptures made out of bronze, and the intricately illustrated pattern drawings that he’s worked on throughout his life.
Ongoing
Pictured: Chris Ofili, Afronirvana, 2002
Photo: Courtesy of © Capitol Records8/10Mary J. Blige’s new album, The London Sessions
Mary J. Blige has given herself a bit of a musical makeover for her new album, heading across the pond to work with some of England’s youngest and coolest new artists, including Sam Smith and Disclosure. The London Sessions is as dance-friendly as the diva has been in years, but there are some dramatic and characteristic moments of introspection as well.
Released in the U.S. on Tuesday, December 2
Photo: T Charles Erickson/Courtesy of the Booth Theatre9/10The Elephant Man Opens on Broadway with Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper is no stranger to the stage—his Broadway debut was in 2006 in Three Days of Rain, opposite Julia Roberts. Now, his latest role as the titular Elephant Man in the famous Bernard Pomerance play—a work that is said to have inspired Cooper’s entire acting career—is truly cause for excitement (this is, after all, a role that David Bowie made famous in New York City back in 1980).
Opens Sunday, December 7
Photo: Courtesy of Melville House10/10James Baldwin: The Last Interview and Other Conversations
If you’re hoping to find holiday reading that is as educational as it is entertaining, look no further than a new book of discussions with legendary intellectual James Baldwin, including his last interview—a 1987 talk with poet Quincy Troupe—that has never been available for sale before today.
Available Tuesday, December 2
