Entertainment & Media

Jacksonville – September 29, 2026 -- Sandbox VR will open its newest venue at St. Johns Town Center in Jacksonville, Florida, on October 9, 2026, offering a 20% presale discount through October 8 for guests who book ahead.

The 4,518-square-foot venue features four private rooms for group play

Groups of up to six guests can suit up with headsets, haptic vests and motion sensors for full-body immersion, allowing players to see and physically interact with each other during the experience. Each session ends with a personalized highlight video guests can keep and share.

Vic Ali owns and operates the new Jacksonville location

"My management team and I are very excited about bringing this exciting and completely immersive entertainment experience to Jacksonville!" Ali said.

Lewes, Delaware – September 28, 2026 -- HiBy has officially revealed the first products from its collaboration between sub-brand HiBy Digital and the video game Cyberpunk 2077, following an initial announcement earlier this year.

Two audio devices carry designs inspired by Night City

The lineup includes the HiBy Digital PULSE gaming headset and the HiBy Digital GRID external sound card, both featuring visual elements drawn from the world of Cyberpunk 2077, the open-world game released by CD PROJEKT RED in 2020.

Canary Islands, Spain – September 28, 2026 -- The four astronauts of NASA's Artemis II mission — Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen — will receive the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication on October 17, 2026, during the opening of STARMUS VIII in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

The crew turned a lunar mission into a global science lesson

Organizers cite the astronauts' use of interviews, social media, live communications, educational initiatives and public appearances to explain the science and technology behind Artemis II. STARMUS says the crew went beyond technical milestones, sharing the preparation, risks, teamwork and international cooperation behind the mission, and helped younger audiences engage with science and space exploration.

Chicago – September 28, 2026 -- Two new picture books from the Princess Penelope's Purse of Preposterous Things series hit shelves on November 3, 2026, expanding a children's media franchise built by Emmy-winning creator Angela C. Santomero.

"Bunny Lala's Big Song" and "Pirate Argh's Treasure Hunt" arrive from 4U2B Books & Media, an imprint of Loyola Press, following the success of the show's earlier titles and its YouTube Kids series, which has drawn over 12 million views.

Santomero built her career on Blue's Clues and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood

Santomero, also known for creating Super Why!, developed Princess Penelope's Purse of Preposterous Things as her latest project. The franchise now includes four books total after this release.

A Coruña – September 28, 2026 -- SON Estrella Galicia Posidonia marks its 10th anniversary with a special edition running October 2–4 on the Spanish island of Formentera, capping a decade built on secrecy, intimacy and sustainability rather than mega-lineups.

The festival caps attendance at just 350 people per edition

Unlike most music festivals chasing bigger crowds, SON Estrella Galicia Posidonia has kept its guest list deliberately small since launching, revealing its artist lineup only once the event begins. The 2026 edition, themed "(re)discovering Posidonia," revisits artists and locations that have defined the festival's first nine years.

Cangzhou – September 27, 2026 -- The 12th China Cangzhou International Wushu Competition wrapped up on September 13 at Cangzhou Stadium, drawing 4,352 athletes and coaches from 295 teams across 40 countries and regions. Competitors ranged from 4-year-old newcomers to an 82-year-old master, spanning four generations on a single stage.

Ahead of the competition, Cangzhou released an AI-generated short film called Iron Lion: The Sentinel of Time on September 5. The 17-minute production blends fictional characters with the city's wushu heritage, urban landscape and Grand Canal history, aimed at introducing the tradition to international viewers.

The AI film has racked up more than 5.51 million views since release

The short has spread across multiple platforms, prompting online reactions. One viewer, identified as "Siwei Jiaoyu," wrote that they never expected AI could produce such an atmospheric kung fu film.

Mexico City – September 25, 2026 -- Five-time World Cup goalkeeper Guillermo "Memo" Ochoa is fronting a new campaign for BC.GAME, the crypto and iGaming platform operating in Mexico as BCGAME.mx, built around his personal vetting of the company's license and payout practices.

In the video, Ochoa says he checked BC.GAME's regulatory standing before agreeing to the deal. "BC.GAME holds a legitimate SEGOB permit and operates legally in Mexico," he says, adding that he confirmed players can deposit at OXXO stores or transfer funds directly through Mexico's SPEI bank-transfer system.

Ochoa says withdrawals clear in minutes, not weeks

Ochoa frames his endorsement around payout speed, a common friction point for betting platforms. "The real question is: do they actually pay you when you win? The answer is yes," he says in the campaign, comparing his scrutiny of the platform to a goalkeeper's read of the game.

Annapolis, Md. – September 24, 2026 -- The fifth annual Annapolis Jazz & Roots Festival runs across two weekends, November 6-15, 2026, spreading performances, lectures and art exhibitions across eight venues in five neighborhoods in Eastport and Annapolis, Maryland. Most events are free or carry modest admission, and reservations are strongly advised through instantseats.com. Free onsite parking is available at all but two venues.

The 2026 theme traces music from Indigenous roots to modern hip-hop-infused jazz.

Billed as "New World Music: Centuries of Sound," the festival's programming spans Indigenous traditions, colonial-era music, the history of slavery and indenture in Maryland, and the evolution of jazz into contemporary forms.

Buena Park, Calif. – September 24, 2026 -- Yamaha has released the Matteo Mancuso Signature Revstar (RS20MM), a production electric guitar priced at $1,599.99 and now available through authorized Yamaha dealers nationwide.

The guitar recreates Mancuso's custom instrument down to the pickups

Developed with guitarist Matteo Mancuso, the RS20MM is built to replicate the tone, feel and performance of his personal custom Revstar. It features the same DiMarzio PAF 36th Anniversary pickups used in Mancuso's instrument, designed to deliver clarity, sustain and dynamic response.

Mancuso has played Revstar guitars since 2017 and became a Yamaha artist in 2019. The RS20MM marks only the second widely available artist-signature model in the Revstar lineup.

Hong Kong – September 24, 2026 -- Infinix has unveiled the GT NX Series, a two-piece gaming peripheral lineup pairing a split controller with a multi-port docking station designed to turn a smartphone into a console-style rig.

The GT NX Controller adds a pixel-level touchpad for FPS aiming

The controller features what Infinix calls the world's first Pixel-Level FPS Precision Touchpad on a mobile controller, aimed at closing the accuracy gap between touchscreen aiming and mouse-like precision. It uses a three-chip low-latency architecture, with dual chips in the left handle and one in the right, to enable millisecond-level response for flick shots and team fights. Battery life is rated for more than 22 hours of continuous play.