Entertainment & Media

Pigeon Forge, Tenn. – September 19, 2026 -- Alcatraz East Crime Museum is opening a new exhibit examining how TikTok has reshaped crime reporting, featuring criminal defense attorney and influencer Stephanie Giancristofaro, who has built a following of over 326,000 on the platform.

The exhibit arrives as TikTok marks its 10th anniversary on September 20, 2026. The app launched as Douyin from an apartment in China in 2016, expanded internationally the following year, and gained a major popularity boost in 2018 after merging with the lip-syncing app Musical.ly.

An attorney turned to TikTok to cut through case confusion

Giancristofaro began posting videos after the 2022 murder of four University of Idaho students, aiming to help viewers understand the legal proceedings surrounding the case. Her clips break down evidence, applicable law, and the line between fact and speculation, and now draw millions of views.

Charlotte -- Sandbox VR opens its second North Carolina venue on September 18, 2026, at The Station at LoSo in Charlotte, offering guests 20% off through September.

The Charlotte venue spans over 4,400 square feet with four private VR rooms

Groups of up to six guests can suit up with headsets, haptic vests, and motion sensors for full-body immersion in each room. The technology lets players see and physically interact with one another during sessions, and guests leave with personalized highlight videos of their sessions.

The Charlotte location is operated in partnership with Nextgen Virtual LLC and joins Sandbox VR's existing Winston-Salem venue as the company's second North Carolina site.

New York – September 18, 2026 -- FOX Nation will premiere its new dating series, Chris Harrison's The Vow, on November 11, with new episodes released weekly on Wednesdays through a December 9 season finale.

Chris Harrison returns to the genre he helped define

The six-episode series marks host Chris Harrison's return to relationship television. It follows 30-year-old bachelor Jace Cates as he pursues a relationship with ten women through curated dates and compatibility challenges designed to test shared values, faith, communication and long-term goals.

Ta' Qali, Malta – September 18, 2026 -- The Thunderpick World Championship 2026 Finals will run Oct. 14 to 18 at BLAST Studios Malta, with eight Counter-Strike 2 teams competing for a $1 million USD prize pool.

Defending champions FURIA headline a field stacked with top-20 talent

2025 champions FURIA, ranked #8 globally, return to defend their title. Seven of the eight qualified teams sit inside the Global VRS top 20.

The full lineup includes Legacy (#3), Brazil's top-ranked team; Falcons (#4), a star-heavy European roster; FURIA (#8); BETBOOM (#9), a Russian squad known for upsets; 9z (#10), one of South America's strongest sides; Aurora (#12), a European org built around international talent; PARIVISION (#17), a rising European team; and Virtus.pro, which enters at #30 after winning the TWC closed qualifier.

Seoul – September 18, 2026 -- Netmarble has opened a new server called "ZERO" for its dark fantasy MMORPG RAVEN2, giving new and returning players an easier path into the game while rolling out a separate rewards event for existing servers.

ZERO server removes growth and combat pressure for newcomers

ZERO went live on September 15 (UTC +0) with a distinct ruleset designed to ease growth burdens, monetization pressure, PK stress, and competition barriers. The server features increased equipment drop rates and EXP gains, adjusted combat balance, and a simplified progression system that excludes Mythic-grade Summons and Awakenings. A new Farming Crystals feature lets players earn Crystals, a core in-game currency, simply through hunting and regular gameplay.

New York – September 18, 2026 -- Giggles, the fast-growing social video app, has relaunched with a ground-up redesign that swaps its old trading mechanics for a new points system called Aura and a set of collectible "trend cards."

Aura replaces trading with a simple rewards system

Users earn Aura by participating on the app and spend it on interactions and creator rewards. Aura carries no cash value, marking a clear departure from the trading economy the app was previously known for. Trend cards, meanwhile, are digital collectibles earned with Aura that mark viral moments and celebrate creators, memes, and content that define the platform.

The app remains focused on short-form video across five categories

Giggles still functions as a short-form video platform where users create, watch, and share content across comedy, food, sports, music, and memes.

Miami – September 18, 2026 -- Norwegian Cruise Line has unveiled the entertainment lineup for its new ship, Norwegian Aura, set to debut in May 2027, headlined by an original stage production titled "Whitney: A Celebration of Whitney Houston."

The show is built with the singer's estate and her music publisher

Developed in partnership with The Estate of Whitney E. Houston and Primary Wave Music, the 45-minute production reimagines Houston's catalog through contemporary arrangements and live performance. Houston sold more than 220 million records worldwide, scored seven consecutive No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits and won six Grammy Awards. The show will feature hits including "It's Not Right, But It's OK," "I Will Always Love You," and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)," a track certified nine-times platinum by the RIAA and named Best Pop Song of All Time by Billboard in 2023.

Shenzhen – September 18, 2026 -- ugee has launched the ArtPlay Pad, a children's drawing tablet that converts 2D sketches into 3D models and physical objects, available starting September 15, 2026, through the company's official shop.

EMR pen technology aims to replicate pencil-on-paper friction

Unlike most kids' tablets that rely on capacitive pens, the ArtPlay Pad uses professional-grade EMR (Electro-Magnetic Resonance) technology with 16K pressure sensitivity, paired with a paper-like anti-glare display and full palm rejection. Amy Yuan, ugee's Global Brand Director, said the goal was to solve three problems: the slick, unresponsive feel of glass screens, the gap between flat drawing and 3D thinking, and eye strain from prolonged screen use.

Woodinville – September 18, 2026 -- PowerA has released a new line of officially licensed Harry Potter gaming accessories for Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox, marking the start of a multi-year partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products.

Four Hogwarts houses get their own Switch 2 gear

The debut lineup includes a Nintendo Switch 2 Advantage Wireless Controller priced at $69.99 and Nintendo Switch 2 Protection Cases at $24.99, each themed around one of the four Hogwarts houses. The designs let fans display their house pride directly on their gaming setup.

Xbox controllers feature Chibi art and Quidditch styling

An Xbox Wired Controller, priced at $34.99, depicts Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and other characters in a Chibi-inspired art style. A pricier Xbox Advantage Wireless Controller, at $99.99, draws on the visual language of Quidditch and includes gold-accented details.

Nazareth, Pa. – September 18, 2026 -- C. F. Martin & Co. has launched a refreshed 16 Series of all-solid-wood acoustic-electric guitars, handcrafted in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and available starting September 15, 2026.

New gloss finishes give the lineup a bolder visual identity

The refreshed series introduces gloss-top finish options including Blue Denim, Cherry Cola, Cream, Black Smoke, and 1935 Burst. The GPC and Grand J 12-string models retain a more traditional natural top with a vintage tint.