Pooja Pillai is an entertainment journalist with Asian Media Group, where she covers cinema, pop culture, internet trends, and the politics of representation. Her work spans interviews, cultural features, and social commentary across digital platforms.
She began her reporting career as a news anchor, scripting and presenting stories for a regional newsroom. With a background in journalism and media studies, she has since built a body of work exploring how entertainment intersects with social and cultural shifts, particularly through a South Indian lens.
She brings both newsroom rigour and narrative curiosity to her work, and believes the best stories don’t just inform — they reveal what we didn’t know we needed to hear.
Lady Gaga is gearing up for a massive global tour in 2025, bringing her latest album, Mayhem, to fans across North America, Europe, and the UK. Dubbed the Mayhem Ball tour, this marks her first major arena tour in seven years, offering a more immersive and theatrical experience than her previous stadium concerts.
Gaga’s journey begins in Las Vegas on July 16, 2025, with back-to-back performances at the T-Mobile Arena. From there, she will make her way across the United States and Canada, hitting major cities like New York, Chicago, Miami, Toronto, and Seattle. Fans can expect a high-energy show featuring tracks from Mayhem, which recently debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
After wrapping up the North American stretch, Gaga will head to the UK, where she is set to perform three nights at London’s O2 Arena (September 29, 30, and October 2) before moving to Manchester on October 7. The European leg includes stops in Stockholm, Milan, Barcelona, Berlin, Amsterdam, Antwerp, and Lyon. The tour concludes with three grand performances at Paris’s Accor Arena on November 17, 18, and 20.
Tickets for North American shows go on presale starting March 31, with an exclusive artist presale launching April 2 at noon local time. General ticket sales open on April 3.
Lady Gaga’s first major arena tour in seven years promises an immersive and theatrical experience for fansGetty Images
For UK and European fans, Mastercard presales for select shows begin on March 31. Additional presales will take place throughout the week, with general sales kicking off on April 3 at noon local time.
Lady Gaga has promised that the Mayhem Ball tour will be unlike anything she has done before. While she has dominated stadiums in the past, this time she aims to create a more intimate connection with her audience. “I wanted to design a show where every fan feels part of the performance,” she shared in a statement. “This tour is all about blending high-energy music with live theatrical storytelling.”
With tickets in high demand, the Mayhem Ball tour is shaping up to be one of the biggest live events of 2025Getty Images
With her signature avant-garde fashion, unique choreography, and chart-topping hits, the Mayhem Ball tour is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated live music events of the year. Fans eager to witness Gaga’s electrifying presence on stage should secure their tickets quickly before they sell out.
Forum brings UK and Chinese film professionals together to explore collaborations.
Emerging British-Asian talent gain mentorship and international exposure.
Small-scale dramas, kids’ shows, and adapting popular formats were the projects everyone was talking about.
Telling stories that feel real to their culture, yet can connect with anyone, is what makes them work worldwide.
Meeting three times a year keeps the UK and China talking, creating opportunities that last beyond one event.
The theatre was packed for the Third Shanghai–London Screen Industry Forum. Between panels and workshops, filmmakers, producers and executives discussed ideas and business cards and it felt more than just a summit. British-Asian filmmakers were meeting and greeting the Chinese industry in an attempt to explore genuine possibilities of working in China’s film market.
UK China film collaborations take off as Third Shanghai London Forum connects British Asian filmmakers with Chinese studios Instagram/ukchinafilm
What makes the forum important for British-Asian filmmakers?
For filmmakers whose films explore identity and belonging, this is a chance to show their work on an international stage, meet Chinese directors, talk co-productions and break cultural walls that normally feel unscalable. “It’s invaluable,” Abid Khan said after a panel, “because you can’t create globally if you don’t talk globally.”
And it’s not just established names. Young filmmakers were all around, pitching ideas and learning on the go. The forum gave them a chance to get noticed with mentoring, workshops, and live pitch sessions.
Which projects are catching international attention?
Micro-dramas are trending. Roy Lu of Linmon International says vertical content for apps is “where it’s at.” They’ve done US, Canada, Australia and next stop, Europe. YouTube is back in focus too, thanks to Rosemary Reed of POW TV Studios. Short attention spans and three-minute hits, she’s ready.
Children’s and sports shows are another hotspot. Jiella Esmat of 8Lions is developing Touch Grass, a football-themed children’s show. The logic is simple: sports and kids content unite families, like global glue.
Then there’s format adaptation. Lu also talked about Nothing But 30, a Chinese series with 7 billion streams. The plan is for an english version in London. Not a straight translation, but a cultural transformation. “‘30’ in London isn’t just words,” Lu says. “It’s a new story.”
Jason Zhang of Stellar Pictures says international audiences respond when culture isn’t just a background prop. Lanterns, flowers, rituals, they’re part of the plot. Cedric Behrel from Trinity CineAsia adds: you need context. Western audiences don’t know Journey to the West, so co-production helps them understand without diluting the story.
Economic sense matters too. Roy Lu stresses: pick your market, make it financially viable. Esmat likens ideal co-productions to a marriage: “Multicultural teams naturally think about what works globally and what doesn’t.”
The UK-China Film Collab’s Future Talent Programme is taking on eight students or recent grads this year. They’re getting the backstage access to international filmmaking that few ever see, including mentorship, festival organising and hands-on experience. Alumni are landing real jobs: accredited festival journalists, Beijing producers, curators at The National Gallery.
Adrian Wootton OBE reminded everyone: “We exist through partnerships, networks, and collaboration.” Yin Xin from Shanghai Media Group noted that tri-annual gathering: London, Shanghai, Hong Kong create an “intensive concentration” of ideas.
Actor-director Zhang Luyi said it best: cultural exchange isn’t telling your story to someone, it’s creating stories together.
The Shanghai-London Screen Industry Forum is no longer just a talking shop. It’s a launchpad, a bridge. And for British-Asian filmmakers and emerging talent, it’s a chance to turn ideas into reality.
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