5 culture things to know

France cancels plan to relocate Paris’ riverside booksellers during Olympics

French President Emmanuel Macron ruled that the bouquinistes (Paris’s iconic booksellers on the banks of the Seine) will be allowed to stay at their historic locations during the opening ceremony of the upcoming Olympic Games, following a row over their temporary removal. For the first time in modern Games history, the ceremony will not take place in a stadium but outside, along the Seine river.

Blackpink’s Lisa joins new White Lotus cast

Blackpink star Lisa is set to join the cast of the season 3 of awardwinning show The White Lotus, which will start production in Thailand, the Kpop singer’s homeland, later this month. Her role in the HBO series will mark Lisa’s acting debut.

Amsterdam museum boss makes plea for return of stolen painting

The director general of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has called for the return of Two Laughing Boys With a Mug of Beer, a stolen painting by Frans Hals, as the institution is set to open a major exhibition dedicated to the Dutch master. The €15-million artwork was stolen from the Museum Hofje van Mevrouw van Aerden in August 2020 and was never recovered.

Swiss village to host the world’s tallest 3D-printed tower

The Swiss village of Mulegns will welcome in June a 30-meter high 3D-printed tower which is expected to be the world’s tallest, as part of efforts to revive the declining villages of the Julier Pass, once an important passage between Northern and Southern Europe. Printing of the “Tor Alva” tower, which will be able to welcome 45 visitors and feature a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains, has started this month.

Back in Black in Europe

AC/DC has announced its return to Europe for the first time in eight years with its tour called POWER UP that will start in Germany on May 17 and end in Dublin, Ireland, on August 17. The legendary Australian rock band will include two new members in the live line-up.