2020s Calendar: Every Year, Events, TV And Music

The 2020s in order, one year at a time.

Each year below gives the headline event, what people were watching and what they were listening to, with a link to the full page for that year.

Good for a quiz round, a reminiscence session or working out what to put in a milestone birthday card.

2020

• 2020 - Lockdown, clapping on doorsteps and a year nobody needs reminding of.
• News: The first UK lockdown was announced on 23 March.
• Screen: Tiger King and Normal People were the lockdown programmes everybody watched.
• Music: 'Blinding Lights' by the Weeknd was the year's best-selling single worldwide and a fixture of the UK chart.
• Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2020

2021

• 2021 - Another lockdown, then a summer of football and reopening.
• News: England entered a third lockdown in January; restrictions were lifted in July.
• Screen: Line of Duty's series six finale was watched by over fifteen million people.
• Music: Olivia Rodrigo's 'Drivers License' and 'Good 4 U' were the breakout records of the year.
• Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2021

2022

• 2022 - The Platinum Jubilee, the death of the Queen and three Prime Ministers.
• News: Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February.
• Screen: Stranger Things, Top Gun: Maverick and The Traitors were the year's talking points.
• Music: 'As It Was' by Harry Styles was the year's best-selling single and spent ten weeks at number one.
• Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2022

2023

• 2023 - The coronation, Barbenheimer and 'Last Christmas' finally getting to number one.
• News: King Charles III was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 6 May.
• Screen: Barbie and Oppenheimer opened on the same weekend in July and filled cinemas.
• Music: 'Flowers' by Miley Cyrus was the year's best-selling single.
• Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2023

2024

• 2024 - A July general election, the Olympics in Paris and Gavin & Stacey signing off.
• News: Labour won the general election on 4 July and Keir Starmer became Prime Minister.
• Screen: Mr Bates vs The Post Office in January changed government policy within a fortnight.
• Music: Taylor Swift's Eras Tour played London, Edinburgh, Liverpool and Cardiff.
• Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2024

2025

• 2025 - The Lionesses retained the Euros and the Oasis reunion filled the stadiums.
• News: The cost of living and energy bills stayed the dominant domestic story.
• Screen: Adolescence became one of the most-discussed British dramas in years.
• Music: Oasis played their reunion shows in Cardiff, Manchester, London, Edinburgh and Dublin over the summer.
• Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2025

Pop culture milestones of the 2020s

• 2020 - Tiger King and Normal People were the lockdown programmes everybody watched. 'Blinding Lights' by the Weeknd was the year's best-selling single worldwide and a fixture of the UK chart.
• 2021 - Line of Duty's series six finale was watched by over fifteen million people. Olivia Rodrigo's 'Drivers License' and 'Good 4 U' were the breakout records of the year.
• 2022 - Stranger Things, Top Gun: Maverick and The Traitors were the year's talking points. 'As It Was' by Harry Styles was the year's best-selling single and spent ten weeks at number one.
• 2023 - Barbie and Oppenheimer opened on the same weekend in July and filled cinemas. 'Flowers' by Miley Cyrus was the year's best-selling single.
• 2024 - Mr Bates vs The Post Office in January changed government policy within a fortnight. Taylor Swift's Eras Tour played London, Edinburgh, Liverpool and Cardiff.
• 2025 - Adolescence became one of the most-discussed British dramas in years. Oasis played their reunion shows in Cardiff, Manchester, London, Edinburgh and Dublin over the summer.

Holidays and annual dates

• 1 January - New Year's Day, a bank holiday across the UK (2 January too in Scotland).
• 25 January - Burns Night.
• 14 February - Valentine's Day.
• 1 March - St David's Day.
• 17 March - St Patrick's Day.
• Mothering Sunday - the fourth Sunday of Lent, so it moves with Easter (March, sometimes late February).
• Good Friday and Easter Monday - the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after 21 March sets the date.
• 23 April - St George's Day.
• First Monday in May - the early May bank holiday (added in 1978).
• Last Monday in May - the spring bank holiday (fixed to that Monday in 1971).
• Third Sunday in June - Father's Day.
• 12 July - a bank holiday in Northern Ireland.
• First Monday in August - the summer bank holiday in Scotland.
• Last Monday in August - the summer bank holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• 31 October - Halloween.
• 5 November - Bonfire Night.
• 11 November - Armistice Day, with Remembrance Sunday on the second Sunday of the month.
• 30 November - St Andrew's Day, a bank holiday in Scotland.
• 25 and 26 December - Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
• 31 December - New Year's Eve, Hogmanay in Scotland.

Shop birthday cards

How to write it so it lands

• For a guess-the-year round, read the three lines for a year and hide the date.
• For a card, use the year they were born rather than the decade.
• In a reminiscence session, stop on whatever gets a reaction rather than finishing the list.

Where to shop next

• 2020s history: events, politics and culture
• 2020s music: songs, genres and trends
• 2020s films and directors
• 2020s books, films and TV
• 2020s books: novels and authors
• 2020s art: artists and styles
• 2020s fashion: styles, designers and trends
• 2020s food: dishes, restaurants and trends
• 2020s travel: destinations and holidays
• 2020s technology: gadgets and computers
• 2020s shopping guide: what to buy
• 2020s games: board, card and video
• 2020s trivia: fun facts
• 2020s quiz: questions and answers
• 2020s party playlist
• The 2020s: the whole decade
• The decade before: the 2010s
• All decade guides in one place
• Card messages by occasion: every guide in one place
• Card hub: cards, badges and messages by occasion
• Decade history by era
• Decade calendars: every year from 1920
• Decade music: songs, genres and trends
• Decade films: best movies and directors
• Decade books: novels, authors and reading trends
• Decade art: artists, styles and trends
• Decade fashion: styles, designers and trends
• Decade food: dishes, restaurants and eating trends
• Decade travel: destinations and holidays
• Decade technology: gadgets and computers
• Decade shopping guides
• Decade games: board, card and video games by era
• Decade trivia: fun facts by era
• Decade quizzes: questions and answers by era
• Decade trivia game: play for points
• Decade quiz: test your memory
• Shop art prints and posters
• Shop greetings cards
• Shop birthday cards
• Shop funny cards
• Milestone birthday cards
• Nostalgia gift shop
• Retro party supplies
• Look back to 2020
• Look back to 2021
• Look back to 2022
• Look back to 2023
• Look back to 2024
• Look back to 2025
• Viral and TikTok party games
• Phone party games
• How to run a quiz night
• Guess the year quiz
• Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
• Care home reminiscence quiz
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Funny Father's Day cards
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 2020s?

Lockdown, clapping on doorsteps and a year nobody needs reminding of. The calendar above runs through every year from 2020 to 2025, with the main event, the television and film, and the music for each one.

What was on television in the 2020s?

Each year on this page lists what people were watching that year. For the full television and film picture, open the year page itself.

Where do these facts come from?

They are the same checked facts used on our year pages - real, dateable events only. The official UK singles chart begins in November 1952, so earlier years list popular songs rather than chart positions.

Do you sell anything to do with this decade?

We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK, including milestone birthday cards. This page is free to read and free to copy.