But come on. Something good has to happen in 2021, right?
Lots of things that were canceled in 2020 are back this year. Provisionally. And many mundane activities that we previously took for granted can slowly come back into our lives, like cuddling and not being worried about getting on a plane. PROVISIONALLY.
If all goes well, we can dare to look forward to these notable spots in 2021.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics have been put on hold due to the pandemic, but are now scheduled for July 2021. It may not look like past Olympics – IOC says it will be a “simpler, more restrained approach “- but it won. This does not prevent us from indulging in the collective joy of pretending to know how gymnastics is rated.
2. Eurovision Song Contest
Do you remember the concerts? Do you remember the music shows? Do you remember seeing large undulating crowds of overly energetic people enjoying the vibes without caring about the world? These may return, and that includes the hugely popular Eurovision Song Contest, which has been postponed from 2020. Contest organizers say there will “certainly be a Eurovision Song Contest in 2021”. It is currently scheduled for May in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
3. NASA’s Perseverance rover lands on Mars
Mars will have a new inhabitant when NASA’s Perseverance rover lands in February. Like its charming rover predecessors in the Mars exploration program, Perseverance will undoubtedly have quite a bit of Earth-related fandom rooting it in. Is it because we like to anthropomorphize complex robotics, or is it because we secretly wish that we, too, could be kicked out of this Earth to another planet?
4. Travel and large gatherings
Raise your hand if the most exotic spectacle you’ve seen this year is literally something outside of your own home. Even if you don’t plan on having a huge getaway once the pandemic improves, the idea that you might do is quite heartwarming. And you know what better than a vacation? A nice and big meeting (sure) between friends. Hopefully we will all remember how to socialize.
5. Generalized immunity against Covid-19
Of course, for these exciting things to happen, we need safe pandemic practices and a Covid-19 vaccine accessible to all. Several countries are starting to put in place vaccination plans and it appears that further vaccine authorizations are underway. It’s going to take a while – experts say we may not see any semblance of “normal” until the second half of the year. But, oh, it’ll be worth the wait.
6. UEFA Euro Championship
The quadrennial soccer tournament was supposed to be held in 2020, and it was supposed to be a special tournament marking the 60th anniversary of the competition. But don’t worry, it will always be special when it debuts this summer! Instead of a host region, the games will take place in 12 host countries across Europe, from Spain to Romania to Russia.
7. T20 Cricket World Cup
In other sports news, the International Cricket Council T20 Men’s World Cup will return – postponed from 2020, of course – to India in the fall. Americans, if you need a primer before dipping your toe into the waters of fandom cricket, say no more.
8. The 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World
Speaking of milestones, October 1 will mark Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary. The park will also unveil many new things to do, including a “Ratatoiulle” attraction, a “Guardians of the Galaxy” walk and a “Tron” walk.
9 New climate policies and actions
2020 was supposed to be the year that global climate plans were implemented. But … they didn’t. Maybe next year will be better! The EU has sealed plans to cut carbon emissions and invest billions in clean energy alternatives. China, the world’s biggest polluter, has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2060. Japan, South Korea and Canada have all made similar pledges when it comes to cutting fossil fuels. And we might see more silver liners at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland in November.
10. The presidential inauguration
Whatever your policy, a presidential nomination is a piece of history. All eyes will therefore be on the United States in January when Joe Biden takes over the presidential office. Kamala Harris, meanwhile, will make all kinds of history when she takes office as the first woman and first woman of color to become vice president.
11. New TV shows
If you have Netflix all there is to Netflix, fear not! It will be a very successful television year. The long-awaited reunion of “Friends” will be broadcast in March. A “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” reboot is coming to Peacock, Netflix is developing a live-action version of the classic “Cowboy Bebop” anime. ET Disney + is dropping what looks like a million new shows and concepts. No matter what happens with your social calendar, your TV watch calendar is definitely busy.
12. New films
Where to start? Take a deep breath: “Dune” with Timothée Chalamet! “” Cinderella “with Billy Porter! A new” Coming to America “with Eddie Murphy! A new Bond movie,” No Time to Die! “A new” Fantastic Beasts! ““ Black Widow! ”Oh, and Warner Brothers will be releasing their new movies on HBO Max the same day they hit theaters. Wait, we’re missing something …
13. Tom Cruise goes to Spaaace
In addition to starring in the upcoming “Top Gun: Maverick”,
Tom Cruise will fly away – literally – when he’s working on the first narrative film to be shot in space. With the help of NASA and SpaceX Elon Musk, Cruise will travel to the International Space Station to work on the project this year.
14. The largest brood of cicadas
Hope you like the bugs because billions of them will take over parts of the United States when Brood X, the largest and most extensive of the 15 broods of American cicadas, emerges from the ground in the spring. It’s a unique event in 17 years, folks! It’s a cultural moment! It will take months for the crunchy crunch sound to come out of their abandoned shells in your head. But hey, you can learn a thing or two about cicadas, and that’s invaluable knowledge.
15. 6G
Now is the time to confess if you don’t know what terms like 4G, 5G, and 6G actually mean. It refers to different generations of technological standards for cellular networks. In other words, it is the level at which your cell phone, the Internet, and many other telecommunications architectures operate. This is why a lot of people were excited about 5G. Call quickly! Post all things! Less painful Zoom meetings! Well, things are going to get even faster and better as more 5G networks appear around the world. And Japan and Korea are already working on 6G capabilities. This next generation will help improve things like telecommuting and distance learning, as well as more futuristic activities like holograms and virtual and augmented reality.
16. Artificial intelligence. All over.
AI technology has been a huge focal point for some time now, but in 2021 we will see it pop up in even more places. And no, not in a creepy “Black Mirror” way. Imagine, for example, all that AI can do to help us interpret and use medical and scientific data though. You know, just in case a massive pandemic happens. AI is also helping more businesses make smarter decisions about customer behavior. Wilson Pang, chief technology officer at Appen, told Forbes he hopes 2021 will see more companies tackle the troubling issues of bias in AI technologies, so innovators can develop AI from responsible manner.
17. Delivery by drone
Walmart, Amazon, UPS, and other companies are stepping up their drone game, so don’t be surprised if packages start landing on your doorstep soon. The Federal Aviation Administration has just released new “unmanned aircraft” rules that will advance “the integration of drones into the national airspace system”. Amazon’s drone delivery service Prime Air gained FAA leadership earlier in 2020.
18. The Queen of England turns 95
Queen Elizabeth II is already the longest-serving monarch in British history and in 2021 she will celebrate an equally impressive achievement: turning 95! Her birthday is April 21. She probably doesn’t need any presents, but we hope our British friends will do something extraordinary to celebrate. During this time, we will be watching “The Crown”.
19. Long-awaited concerts
Nostalgia is going to have a good year in 2021 with all the reboots, remakes and reunions. Could we have another fix with a potential Spice Girls World Tour? There have been rumors about a 25th anniversary tour, and Spice Girl Mel C herself has hinted that it could happen. Meanwhile, the Doobie Brothers will hit the road for their 50th anniversary tour in July. Celine Dion, Guns N ‘Roses, Harry Styles and dozens of other artists plan to return to the arena stage as the year goes on.
20. New albums
Want your music a little more socially distanced? Evanescence, Kendrick Lamar, Kacey Musgraves, Lorde, Cardi B, Adele, the Foo Fighters and The Cure are all confirmed or rumored to release new albums this year.
21. Hugs 🙁
Come on, 2021. Please leave this one to us.