Signals

UK – For 2025, Glastonbury’s Shangri-La is stepping away from digital channels and towards analogue connection, as the late-night area undergoes a thematic reinvention called The Wilding. Embracing the values of slowing down, disconnecting from online noise and connecting in person, the space is redefining how it engages its community.

In a deliberate break from tradition, Shangri-La withheld its line-up from social media, instead hand-delivering it to those who signed up for early access; publicly available information was then made available on 16 April. A long-term strategy promises that all future updates, secrets and line-up additions will be shared via a dedicated newsletter, rather than social platforms. Branded Sign Up for Joy, the newsletter encourages a slower, more intentional form of cultural participation.

The move aligns with wider shifts in nightlife and entertainment, where interest is pivoting from intimate club nights to large-scale festivals and touring experiences. It also supports rising consumer demand for sustainability and more meaningful engagements – values Glastonbury has long championed. Rather than adding more tech, Shangri-La is taking it away – using reduced digital presence and deeper immersion in nature as tools for sustainable innovation.

As explored in our Designing Nightlife report, a new wave of eco-conscious venues and experiences is emerging, where cultural spaces prioritise environmental impact without compromising creativity.

US – Despite growing industry interest in AI-generated journalism, a new poll from Poynter and the University of Minnesota reveals widespread public scepticism.   

Surveying 1,128 Americans in March 2025, the research found that nearly half (49%) expressed no interest in AI-powered tools that summarise or deliver news content. Meanwhile, 30% said they had ‘no confidence at all’ in news organisations using AI to write articles, and 32% were equally concerned about AI-generated images. 

Despite assumptions that readers are warming up to generative tech, the survey unveils a sense of public distrust – a sentiment compounded by misinformation concerns and years of political rhetoric undermining media credibility. 

In The Synthocene Era, we unpacked how the rise of AI-driven technologies such as deepfakes and a lack of effective regulation are eroding consumer trust and having an impact on the adoption of AI in certain sectors, such as journalism.