2025’s biggest trends in technology, lifestyle, food, travel and fashion

Travel

Video game tourism Move over film tourism. Gamers are now flocking to locations where their favourite games are set. For example, fans of Assassin’s Creed are travelling to destinations like the Colosseum in Rome, and Notre Dam.

Travel for love Yes, that’s a thing. And it’s not just the Gen Z or Millennials who are taking the plunge. Dating apps and matrimonial sites are passe. People now want to make connections in real life. They want their meet-cute while on vacation.

Reset retreats After yoga vacations and spa holidays, these retreats promise to not just recharge travellers, but to increase resilience, purpose and longevity and reset our biological rhythms. Travel is all set to be all about disconnecting from the everyday humdrum, retreating into a cocoon and reworking the way you eat, sleep, and exercise.

Fashion

Animal prints are back There is no escaping them this year. Leopard, tiger, cheetah, zebra, Dalmatian… these busy prints are turning wardrobes into a menagerie. From skirts, coats, and dresses in suede, velvet, silk to jeans with loud animal prints, it’s louder than ever.

Bubble skirts and bubble-hem dresses will have a moment. This trend that made its debut in the 1950s has made repeated comebacks over the last few decades. You saw elegant Princess Diana wearing one at the Cannes Festival in 1987. Now recently Zendaya, Kylie Jenner, and Blackpink’s Rosé are joining in.

Food

Micro restaurants Look forward to intimate dining as chefs and restauranteurs set up smaller spaces which allow them to specialise, experiment and cater to niche audiences. We will also see the rise of cosy supper clubs, as smaller groups gather for thematically planned dinners. Look forward to making connections over candlelight.

South Indian food goes global Dosas are already a hit, and Alappuzha’s red fish curry is next in line, alongside Madurai’s mutton chukka. From New York to London, expect to see more restaurants, food festivals and pop ups celebrating authentic regional recipes for a growing, and increasingly appreciative, Western audience.

A tequila sunrise While the sober-curious continue to experiment with zero spirits, the International Wine and Spirits Research (IWSR) says that tequila continues to snag markets world over. The calorie-conscious particularly prefer this form of alcohol as it acclimates well in a cocktail glass. A picante was surely cheered on New Year’s. 

Technology

Bitcoin bubble It sounds crazy, but bitcoins are likely to hit $200,000 given US President-elect Donald Trump plans to adopt Bitcoin as part of the US strategic reserves. The price of the cryptocurrency has gained 44% since Trump won the US presidential election. Institutional investors like Bernstein Private Wealth Management also predict the price of Bitcoin will double by the end of 2025.

Smarter phones? By the end of 2024, only select iPhone models and some flagship Android devices were shipped with generative AI features. This could change in 2025 as several smartphone makers will launch mid-range handsets infused with AI features coupled with upgrades to camera, battery and processor.

Chatbots go personal As AI becomes more entrenched in our daily digital lives, chatbot-based services will become more personalised. Fine-tuned natural language processing AI models will be better equipped to handle complex customer queries. These chatbots will also be trained on emotional intelligence parameters so they can connect with customers.

Finance

Girl Math This playful, yet controversial topic in personal finance took social media by storm this year. While it gave rise to a lot of debate about the logic of justifying big spends, experts believed that it is still important because it got people talking about their spending habits. It could translate into a healthier conversation about investments and savings.

Soft savings 2024 was the year of experiences with people travelling for concerts, sports and more. The goals in life have moved from homeownership and comfortable retirement to experiencing life in the moment. This trend has seen the rise in short term investments and saving for the purpose of spending on experiences, rather than long term.

Books

Consider me, influenced Social media personalities and stand up comedians will continue to snag book deals as publishers will attempt to cash in on the influencers’ followers count.

The translated word With South Korean author Han Kang winning the Nobel Prize in Literature and the cascading interest that Hallyu has had on literature from the country, translations are in the spotlight. Japanese and Korean healing fiction set in bookstores, laundromats, and even department stores will also amass more fans.

Cinema

Multi-verses The universe-building of the last few years is primed to explode in 2025. The YRF spy-verse will get its first female-led entry in Alpha, while Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR will face off — and, in all likelihood, dance off — in War 2. The horror universe of Maddock Films (Stree 2, Bhediya) is inching towards its endgame. Meanwhile, there are also a dozen sequels in the works in Telugu and Tamil, as filmmakers explore new worlds. Are you ready?

The superhero rises After arguably the worst year in cinematic history for comic book cinema, 2025 is do or die for superhero movies with major Marvel and DC titles like Thunderbolts, Fantastic Four, Superman, Captain America: Brave New World and more looking to break through the rug.

Videogame heroes Owing to the breakout success of The Last of Us, Fallout and Arcane in putting the ‘videogame adaptation curse’ to rest, the year will witness big screen adaptations of many popular videogame franchises like Minecraft, Silent Hill, Mortal Kombat and more.

Fitness

At your own pace Running clubs across the country are becoming hotbeds for dating. In 2024, Puma and Bumble got together to host a singles-only running event. According to Bumble’s recent survey, nearly three in four Indians (72%) would be open to go on a sports-themed first date and as many as 44% consider lack of interest in sport, a deal breaker.

Music

Concert for the weekend With Ed Sheeran and Coldplay all set to tour India in the first half of 2025, one can only expect more big musical acts to make a beeline for India through the year. Concert FOMO is well and truly a thing! Expect to spend more time online trying to snag your tickets — fastest fingers first.

No filter Raw, unfiltered lyrics and a high-energy club aesthetic will take over pop music in 2025. Gen Z listeners value unconventional gig experiences, and so, concepts like the Kitchen Rave in Mumbai — where the lines between a DJ booth and a chef’s station are blurred — are surely the way forward.

Art

Biophilic art In increasingly urbanised spaces, people will seek out bits of Nature, attempting to make sanctuaries out of their homes. Nature-inspired art, with earthy tones and botanical themes, will be preferred over dark themes. Think Claude Monet’s Waterlillies. A soft, natural colour palette with mineral honey and light peach that evokes springtime and sunsets or a fun, energetic palette with versatile shades of blue are likely to rule the year.

Fair play It is the year of the Indian art fair. Fairs scheduled for 2025 will move away from the masters and into digital art (AI, too) to cater to second and third generation collectors with global influences and a wide exposure to social media. Following a marketplace format, these fairs catalyse a young, collectors’ community that is deeply knowledgeable about art.

Decor

Primary play This year, we ditch the basics and revive the whimsy of childhood creativity in home design. We will see the embracing of bold red, yellow, and blue, alongside playful patterns. Think curved furniture, funky murals, asymmetrical decor, and whimsical patterns that will create spaces reminiscent of childhood art projects.

Wellness at the core The emphasis on personal health and well-being is only going to peak this year and home designs will see dedicated wellness spaces taking centrestage. From home gyms and yoga studios to meditation rooms and spas, these spaces will focus on bringing calm to everyday life.