Whether you can believe it or not, we’ll be getting ready to say hello to December at the end of this week.
And that also means in won’t be long before 2024 arrives either.
2023 has been quite the year, and with the working world getting ready to wind down for the festive season, many are no doubt already looking ahead to the new year, and planning all the holidays and time off work they want to book.
Fancy making the most of it though? For those looking to play their cards right and hack the system a little bit, travel insurance price comparison platform PayingTooMuch has worked out a way to secure yourself a whopping 55 days off work using just 25 days of your annual leave allowance – and it’s pretty impressive.
Image: Unsplash
With most full-time employees who work a five-day week having a minimum of 28 days (5.6 weeks) of paid annual leave each year, travel experts at the company have figured out how these people can effectively double their time off in 2024.
Here’s how it works.
January
Saturday 30 December 2023 to Sunday 7 January 2024 – To extend your new year celebrations, you’ll want to book four days off at the start of the year for a total of nine days off.
Easter
Saturday 23 March to Sunday 7 April – With Good Friday falling on 29 March next year, you can enjoy a long Easter break of 16 days by only booking eight days off.
May
Saturday 4 May to Monday 12 May or Saturday 25 May to Sunday 2 June – Thanks to the two bank holidays in May, there’s two ways for you to enjoy nine days off in a row by only using four days of annual leave.
August
Saturday 24 August to Sunday 1 September – Here you can book just four days off in August to gain nine days off for a summer holiday.
December
Saturday 21 December 2024 to Tuesday 1 January 2025 – To end the year on a high and give yourself the chance to properly enjoy the festive period with family and friends, you can book five days of annual leave to gain 12 days off in total.
PayingTooMuch also spoke to Wellbeing Coach Lorna Wilkins to explore the health-boosting benefits of going on holiday and taking time off from work.
“One of the key health benefits of going on holiday is that it reduces stress,” Lorna explains.
“Having a break from your daily routine can make you feel more relaxed and therefore improve your mental wellbeing.
“A change of environment and getting away from the pressures of day-to-day life not only helps you to clear your mind but can also help to improve your sleep quality as you’ll be feeling more relaxed.”
Yes, it’s nearly time for Record Store Day 2026, and the list of the first dozen or so limited edition releases here in the UK has just been announced.
With a fair few familiar and, more importantly, Northern names on there (but of course), #RSDUK26 is set to be another great one.
A total of 15 songs have been named on the lineup for this year so far, and yet again, the drops are in support of War Child, who will also be hosting a number of very special and intimate charity gigs during BRITs Week.
The two organisations have collaborated for the sixth time after having first joined forces back in 2020, and it feels like both the annual observance and its catalogue have only got better ever since.
Plenty that have caught our attention already, and there’s only more set to come…
As detailed in the post on social media, the Record Store Day team have retierated that “£1 from every single copy sold of these releases will be donated to the charity, helping to protect, educate, and stand up for the rights of the children who are living through conflict around the world.”
We quickly noticed the likes of The Cure, Fleetwood Mac, Kaiser Chiefs, Mark Knopfler and Bring Me The Horizon, just to name a few.
Once more, here is the RSD 2026 release list in full:
Record Store Day release list | 2026
Corinne Bailey Rae – Live In New York
The Cure – Greatest Hits and Acoustic Hits (compilations)
Divorce – Live at Get Together 2025 for War Child
Dr Feelgood – Oily City Confidential (OST)
Fleetwood Mac – The Original Fleetwood Mac (compilation)
James Dean Bradfield – The Great Western
Kaiser Chiefs – The Future Is Medieval
Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris – ‘All The Roadrunning’
Nicky Wire – Intimism
Primal Scream – Echo Dek
Rory Gallagher – Calling Card
Sigrid x BMTH – ‘Bad Life’
The Streets – Computers & Blues
The Vaccines – What Did You Expect…. Demos and B-sides
As always, all of these titles will be available behind the counter exclusively at indie record shops all over the country on Saturday, 18 April to celebrate Record Store Day UK 2026.
Bad Bunny: What you need to know for Super Bowl halftime show
Thomas Melia
Global superstar Bad Bunny is headlining the Super Bowl halftime show and we're giving you the rundown about this reigning reggaeton artist.
Born in Puerto Rico, Benito Antonio, now more widely recognised by artist moniker Bad Bunny, is a Spanish-speaking act who has transported modern-day reggaeton from Latin America to all new heights.
The Puerto Rican powerhouse has only ever visited the UK once, performing at O2 Forum Kentish Town in London, seven years ago back in 2018, as part of his first ever world tour titled La Nueva Religión.
Since then, El Benito has dropped seven full-length studio albums and nine musical projects overall, which have all helped establish him as a major force to be reckoned with in the music industry.
Alongside his musical career, Bad Bunny has seen himself at the forefront of various pop culture moments thanks to his innovative fashion sense and notable charm.
Bad Bunny is headlining the Super Bowl halftime show on 8 February / Credit: Press Shot via Apple Music(Supplied) / Unsplash via Naveen Venkatesan (Supplied)
What iconic moments is Bad Bunny known for?
With his first album X 100Pre (Forever) dropping back in 2018, Bad Bunny has spent almost a hefty eight years in the limelight, so it will come as no surprise that there's plenty of iconic moments you might remember.
Bad Bunny as a Drag Queen - To coincide with the release of his single 'Yo Perreo Sola' (I Twerk Alone), Benito stepped into unchartered territory, debuting three different Drag personas to combat toxic masculinity in the reggaeton music scene.
WWE - Benito is a huge fan of wrestling. He first appeared for a performance at the Royal Rumble in 2021, before returning later that year and teaming up with Damian Priest to take down The Miz and John Morrison.
VMA Performance - The Latin multi-hyphenate made headlines in 2022 after kissing a male dancer on-stage. Both fans and media outlets stated the performance harked back to Madonna's similar showcase two decades prior - Watch Bad Bunny's kiss HERE (skip to 2:50).
Met Gala - Well-recognised for its glamourous and glitzy outfits, the Met Gala brings together A-Listers for a showcase of all things fashion. Bad Bunny was styled by fashion house Jacquemus and wore a backless suit with a 26 foot train.
The Super Bowl is a huge accomplishment for all artists, now Bad Bunny joins the headlining roster / Credit: Jorge Rojas via Unsplash (Supplied)
SNL - The LATAM star has appeared on American comedy sketch-show SNL numerous times, both as an artist and as a part-time comedian. In 2023, Bad Bunny and Pedro Pascal became an overprotective aunty and mum duo and had crowds laughing uncontrollably.
Carpool Karaoke - James Corden's nighttime show segment was welcomed into the reggaeton world courtesy of Bad Bunny. However, it's his cover of 'Break Free' by Ariana Grande where he discusses it's the first English-spoken song he ever learnt that had people falling in love with him.
Coachella - This desert-based music festival is known for its large-scale productions and in the early summer of 2023, Bad Bunny became the first Spanish-singing artist to headline this mega music celebration.
No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí - Translating to 'I don't want to leave here', this was the title of his Puerto Rico residency. As well as creating lifelong memories for fans, this 31 date experience also boosted the economy of his home country.
What songs will Bad Bunny perform at his Super Bowl halftime show?
With 28 songs over one billion streams, Bad Bunny is going to have a tricky time deciphering which of his hits to include in his upcoming halftime show performance.
His most recognisable album is the beach-inspired Un Verano Sin Ti (A Summer Without You) which features six tracks with over one billion streams, so it's safe to say this LP is guaranteed some love.
The latest addition to El Benito's discography DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (I Should've Taken More Photos) might also steal the spotlight due to its focus on exploring traditional Puerto Rican sounds.
And, after reconciling late last year, Bad Bunny might take his friendship with J Balvin to Super Bowl status, performing songs from their collaborative album OASIS as well as their Cardi B link-up 'I Like It'.
The Hoot's Bad Bunny Super Bowl setlist predicition:
NUEVAYoL
Tití Me Preguntó/ Me Porto Bonito/ Moscow Mule (Medley)
Dákiti
I Like It (With Cardi B and J Balvin)
La Canción (With J Balvin)
Callaíta (With Tainy)
Un x100to (With Grupo Frontera)
Baile Inolvidable
Super Bowl halftime show performances normally contain around 10 songs and the setlist is very tight-lipped, however, it's always fun to throw out a predicition or two before the event on Sunday 8 February.
Which special guests will join Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show line-up?
Bad Bunny has worked with a multitude of artists from reggaeton sidekicks to pop supremes like Jennifer Lopez, Dua Lipa and Drake.
Although it's highly unlikely these big names will all be free at the same time, when it comes to the Super Bowl anything is possible.
The 'Tití Me Preguntó' songwriter is heading to the UK for the second time ever in his career, for his Debí Tirar Más FotosWorld Tour and he's chosen Tottenham Hotspur as the location for this huge cultural moment.
If you're wondering where to get tickets, you have two chances to watch this superstar in his element as he's performing on June 27 - Tickets HERE and June 28 - Tickets HERE.
Hopefully now you've discovered more about who this Latin American artist is so you're not left clueless when the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots take a quick 15 minutebreak mid-game.
Featured Images - Press Shot via Apple Music(Supplied) / Unsplash via Naveen Venkatesan (Supplied)/ Jorge Rojas via Unsplash (Supplied)
Emily Sergeant -
27th November 2023 
