The 10 most-read arts and culture stories of 2025: Micro Center, SpaceX and Labubus

At a time when the world was feeling extra unhinged, many Valley residents searched for escape in 2025. Phoenix New Times helped map out these detours from reality.

Over the past 12 months, readers chased nostalgia, geeked out over long-awaited openings and found joy through sought-after collectibles and page-turning books.

They also looked skyward for a sense of wonder. Locals eagerly searched for info on a rare lunar eclipse, a return appearance by the northern lights and SpaceX rockets blazing across Arizona nights.

Here are Phoenix New Times’ 10 most-read arts and culture stories of 2025.

10. Micro Center might finally be opening a Phoenix store. What to know

Phoenix’s tech scene went gaga in May after New Times broke the news that Micro Center was finally landing in the Valley. After years of pleading, local gamers, PC builders and makers got their wish. Months later, the 35,000-square-foot store debuted near 44th Street and Thomas Road. Stocked with GPUs, CPUs, 3D printers, Raspberry Pi kits and impulse buys galore, the self-described “tech-heaven” drew lines from day one. And the bank accounts of nerds statewide crashed harder than a Windows 98 PC.

9. Photos: Beloved Fiesta Mall in Mesa over the years

Mesa’s Fiesta Mall will always be a treasured place for generations of East Valley residents. The now-demolished retail landmark at Southern Avenue and Alma School Road, demolished in 2023, was the stuff of suburban legend. Local mall rats, countless shoppers and weekend wanderers all spent time within its sprawling interior. When New Times dropped a nostalgic photo retrospective in January, memories came flooding back as readers devoured the story. Current plans for the 80-acre property involve a health campus and sports venue.

8. 2025 Phoenix Tovrea Castle fall tickets lottery: What to know

There’s a certain charm and mystery to Tovrea Castle. The wedding cake-shaped landmark near 52nd Street and Van Buren has loomed over Phoenix for nearly a century. Commuters spot it daily along the Loop 202 freeway and still wonder what’s inside. Since the castle remains largely closed to the public, getting inside is a matter of luck. Would-be visitors must enter a twice-yearly lottery for spring and fall public tours and demand is always massive. The next one is set for June. May the odds be in your favor.

7. Photos: SpaceX rocket launch over Phoenix dazzles Valley

When SpaceX launches a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Arizona often gets to witness the spectacle. That was the case in February, when a Falcon 9 launch streaked across post-sunset skies over Phoenix and elsewhere. The glowing, jellyfish-like plume grabbed attention statewide and New Times readers were eager to see the photos. It wasn’t a one-off. SpaceX rockets were visible over Arizona on the regular.

6. Where to find Labubus in Phoenix

Labubus took over the internet in 2025. The grinning, rabbit-like collectible dolls exploded in popularity, spiking searches and selling out fast on eBay and resale sites. TikTok fueled the frenzy, while Instagram Reels and unboxing videos pushed demand even higher. Never one to miss a cultural moment, New Times dropped a Labubu guide in June. Readers flocked to it for everything to know about Labubus, including where to find Labubus in Phoenix and how to spot legit drops.

5. Can you see the northern lights in Arizona again tonight?

Arizonans enjoyed a rare cosmic flex in mid-November when the northern lights returned to the desert skies. A powerful geomagnetic storm from the sun pushed the aurora far south of its usual range. As a result, the Arizona night lit up with glowing shades of red, purple and pink. Northern Arizona cities like Flagstaff, Prescott and Sedona saw the best views. Even parts of the Valley caught a fleeting glimpse of the aurora borealis and its majesty.

4. Total lunar eclipse: When to see in Arizona on Thursday

Back in March, a blood moon total lunar eclipse loomed over North America for the first time since 2022. The rare celestial event that happens every few years gives the moon an eerie reddish glow and is a sight to behold for skywatchers. Arizona got a taste of it as clear skies allowed locals to check out the awe-inspiring sight.

3. Downtown Phoenix gets new ‘Swamp King’ Trump billboard on Grand Avenue

The towering billboard along Grand Avenue near 10th Avenue has long served as a canvas for anti-Trump art. Since 2016, the work of California artist Karen Fiorito has skewered Donald Trump in brutal fashion. Over the years, she’s depicted him as a giant baby, Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s puppet or flanked by swastika-like dollar signs. Her latest piece, “Swamp King,” debuted in July. It showed a shirtless Trump wearing a crooked crown while stuck in a trash-strewn bog and surrounded by a wrecked Cybertruck, nuclear mushroom cloud and MAGA gator. The response to the billboard was instant and explosive, to say the least.

2. Former Phoenix Fry’s Electronics store’s fixtures now up for auction

Fry’s Electronics stores may be long gone, but the nostalgia still hits hard. The defunct tech chain’s over-the-top themed locations remain beloved, especially the now-demolished North Phoenix store resembling an Aztec pyramid. (It even landed a cameo on “Mr. Robot” in 2016.) When New Times reported in August that remnants of the store’s décor, shelving and leftover tech were up for auction, readers swarmed. The hottest item was a 10-foot Aztec snake statue, snagged by local architect Wesley James for $1,400 and earmarked for possible use in a future bar.

1. 9 books to read before their 2025 movie adaptations debut

Over the summer, New Times contributor and author Ofelia Montelongo hand-picked nine books worth cracking before their 2025 movie and TV adaptations hit big and small screens. She spotlighted engrossing reads like Julia Whelan’s romance novel “My Oxford Year” and Freida McFadden’s psychological thriller “The Housemaid.” Much like those books, readers devoured it. The piece became one of New Times’ most-read stories of 2025, drawing hundreds of thousands of looks.