Listen: what are the 2026 hobby trends?

Reading is set to be the hot new hobby trend for 2026 as calming traditional pastimes, make a comeback. 

A poll of 2,000 adults revealed the top sought after interests for the year ahead, including learning a new language, meditation and creative writing.  

Books are having a resurgence, coming first in the list, while listening to audio books took eleventh place and a goal this year for 29% is to read a book per week or month.  

The research, commissioned by National Rail on behalf of the rail industry, found a third want to take up a new hobby in order to be creative, while 35% simply want to learn a new skill and 28% hope to use their spare time efficiently.

Aston spoke to consumer behaviour expert Dr Amna Khan.