The world press photos of 2025 continue to reveal the full spectrum of human experience — grief, celebration, conflict, creativity, and faith — all captured within the span of a few extraordinary days. This collection brings together 18 compelling images shot between January 30 and February 2, 2025, by photojournalists from AP, Reuters, AFP, Getty Images, and EPA across four continents.
Tragedy and Tribute: A Memorial in Arlington
One of the most affecting world press photos from this period comes from Arlington, Virginia, where Roberto Marquez of Dallas erected a row of crosses to honour the 67 victims of a midair collision between a U.S. Army helicopter and an American Airlines jet.
Photographed by Carolyn Kaster for AP on February 1, 2025, the image shows Marquez placing flowers at the makeshift memorial while a plane climbs into the sky above Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport — a quietly devastating juxtaposition.
Art and Architecture: Barcelona’s Casa Batlló Transformed
On the same evening, Antoni Gaudí’s iconic Casa Batlló facade in Barcelona became a canvas for a sweeping digital video-mapping display. Bruna Casas captured the spectacle for Reuters on February 1, 2025, showing the building ablaze with projected light and colour.
Conflict Zones: Jenin and Kharkiv Under Fire
Photojournalists documented two separate instances of destruction within hours of each other. In the West Bank, smoke billowed over the Jenin refugee camp on February 2, 2025, after the Israeli army detonated explosives in buildings it said were used by Palestinian militants. The image was taken by Majdi Mohammed for AP.
Hundreds of kilometres away, emergency responders picked through the wreckage of a civilian factory in Kharkiv, Ukraine, struck by a Russian drone on February 2, 2025. According to the State Emergency Service, no one was injured in the attack. Sergey Kozlov documented the aftermath for EPA/EFE.
Culture and Celebration Across the Globe
Grammy Awards 2025: Chappell Roan’s Powerful Statement
At the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025, pop star Chappell Roan used her red carpet moment to honour queer and transgender communities.
“I would not be here without trans girls. Just know that pop music is thinking about you and cares about you.”
Gilbert Flores photographed Roan for Billboard/Getty Images in what became one of the night’s most talked-about appearances.
Brazil’s First Indigenous Cinema Opens in Manaus
On February 1, 2025, the state of Amazonas marked a historic milestone with the inauguration of Cine Aldeia — the first cinema established within an indigenous territory. Michael Dantas photographed an indigenous woman holding a smoking ceremonial pot during the opening event in Manaus for AFP.
Fasnacht in Austria: Bears Take to the Streets
In the Austrian town of Telfs, a participant in a bear costume took part in the traditional Schleicherlaufen procession on February 2, 2025 — a centuries-old Shrovetide (Fasnacht) custom. Leonhard Foeger captured the scene for Reuters.
FireAid Concert: St. Vincent on Stage for Los Angeles
American musician St. Vincent performed at the FireAid benefit concert in Inglewood, California, on January 30, 2025. The event was organised to raise funds for communities devastated by the Los Angeles wildfires. Daniel Cole photographed the performance for Reuters.
Robots at Beijing’s Spring Festival Fair
At the Spring Festival Science and Technology Temple Fair in Beijing on January 31, 2025, an array of robots drew large crowds celebrating the Chinese New Year. Pedro Pardo captured the scene for AFP — a vivid symbol of China’s technological ambitions woven into a traditional festive context.
Chinese New Year Fire Spectacle in Shanxi
Also in China, a folk artist performed the dramatic Huohu (fire pot) ritual at Yuncheng Salt Lake Scenic Area in Shanxi Province on January 31, 2025. Hovering on a flyboard, the artist shook iron nets filled with hot charcoals to produce cascades of sparks — one of many Spring Festival performances taking place across the country. Yan Xin photographed the display for VCG/Getty Images.
Sports: Neymar Returns to Santos
Brazilian football icon Neymar was officially presented as a Santos player at the Urbano Caldeira Stadium in Santos, São Paulo, on January 31, 2025. According to the club’s vice president, Neymar signed a six-month contract with Santos — the club where he began his professional career — following an underwhelming stint in Saudi Arabian football. Nelson Almeida documented the occasion for AFP.
Theatre and Satire: Hong Kong’s Trump Play
A promotional cutout for the sold-out satirical production “Trump, the Twins President” — featuring Hong Kong actor Loong Koon-tin as US President Donald Trump — was photographed by Peter Parks for AFP on January 31, 2025. The nearly four-hour show, staged at the Sunbeam Theatre from February 1–3, opens with Richard Nixon’s 1972 meeting with Mao Zedong and follows Trump as he searches for a lost Chinese twin, with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un also making an appearance.
Art and Environment: Thomas Dambo’s California Troll
Danish sculptor Thomas Dambo completed his first California-based Troll on January 31, 2025, in Solvang, California. Constructed over ten days inside the Tower Gallery at the California Nature Art Museum, the large-scale figure was built entirely from recycled wood pallets, wine barrels, and other reclaimed materials. It is Dambo’s first indoor Troll among more than 150 such sculptures created worldwide. George Rose photographed it for Getty Images.
Crisis and Conflict: Goma and Somalia
In Goma, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, residents walked past rows of charred vehicles on January 31, 2025 — a stark visual record of ongoing violence in the region. Moses Sawasawa captured the scene for AP.
Meanwhile, in Bosasso in Somalia’s Bari Region, Puntland Security Forces paraded newly trained soldiers and military equipment on January 30, 2025, as part of efforts to counter ISIS in the area. Feisal Omar photographed the display for Reuters.
Fashion and Flowers: Culture in Seville and Bogotá
At Simof 2025 — the International Flamenco Fashion Show in Seville — a model presented a design by Isabel Japon on January 31, 2025. Cristina Quicler photographed the vibrant runway moment for AFP.
In Bogotá, Colombia, the “Flowers of the Andes” facility was a hive of activity on January 31, 2025, as workers packed blooms destined for markets around the world. Colombia ranks among the world’s largest flower exporters, and the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day on February 14 represent the industry’s peak demand period. Raul Arboleda documented the scene for AFP.
Faith and Community: Layene Brotherhood in Senegal
On January 30, 2025, in Ngor, Senegal, members of the Layene brotherhood gathered in white robes near a sacred grotto — a site they believe to be where their prophet received divine inspiration. Wearing white to symbolise both purity and equality before God, the community’s gathering was photographed by Annika Hammerschlag for AP.
A Week the World Witnessed
From a grief-stricken roadside memorial in Arlington to a fire-art performance above a Chinese salt lake, this set of images illustrates the astonishing breadth of events unfolding across the planet in a single week. If you are drawn to this kind of documentary photography, explore more in our coverage of the best press photos of January 2025 and the most compelling images from early January 2025.
Each photograph in this collection is a testament to the work of the photojournalists who put themselves in the field — capturing moments of beauty, sorrow, defiance, and wonder so the rest of the world does not have to look away.
