The final days of January 2025 produced a remarkable stream of world press photos that, taken together, form a mosaic of human experience: high fashion and ancient ritual, political fury and quiet celebration, sporting endurance and devastating grief. The nineteen images collected here were captured by photojournalists across four continents over roughly a 72-hour window.
Haute Couture and High Style: Paris Fashion Week, Late January 2025
Paris dominated the fashion news cycle as designers unveiled their Spring/Summer 2025 Haute Couture collections at the end of January.
On 28 January 2025, a model walked the Julien Fournie Haute Couture runway, presenting a striking creation photographed by Lewis Joly for AP.
The same day, French-Belgian designer Matthieu Blazy made his highly anticipated debut for Chanel, presenting the house’s Spring/Summer 2025 Haute Couture collection. Teresa Suarez captured the moment for EPA/EFE.
South African singer and songwriter Tyla added star power to the week, posing at a photocall ahead of the Jacquemus Menswear Ready-to-wear Fall/Winter 2025–2026 show on 26 January. Julien de Rosa photographed her for AFP.
World Press Photos January 2025: Protest and Political Unrest
Several of the most powerful frames from this period were shot on the streets, where citizens across the world were making their voices heard.
In Belgrade, Serbia, on 27 January 2025, students organized a 24-hour blockade of a city intersection to demand accountability for the deaths of 15 people killed when a train station canopy collapsed in November. A woman photographed by Darko Vojinovic for AP raised a red glove — a symbol of blood — above the crowd.
Tensions also flared in Barcelona, Catalonia, on 28 January, when protesters clashed with local police over the planned eviction of L’Antiga Escola Massana — the Old Massana School — a building that had been occupied by squatters since 2020. Quique Garcia documented the confrontation for EPA.
In Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, thousands took to the streets on 28 January 2025 to protest the rapid advance of Rwanda-backed M23 rebels into Goma, the capital of eastern Congo. Samy Ntumba Shambuyi captured the demonstration for AP.
Syria’s Reckoning: Uncovering the Past
One of the most sobering images in this collection comes from Sbeneh, Syria, where White Helmets civil defense workers recovered charred human remains from two separate basements on 28 January 2025. The organization stated that the remains belong to at least 26 victims of the Bashar al-Assad regime. Since Assad fled Syria on 8 December 2024 following the collapse of his government, teams have been systematically uncovering mass graves across the country. Omar Albam photographed the grim scene for AP.
Tradition and Festivity Across the Globe
Lunar New Year of the Snake
On 29 January 2025, communities across Asia and beyond welcomed the Lunar New Year of the Snake.
In Banda Aceh, Indonesia, a woman burned incense and offered prayers to mark the occasion, photographed by Chaideer Mahyuddin for AFP.
In Hong Kong, colorful parades filled the streets on the first day of the new year. Peter Parks captured the festivities for AFP.
Up Helly Aa, Shetland
On the last Tuesday of January — the 28th — the Shetland Isles hosted the Up Helly Aa festival in Lerwick. The Jarl Squad led a torchlit procession through the town, one of two such marches held throughout the day. The festival, which dates to the 1880s, celebrates Shetland’s Norse heritage and sees more than 1,000 torches ignited. Jane Barlow photographed the spectacle for PA Wire.
The Zubieta Carnival, Navarre
On 28 January, residents of the neighboring villages of Ituren and Zubieta in the northern Spanish province of Navarre took part in their centuries-old three-day carnival. Participants in grotesque, eerie costumes undertook a ritual pilgrimage between the two villages in a festival rooted in agricultural and sheep-herding traditions. Ander Gillenea photographed the event for AFP.
The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity, Gdańsk
On 27 January, Gdańsk hosted the 33rd Finale of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity — Poland’s beloved annual fundraiser for sick children. Nearly 1,400 volunteers collected donations across the city, raising money specifically for paediatric oncology and haematology. Young girls dressed in folk costumes posed for a photograph by Agnieszka Pazdykiewicz, captured for SOPA Images/Rex Features/Shutterstock.
Barcelona’s Correfoc
On 25 January 2025, the fire beast known as Atzeries unleashed a cascade of sparks during a correfoc fire run in Barcelona’s Gràcia quarter. Matthias Oesterle documented the pyrotechnic spectacle for Alamy Live News.
Commemorating King Charles I, London
On 26 January 2025, members of the English Civil War Society, dressed as the King’s Army, gathered and marched down The Mall in London to commemorate the execution of King Charles I in 1649. Chris J. Ratcliffe photographed the annual reenactment for Reuters.
Australia Day in Sydney
Also on 26 January, the sails of the Sydney Opera House glowed with the artwork River Life, created by Wiradjuri artist James P. Simon to mark Australia Day. Ayush Kumar captured the illumination for AFP.
Sport: The Mamluk Games and a Czech Sled Dog Epic
At the Mamluk Games 2025 in Umm Al Quwain on 27 January, competitor Maymunah Rodrigues demonstrated a remarkable feat of equestrian archery: firing an arrow at a ground target positioned behind the horse to simulate a rearward attack — a skill requiring pinpoint accuracy at full gallop. Antonie Robertson photographed the discipline for The National.
Meanwhile, in the Orlické Mountains on the Czech-Polish border, the Sedivackuv Long 2025 sled dog race was underway from 21 to 25 January. Around 700 dogs and more than 100 mushers from ten countries competed in the 27th edition of the grueling race — the longest of its kind in the Czech Republic and one of the most demanding in all of Europe. A striking image by Martin Divíšek for EPA/EFE shows a dog with heterochromatic eyes resting near the village of Destné v Orlických horách after completing a stage.
Art and Culture
In Istanbul, Turkey, visitors explored the Era of Deluge installation, part of artist Ahmet Güneştekin’s exhibition The Lost Alphabet at the Feshane cultural venue. The show opened on 17 January 2025 and runs until 20 July 2025. Erdem Sahin photographed the scene for EPA/EFE.
Football: Bayern Munich vs. Slovan Bratislava
On 28 January 2025, Slovan Bratislava goalkeeper Matus Macik trained in Munich ahead of the club’s UEFA Champions League opening-phase match against FC Bayern Munich, scheduled for the following day. Matthias Schrader captured the session for AP.
This set of images is part of an ongoing series documenting the most significant press photographs of the year. For more outstanding photojournalism from the same period, explore our Best Press Photos of 2025: Set 10 — January in Focus, or take a look at the Best World Press Photos: Early January 2025 for images from the first days of the month.
Together, these frames remind us why documentary photography endures: not merely as a record of events, but as an unfiltered witness to the full range of what it means to be alive in a complicated world.
