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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Environment
Brigid Delaney

Cities sweltering and the smell of the middle ages: has the climate crisis killed Instagram’s Euro summer?

A youth drinks from a can near the Eiffel Tower during hot weather on 24 June 2026 in Paris, France
A youth drinks from a can near the Eiffel Tower during hot weather in June in Paris, France. This summer broke temperature records in western Europe and made for an uncomfortable travel experience for hundreds of millions of tourists. Photograph: Annice Lyn/Getty Images

This week the Euro summer comes to an end – and so does a certain type of posting on Instagram.

Waiting at the bus stop in the grey winter dawn, a slanting rain soaking your trouser leg, you can warm yourself by scrolling your feed and seeing pictures of Australians enjoying a Euro summer. There it is again – azure Greek coves, plates of barbecued sardines, the yachts rented by the hour, and selfies on the balcony of some Paris Airbnb, drinking wine in the long, blue night.

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