Festivals

Nadaam Festival

Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar

The Nadaam festival, or eriyn gurvan nadaam, is the biggest festival of the year for Mongolians. Usually occuring in July, it runs for three days in all parts of the country and highlights the greatest athletes in horse racing, archery, and wrestling: Mongolia's most popular sports. Women participate in all but the wrestling category. The word Nadaam means game or competition in Mongolian. Competitions take place days on the first two and merry-making is reserved ...

more...

Notting Hill Carnival

United Kingdom, London

Second only to Rio de Janeiro, Notting Hill Carnival is one of the world\'s greatest street festivals. A world-class example of diversity that celebrates ethnic diversity and freedom through music, movement and masquerade making this uniquely cosmopolitan part of London come alive in a vibrant kaleidoscope of colour, sound and aroma. More than a million visitors can be expected to watch the thousands of artists perform over the two-day August bank holiday. The weekend is the ...

more...

Dragon Boat Festival

China, Beijing

The Chinese Dragon Boat Festival is a significant holiday celebrated in China, and the one with the longest history. Dragon Boat races are the most exciting part of the festival, drawing crowds of spectators. They commemorate Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet who drowned on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month in 277 B.C. Chinese citizens now throw bamboo leaves filled with cooked rice into the water. Therefore the fish could eat the rice rather ...

more...

Le Off Avignon Theatre Festival

France, Avignon

Bazaar, party, fair, a theatre supermarket, the Festival Off is all that and more. During the 4 weeks of the festival, the living arts take over the city, theatres flourish in the bosom of the city, sometimes in some improbable locations, and the number of shows offered may seem inordinate to the simple spectator. No prior selection takes place; from inexperienced amateurs to the most famous of actors, all converge on Avignon to present their ...

more...

Epiphany

Ethiopia, Lalibela

Timkat (which means "baptism" in Amharic) is the most important festival in the Ethiopian calendar. It is the Ethiopian Orthodox celebration of Epiphany celebrated on January 19 (or 20 on Leap Year), corresponding to the 10th day of Terr following the Ethiopian calendar. Timket celebrates the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. This festival is best known for its ritual reenactment of baptism (similar to such reenactments performed by numerous Christian pilgrims to the ...

more...

Bavaria's National Beer Festival

Germany, Munich, Theresienwiese

Many special trains of the German Federal Railway bring in visitors from Germany's main towns and also from abroad. Thousands of coaches run special trips to the 'Wies`n', to give the Oktoberfest in Munich its traditional popular name. When the Oktoberfest opens in Munich, all the brewers and publicans march in procession through the town accompanied by gaily decked carts and brewers' drays, drawn by teams of hefty dray horses. No motorised vehicles are tolerated in ...

more...

Historic Regatta

Italy, Venice

The Historical Regatta is one of the most spectacular, colourful, pictoresque and moving events of Venetian life Every year, the first Sunday of September, the Historical Regatta comes back in Venice, the most traditional among the venetian events, which took place for the first time the 10th of January 1315 under the rule of the doge Giovanni Soranzo. The sumptuous event, organized in the Serenissima times to celebrate the military victories or to honour the foreign dignitaries, ...

more...

Quarry Hill Festival

United Kingdom, Leeds, Quarry Hill

Quarry Hill Festival is a day of free performances, workshops, classes and behind-the-scenes insights from some of Leeds’ leading cultural organisations all based on and around the Quarry Hill area of the city. For one day only we take you behind the scenes of our venues and workshops and invite you to take part in a whole range of activities. Places for some events are limited so we suggest you book on-line in advance, using the ...

more...

Mozart Festival

Austria, Salzburg

During Salzburg's five weeks of festival, which spans late July and August, city evening take on a truly elegant air. In four days you can visit museums, follow the Mozart trail, enjoy the music, soak up the atmosphere, and even have time to take a tour into the surrounding lakes and mountains. ...

more...

Edinburgh International Festival

United Kingdom, Edinburgh

The Edinburgh International Festival presents a rich programme of classical music, theatre, opera and dance in six major theatres and concert halls and a number of smaller venues, over a three-week period in late summer each year. In addition to mounting the annual three week programme of events, the Festival has a year-round programme of education and outreach work, aimed at all ages from primary school pupils to adults. The Festival began in 1947, with the aim ...

more...