Bahia Carnival (Carnaval Baiano), Brazil
Yes, we have all heard of Carnival in Rio, but what about a Carnival in the part of Brazil where the influence of African culture is at its strongest? The Bahia Carnival held…
Travel Topics
Yes, we have all heard of Carnival in Rio, but what about a Carnival in the part of Brazil where the influence of African culture is at its strongest? The Bahia Carnival held…
Sydney WorldPride 2025 is the most colourful LGBTQ+ celebration in the southern hemisphere, and one of the largest in the world. The festival takes place in February and March in…
Along with the Venice Carnival, the Viareggio Carnival or Carnevale di Viareggio is one of the largest carnivals in Italy. Held in the Tuscan…
Tết, or Tết Nguyên Đán is the most important festival in Vietnam. It marks the advent of Vietnamese New Year, and the arrival of spring. Very much like Chinese New…
The Guyana Mashramani Carnival is an annual festival celebrated on the 23 February to mark the country becoming a republic on that date in 1970. Often shortened to ‘Mash’ the…
The Day of the Balearic Islands is a public holiday celebrated across Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera. It commemorates the Statute of Autonomy, signed on 1 March 1983, which declared…
The Alasitas Festival, or Feria de Alasitas, is a major cultural festival in Bolivia that celebrates abundance, and the god Ekeko. The month-long activities start on 24 January…
The 56th Festival Vallenato or Festival de la Leyanda Vallenata will be held in Valledupar, a regional capital in the north east of Colombia from 30 April to 4 May 2024. Vallenato is country music…
Festa Junina Brazil is not Carnival, nevertheless it is a huge event on the Brazilian calendar. There is song and dancing, although in this case it is more forrό than samba. Also food has a bigger focus…
The Hay Festival in Wales is the leading book festival in the UK. Held in the beautiful Welsh town of Haye-on-Wye towards the end of May, the 2024 Hay Festival of literature will feature more than…
The Guernsey Literary Festival 2024 is a vibrant celebration of the world of literature set on the beautiful Channel Island in April and May. One of the leading literary festivals…
The family friendly, UK food festival returns to Roundhay Park in Leeds, West Yorkshire for the eighth time in May. The North Leeds Food Festival celebrates local and international food…
What started as a small family business in 2010 has turned into one of the major food festivals in the UK. The Great British Food Festival (GBFF) features the country’s…
The PALP Festival celebrates the music, culture and gastronomy of the Swiss canton of Valais in a series of events held across the summer from April to September. PALP is a wonderful Alpine…
Frieze Art Fair London is one of the most influential contemporary art fairs in the world. It is held in October in The Regent’s Park. It only focuses on living artists and contemporary art…
Hosted by Blur bassist Alex James at his Cotswolds farm and now in its 12th year, The Big Feastival is held over three days across the August Bank Holiday, and has become one…
Since Foodies Festival was started in Edinburgh in 2006, it has grown into what the organisers claim is the largest food and drink festival in the UK. Dubbed Gastro-Glastonbury, Foodies…
The Barbados Crop Over Festival, or Barbados Carnival, is an annual event held each summer in the Caribbean island. The festival is spread over three months, concluding with the Grand…
Gothenburg’s 400 anniversary will be celebrated with a programme of events across the Swedish city throughout the summer of 2023. The programme will commence with…
The symbolic power of light has always played a powerful role in the world’s many cultural and religious traditions. But apart from their traditional significance, festivals of lights are also…
France’s fourth largest city becomes a winter wonderland each December for the Toulouse Christmas Market. The Place du Capitole is transformed from 28 November to 29 December into a European…
Roskilde Festival, Denmark’s answer to Glastonbury, will take place in June. Organisers of this non-profit event have announced that The Foo Fighters, Sza, Skrillex and Doja Cat and will headline…
Neil Hennessy-Vass visits Christmas at Waddesdon Manor and declares that the festive season has officially commenced. After a hiatus of two years (we all know why) that glorious Victorian confection…
Hampton Court Festive Fayre is a wonderful festive food lover’s treat replete with artisan food, drink and perfect gifts. The fare ranges from Christmas puds to sausages…
We love a good festival or two at Travel Begins at 40, which is why we have devoted a whole section to it – along with events.
In addition to giving a round-up of the most esoteric worldwide festivals for 2019, we have unique pages on many of the best – and most quirky – festivals from around he world. From spiritual and nature festivals such as India’s colourful Hindu festivals Diwali and Holi, and the Cherry Blossom Season Japan, to the messy but fun Boryeong Mud Festival in Korea and the outrageous Songkran new year celebrations in Thailand, we’ll have it covered. It’s a good idea to check up on what festivals there are in the place you are going on your holidays before setting off, although the delight of wandering unwittingly into a major cultural event can not be overstated.
We also have details of some of the biggest events – or our favourites – in the UK. So whether you are going to the Edinburgh Festival or the Notting Hill Carnival in August, or fancy a Watercress Festival in Hampshire, we have just the place for you.
Edinburgh is, of course, one of the highlights of the festival season in the UK, and we have pages devoted to both it and the Edinburgh Fringe.
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