April 2019
Fiesta de la Vendimia Chile 2019
The vendimia is a generic word for harvests, though it usually refers to Chile’s wine harvest. Arguably, the centre of the fiesta de la vendimia Chile is the Maipo Valley, which is conveniently close to the communication hub of the capital, Santiago, although there are several other wine valleys that celebrate the festival including Colchagua Valley. Of the 7,000 acres of vineyard in the Maipo Valley most is used to make Cabernet Sauvignon. In April, across the province, the wineries…
Find out more »Setouchi Triennale 2019, Japan
Every three years the Setouchi Triennale, one of Japan’s biggest festivals of modern art, takes place in the south-west of the country. Come spring this exceptional celebration...
Find out more »Zythos Bierfestival 2019 in Leuven, Belgium
The Belgian university town of Leuven turns into a mecca of beer when the country’s largest beer festival, the Zythos Bierfestival (ZBF), returns for its 16th edition on 27 and 28 April. One of Europe’s biggest beer festivals, the Zythos Bierfestival 2019 will host 106 Belgian brewers with no less than 588 different beers. The beers are divided into three categories: “Primeur beers” are those beers that are presented for the first time to the public. They include the whisky-infused…
Find out more »May 2019
Zurich Tanzt Dance Festival 2019
Zurich will be the home to a city-wide festival of dance in May. Held from May 3 to 5, Zurich Tanzt assembles some of the finest contemporary dancers in the Swiss city, to display their innovative dance routines and practices. Now in its seventh year, Zurich Tanzt takes place over three days with original works as well as an extensive programme of courses that everyone can join in. Last year's festival attracted over 20,000 people with performances in some 30…
Find out more »Faroe Islands Seafood Festival 2019
The Faroe Islands Seafood Festival returns to Tórshavn on May 4. Over 8,000 people attended the event in its third year in 2017. A vast array of different seafood is served, such as lobster, mackerel, shrimp and porbeagle, to name only a few. The best bit? It’s all free of charge. People have the opportunity to choose their own seafood and grill their own food, or try the splendid fish soup, prepared and served by seafood chef Birgir Enni, owner…
Find out more »Isle of Wight Walking Festival 2019
The 21st Isle of Wight Walking Festival will take place from 4 to 19 May. Walkers of all abilities can join in the two weeks. With more than half of the Isle of Wight designated as ...
Find out more »Cheung Chau Bun Festival, 2019
If you love eating Chinese buns, then the Cheung Chau Bun Festival could be right up your alley. Held annually on the island of Cheng Chau in Hong Kong, the festival attracts tens of thousands of local and overseas tourists to join the island’s 25,000 inhabitants, making it one of the most important cultural events in Hong Kong. What is the Cheung Chau Bun Festival in Hong Kong? Believed to have grown out of Taoist rituals celebrating the end of…
Find out more »Rocket Festival Thailand (Bun Bang Fai) 2019
Home-made rockets roaring into the skies, dirty humour, cross-dressing parades, mud fests and lots of rice wine – the centuries-old Rocket Festival Thailand, or Bun Bang Fai...
Find out more »Venice Biennale 2019 (La Biennale di Venezia)
From May to November, the Venice Biennale (la Biennale di Venezia in its original Italian, and in English also called the Venice Biennial) is one of the world’s most prestigious cultural happenings, famous for displaying new trends and launching the international careers of many an artist and architect. For every new edition, the management of the Venice Biennale select top curators from all over the world to organise the Biennale's pioneering art exhibitions. The first Venice Biennale was held in…
Find out more »Bury St Edmunds Festival 2019, Suffolk
Nigel Kennedy, Rick Wakeman and The Puppini Sisters headline the Bury St Edmunds Festival which will take place for the 34th time from 16 to 26 May, 2019. Spread over 11 days, in 13 different venues and with 50 different events across the pleasant Suffolk town, the locations for the scheduled activities range from the very modern and flexible Apex to the 800-year-old Guild Hall, the Theatre Royal – the last working Regency Playhouse in Britain – and The Abbey…
Find out more »Whitby Fish and Ships Festival
The North Yorkshire town of Whitby is famed for its fabulous fish and chips, that and a nautical traditional that includes Captain Cook. So, why not combine the two together in the Whitby Fish and Ships Festival? That is exactly what’s happening this year over the weekend of 18 to 19 May. Taking place in this historic east coast Yorkshire town at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby offers a picturesque setting for a festival. With the magnificent edifice…
Find out more »Alresford Watercress Festival 2019
If you are a fan of cress then Hampshire is the place to head for this May. Held on 19 May, the 2019 Alresford Watercress Festival will see fifteen thousand visitors flocking to New Alresford, dubbed the 'capital of watercress'. For the 15th year, the town centre will transform into a giant street festival with local fare available from the more than 80 food stalls, including members of the Hampshire Farmers' Markets and other local producers, creating a fresh market showcasing…
Find out more »Barbados Celtic Festival 2019
The Caribbean island of Barbados is to host the Barbados Celtic Festival, one of its most spectacular festivals and one of the foremost Celtic festivals globally, from 21 to 26 May, in Bridgetown. (Details of the 2019 Barbados Celtic Festival will be printed below when announced) A three-day fun-packed event of entertainment, folk music and food, The Barbados Celtic Festival features talent from Ireland, Scotland and Barbados. Hamish Stuart and Molly Duncan from the Original Average White Band headline the festival…
Find out more »White Nights Festival 2019 Saint Petersburg, Russia
During the period of the White Nights Festival from June to July in Saint Petersburg, the sun never sets and the city never sleeps. Russia’s cultural capital brims with life when its inhabitants enjoy...
Find out more »Vivid Sydney 2019, New South Wales
Regarded as the biggest light, music and ideas festival in the South, Vivid Sydney will light up the city's opera house and surrounding harbour area from 24 May to 15 June. Celebrating its 11th year, Vivid Sydney is Australia's most beloved and awarded festival, according to the organisers. This year The Cure and Spike Lee are among the many participants at the festival, which is divided into three segments: Vivid Light, Vivid Ideas and Vivid Music. Enjoy the spectacle of…
Find out more »Malton Food Festival 2019, Yorkshire
One of Yorkshire's premier local food festivals will occur in the town of Malton on May 25 and 26, 2019. Celebrating its eleventh anniversary the Malton Food Festival 2019 (or Malton Food Lovers Festival to give its full title) will attract tens of thousands of foodies from across the county and elsewhere in the UK. This year's festival will feature four of the county's Michelin star chefs - Tommy Banks, owner of the Black Swan in Oldstead, Andrew Pern, of…
Find out more »June 2019
Hua Hin Jazz Festival 2019
It could hardly get any better when you combine a seaside beach and Thai food with world-class live jazz. The Thai royal seaside resort of Hua Hin, a three-hour drive from Bangkok, will once again host the annual Hua Hin Jazz Festival in June. Hua Hin Jazz Festival Programme Over 100 Thai and foreign performers are expected to fill the two stages at this 2019 edition. Thailand's premier saxophonist Koh Mr. Saxman has been announced to perform once again this…
Find out more »Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival 2019
One of the most dramatic festivals in Asia, the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival, this year in June, celebrates an event from some 2,000 years ago when Qu Yuan, a Chinese official, threw himself into the Mi Lo River in protest against corrupt rulers. Locals then rowed their boats in a rush to save him. Others beat drums and gongs in an effort to scare away the fish that might eat the hapless official. They were unsuccessful however, and afterwards…
Find out more »Ultra Music Festival 2019, Singapore
Light up your glow sticks and trip the light fantastic at the 4th edition of Singapore’s Ultra Music Festival on 8 and 9 June. Electronic Dance Music (EDM) lovers from all over the world will visit Singapore to hear top talent churn out their heart-racing beats on three outdoor stages. The ULTRA Main Stage is where the main action is. Live Stage is where live performances take place with drums, guitars, live synths, vocals etc. including pop and rock acts…
Find out more »Sheep Shearing Festival, Khut Armenia
If sheep shearing is your thing then the village of Khot in Syunik, Armenia is the place to head for in June. There the Sheep Shearing Festival sees the local people of Vayoc, Dzor and Syunik keeping alive their tradition of honouring all things ovine as well as giving their companions a short, back and sides. The highlight is a shearing competition where speed and accuracy are the main criteria, but there is also a healthy sampling of the local…
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