May 2019
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 »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....
Find out more »June 2019
Soho Music Month 2019, London
London's westend will burst into music once again this June with the Soho Music Month, a free music and cultural festival. Hosted in a variety of venues across Soho and Carnaby, the festival will feature some of London's best and emerging musical talents. Platform LDN hub will feature activities from DJ residencies, creative workshops and live music broadcasts including COLLECTIONS., a pop-up shop curated by Maya Jama and Julie Adenuga, and BBC Radio 1 Extra presenter Jamz Supernova's 101 masterclass.…
Find out more »Bali Arts Festival 2019, Indonesia
Bali’s cultural event of the year, the month-long Bali Arts Festival, will once again turn the tropical island into a festive and performing arts mecca for the 41st time this year during June and July. The whole of Bali will flock to Denpasar – the island’s capital – to offer dance, music, excitement and a lot of colour, including classical palace dances, forgotten village dances, trances from mountain tribes, food contests, handicraft exhibitions and much more. Hundreds of performers will…
Find out more »Telluride Bluegrass Festival 2019, Colorado
The Telluride Bluegrass Festival is a unique mix of music, comedy, circus and the great outdoors of Colorado. This year the artists performing include Jim James, Kacey Musgraves and the Sam Bush Band. The Bluegrass music at the heart of this festival is a sub-genre of country music, with a bit of folk and blues mixed into it, whilst Telluride is a former mining town in a box canyon in the Rocky Mountains. A mix of established artists and new…
Find out more »Inti Raymi, Cusco: Festival of the Sun
The Inti Raymi is considered by many to be the most famous festival in Peru and celebrates the Inca Festival of the Sun. It was suppressed by the Spanish colonialists and the Catholic church. Only beginning again in 1944 when Inti Raymi was recreated for a film. Inti was the sun god; the Inca ruler was believed to be the living representative of him. The festival takes place in Cusco, the former Inca capital on 24 June every year and…
Find out more »Taiwan International Balloon Festival 2019
Not quite yet reaching the 99 Luftballons of Nena’s 1980s hit, some 40 participating balloons will be taking off during the Taiwan International Balloon Festival in Taitung...
Find out more »Isle of Wight Mardi Gras 2019
Part of a packed programme of events held each year on the island to the south of England, this year the Isle of Wight Mardi Gras will have the theme, Biosphere Island. Celebrating the beauty of the island's natural environment, this is a spectacular parade created by schools and groups in the island. Organised by The New Carnival Company, it's held in the town of Ryde on the final Saturday in June each year. Approximately 30 community groups and schools…
Find out more »July 2019
Dive Fest Barbados, Caribbean, 2019
If you love diving, or just messing about in the water, the Dive Fest Barbados in July may just be the right one for you.One of the best things about the Dive...
Find out more »Winchester Festival 2019, UK
The historic city of Winchester offers a wealth of music and literature throughout the year, including the Winchester Festival. Sadly, Carol Butler, Festival Director, has announced that this year will be the final festival. The good news is that programme has grown since it began in 1998 and there are performances almost every day (5 to 23 July) for this last cultural celebration. This year’s programme is packed with concerts, talks and walks at different venues around the historic city.…
Find out more »Rainforest Fringe Festival 2019
During a period of eight days in July, the best of Sarawak’s art, music, culture, craft, photography, film, food and heritage will be showcased in the heart of Kuching, the state’s capital. Returning for a third time, the Rainforest Fringe Festival is expected to attract over 18,000 visitors. When you think of the island of Borneo, what usually first springs to mind are lush rainforests and an abundance of exotic fauna. Perhaps less so is a host of world class…
Find out more »Phi Ta Khon or Ghost Festival 2019, Thailand
The immensely popular Phi Ta Khon Festival – also known as the Ghost Festival – is the best reason to visit Loei, a Thai province rarely frequented by international tourists. This three-day event in July is a combination of masked processions, old traditions and raucous parties where large, traditional ghost masks take centre stage. Phi Ta Khon is a joyous and outrageous festival that is attended predominantly by Thai visitors. Its colourful procession is more or less comparable to the…
Find out more »Balham Comedy Festival, The Bedford Balham
The eighth Balham Comedy Festival will once more douse the streets of south London with a liberal sprinkling of mirth this July at The Bedford Balham. Produced by comedian John Moloney, of BBC Radio 4's The John Moloney Show, and Banana Cabaret’s Dave Vickers, the festival will play out over nine nights from 5 to 13 July at the newly refurbished London pub, famed for its comedy club. The star-studded comedy fest will feature top comedians offering sneak previews of…
Find out more »George Town Heritage Celebrations 2019
When on 7 July 2008 UNESCO granted World Heritage status to Penang’s capital George Town, the local government marked the event by declaring it a public holiday and the July George Town Heritage Celebrations have kept on growing ever since. To honour UNESCO’s recognition, a community-centred festival is held each year around the old streets of the city to celebrate its buildings, culture and history. Since 2014 events are centred around a cultural theme and this year’s is 'Let's Celebrate: Rituals…
Find out more »Ealing Beer Festival London, 2019
Held in Walpole Park, the Ealing Beer Festival each July is a highlight of the London borough’s series of summer events. This year marks the 30th anniversary of what is the UK's capital’s largest outdoor Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) beer festival. Organised by CAMRA’s West Middlesex Branch, more than 500 real ales will be on offer. These come from a wide range of breweries across the UK, in a variety of strengths and styles to suit all tastes. If…
Find out more »Dour Festival 2019 in Belgium
Dour Festival is the biggest music event in the French speaking part of Belgium featuring eight stages and attracting a quarter of a million revellers. Held in July, this is one of Europe’s most eclectic music festivals where its unique and diverse line-up combines legendary icons with exciting new discoveries. This year the Dour Festival (in English pronounced with "oo" as in "cool") is spread over five days with over 250 bands and DJs dishing out their tunes and beats.…
Find out more »Naadam Festival Mongolia 2019
Also called the Olympic Games of nomads, the spectacular Naadam Festival in Mongolia is the country’s biggest event and its national pride. Taking place every July, men and women compete in horse racing, archery and wrestling between impressive and colourful opening and closing ceremonies that turn the whole country topsy-turvy. During the entire year young and old in Mongolia train hard to prepare for the games that see very young horse riders, muscled wrestlers and elegant archers show off their…
Find out more »George Town Festival 2019, Penang
Less than a week after celebrating its UNESCO World Heritage Day, once again culture, art and heritage will take over Penang’s capital during the George Town Festival from 13 to 28 July 2019. Drawing in tens of thousands of visitors from across the world, nine previous editions of the festival have put Penang on the radar of international artists. During a good half month, the George Town Festival will include 150 programmes showcasing performance art, installations, music, film, dance, theatre,…
Find out more »Candle Festival Thailand, 2019
Marking the start of the green (or wet) season, the Candle Festival in July is amongst the most beautiful celebrations in Thailand. Extravagant, intricately-carved candle sculptures are shown off at colourful, fun parades with music, dance and lots of other festivities. The traditional Candle Festival takes place during Asahna Bucha and Khao Phansa days, two important Buddhist events that celebrate respectively Buddha’s first sermon and the beginning of Khao Pansa or Buddhist Lent which lasts for three months. The events…
Find out more »Boryeong Mud Festival 2019, South Korea
At the Boryeong Mud Festival in South Korea, everything revolves around one and one thing only: mud. During 10 days the beach of Boryeong transforms itself into a mud heaven with bouncy castles, slides, football fields and even inflatable prisons all filled with nothing but mud, turning this event into one of South Korea’s most popular happenings. Combined with live music and DJ concerts, this is the place to get down and dirty Gangnam style.
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