Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta 2025
If you have seen photos of many vividly coloured balloons gliding across semi-arid scenery there is a good chance that those shots come from the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, which…
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If you have seen photos of many vividly coloured balloons gliding across semi-arid scenery there is a good chance that those shots come from the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, which…
One of Thailand’s most beautiful and beguiling festivals, Loy Krathong festival is enormously popular with Thais and visitors alike. People flock to lakes and rivers to float their krathongs on…
The Yi Peng festival, one of Thailand’s most charming and alluring events, is incredibly well-liked by both locals and tourists. The north of the country sees its nightly heavens illuminated…
he Vaccines, Orbital, Tom Walker and De La Soul are headlining the Lindisfarne Festival 2024 held at Beal Farm, Northumberland from 29 August to 1 September. Overlooking the majestic Holy…
Thailand is certainly no stranger to everything that’s quirky and out of the ordinary. The Phuket Vegetarian Festival held in autumn – also known under its more Taoist-inspired…
Throughout southern Spain the annual grape harvest is celebrated with festivals. The most vibrant of these is held in the city of Jerez de la Frontera, where the Vendimia Grape…
Many people associate the Day of the Dead Festival with Mexico, but actually it is an equally important part of the culture of Guatemala (on 1 November) and El Salvador…
What do you do when you return home after having been exiled for 14 years? You heave a sigh of relief and celebrate. That’s what happens during Diwali (also called Deepavali)…
The attractions of Normandy are much and varied, from Deauville beach, its racecourse and casino, to calvados and wonderful seafood, Mark Bibby Jackson discovers there is so much to tempt…
The Edinburgh Festival, or Edinburgh International Festival, kicks off on 7 August, 2021. This year’s programme features some of the best…
One of the largest arts festivals in the world, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe takes place in the Scottish capital from 2 to 26 August, 2024. The world’s oldest fringe festival runs alongside the…
This year’s Ventnor Fringe will feature performances outdoor cinema and improv events. As always the Fringe will feature emerging talent and future stars in a line-up of the most exciting…
The UK’s biggest air balloon bonanza, Icons of the Sky, the Longleat Sky Safari, will take place this 13 to 15 September at the the nation’s premier safari park in Wiltshire. Numerous balloons…
Dubbed the “Olympics for nomads”, the biennial World Nomad Games is an extraordinary and chaotic spectacle of dozens of traditional nomad sports. After being held in Kyrgyzstan three times in…
The Ubud Writers and Readers Festival (often called the Ubud Writers Festival), one of the best literary festivals in the world, is held in the central Bali town of Ubud in October and will celebrate …
Forget the Edinburgh Fringe and Edinburgh International Festival, Fringe by the Sea returns to the East Lothian town of North Berwick in August for ten days of music, literature, film…
The spectacular Hindu Ganesh Chaturthi festival in September is a 10-day affair of colourful festivities, involving singing, dancing and theatre honouring the birth of the elephant-headed deity. The start of…
There is no booming DJ tent, round-the-clock cinema or secret location, but the Cambridge Folk Festival still stands as the most elegant festival on the UK summer music calendar. Set…
The August Bank Holiday weekend can really only mean one thing in London – the Notting Hill Carnival. The largest free street festival in Europe runs from the Saturday to Monday…
July 6 – 8: Famed for its amazing fish and chips and spectacular abbey (see cover photo) , the Yorkshire coastal town of Whitby, birthplace of Captain James Cook, will…
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…
Happening only every three years – in the Chinese years of the Ox, Dragon, Goat and Dog – 2021 is your chance again to witness one of Taiwan’s top festivals…
Lasting a whole month from mid-July to mid-August, the Sapporo Summer Festival 2019 is packed with a variety of cultural, musical, gastronomical and fireworks events attracting…
August 9 – 22: For those who enjoy watching dance, the beauty of the tango is a great draw. The World tango dance tournament or Campeonato Mundial de Baile …
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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