SeasonMap

Major festival, month by month around the world

The festival the place is known for.

898 destinations on SeasonMap, ranked within each month by the comfort score — because the point is not only where the season is on, but whether the weather is worth the trip while it is.

← All seasons · The world's calendar

When it is on

Number of destinations with major festival on in that month. Windows move a little each year.

Major festival in January

  1. 🇪🇹 Addis Ababa, EthiopiaTimkat · 18–21 JanThe tabots are carried from the churches to Jan Meda on the eve of 19 January and the crowd is blessed with water the next morning.95climate
  2. 🇪🇹 Bahir Dar, EthiopiaTimkat on Lake Tana · 18–20 JanThe tabots are carried down to the lakeshore on the eve of the 19th and the blessing of the water happens at first light.94climate
  3. 🇦🇪 Dubai, United Arab EmiratesDubai Shopping Festival · 8 Dec – 31 Jan (usually)Six weeks of discounts, nightly fireworks and raffles across the malls and the older souks, running from December into late January.93climate
  4. 🇦🇪 Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesAl Dhafra Festival · 27 Oct – 22 Jan (usually)Camel beauty judging and heritage competitions at Madinat Zayed, three hours out in the Western Region, running from late October into January.93climate
  5. 🇴🇲 Muscat, OmanMuscat Nights · 1 Jan – 5 Feb (usually)The municipality's winter festival: markets, funfairs and stages spread across parks and beaches through January, aimed squarely at Omani families rather than visitors.93climate
  6. 🇧🇩 Dhaka, BangladeshBishwa Ijtema · 5 Jan – 20 Feb (usually)Millions gather at Tongi on the Turag over two weekend phases, one of the largest annual assemblies anywhere.93climate
  7. 🇳🇿 Christchurch, New ZealandBread & Circus buskers festival · 20 Jan – 3 Feb (usually)Ten days of street performance in the squares and along the river at the end of January, free in the daytime and ticketed at night; the city centre finally feels full.93climate
  8. 🇦🇺 Launceston, AustraliaFestivale · 25 Jan – 10 Feb (usually)Three days of Tasmanian food, wine, beer and cider under the oaks in City Park, with bands on until late.93climate
  9. 🇪🇹 Gondar, EthiopiaTimkat at Fasilides' Bath · 18–20 JanThe stone bath below the castle is filled for the one morning of the year, and when the water is blessed the crowd goes in over the walls.93climate
  10. 🇮🇳 Kolkata, IndiaInternational Kolkata Book Fair · 20 Jan – 8 Feb (usually)A fortnight on the Salt Lake ground that draws crowds a book fair has no business drawing, plus food stalls and evening music.92climate
  11. 🇲🇽 Mexico City, MexicoDia de Reyes · 5–6 JanSweet bread shared on 6 January with a figure baked inside, and whoever finds it owes tamales in February.92climate
  12. 🇲🇽 San Cristóbal de las Casas, MexicoFiesta Grande de Chiapa de Corzo · 4–23 JanThree weeks of Parachico dancers in carved wooden masks and blond headdresses processing between the churches of Chiapa de Corzo, an hour down the valley.91climate
  13. 🇪🇷 Asmara, EritreaTimket · 18–20 JanOrthodox Epiphany on 19 January.89climate
  14. 🇨🇱 Puerto Varas, ChileSemanas Musicales de Frutillar · 25 Jan – 8 Feb (usually)Thirty-odd concerts at the Teatro del Lago in Frutillar, half an hour up the lake, from the end of January.89climate
  15. 🇪🇬 Luxor, EgyptMoulid of Abu el-Haggag · 15 Jan – 10 Mar (usually)Luxor's own festival: boat floats hauled round the mosque above the temple, horse races and stick dancing for three days.88climate
  16. 🇳🇿 Paihia, New ZealandBay of Islands Sailing Week · 20–31 Jan (usually)A keelboat regatta out of Opua at the end of January, when the summer breeze is reliable and every mooring in the bay is taken.88climate
  17. 🇮🇳 Jaipur, IndiaMakar Sankranti kite day · 14–15 JanThe city spends the day on its roofs cutting each other's kite strings, and the old town shuts down around it.87climate
  18. 🇹🇭 Chiang Mai, ThailandBo Sang Umbrella Festival · 15–25 Jan (usually)The umbrella-making village east of the city hangs its work along the main street for a weekend in January, with a parade and the workshops open.87climate
  19. 🇪🇹 Lalibela, EthiopiaTimkat · 18–21 JanThe Epiphany procession takes the tabots out of the churches and down to the water, a fortnight after Genna and with most of the same crowd still in town.87climate
  20. 🇮🇳 Hyderabad, IndiaNumaish · 1 Jan – 15 FebThe All India Industrial Exhibition has filled the Nampally grounds every January since the 1930s: two thousand stalls, food from every state, and half the city going at least once.87climate
  21. 🇦🇺 Melbourne, AustraliaAustralian Open · 12 Jan – 1 FebThree weeks of tennis in the middle of the city, and the point at which Melbourne is at its fullest and most expensive.86climate
  22. 🇿🇦 Cape Town, South AfricaKirstenbosch sunset concerts · 20 Nov – 31 Mar (usually)Sunday evening concerts on the lawns below the mountain at the botanical garden, running from late November to the end of March.86climate
  23. 🇮🇳 Varanasi, IndiaMakar Sankranti · 13–16 JanKites over the old city all day and a dawn dip at the ghats on 14 January, the day the sun turns north.86climate
  24. 🇮🇳 Hampi, IndiaHampi Utsav · 1 Nov – 15 Jan (usually)The state stages a festival among the ruins with lighting, music and a procession, usually held between November and January, and the town takes a very different crowd for it.86climate
  25. 🇹🇩 N'Djamena, ChadFestival Dary · 20 Dec – 6 Jan (usually)All twenty-three provinces set up in the capital for a fortnight over the new year: music, crafts, food and dress from parts of Chad most visitors will never reach.86climate

…and 105 more in January.

What's on around the world in January →

Major festival in February

  1. 🇦🇺 Hobart, AustraliaAustralian Wooden Boat Festival · 4–10 Feb (usually)Every second year, in odd years, the whole waterfront fills with wooden boats and tall ships for four free days.95climate
  2. 🇦🇺 Launceston, AustraliaFestivale · 25 Jan – 10 Feb (usually)Three days of Tasmanian food, wine, beer and cider under the oaks in City Park, with bands on until late.95climate
  3. 🇸🇦 AlUla, Saudi ArabiaAlUla Arts Festival · 16 Jan – 14 Feb (usually)A month of installations and light works through the oasis and the old town, timed for the coldest and clearest weeks.94climate
  4. 🇪🇬 Luxor, EgyptMoulid of Abu el-Haggag · 15 Jan – 10 Mar (usually)Luxor's own festival: boat floats hauled round the mosque above the temple, horse races and stick dancing for three days.93climate
  5. 🇳🇿 Christchurch, New ZealandBread & Circus buskers festival · 20 Jan – 3 Feb (usually)Ten days of street performance in the squares and along the river at the end of January, free in the daytime and ticketed at night; the city centre finally feels full.93climate
  6. 🇨🇱 Antofagasta, ChileAntofagasta's anniversary · 10–16 Feb (usually)The city turns on 14 February with free nights of music at the Estadio Regional and the Ruinas de Huanchaca, a queen's coronation at the municipal theatre and fireworks over the bay at midnight.93climate
  7. 🇮🇳 Agra, IndiaTaj Mahotsav · 18–27 FebTen days of crafts, food stalls and evening concerts at Shilpgram, a few hundred metres from the east gate.92climate
  8. 🇦🇺 Melbourne, AustraliaAustralian Open · 12 Jan – 1 FebThree weeks of tennis in the middle of the city, and the point at which Melbourne is at its fullest and most expensive.92climate
  9. 🇺🇸 Palm Springs, United StatesModernism Week · 8–25 Feb (usually)Eleven days of house tours, talks and a design show built around the city's midcentury architecture, and the busiest fortnight of the desert year.92climate
  10. 🇨🇱 Castro, ChileFestival Costumbrista Chilote · 10–28 Feb (usually)Two days in the municipal park of curanto cooked in a pit, milcao, chicha and Chilote dance groups — the island's own fair rather than a show put on for visitors, held alongside a large craft market.92climate
  11. 🇺🇸 Sarasota, United StatesOrioles spring training · 15 Feb – 28 Mar (usually)Grapefruit League baseball at Ed Smith Stadium through late February and March, on a scale where the players walk past the seats.92climate
  12. 🇸🇦 Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaFounding Day · 20–24 FebA public holiday on 22 February with historical dress, markets and displays at Diriyah.91climate
  13. 🇹🇼 Tainan, TaiwanYanshui Beehive Fireworks · 5 Feb – 10 Mar (usually)Racks of bottle rockets fired horizontally into the crowd at Yanshui on Lantern Festival night.91climate
  14. 🇨🇱 Viña del Mar, ChileFestival de Vina del Mar · 15 Feb – 5 Mar (usually)Six nights of live television from the Quinta Vergara amphitheatre, the biggest music week in Latin America and the one the whole continent watches.91climate
  15. 🇨🇱 Puerto Varas, ChileSemanas Musicales de Frutillar · 25 Jan – 8 Feb (usually)Thirty-odd concerts at the Teatro del Lago in Frutillar, half an hour up the lake, from the end of January.91climate
  16. 🇵🇭 Baguio, PhilippinesPanagbenga, the flower festival · 1 Feb – 8 Mar (usually)A month of it, building to the float parade and street dancing on the first weekend of March, when Session Road closes and the city takes about ten times its normal crowd.91climate
  17. 🇮🇳 Delhi, IndiaHoli · 25 Feb – 20 Mar (usually)A bonfire the night before, then a day of colour and water that shuts the city down completely — no shops, almost no traffic, and taxis that will not come.90climate
  18. 🇳🇿 Napier, New ZealandArt Deco Festival · 12–25 Feb (usually)Five days of the town dressed for the decade it was rebuilt in after the 1931 earthquake: vintage cars along Marine Parade, jazz, and a lot of people in period clothing who are not performers.90climate
  19. 🇺🇸 Tampa, United StatesGasparilla Pirate Fest · 20 Jan – 5 Feb (usually)A fully rigged pirate ship invades the harbour and a parade of krewes works up Bayshore Boulevard in front of several hundred thousand people.90climate
  20. 🇮🇳 Khajuraho, IndiaShivaratri at Matangeshwar · 10 Feb – 15 Mar (usually)The one temple in the western group still in daily worship holds an overnight fair for Shivaratri, and pilgrims from the surrounding districts queue round the compound.90climate
  21. 🇮🇳 Varanasi, IndiaMahashivratri · 10 Feb – 15 Mar (usually)The night of the city's own god.89climate
  22. 🇴🇲 Muscat, OmanMuscat Nights · 1 Jan – 5 Feb (usually)The municipality's winter festival: markets, funfairs and stages spread across parks and beaches through January, aimed squarely at Omani families rather than visitors.89climate
  23. 🇮🇳 Jodhpur, IndiaWorld Sacred Spirit Festival · 10–20 Feb (usually)Three nights of Sufi and devotional music in the courtyards of Mehrangarh, ending well after midnight.89climate
  24. 🇦🇺 Adelaide, AustraliaAdelaide Fringe · 15 Feb – 22 Mar (usually)A month of open-access shows in tents and temporary venues around the East End.89climate
  25. 🇦🇺 Canberra, AustraliaEnlighten Festival · 25 Feb – 10 Mar (usually)For ten nights the national institutions are projected onto and open late, so the buildings people normally drive past become the reason to be out.89climate

…and 129 more in February.

What's on around the world in February →

Major festival in March

  1. 🇺🇸 Phoenix, United StatesCactus League spring training · 19 Feb – 25 Mar (usually)Fifteen major league clubs play a month of exhibition baseball at ten small parks around the valley, all within an hour of each other.95climate
  2. 🇺🇸 Las Vegas, United StatesMarch Madness · 15 Mar – 8 Apr (usually)The opening days of the college basketball tournament are the busiest hours the sportsbooks get, with seats claimed at opening and a queue outside from breakfast.94climate
  3. 🇺🇸 Scottsdale, United StatesCactus League spring training · 15 Feb – 31 Mar (usually)Six weeks of baseball at Scottsdale Stadium and nine other valley parks, six of them within half an hour.94climate
  4. 🇨🇱 Viña del Mar, ChileFestival de Vina del Mar · 15 Feb – 5 Mar (usually)Six nights of live television from the Quinta Vergara amphitheatre, the biggest music week in Latin America and the one the whole continent watches.94climate
  5. 🇦🇺 Melbourne, AustraliaMoomba · 6–11 Mar (usually)A free river festival over the Labour Day long weekend in March, with waterskiing on the Yarra and a parade nobody takes seriously.93climate
  6. 🇲🇽 San Cristóbal de las Casas, MexicoFeria de la Primavera y de la Paz · 25 Mar – 30 Apr (usually)The town's own fair, held the week after Holy Week: fairground on the edge of town, food stalls, dances and a bullring.93climate
  7. 🇦🇺 Adelaide, AustraliaAdelaide Fringe · 15 Feb – 22 Mar (usually)A month of open-access shows in tents and temporary venues around the East End.92climate
  8. 🇵🇭 Baguio, PhilippinesPanagbenga, the flower festival · 1 Feb – 8 Mar (usually)A month of it, building to the float parade and street dancing on the first weekend of March, when Session Road closes and the city takes about ten times its normal crowd.92climate
  9. 🇦🇷 Cafayate, ArgentinaSerenata a Cafayate · 20 Feb – 5 Mar (usually)Three nights of folklore at the Bodega Encantada that run until dawn and fill every bed in the Calchaquí valley.92climate
  10. 🇳🇿 Auckland, New ZealandPasifika Festival · 7–15 Mar (usually)Western Springs becomes eleven island villages for a weekend in March — the largest Pacific festival anywhere, and free to walk into.91climate
  11. 🇮🇱 Tel Aviv, IsraelTel Aviv Marathon · 15 Feb – 10 Mar (usually)Run on a Friday in late winter along the promenade and through the parks, because by April it is already too warm for it.91climate
  12. 🇿🇦 Cape Town, South AfricaCape Town Cycle Tour · 1–15 Mar (usually)Around 35,000 riders take the peninsula loop on a Sunday in early March, and most of the coastal road system closes for the morning.90climate
  13. 🇺🇸 Austin, United StatesSXSW · 8–22 Mar (usually)A week in March when the conference takes the convention centre, the music takes Sixth Street and the city's hotel stock quadruples in price.90climate
  14. 🇺🇸 San Antonio, United StatesStock Show and Rodeo · 8 Feb – 1 Mar (usually)Eighteen days of rodeo, livestock judging and a country concert every night out at the Frost Bank Center in February.90climate
  15. 🇺🇸 Houston, United StatesHouston Livestock Show and Rodeo · 25 Feb – 25 Mar (usually)Twenty days at NRG Park with a rodeo and a stadium concert every night, plus a barbecue contest the week before and a trail ride into downtown.90climate
  16. 🇲🇽 Monterrey, MexicoTecate Pa'l Norte · 25 Mar – 12 Apr (usually)Three days of music in Parque Fundidora and the reason the city's hotels sell out in spring.90climate
  17. 🇦🇺 Canberra, AustraliaEnlighten Festival · 25 Feb – 10 Mar (usually)For ten nights the national institutions are projected onto and open late, so the buildings people normally drive past become the reason to be out.90climate
  18. 🇺🇸 Sarasota, United StatesOrioles spring training · 15 Feb – 28 Mar (usually)Grapefruit League baseball at Ed Smith Stadium through late February and March, on a scale where the players walk past the seats.90climate
  19. 🇦🇷 Mendoza, ArgentinaFiesta Nacional de la Vendimia · 25 Feb – 10 Mar (usually)The province crowns a harvest queen in a Greek theatre in the hills with fireworks over the city, after a week of parades and blessings.89climate
  20. 🇳🇵 Kathmandu, NepalHoli · 25 Feb – 20 Mar (usually)Basantapur and Thamel take the brunt of it and nobody walks through dry.88climate
  21. 🇳🇿 Wellington, New ZealandCubaDupa · 14 Mar – 5 Apr (usually)Cuba Street and the lanes around it close for a free two-day street festival at the end of March, with stages on the intersections and a brass band on most corners.88climate
  22. 🇺🇸 New Orleans, United StatesSt Joseph's Day and Super Sunday · 15–31 Mar (usually)The Mardi Gras Indians come out in the new suits on the night of 19 March and again on the Sunday nearest it, in Central City rather than the Quarter.88climate
  23. 🇺🇸 Savannah, United StatesSt Patrick's Day · 14–18 Mar (usually)One of the largest parades in the country in a city of 150,000, with the squares fenced and licensed for the day.88climate
  24. 🇺🇸 Los Angeles, United StatesAcademy Awards weekend · 25 Feb – 20 Mar (usually)Hollywood Boulevard closes for the best part of a week around the ceremony, and the hotel and restaurant scene in the middle of the city behaves accordingly.87climate
  25. 🇸🇦 Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaRiyadh Season · 10 Oct – 15 Mar (usually)The city's entertainment season runs from October into March: zones, concerts, funfairs and restaurants built for the months when being outdoors is possible at all.87climate

…and 119 more in March.

What's on around the world in March →

Major festival in April

  1. 🇮🇱 Jerusalem, IsraelJerusalem Marathon · 15 Mar – 20 Apr (usually)A spring race through the Old City walls and the valleys, which means most of the centre closes to traffic for a Friday morning.96climate
  2. 🇪🇬 Alexandria, EgyptSham el-Nessim · 1 Apr – 5 May (usually)The Monday after Coptic Easter, when the whole city picnics outdoors on salted fish and spring onions.96climate
  3. 🇪🇸 Seville, SpainFeria de Abril · 10 Apr – 15 May (usually)A fairground of a thousand marquees across the river for six days, most of them private.94climate
  4. 🇨🇳 Dali, ChinaThird Month Fair · 1 Apr – 15 May (usually)The Bai fair below Cangshan, opening on the fifteenth of the third lunar month and running about a week: horse trading, medicine stalls, wrestling and racing.93climate
  5. 🇺🇸 Las Vegas, United StatesMarch Madness · 15 Mar – 8 Apr (usually)The opening days of the college basketball tournament are the busiest hours the sportsbooks get, with seats claimed at opening and a queue outside from breakfast.92climate
  6. 🇵🇹 Funchal, PortugalFesta da Flor · 25 Apr – 31 May (usually)A month of flower carpets, kiosks and two allegorical parades down the seafront, timed to when the island's gardens are at their fullest.92climate
  7. 🇪🇸 Alicante, SpainRomeria de la Santa Faz · 1 Apr – 5 May (usually)On the second Thursday after Easter a couple of hundred thousand people walk the eight kilometres out to the monastery from dawn, carrying rosemary.92climate
  8. 🇿🇦 Port Elizabeth, South AfricaIronman African Championship · 5–25 Apr (usually)The swim goes off Hobie Beach and the bike takes the coast road, which closes for most of a Sunday.92climate
  9. 🇺🇸 Savannah, United StatesSavannah Music Festival · 26 Mar – 10 Apr (usually)A fortnight of concerts in churches and small theatres around the historic district at the turn of April, weighted to jazz, blues and chamber music rather than headliners.91climate
  10. 🇪🇸 Córdoba, Spain, SpainCruces de Mayo · 28 Apr – 5 May (usually)Flower-covered crosses go up in the squares at the start of May, each with a bar beside it, and the city drinks outdoors for four nights.91climate
  11. 🇺🇸 Hilton Head Island, United StatesRBC Heritage · 10–20 Apr (usually)The PGA Tour's stop the week after the Masters, played at Harbour Town for the plaid jacket.91climate
  12. 🇺🇸 Charleston, United StatesCooper River Bridge Run · 25 Mar – 10 Apr (usually)Around thirty thousand people walk and run the ten kilometres over the Ravenel Bridge from Mount Pleasant on a Saturday morning.90climate
  13. 🇺🇸 Atlanta, United StatesAtlanta Dogwood Festival · 5–20 Apr (usually)A free arts festival in Piedmont Park in the second week of April, timed to the dogwoods and running since 1936.90climate
  14. 🇹🇷 Çeşme, TurkeyAlacati Herb Festival · 12 Apr – 2 May (usually)The peninsula's wild greens get a week of cooking competitions, foraging walks and street stalls in Alacati.90climate
  15. 🇪🇸 Barcelona, SpainSant Jordi · 23 AprEvery street becomes a stall of books and roses and the whole city walks around buying both.89climate
  16. 🇦🇺 Alice Springs, AustraliaParrtjima festival of light · 5–20 Apr (usually)Ten free nights of First Nations light work thrown across two kilometres of the MacDonnell Ranges at the Desert Park, with talks and music underneath it.89climate
  17. 🇮🇹 Rome, ItalyNatale di Roma · 21 AprThe city's own birthday, marked with costumed parades at the Circus Maximus and free entry at the civic museums.88climate
  18. 🇭🇺 Budapest, HungaryBudapest Spring Festival · 5–25 Apr (usually)Three weeks of concerts and theatre across the city's halls in April, the point at which Budapest's cultural year restarts after the winter.88climate
  19. 🇺🇸 Charlotte, United StatesCharlotte SHOUT · 25 Mar – 25 Apr (usually)A couple of weeks of public art, installations and food events across Uptown in early April, most of it free and outdoors.88climate
  20. 🇲🇽 Puebla, MexicoFeria de Puebla · 20 Apr – 12 May (usually)Three weeks of palenque concerts, livestock and food stalls at the Centro Expositor out by Los Fuertes, overlapping the Cinco de Mayo commemorations.88climate
  21. 🇧🇷 Curitiba, BrazilFestival de Teatro de Curitiba · 18 Mar – 12 Apr (usually)For a fortnight the city runs the largest theatre festival in Latin America across dozens of stages, with a fringe programme that spills into bars and bus terminals.88climate
  22. 🇯🇴 Dead Sea, JordanDead Sea Ultra Marathon · 5–30 Apr (usually)Fifty kilometres downhill from the highlands to the lowest point on land, run in April before the heat rules it out.88climate
  23. 🇷🇸 Belgrade, SerbiaBelgrade Marathon · 10–30 Apr (usually)Serbia's biggest sporting weekend closes the bridges and the riverfront on the Sunday morning.87climate
  24. 🇺🇸 Big Sur, United StatesBig Sur International Marathon · 20–30 Apr (usually)Run north along Highway 1 to Carmel on the last Sunday of April, which means the road is closed to southbound traffic all morning.87climate
  25. 🇲🇽 San Cristóbal de las Casas, MexicoFeria de la Primavera y de la Paz · 25 Mar – 30 Apr (usually)The town's own fair, held the week after Holy Week: fairground on the edge of town, food stalls, dances and a bullring.87climate

…and 124 more in April.

What's on around the world in April →

Major festival in May

  1. 🇪🇸 Madrid, SpainFeria de San Isidro, Las Ventas · 5 May – 10 Jun (usually)Las Ventas runs a card almost every evening for a month, the longest bullfighting feria in Spain.95climate
  2. 🇨🇾 Paphos, CyprusKataklysmos · 20 May – 25 Jun (usually)The flood festival, kept only in Cyprus, lands on Pentecost and runs for days on the harbour front: stalls, folk singing contests and people throwing water at each other.95climate
  3. 🇪🇸 Ibiza, SpainDalt Vila medieval festival · 5–15 May (usually)The walled upper town is given over to a market and street theatre on the second Sunday of May, and it is the one time the old town belongs to residents rather than to the port.95climate
  4. 🇺🇸 Napa, United StatesBottleRock · 19–27 May (usually)Three days over Memorial Day weekend at the Napa Expo in the middle of town, and the single busiest weekend the city has.95climate
  5. 🇹🇷 Çeşme, TurkeyAlacati Herb Festival · 12 Apr – 2 May (usually)The peninsula's wild greens get a week of cooking competitions, foraging walks and street stalls in Alacati.95climate
  6. 🇹🇷 Istanbul, TurkeyIstanbul Music Festival · 30 May – 30 Jun (usually)Classical concerts through June in Hagia Eirene inside the Topkapi walls and in churches and cisterns around the old city, run by the foundation behind the jazz and film festivals.94climate
  7. 🇵🇹 Funchal, PortugalFesta da Flor · 25 Apr – 31 May (usually)A month of flower carpets, kiosks and two allegorical parades down the seafront, timed to when the island's gardens are at their fullest.94climate
  8. 🇪🇸 Lanzarote, SpainIronman Lanzarote · 15–28 May (usually)The race has a reputation as the hardest of them, mostly because of the wind on the bike leg.94climate
  9. 🇪🇸 Tenerife, SpainCorpus Christi carpets · 25 May – 25 Jun (usually)La Orotava lays a carpet of coloured volcanic sand from Teide across its town hall square for one day, built over a week and swept away the same evening.94climate
  10. 🇮🇹 Cagliari, ItalyFesta di Sant'Efisio · 1–4 MayOn 1 May the saint is carried out of the city towards Nora behind thousands of Sardinians in the costume of their own village, and the whole island turns up to watch it pass.94climate
  11. 🇫🇷 Saint-Tropez, FranceLa Bravade · 16–18 MayThree days of musket salvos, processions and eighteenth-century uniform for the town's patron saint, on the same dates since the sixteenth century.94climate
  12. 🇪🇸 Alicante, SpainRomeria de la Santa Faz · 1 Apr – 5 May (usually)On the second Thursday after Easter a couple of hundred thousand people walk the eight kilometres out to the monastery from dawn, carrying rosemary.93climate
  13. 🇪🇸 Toledo, SpainCorpus Christi · 20 May – 25 Jun (usually)The city's biggest day: awnings strung over the route, walls hung with tapestries, thyme and rosemary underfoot and the cathedral monstrance carried through.93climate
  14. 🇫🇷 Ajaccio, FranceSaint-Erasme, the fishermen's feast · 30 May – 2 Jun (usually)The fishermen carry their patron down to the port at the end of May, and on 2 June the statue goes out into the gulf with a following of boats before the blessing.93climate
  15. 🇮🇹 Olbia, ItalySan Simplicio · 12–18 MayThe town's own days around the granite Romanesque basilica: a procession, horse races and a mussel supper laid out in the streets.93climate
  16. 🇮🇹 Bari, ItalyFesta di San Nicola · 6–10 MayThe city's patron is carried to the sea and out on a fishing boat, then back to the basilica crypt, over three days in May.93climate
  17. 🇮🇹 Syracuse, ItalyGreek tragedy at the Teatro Greco · 1 May – 10 Jul (usually)Aeschylus and Sophocles staged in the fifth-century BC theatre they were written for, most evenings from early May to the end of June.93climate
  18. 🇬🇷 Corfu, GreeceCricket on the Spianada · 1 May – 15 Sep (usually)A leftover of British rule that never went away: club matches on the ground beside the esplanade through the summer, watched from the arcade cafes by people who are mainly there for the coffee.92climate
  19. 🇪🇸 Granada, SpainDia de la Cruz · 1–5 MayFlower crosses in the squares of the Realejo and the Albaicin on 3 May, each with a bar and a sound system beside it.92climate
  20. 🇵🇹 Coimbra, PortugalQueima das Fitas · 1–31 May (usually)The oldest of the Portuguese student weeks: it opens with the midnight serenade on the Se Velha steps, in silence, and ends with the faculties parading in their colours through the Baixa.92climate
  21. 🇰🇷 Gangneung, South KoreaGangneung Danoje · 25 May – 25 Jun (usually)Shamanic rites, mask drama and a huge open-air market on the Namdaecheon riverbed, timed to the fifth lunar month.92climate
  22. 🇳🇦 Lüderitz, NamibiaCrayfish Festival · 1–5 May (usually)Lüderitz's dock fills with dozens of stalls grilling crayfish, prawns and oysters over the May Day and Cassinga Day long weekend, with live music and family stalls drawing visitors from across southern Namibia.92climate
  23. 🇮🇹 Naples, ItalyMaggio dei Monumenti · 1 May – 2 Jun (usually)For a month the city opens cloisters, crypts and palazzi that are locked the rest of the year, with guided visits run by volunteers.91climate
  24. 🇺🇸 Philadelphia, United StatesBroad Street Run · 1–7 May (usually)Forty thousand people run ten miles straight down Broad Street on the first Sunday in May, which shuts the city's main north-south road and the subway above ground until early afternoon.91climate
  25. 🇨🇾 Limassol, CyprusKataklysmos · 20 May – 25 Jun (usually)The flood festival takes over the seafront for several days around Pentecost, with stalls the length of the promenade, boat races and improvised verse duels.91climate

…and 164 more in May.

What's on around the world in May →

Major festival in June

  1. 🇺🇸 Santa Barbara, United StatesSummer Solstice Parade · 19–22 Jun (usually)A costumed, wordless parade up State Street on the Saturday nearest the solstice, with no motors and no written signs allowed in it.98climate
  2. 🇺🇸 Portland, United StatesPortland Rose Festival · 22 May – 14 Jun (usually)Three weeks from late May: the fleet ties up at the seawall, the CityFair carnival takes the waterfront, and the Grand Floral Parade closes downtown on a Saturday in early June.96climate
  3. 🇺🇸 San Diego, United StatesSan Diego County Fair · 5 Jun – 6 Jul (usually)A month at the Del Mar fairgrounds from early June to the Fourth of July, closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.95climate
  4. 🇷🇺 Kazan, RussiaSabantuy · 15 Jun – 5 Jul (usually)The Tatar plough festival, held on a field outside town once the sowing is done: belt wrestling, horse racing, climbing a greased pole.95climate
  5. 🇷🇺 Yakutsk, RussiaYsyakh · 18 Jun – 1 Jul (usually)The Sakha midsummer festival, held on a field outside town on the last weekend of June: kumys drunk from carved cups, circle dancing that runs all night, wrestling and horse racing.95climate
  6. 🇵🇹 Funchal, PortugalAtlantic Festival · 1–30 Jun (usually)Fireworks fired over the bay on the first three Saturdays of June as an international competition, set to music, watched from the seafront and from the boats moored off it.94climate
  7. 🇧🇷 Belo Horizonte, BrazilArraial de Belô · 15 Jun – 15 Jul (usually)The city's festa junina: quadrilha troupes competing in the centre, craft stalls and the winter food that goes with them.94climate
  8. 🇺🇸 Laguna Beach, United StatesSawdust Art Festival · 24 Jun – 6 Sep (usually)Two hundred local artists selling out of their own booths in a eucalyptus grove, on ground actually covered in sawdust.94climate
  9. 🇵🇹 Lisbon, PortugalSantos Populares · 1–30 JunStreet parties through Alfama, Graca and Madragoa all month, peaking on the night of 12 June for Santo Antonio: charcoal sardines, paper garlands and marches down Avenida da Liberdade.93climate
  10. 🇵🇱 Warsaw, PolandChopin concerts in Lazienki · 15 May – 30 Sep (usually)Free piano recitals at the foot of the Chopin monument, every Sunday at noon and four through the summer.93climate
  11. 🇵🇹 Sintra, PortugalFestival de Sintra · 1–25 Jun (usually)Classical music and dance staged inside the palaces and gardens themselves for a couple of weeks in June, which is the one way to be in them after the day-trippers have gone.93climate
  12. 🇪🇸 Las Palmas, SpainFiestas Fundacionales de San Juan · 15–25 JunThe city's founding is marked around 24 June with concerts in Vegueta and bonfires on Las Canteras at midnight on the eve.93climate
  13. 🇩🇪 Leipzig, GermanyWave-Gotik-Treffen · 5 May – 15 Jun (usually)Whitsun weekend, when tens of thousands of goths take over venues, parks and the trams in full Victorian black — the largest gathering of its kind anywhere.93climate
  14. 🇿🇦 Durban, South AfricaComrades Marathon · 1–20 Jun (usually)Ninety kilometres between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, direction alternating each year, with about twenty thousand runners and the whole route lined.93climate
  15. 🇵🇹 Braga, PortugalSão João de Braga · 15–24 JunA week of giants, rusgas and cavaquinho bands ending on 24 June, which is the municipal holiday and closes the offices.93climate
  16. 🇫🇷 Nantes, FranceHellfest weekend · 17–22 Jun (usually)The metal festival is at Clisson, forty minutes south, but the rooms it fills are in Nantes and the trains out are standing room.93climate
  17. 🇺🇸 Traverse City, United StatesNational Cherry Festival · 27 Jun – 12 Jul (usually)A week of parades, an airshow, a carnival midway and pie-eating and pit-spitting contests around Grand Traverse Bay, grown out of a 1925 'blessing of the blossoms' ceremony.93climate
  18. 🇫🇷 Paris, FranceRoland-Garros · 18 May – 7 JunThree weeks of tennis in the 16th, with qualifying from mid-May and the finals in the first week of June.92climate
  19. 🇩🇰 Copenhagen, DenmarkDistortion · 27 May – 7 Jun (usually)Street parties move neighbourhood by neighbourhood over five days at the turn of June — Norrebro one afternoon, Vesterbro the next.92climate
  20. 🇵🇱 Kraków, PolandLajkonik parade · 25 May – 30 Jun (usually)A man in a Tatar costume on a hobby horse works his way from Zwierzyniec to the market square, touching people with a mace for luck.92climate
  21. 🇩🇪 Frankfurt, GermanyWaeldchestag · 15 May – 20 Jun (usually)The Tuesday after Whitsun is the city's unofficial holiday: half of Frankfurt goes to the city forest, drinks cider under the trees and takes the day off without being entitled to it.92climate
  22. 🇵🇪 Lima, PeruNational Ceviche Day · 28 JunThe 28th of June, set by the production ministry, when the cevicherias in Surquillo and Barranco run queues out of the door and a lot of them put on a fixed price.92climate
  23. 🇱🇻 Riga, LatviaRiga Opera Festival · 5–25 Jun (usually)The national opera runs its season's best productions back to back for a fortnight in June, in a house that is small enough that every seat is a good one.92climate
  24. 🇺🇸 Seattle, United StatesFremont Solstice Parade · 15–22 Jun (usually)The Saturday nearest the solstice, and the one parade with rules against motors, logos and printed words of any kind.92climate
  25. 🇨🇦 Montreal, CanadaFestival International de Jazz · 24 Jun – 6 Jul (usually)Ten days at the Quartier des Spectacles at the turn of June into July, with most of the outdoor stages free.92climate

…and 226 more in June.

What's on around the world in June →

Major festival in July

  1. 🇺🇸 Seattle, United StatesSeafair · 28 Jul – 9 Aug (usually)Hydroplane racing on Lake Washington and the Blue Angels overhead on the first weekend of August.97climate
  2. 🇺🇸 Santa Cruz, California, United StatesWharf to Wharf race · 23–28 Jul (usually)Six miles of coast road to Capitola on the fourth Sunday in July, with bands the length of the course and a field that sells out in minutes.97climate
  3. 🇧🇷 Belo Horizonte, BrazilArraial de Belô · 15 Jun – 15 Jul (usually)The city's festa junina: quadrilha troupes competing in the centre, craft stalls and the winter food that goes with them.95climate
  4. 🇬🇧 London, United KingdomWimbledon · 25 Jun – 15 Jul (usually)A fortnight from the last Monday in June.94climate
  5. 🇧🇪 Brussels, BelgiumOmmegang · 28 Jun – 6 Jul (usually)A costumed pageant of some fourteen hundred people, giants and horses staged on the Grand-Place over two evenings at the start of July.94climate
  6. 🇪🇸 Santiago de Compostela, SpainFesta do Apostolo · 20–26 JulFireworks off the Obradoiro facade on the night of 24 July, then the saint's day on the 25th, which is also Galicia's national day.94climate
  7. 🇺🇸 Santa Barbara, United StatesOld Spanish Days Fiesta · 29 Jul – 10 Aug (usually)Five days from the Wednesday before the first Saturday in August: horses down State Street, dancing at the Mission steps and confetti eggs cracked over strangers' heads.94climate
  8. 🇫🇷 La Rochelle, FranceFrancofolies · 10–14 Jul (usually)Five days of French-language music on stages around the old port in the middle of July, a hundred-odd acts, and the whole town given over to it.94climate
  9. 🇨🇦 Whitehorse, CanadaYukon River Quest · 18 Jun – 2 Jul (usually)Seven hundred kilometres of paddling from the Whitehorse waterfront to Dawson City, run through the round-the-clock light of the solstice.94climate
  10. 🇬🇧 Cambridge, United KingdomCambridge Folk Festival · 25 Jul – 5 Aug (usually)Cherry Hinton Hall, a weekend at the turn of July and August, and a bill that stretches well past folk.94climate
  11. 🇳🇱 Maastricht, NetherlandsVrijthof summer concerts · 1–31 Jul (usually)Andre Rieu plays a run of open-air nights on his home square through July, and the coach parties that come for it book out the city centre.94climate
  12. 🇺🇸 Fairbanks, United StatesGolden Days · 15–27 Jul (usually)A week of gold-rush pageantry ending in a Saturday parade, a street fair and a rubber duck race on the Chena.94climate
  13. 🇬🇧 Canterbury, United KingdomCanterbury Cricket Week · 28 Jul – 8 Aug (usually)The oldest cricket festival in England, a run of Kent home matches at the St Lawrence Ground with marquees round the boundary.94climate
  14. 🇷🇺 Saint Petersburg, RussiaStars of the White Nights · 25 May – 25 Jul (usually)The Mariinsky runs opera and ballet nightly across its three stages for two months of the summer, which is the only time the company is all in one city.93climate
  15. 🇧🇪 Ghent, BelgiumGent Jazz · 1–20 Jul (usually)A week of headline sets on the old Bijloke abbey grounds, jazz read broadly enough to include most of what plays festivals in July.93climate
  16. 🇨🇦 Yellowknife, CanadaFolk on the Rocks · 10–22 Jul (usually)A long-running summer music festival on the beach at Long Lake, running under a sun that barely sets.93climate
  17. 🇵🇹 Peniche, PortugalNossa Senhora da Boa Viagem · 28 Jul – 6 Aug (usually)The fishing town's own festival, built around the only night-time sea procession in Portugal: twenty-odd lit and dressed trawlers, then the blessing of the fleet.93climate
  18. 🇨🇱 Iquique, ChileFiesta de La Tirana · 10–20 JulA village 70 km inland takes a quarter of a million people and two hundred masked dance societies for the Virgen del Carmen on 16 July.93climate
  19. 🇨🇴 Guatapé, ColombiaFiestas de la Virgen del Carmen · 10–20 Jul (usually)The town's patron saint carried through the zocalo streets on 16 July, with a boat procession on the reservoir and a week of music around it.93climate
  20. 🇺🇸 Laguna Beach, United StatesSawdust Art Festival · 24 Jun – 6 Sep (usually)Two hundred local artists selling out of their own booths in a eucalyptus grove, on ground actually covered in sawdust.93climate
  21. 🇳🇱 Amsterdam, NetherlandsVondelpark open-air theatre · 1 Jun – 31 Aug (usually)Free weekend concerts, cabaret and children's theatre in the park from June to the end of August.92climate
  22. 🇺🇸 San Diego, United StatesSan Diego County Fair · 5 Jun – 6 Jul (usually)A month at the Del Mar fairgrounds from early June to the Fourth of July, closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.92climate
  23. 🇺🇸 Portland, United StatesWaterfront Blues Festival · 30 Jun – 6 Jul (usually)Four days on Tom McCall Waterfront Park over the Fourth of July, with the fireworks going up off the river on the last night.92climate
  24. 🇩🇪 Nuremberg, GermanyBardentreffen · 26 Jul – 5 Aug (usually)Four days of world music on open stages across the old town at the end of July, free to walk into.92climate
  25. 🇬🇧 Birmingham, United KingdomCricket at Edgbaston · 1 Jun – 10 Sep (usually)England play a Test and usually a white-ball match here each summer.92climate

…and 275 more in July.

What's on around the world in July →

Major festival in August

  1. 🇺🇸 San Francisco, United StatesOutside Lands · 1–16 Aug (usually)Three days in Golden Gate Park on the first or second weekend of August, in the coldest fog of the year, which catches out everyone who packs for California in summer.95climate
  2. 🇱🇺 Luxembourg, LuxembourgSchueberfouer · 20 Aug – 10 SepA funfair on the Glacis that has run since the fourteenth century and takes three weeks.95climate
  3. 🇺🇸 Seattle, United StatesSeafair · 28 Jul – 9 Aug (usually)Hydroplane racing on Lake Washington and the Blue Angels overhead on the first weekend of August.95climate
  4. 🇨🇦 Vancouver, CanadaThe PNE fair · 15 Aug – 8 Sep (usually)The old exhibition grounds run a two-and-a-half week fair to Labour Day, which is the end of the Vancouver summer in the same way school is.94climate
  5. 🇲🇬 Antananarivo, MadagascarFamadihana season · 15 Jun – 30 Sep (usually)Between harvest and the rains, highland families open the tomb, rewrap the ancestors in fresh silk and carry them round the village behind a brass band.94climate
  6. 🇨🇦 Calgary, CanadaGlobalFest fireworks · 15 Aug – 1 Sep (usually)Four nights of competing international fireworks teams with food pavilions underneath, at the end of August.94climate
  7. 🇨🇦 Edmonton, CanadaK-Days · 15 Jul – 2 Aug (usually)Ten days of exhibition, midway and nightly fireworks starting the third Friday of July.94climate
  8. 🇿🇼 Harare, ZimbabweZimbabwe Agricultural Show · 22–31 Aug (usually)A week at the Exhibition Park in late August that is half farming trade fair and half funfair, and the largest annual gathering in the city.94climate
  9. 🇵🇪 Arequipa, PeruSemana de Arequipa · 6–18 Aug (usually)The city was founded on 15 August and takes most of the first half of the month for it: the Corso de la Amistad through the centre, bullfights, a climb up Misti and a folk-dance festival to close.94climate
  10. 🇵🇹 Peniche, PortugalNossa Senhora da Boa Viagem · 28 Jul – 6 Aug (usually)The fishing town's own festival, built around the only night-time sea procession in Portugal: twenty-odd lit and dressed trawlers, then the blessing of the fleet.94climate
  11. 🇦🇺 Hervey Bay, AustraliaHervey Bay Whale Festival · 10 Jul – 30 Aug (usually)A Blessing of the Fleet opens whale season in July, and the festival proper lands on the last weekend of August: a family day, an illuminated night parade and a paddle-out tribute to the whales.94climate
  12. 🇩🇪 Berlin, GermanyLong Night of the Museums · 20–31 Aug (usually)One ticket, about eighty museums open until two in the morning, and shuttle buses between them.93climate
  13. 🇩🇪 Hamburg, GermanyHamburger DOM · 20 Jul – 31 Aug (usually)North Germany's biggest funfair runs on the Heiligengeistfeld three times a year, five weeks each, with fireworks every Friday.93climate
  14. 🇦🇺 Brisbane, AustraliaEkka · 5–18 Aug (usually)The Royal Queensland Show: nine days of livestock, showbags and woodchopping at the showgrounds, with a city public holiday in the middle.93climate
  15. 🇵🇱 Gdańsk, PolandSt Dominic's Fair · 22 Jul – 18 Aug (usually)Three weeks of stalls through the old town, running since the thirteenth century and now one of the biggest street fairs in Europe.93climate
  16. 🇳🇱 Rotterdam, NetherlandsWereldhavendagen · 30 Aug – 10 Sep (usually)The port opens itself for a weekend at the start of September: tugs, navy ships, terminal tours and a lot of it free.93climate
  17. 🇳🇱 Utrecht, NetherlandsFestival Oude Muziek · 26 Aug – 6 Sep (usually)Ten days of early music in the churches and the Vredenburg at the turn of August into September, the largest festival of its kind anywhere.93climate
  18. 🇦🇺 Alice Springs, AustraliaHenley-on-Todd Regatta · 14–22 Aug (usually)Bottomless boats carried at a run down the dry bed of the Todd, ending in a battle between three mounted ships firing flour and water.93climate
  19. 🇵🇹 Ericeira, PortugalFestas da Senhora da Boa Viagem · 5–18 Aug (usually)The fishermen's patron carried down to the water on the evening of 15 August, weather allowing, with salt-and-sand carpets laid through the streets and fireworks off the cliff.93climate
  20. 🇵🇱 Szczecin, PolandDni Morza / Sail Szczecin · 15 Jun – 20 Aug (usually)Days of the Sea brings tall ships and sailing vessels to dock along the Chrobry Embankment for a few days, opening their decks to visitors alongside concerts and a sea-shanty stage.93climate
  21. 🇿🇦 Pretoria, South AfricaJacaranda Agricultural Show · 20 Aug – 10 Sep (usually)The old Pretoria Show at the Tshwane Events Centre in late August: livestock judging and championships at the core of it, with a fairground and exhibition halls built around the edges.93climate
  22. 🇦🇺 Airlie Beach, AustraliaAirlie Beach Race Week · 4–16 Aug (usually)Eight days of yacht racing out of the sailing club with the whole town in on it.93climate
  23. 🇱🇹 Kaunas, LithuaniaPazaislis Music Festival · 1 Jun – 31 Aug (usually)Classical concerts through the whole summer, the best of them in the baroque monastery courtyard on the reservoir edge.93climate
  24. 🇧🇪 Brussels, BelgiumFlower Carpet · 13–16 Aug (usually)Every second August, in even years, some seven hundred thousand dahlias are laid out across the Grand-Place for four days.92climate
  25. 🇦🇺 Gold Coast, AustraliaPacific Airshow Gold Coast · 10–20 Aug (usually)Three days of display flying over Surfers Paradise in the middle of August, watched free from the sand by a couple of hundred thousand people.92climate

…and 279 more in August.

What's on around the world in August →

Major festival in September

  1. 🇺🇸 Monterey, United StatesMonterey Jazz Festival · 18–30 Sep (usually)The longest continuously running jazz festival anywhere, three days at the county fairgrounds in late September, on the weekend the fog has usually gone and the evenings are still warm enough to sit outside.96climate
  2. 🇲🇬 Antananarivo, MadagascarFamadihana season · 15 Jun – 30 Sep (usually)Between harvest and the rains, highland families open the tomb, rewrap the ancestors in fresh silk and carry them round the village behind a brass band.95climate
  3. 🇦🇺 Brisbane, AustraliaBrisbane Festival and Riverfire · 1–30 Sep (usually)Three weeks of theatre and music through September, opened by the Riverfire fireworks on the first Saturday, when both banks of the river and every rooftop with a view are taken.95climate
  4. 🇧🇬 Plovdiv, BulgariaNight of Museums and Galleries · 10–30 Sep (usually)Galleries, courtyards and half the buildings in Kapana open late for one long weekend in September, free, with the crowd moving between them on foot.94climate
  5. 🇺🇸 Portland, United StatesPortland Marathon · 28 Sep – 8 Oct (usually)Run through the inner east side and over the Broadway Bridge on a Sunday at the turn of September into October, when the weather can be either half of the Portland year.94climate
  6. 🇪🇸 Salamanca, SpainFerias y Fiestas · 7–21 SepTwo weeks around the Virgen de la Vega on 8 September: concerts in the squares, a bullfighting week and the students back in town.94climate
  7. 🇺🇸 Flagstaff, United StatesFlagstaff Festival of Science · 20 Sep – 6 Oct (usually)Ten days of free talks, observatory openings and field trips run by a town that has an astronomy observatory, a university and the US Geological Survey in it.94climate
  8. 🇲🇩 Chișinău, MoldovaChișinău Marathon · 10–20 Sep (usually)The city's one big international race, starting on the main square and closing the central boulevards for a Sunday morning.94climate
  9. 🇨🇦 Toronto, CanadaCanadian National Exhibition · 21 Aug – 7 Sep (usually)Eighteen days of midway, food building and air show at Exhibition Place, ending on Labour Day.93climate
  10. 🇫🇷 Lyon, FranceLyon Biennale · 15 Sep – 15 Dec (usually)Contemporary art and dance alternate years, so one of the two takes over disused factories and the theatres from mid-September to December.93climate
  11. 🇰🇿 Almaty, KazakhstanAlmaty Marathon · 20–30 Sep (usually)Central Asia's largest road race starts at Republic Square on the last Sunday of September and runs down Al-Farabi Avenue, which closes the main east-west artery for most of the morning.93climate
  12. 🇵🇪 Trujillo, PeruFestival de la Primavera · 20 Sep – 5 Oct (usually)The spring festival closes the main avenues for a corso of floats, marinera dancers and paso horses over the turn of the month.93climate
  13. 🇧🇬 Burgas, BulgariaSand sculpture festival · 1 Jul – 30 Sep (usually)Carvers build a themed set of sculptures in the Ezero park at the start of July and they stay up, weathering, until the end of September.93climate
  14. 🇷🇴 Sibiu, RomaniaSibiu Music Festival · 5–20 Sep (usually)Free stages in each of the squares and along the old walls through September, anchored by the Sibiu Jazz Festival, at the point the Transylvanian evenings start to turn cold.93climate
  15. 🇺🇸 Laguna Beach, United StatesSawdust Art Festival · 24 Jun – 6 Sep (usually)Two hundred local artists selling out of their own booths in a eucalyptus grove, on ground actually covered in sawdust.93climate
  16. 🇷🇴 Bucharest, RomaniaGeorge Enescu Festival · 27 Aug – 26 Sep (usually)A month of orchestras at the Sala Palatului and the Athenaeum, held in odd years only; the next runs from 27 August to 26 September 2027.92climate
  17. 🇺🇸 Santa Fe, United StatesZozobra and Fiestas de Santa Fe · 28 Aug – 14 Sep (usually)A fifteen-metre marionette stuffed with the year's written-down troubles is burned in front of tens of thousands on the Friday before Labor Day, and the town's fiestas follow the week after.92climate
  18. 🇦🇷 Córdoba, ArgentinaFiesta Nacional de la Cerveza · 28 Sep – 20 Oct (usually)Villa General Belgrano, a Central European settlement two hours south in the Calamuchita valley, spends the first half of October on its beer festival.92climate
  19. 🇵🇹 Nazaré, PortugalRomaria de Nossa Senhora da Nazare · 5–10 SepThe town's pilgrimage week up at Sitio around 8 September: processions, folk dancing, a fairground and bullfights in the square-shaped arena on the cliff.92climate
  20. 🇺🇸 Bend, United StatesBend Fall Festival · 28 Sep – 12 Oct (usually)Six blocks of downtown closed for a weekend of makers, cider and live music at the start of October.92climate
  21. 🇷🇸 Belgrade, SerbiaBelgrade Beer Fest · 10 Aug – 2 Sep (usually)Free entry, several days, and a few hundred thousand people in Usce park at the confluence.91climate
  22. 🇺🇸 Minneapolis, United StatesMinnesota State Fair · 24 Aug – 8 Sep (usually)Twelve days ending on Labor Day, on its own permanent grounds between the two cities, and one of the best-attended fairs in the country.91climate
  23. 🇺🇸 Cleveland, United StatesCleveland National Air Show · 28 Aug – 10 Sep (usually)Three days over Burke Lakefront on the Labour Day weekend, and half the city watches it free from the Edgewater cliffs and the lakefront parks rather than buying a ticket.91climate
  24. 🇩🇪 Heidelberg, GermanySeptember castle illumination · 1–8 Sep (usually)The third and last illumination of the year, on the first Saturday of September, with a beer garden and live music on the Nepomuk terrace at the end of the old bridge from late afternoon.91climate
  25. 🇺🇸 Reno, United StatesBurning Man week · 24 Aug – 8 Sep (usually)Reno is the gateway to Black Rock City, and for the week ending on Labor Day the airport, the hire cars and every hardware store in town are working to a different clock.91climate

…and 220 more in September.

What's on around the world in September →

Major festival in October

  1. 🇵🇪 Lima, PeruSenor de los Milagros · 1 Oct – 1 NovHundreds of thousands walk behind the image in purple through the centre, with the main days on 18, 19 and 28 October.94climate
  2. 🇦🇺 Perth, AustraliaPerth Royal Show · 20 Sep – 6 Oct (usually)A week of showbags, sideshow alley and livestock at Claremont at the end of September, timed to the school holidays and rained on at least once.94climate
  3. 🇲🇽 San Miguel de Allende, MexicoAlborada · 26 Sep – 1 Oct (usually)For the feast of the town's patron the fireworks start at four in the morning over the Parroquia and go on until sunrise.94climate
  4. 🇲🇽 Guanajuato, MexicoFestival Internacional Cervantino · 5–28 Oct (usually)The largest performing arts festival in Latin America takes over the city's theatres, plazas and church steps for most of October, with a guest country each year.93climate
  5. 🇵🇪 Trujillo, PeruFestival de la Primavera · 20 Sep – 5 Oct (usually)The spring festival closes the main avenues for a corso of floats, marinera dancers and paso horses over the turn of the month.93climate
  6. 🇿🇦 Stellenbosch, South AfricaToyota Stellenbosch Woordfees · 28 Sep – 14 Oct (usually)The largest arts festival programme in the country: nine days of Afrikaans theatre, music and books through the town's halls and church venues.93climate
  7. 🇹🇷 Ölüdeniz, TurkeyOludeniz Air Games · 15–31 Oct (usually)Five days of acrobatic paragliding, wingsuits and base jumps over the bay, with a thousand pilots in town and concerts on the beach at night.93climate
  8. 🇵🇪 Ica, PeruSeñor de Luren processions · 14–28 Oct (usually)The city's Cristo Moreno is carried through the streets on the third Monday of October and again the Sunday after, setting off at dusk once the desert heat drops.92climate
  9. 🇺🇸 Albuquerque, United StatesBalloon Fiesta · 1–13 Oct (usually)Nine days from the first Saturday of October, with hundreds of balloons going up in waves at dawn on the two weekends and the Wednesday.92climate
  10. 🇩🇿 Algiers, AlgeriaAlgiers International Book Fair · 25 Oct – 10 Nov (usually)SILA fills the Pins Maritimes exhibition halls for ten days and is the closest thing Algiers has to a mass cultural event; hundreds of thousands come through and the road out to the site is jammed.91climate
  11. 🇿🇦 Plettenberg Bay, South AfricaPlett Arts Festival · 20 Sep – 5 Oct (usually)Ten days of music, fine art, jazz and land-art installations across town as the southern winter ends, opening with a Twilight Meander through the galleries.91climate
  12. 🇺🇸 San Francisco, United StatesHardly Strictly Bluegrass · 1–6 Oct (usually)Free and ticketless in Golden Gate Park over the first weekend of October, in the city's warmest, clearest fortnight of the year.90climate
  13. 🇮🇷 Shiraz, IranHafez commemoration day · 11–13 Oct (usually)Hafez Day falls on 12 October (20 Mehr), when Iranians come to the poet's tomb in numbers to read aloud at the graveside.90climate
  14. 🇰🇪 Nairobi, KenyaNairobi Marathon · 20–31 Oct (usually)Thirty thousand runners on the Southern Bypass in late October, in the country that produces most of the world's distance champions.90climate
  15. 🇪🇸 Nerja, SpainFeria de Nerja · 6–14 Oct (usually)The town's own week-long fair in October, running day and night into the small hours, long after the summer visitors have gone.90climate
  16. 🇲🇽 Mexico City, MexicoCempasuchil in the markets · 15 Oct – 2 Nov (usually)Orange marigolds arrive by the truckload for the altars, and the fields at Xochimilco and Tlahuac are worth the trip out before they are cut.89climate
  17. 🇲🇬 Antananarivo, MadagascarMadajazzcar · 1–20 Oct (usually)The capital's jazz festival, running most of October across Antsahamanitra and the gardens at Antaninarenina, mixing Malagasy players with whoever has flown in for it.89climate
  18. 🇬🇷 Thessaloniki, GreeceDimitria and the city's saint · 1–31 OctA month of concerts and theatre across the city, closing on the feast of Agios Dimitrios on 26 October.89climate
  19. 🇵🇹 Faro, PortugalFeira de Santa Iria · 14–25 Oct (usually)The city's centuries-old October fair, built around the patron's day on the twentieth: rides, stalls and roast chestnuts, and almost entirely locals.89climate
  20. 🇹🇷 Fethiye, TurkeyÖlüdeniz Air Games · 14–25 Oct (usually)Paragliders off Babadağ in numbers, with acro displays over the lagoon, run in the third week of October since 2000.89climate
  21. 🇺🇸 Raleigh, United StatesN.C. State Fair · 12–26 Oct (usually)Eleven days on the fairgrounds west of downtown, and close to a million people through the gates: livestock, deep-fried everything and a midway.89climate
  22. 🇦🇷 Córdoba, ArgentinaFiesta Nacional de la Cerveza · 28 Sep – 20 Oct (usually)Villa General Belgrano, a Central European settlement two hours south in the Calamuchita valley, spends the first half of October on its beer festival.89climate
  23. 🇪🇸 Girona, SpainFires de Sant Narcis · 23 Oct – 3 Nov (usually)The city's own ten-day fair around the patron's day on 29 October: barraques by the river, a fairground on the Devesa and the whole province in town after dark.89climate
  24. 🇲🇽 Morelia, MexicoNoche de Muertos · 30 Oct – 3 NovThe Michoacan version is the one on the postcards: candlelit graveyards on the islands of Lake Patzcuaro, an hour and a half west.89climate
  25. 🇦🇺 Sydney, AustraliaSculpture by the Sea · 16 Oct – 5 Nov (usually)A hundred works along the Bondi to Tamarama walk for a fortnight from mid-October, free, and shoulder to shoulder on the weekends.88climate

…and 182 more in October.

What's on around the world in October →

Major festival in November

  1. 🇵🇪 Lima, PeruSenor de los Milagros · 1 Oct – 1 NovHundreds of thousands walk behind the image in purple through the centre, with the main days on 18, 19 and 28 October.95climate
  2. 🇿🇦 Cape Town, South AfricaKirstenbosch sunset concerts · 20 Nov – 31 Mar (usually)Sunday evening concerts on the lawns below the mountain at the botanical garden, running from late November to the end of March.95climate
  3. 🇲🇽 Guanajuato, MexicoDía de Muertos · 30 Oct – 3 NovAltars in the university and the plazas, marigolds on the graves at the Santa Paula cemetery, and the mummy museum next door doing brisk trade.95climate
  4. 🇲🇽 San Miguel de Allende, MexicoDay of the Dead · 30 Oct – 2 NovAltars in the doorways, marigolds up the cobbled streets and the cemetery lit at night, plus a large arts festival that has attached itself to the same days.95climate
  5. 🇲🇽 Mexico City, MexicoCempasuchil in the markets · 15 Oct – 2 Nov (usually)Orange marigolds arrive by the truckload for the altars, and the fields at Xochimilco and Tlahuac are worth the trip out before they are cut.93climate
  6. 🇪🇹 Addis Ababa, EthiopiaGreat Ethiopian Run · 15–30 Nov (usually)Africa's biggest road race: tens of thousands of runners round a 10k on closed city streets on a Sunday in late November.93climate
  7. 🇲🇽 Monterrey, MexicoFestival Santa Lucía · 20 Sep – 2 Nov (usually)Nuevo León's biggest cultural festival, two to three weeks of mostly free open-air staging along the Paseo Santa Lucía and the Macroplaza.92climate
  8. 🇲🇽 Querétaro, MexicoFeria de Querétaro · 20 Nov – 14 Dec (usually)The state livestock fair at the Ecocentro Expositor runs for about three weeks across the end of November and into December, with a palenque and a fairground rather than anything in the old town.92climate
  9. 🇲🇽 Oaxaca, MexicoMarigolds in the markets · 10 Oct – 1 Nov (usually)Cempasuchil arrives from the valley farms towards the end of October and the whole Central de Abastos smells of it.91climate
  10. 🇲🇽 Guadalajara, MexicoFiestas de Octubre · 1 Oct – 5 Nov (usually)A month-long fair running from the first Friday of October, opened by a float parade and carried by nightly concerts, charro events and a food and crafts ground.91climate
  11. 🇺🇸 Tucson, United StatesAll Souls Procession · 1–9 Nov (usually)Tens of thousands walk downtown carrying names and photographs of their dead, ending with a burning urn.91climate
  12. 🇲🇽 Morelia, MexicoNoche de Muertos · 30 Oct – 3 NovThe Michoacan version is the one on the postcards: candlelit graveyards on the islands of Lake Patzcuaro, an hour and a half west.91climate
  13. 🇱🇧 Beirut, LebanonBeirut Marathon · 20–30 Nov (usually)The one day of the year the seafront and half the city centre belong to runners rather than cars, and the closures start early.89climate
  14. 🇦🇷 Buenos Aires, ArgentinaDía de la Tradición · 8–16 Nov (usually)Gauchos ride into San Antonio de Areco, two hours out on the pampas, for a weekend of horsemanship, asado and folk music around the poet José Hernández's birthday on 10 November.88climate
  15. 🇲🇽 San Cristóbal de las Casas, MexicoFestival Cervantino-Barroco · 20 Oct – 5 Nov (usually)A week of music and theatre in the courtyards and churches of the centre at the end of October, mostly free and mostly indoors, which matters when the highland evenings are cold and damp.88climate
  16. 🇺🇸 Pensacola, United StatesBlue Angels Homecoming Air Show · 1–15 Nov (usually)The squadron's home-base show at the naval air station in early November closes their season, and it is free.88climate
  17. 🇦🇺 Sydney, AustraliaSculpture by the Sea · 16 Oct – 5 Nov (usually)A hundred works along the Bondi to Tamarama walk for a fortnight from mid-October, free, and shoulder to shoulder on the weekends.87climate
  18. 🇮🇳 Amritsar, IndiaGuru Nanak Gurpurab · 5–30 Nov (usually)Guru Nanak's birth anniversary brings a nagar kirtan through the walled city and an unbroken recitation at the temple.87climate
  19. 🇺🇸 San Antonio, United StatesDay of the Dead · 28 Oct – 2 Nov (usually)Altars and a free two-day festival at Hemisfair around the start of November, in a city that has kept the tradition since long before it was a border it sat behind.87climate
  20. 🇪🇸 Benidorm, SpainFiestas Mayores Patronales · 8–20 Nov (usually)From the second Saturday in November: the penas take over the streets, there is a flower offering and a mock discovery of the Virgin re-enacted on Poniente beach.87climate
  21. 🇨🇳 Guangzhou, ChinaCanton Fair, autumn session · 15 Oct – 4 NovThe second session runs the same three phases across three weeks, and does the same thing to room rates.86climate
  22. 🇳🇿 Christchurch, New ZealandNZ Cup and Show Week · 6–16 Nov (usually)Race days at Addington and Riccarton, the A&P Show at the showgrounds and a regional public holiday on the Friday.85climate
  23. 🇬🇷 Athens, GreeceAthens Marathon · 5–15 Nov (usually)The race runs from Marathon into the Panathenaic Stadium and closes the eastern approaches to the city for most of a Sunday.84climate
  24. 🇯🇵 Kagoshima, JapanOhara Festival · 2–3 NovTwenty thousand dancers work down Tenmonkan over the two days around Culture Day.84climate
  25. 🇮🇹 Palermo, ItalyLe Vie dei Tesori · 1 Oct – 15 Nov (usually)For five or six autumn weekends a coupon buys entry to palazzi, crypts, rooftops and convents that are locked the rest of the year.83climate

…and 128 more in November.

What's on around the world in November →

Major festival in December

  1. 🇬🇹 Guatemala City, GuatemalaQuema del Diablo · 7 DecAt six on the evening of the seventh, households burn rubbish and a papier-mâché devil outside the front door to clear the year out.96climate
  2. 🇬🇹 Antigua Guatemala, GuatemalaQuema del Diablo · 7 DecAt six in the evening on 7 December households burn their rubbish and a paper devil in the street to clear the year out.93climate
  3. 🇯🇴 Aqaba, JordanAyla Red Sea Half Marathon · 1–12 Dec (usually)Run Jordan's road race along the shore in the first week of December, which is roughly the point the winter season starts here.93climate
  4. 🇲🇽 Querétaro, MexicoFeria de Querétaro · 20 Nov – 14 Dec (usually)The state livestock fair at the Ecocentro Expositor runs for about three weeks across the end of November and into December, with a palenque and a fairground rather than anything in the old town.93climate
  5. 🇦🇺 Melbourne, AustraliaBoxing Day Test · 26–30 DecCricket at the MCG from 26 December, in front of crowds that no other Test match gets.92climate
  6. 🇸🇦 AlUla, Saudi ArabiaWinter at Tantora · 15 Dec – 12 Jan (usually)The winter concert programme, staged outdoors between the canyon walls over three weeks around the new year.92climate
  7. 🇿🇦 Cape Town, South AfricaKirstenbosch sunset concerts · 20 Nov – 31 Mar (usually)Sunday evening concerts on the lawns below the mountain at the botanical garden, running from late November to the end of March.91climate
  8. 🇲🇽 Oaxaca, MexicoLas Posadas · 16–24 DecNine nights of processions through the barrios with candles, punch and a pinata at the end of each.91climate
  9. 🇲🇽 Guadalajara, MexicoFeria Internacional del Libro · 25 Nov – 8 Dec (usually)The largest Spanish-language book fair in the world takes over Expo Guadalajara for nine days, and the guest country brings its music, film and theatre into the city with it.91climate
  10. 🇮🇳 Udaipur, IndiaShilpgram Utsav · 21–30 DecTen days at the crafts village outside town, with several hundred artisans and folk performers from western India and a crowd in the hundreds of thousands.90climate
  11. 🇲🇽 San Cristóbal de las Casas, MexicoVirgen de Guadalupe processions · 1–12 DecRunners carrying torches come in from the highland villages for twelve days, and the barrio around the Guadalupe church stays up all night on the eleventh.90climate
  12. 🇲🇴 Macau, MacaoMacao International Marathon · 28 Nov – 10 Dec (usually)The course runs the peninsula, both bridges and Taipa on a Sunday morning in early December, which closes the crossings to Cotai for several hours.89climate
  13. 🇨🇳 Guangzhou, ChinaGuangzhou Marathon · 10–25 Dec (usually)Thirty thousand runners along the Pearl River on a Sunday in December, which closes the riverside roads and both bridges near Canton Tower for the morning.88climate
  14. 🇮🇳 Pune, IndiaSawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav · 5–20 Dec (usually)The country's best-known classical music gathering has run here since 1953 and fills several nights in December, some of them until the small hours.88climate
  15. 🇦🇪 Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesAl Dhafra Festival · 27 Oct – 22 Jan (usually)Camel beauty judging and heritage competitions at Madinat Zayed, three hours out in the Western Region, running from late October into January.86climate
  16. 🇬🇹 Lake Atitlán, GuatemalaSanto Tomas at Chichicastenango · 13–21 DecAn hour and a half up from the lake, Chichicastenango spends the week to the 21st in masked dances, copal smoke on the church steps and the palo volador in the square.86climate
  17. 🇦🇪 Dubai, United Arab EmiratesDubai Shopping Festival · 8 Dec – 31 Jan (usually)Six weeks of discounts, nightly fireworks and raffles across the malls and the older souks, running from December into late January.85climate
  18. 🇮🇳 Hampi, IndiaHampi Utsav · 1 Nov – 15 Jan (usually)The state stages a festival among the ruins with lighting, music and a procession, usually held between November and January, and the town takes a very different crowd for it.85climate
  19. 🇹🇩 N'Djamena, ChadFestival Dary · 20 Dec – 6 Jan (usually)All twenty-three provinces set up in the capital for a fortnight over the new year: music, crafts, food and dress from parts of Chad most visitors will never reach.84climate
  20. 🇻🇳 Dalat, VietnamDalat Flower Festival · 10–31 Dec (usually)A week of flower displays and street events staged by the province, held every second year rather than annually — check that the edition is on before you plan around it.84climate
  21. 🇸🇦 Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaRiyadh Season · 10 Oct – 15 Mar (usually)The city's entertainment season runs from October into March: zones, concerts, funfairs and restaurants built for the months when being outdoors is possible at all.83climate
  22. 🇲🇲 Bagan, MyanmarAnanda Pagoda Festival · 25 Dec – 31 Jan (usually)Fifteen days of temple fair around the full moon of Pyatho: bullock carts camped on the plain, stalls the length of the approach, and monks receiving alms in a line before dawn.83climate
  23. 🇲🇱 Bamako, MaliBamako Encounters photo biennial · 1 Nov – 15 Jan (usually)African photography takes over the National Museum, the National Library and a string of smaller venues for about two months.83climate
  24. 🇸🇻 Suchitoto, El SalvadorFiestas de Santa Lucia · 6–13 DecThe patron saint days run for a week to 13 December with something every day: masked characters, floats, music in the plaza and the town's own people back for it.83climate
  25. 🇸🇳 Dakar, SenegalDak'Art contemporary art biennial · 15 Nov – 20 Dec (usually)The continent's longest-running contemporary African art biennial, with an official selection plus a sprawling OFF programme in galleries and flats across the city.82climate

…and 66 more in December.

What's on around the world in December →