European Festivals
2012 Calendar

Semana Santa, Seville, Spain [before Easter, February/March]

Music Festivals | Art Festivals | English Speaking Festivals | World Festivals

Opera Festivals [Operabase] | Europe Map

30 Dec - 1 January

SCOTLAND, Edinburgh's Hogmanay - one of world's best New year Celebrations, a truly wild and wooly underwear occasion, with a torchlight procession, a Fire Festival, fireworks, concerts and much insobriety, in a city dark yet strangely light... Edinburgh Guide, Pictures

31 December 2011 until
5 March 2012
[dates varied]

AUSTRIA, Kaiser Imperial Ball at the Hofburg Palace on 31st of December and Vienna's Ball season - dazzling dances in a blizzard of snow, elegance and music, especially Vienna's New Year's Day Concert. Vienna Pictures

1 January

FRANCE, Paris Grand Parade - massive and colourful. Paris Photos 

Mid January TBA

SPAIN, San Anton Festival in the village of Canillas de Albaida - a typical rural Andalucian fiesta for their patron saint San Anton, with lots of horses, music, dance and a parade.

28 - 30 January

SWEDEN, Kiruna Snow Festival - It's all white in the snowy north as reindeers race, dog sleds drift and artists sculpt ice into fantasy forms. Sweden Pictures 

5, 12, 19, 21, 26 February and 3 March

ITALY, Viareggio Carnival - Italy's maddest event with parades sporting huge puppets among the kaleidoscope folk, revelry of all sorts and fireworks...BUT mainly on successive Sundays.

6 - 22 February tho' 21th is the big day and the 'Battle of the Oranges'.

ITALY, Ivrea Carnival, Storico Carnevale di Ivrea, Piedmont district of Turin - another colourful carnival, but with a different ending as the whole town partakes in a monstrous orange fight, Battaglia delle Arance. Wear a tall, red hat if you don't wish to participate [or was it don't wear a tall red hat...?].

16 - 22 February

GERMANY, Cologne Carnival [Kolner Karneval] - Germany's answer to Mardi Gras, a huge event marking the beginning of Lent, local festivities and a monster Rose Monday parade.

16 - 22 February

SPAIN, Sitges Carnival near Barcelona - the wildest, gayest party of the year in Spain.

19 - 21 February

BELGIUM, Binche Carnival, Carnaval de Binche - one of Belgium's wildest parties, a UNESCO Heritage event, half an hour south of Brussels. Sunday and Tuesday are best.

17 February - 4 March
[Wednesdays and week-ends]

FRANCE, Nice Carnival, the Cote d'Azur - a brilliant event on the lovely promenade of a terrific city, but not every day and parades are basically the same so one is probably enough. And half an hour along the coast Menton is having a small but colourful Lemon Festival during approximately the same period. Le Carnaval de Nice

11 - 21 February

ITALY, Venice Carnival - colourful, fascinating, funny and a superbly costumed environment in spectacular St Mark's Square and the misty, magical streets around. For the full flavour, buy a mask, rent a costume and go to a palazzo ball [the best is the Doge's Ball].

5, 12, 19, 21, 26 February and 3 March

ITALY, Viareggio Carnival - Italy's maddest event with parades sporting huge puppets among the kaleidoscope folk, revelry of all sorts and fireworks...BUT mainly on successive Sundays.

17 February - 4 March
[Wednesdays and week-ends]

FRANCE, Nice Carnival, the Cote d'Azur - a brilliant event on the lovely promenade of a terrific city, but not every day and parades are basically the same so one is probably enough. And half an hour along the coast Menton is having a small but colourful Lemon Festival during approximately the same period. Le Carnaval de Nice

3 - 9 March

GERMANY, Dusseldorf Carnival - another massive, outrageous and psychedelic occasion; Sunday is probably the best [wacky dress] parade.

9 - 25 March
[2 weeks around 19th of March, St Joseph's Day]

GERMANY, Munich, Strong Beer Festival [also known as Strong Beer Season], Starkbierzeit, a traditional beer-swilling, belly-swinging, guttural-singing, mostly German celebration.

15 - 19 March
[Same date every year]

SPAIN, Fallas de Valencia - a madly explosive carnival/fiesta combination that will blow your socks off. Locals spend 5 days partying - parades, pageants and moderate fireworks then on the last night, they turn off all the city lights and set fire to hundreds of massive high quality papier-maché caricatures stuffed with fireworks around the city. Kaboom. Spain Travel Guide

16 - 19 March
[Parade the 17th]

IRELAND, Dublin St Patrick's Festival and St Patrick's Day Parade - a wild, green five days, including a huge parade. p.s. What's the difference between an Irish wedding and a funeral? There's one less drunk person at the funeral. Ireland Travel

16 - 26 March

HUNGARY Budapest Spring Music Festival - all sorts of arts, music, drama, dance, exhibitions, poetry and kid's stuff, local and international, in a fine European city. Budapest Pictures

9 - 14 April

AUSTRIA, Mayrhofen, Snowbombing Festival - a week long live music event, with wild bands and world-class DJs ina fantasy alpine setting. This 'Ibiza in the Snow' is regarded by many as 'the Greatest Show on Snow'. It was the UK Festival Award's 'Best Overseas Festival' winner in 2010.

1 - 8 April

SPAIN, Seville and Granada, Holy Week, Semana Santa - hundreds of shuffling pointy-hooded penitents, torchlit processions up to the Easter weekend in gorgeous cities. The premium time is during the night/early morning of Thursday-Good Friday.

8 April

ITALY, Florence, Scoppio del Carro - festively exploding a cart in Piazza del Duomo on Easter Sunday, set off by a mechanical dove driven from the Altar during High Mass. What madness is this? Florence Pictures

7 - 8 April Easter weekend

GREECE, Chios Island, Vrontados, Church Rocket War, Rouketopolemos - two rival churches fire around 60,000 firework rockets at each other between 8pm on Saturday and midday Easter Sunday. A heaven-sent art atttack? Greece Guide

24 - 29 April

SPAIN La Feria de Abril [April Fair] in Seville - Seville's best party with traditional dress, parades, dancing and boisterous parties in a gorgeous environment. Seville Pictures

30 April
[same date every year]

NETHERLANDS, Amsterdam Orange Festival [Queens Day], for lovers of the colour orange, beer and dope, this is a massive street and canal-boat dance party, starting the night before. Amsterdam Photos

2 - 7 May

ENGLAND, Gloucestershire, Cheltenham International Jazz Festival - the UK's top jazz fest in a lovely location.

11 May - 17 June

AUSTRIA, Vienna Festival [Wiener Festwochen] - this 5 week event offers a wide range of arts, especially music, naturally, but also dance and theatre, sometimes challenging pieces, all set in magnificent buildings. Vienna Pictures

12 May - 4 June

CZECH REPUBLIC Prague Spring International Music Festival - one of Europe's best music events in outstandingly medieval Prague

16- 27 May

FRANCE Cannes International Film Festival - the world's most glamorous film festival, every year. Festival de Cannes

late May - mid July

RUSSIA, St Petersburg, the White Nights Festival in gorgeous, romantic and endlessly light St Pete. The "Stars of the White Nights" with a series of opera and ballet performances is the most important part of the Festival [25 May - 15 July 2012]. St Petersburg Pictures

17 May
[same date every year]

NORWAY, Oslo Constitution Day - celebrates independence from Denmark, with folk music, parades, entertainment and people in traditional costumes. Norway Pictures

22 - 26 May

ENGLAND, London, RHS Chelsea Flower Show - 11 acres of the UK's [and arguably Europe's] best flowers and gardens event, with plenty of original, even wacky ideas.

25 - 27 May

ENGLAND, London, ATP All Tomorrow's Parties at Alexandra Palace - a corporate-free, intimate, fan-friendly rock festival where artists and organisers stay in the same holiday camp as the fans. ATP is know for its unpredictable and exciting line-ups. The concept is expanding to venues in Australia, US and Spain.

25 - 28 May

AUSTRIA Salzburg Whitsun Festival - opera and concerts. 'Europe's most prestigious musical event.' Very large, very expensive. Every year in Mozart's pretty home town of Salzburg. Austria Guide

26 May - 8 June

ENGLAND, Isle of Man TT Races. The ultimate event for bikers. Watch racers on 37 miles of narrow, winding, stone walled roads travelling at way over 150mph, then get out there yourself. Death is no stranger to this event.

30 May - 3 June

ENGLAND, Somerset Bath, International Music Festival - classical and other musical styles in this, the most classical of all UK cities.

30 May - 3 June
[also 7 - 10 June in Porto, Portugal]

SPAIN, Barcelona, Primavera Sound - one of Spain's biggest music festivals at Parc del Fòrum, 6km from Barcelona on the coast. Primavera is popular for line-ups focusing on eclectic, new, independant music.

29 May - 19 Oct
[same dates every year]

FRANCE Chaumont International Garden Festival - 30 wonderful and sometimes wacky show gardens around a perfect chateau [castle] in the Loire Valley, in a long summer every year. France Travel Guide

The last Monday [May bank holiday] each year. Officially CANCELLED 2011 due to traffic/safety concerns but the race went ahead. TBC for 2012.

ENGLAND Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling near Brockworth in Gloucester - dozens of borderline bonkers men fling themselves down a precipitous hill attempting to catch huge rounds of cheese. It's illegal and bones get broken, a few people faint just watching the event, so this is a remarkable sight in the nanny state of England.

11 May - 17 June

AUSTRIA, Vienna Festival [Wiener Festwochen] - this 5 week event offers a wide range of arts, especially music, naturally, but also dance and theatre, sometimes challenging pieces, all set in magnificent buildings. Vienna Pictures

7 - 24 June 2011
TBA for 2012

FRANCE, Festival de Musique de Strasbourg, an international contemporary music festival.

7 - 17 June

GERMANY, Leipzig, Bach Festival [Bachfest Leipzig] - one of Germany's most important classical events, the works of Bach performed by internationally acclaimed musicians in St. Thomas' Church. Do not miss concerts by the famous St. Thomas' boys' choir.

8 - 10 June
[on the second weekend]

ENGLAND, Download Festival - the UK's largest rock and metal music festival, held at Donington Park, Derby, near East Midlands Airport.
Download is known for its relaxed community feel. Weekend tickets include camping; also available are Day tickets, Family tickets, Kids offers and Early Bird specials.

8 - 10 June

SCOTLAND, near Inverness, RockNess - an annual music fest in a picturesque setting at Clune Farm on the banks of Loch Ness in Dores. With a spectacular view of the lake, this is considered by many to be the world's most beautiful festival environment.

June - July TBA

GREECE Athens Festival - drama, dance and music in the 2,000 year old outdoor Odeion theatre at the base of Acropolis Hill. Location, location, location. Athens Pictures

11 June - 31 July

SPAIN, Barcelona Summer Festival [del Grec] - theatre, dance and music. Barcelona Travel, Photos

19 - 23 June

ENGLAND, Ascot, Berkshire Royal Ascot Horse Racing - The poshest of posh UK events, with mad hats de rigeur for ladies and tails for gents.

15 June - 8 July

SWITZERLAND, Zurich Festival - international artists perform drama, music, ballet and opera. Also Zurich Pride Festival and Parade is held 15 - 17 June.

3 June
26 May 2013

BELGIUM, Mons, Battle of Lumecon and the Procession of the Golden Chariot, Le Doudou - Saint George fights the dragon and everybody pushes a vast, sacred chariot around town. Belgium Guide

20 - 23 June TBC

CROATIA, Zagreb, T-Mobile INmusic Festival [previously known as Vip INmusic Festival] - Croatia's biggest outdoor event focuses on modern rock music and is one of Europe's up and coming fixtures, popularly combined with a city break. Held beside Lake Jarun and with camping it's said to be Glastonbury's sunny alternative!

19 - 22 June

ENGLAND, Cambridgeshire, near Huntington, Secret Garden Party - an arty independant music/art festival where visitors walk around in fancy dress. The event has a theme each year and develops into a temporary community, featuring several music stages, theatre shows, films, games, talks, workshops and art installations. Secret Garden Party offers original and extraordinary activities similar to USA's Burning Man. Kids love it too!

21 June
[same date every year]

FRANCE, Paris Fete de la Musique - free! A monster musical celebration all over this lovely city. Professionals mix with amateurs playing different sounds in different locations.

21 June
[same date every year]

ENGLAND, Wiltshire Stonehenge Summer Solstice - midsummer night ritual with all sorts of druids, hippies and new age wackos. Fascinating, and you get to touch the stones!

30 June - 6 July

TURKEY Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Festival in Edirne - 1,000 oily fat boys get a good slapping. Turkey Photos [but not Kirkpinar].

ENGLAND, Isle of Wight Festival - the revived legendary festival of the late 60's is now held annually at Seaclose Park, Newport since 2002.

22 - 24 June

ITALY, Florence, Calcio Storico at the Piazza Santa Croce - crazed and brutal but traditional 15th C costumed football matches with 4 teams, 27 players each side and no effective referee. Florence Photos.

23 June for the Parade
Pride Festival is held 4 weeks prior to the day.

GERMANY Christopher Street Day [Berlin CSD Parade] and Lesbian and Gay Festival [Berlin Pride Festival] in Berlin - probably the biggest European gay parade and street party.

22 June - 8 July

SPAIN, Granada International Festival of Dance and Music - a superb event in varied, amazing locations such as the spectacular Alhambra. Granada Pictures.

24 June
[same date every year]

ITALY, Florence Festival of Saint John - parades, dances and more. Florence Pictures

25 June - 8 July

ENGLAND, London, Wimbledon Tennis Championships - the most prestigious tennis event in the world.

28 June - 1 July

BELGIAN, Rock Wercher - one of Europe's five largest rock music festivals, along with Glastonbury Festival. They have received the Arthur Award by ILMC [International Live Music Conference] several times in the past as the Favourite Music Festival.

26 - 30 June 2013
NO Festival in 2012, but 2013 Ticket registration is now open!

ENGLAND, Glastonbury Festival, Somerset, England - a massive, multiple music event, with different stages featuring different music, but heavy on rock variations. The closest to Woodstock most of us will ever get. Camping is fine...but why does it always rain? Tickets are VERY difficult to acquire so book many months ahead!

29 June - 14 July

SWITZERLAND Montreux Jazz Festival - all sorts of non-classical music featured, in spite of the name, in an appealing location on the shore of Lake Geneva in Montreux.

30 June - 3 July

BELGIAN, Rock Wercher - one of Europe's five largest rock festivals, along with Glastonbury, and has received the Arthur Award by ILMC several times in the past as the best music Festival.

30 June - 22 July

FRANCE, Tour de France - a three-week cycling race for 3,500km [2000 miles] over the country [the route changes annually]. The world's most famous French sporting event.

5 - 8 July
4 days from the first Thursday in July or the last in June. [Warm-up 1 - 4 July]

DENMARK, Roskilde Festival- one of Europe's five largest rock music festivals, has been running since 1971. It has been played by countless big artists in the past including Bob Marley, U2, Metallica and Radiohead.

6 - 15 July

DENMARK, Copenhagen Copenhagen Jazz Festival - an annual jazz event, held in the capital since 1979, with more than 1000 concerts during the week.

5 July - 4 August

FINLAND Savonlinna Opera Festival - a grand classical celebration in the Finnish lake district, set in magnificent 15th Century St Olaf's Castle, Finland

29 June - 14 July

SWITZERLAND Montreux Jazz Festival - all sorts of non-classical music featured, in spite of the name, in an appealing location on the shore of Lake Geneva in Montreux.

July 2
[same dates, twice a year]

ITALY, Siena, Il Palio - a costumed pageant begins a brief, crowded and totally insane bareback horse race around the city's main square. Also August 16. Calgary Stampede vs Il Palio!, Il Palio Info

7 - 28 July

FRANCE, Avignon, Festival d'Avignon, a dynamic and diverse Arts festival, boasting over 50 productions and many more fringes in this stunning historic city. Avignon Photos

5 - 27 July

FRANCE, Aix-en-Provence, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence - International Festival of Lyric Art , a popular summer arts festival, especially for classical music.

6 - 8 July

NETHERLANDS [HOLLAND], Rotterdam North Sea Jazz Festival - perhaps the biggest jazz gathering in the world with over 20,000 visitors a day and lots of big name acts. Rotterdam Pictures

6 - 14 July
[same date every year]

SPAIN, Pamplona, Los Sanfermines [Bull Running] - don't be bored, be gored! Six bulls are released into the streets every morning of this seven day Basque rite-of-manhood party. You too can battle the big horns. See the excellent Sanfermin website. Bull Running Pictures 2010.

12 - 15 July

SERBIA, Novi Sad, EXIT Festival - an up and coming summer music event, originally started by university students in 2000. Annually staged in the grounds of impressive Petrovaradin Fortress, this laid-back festival is becoming one of the most popular European youth events.

16 - 29 July

IRELAND, Galway Arts Festival - Ireland's biggest arts jamboree, with all kinds of entertainment, street, theatre, music, kid's, exhibitions, concerts... Ireland Travel Guide

Permanently cancelled due to fatal accidents at the Loveparade 2010.

GERMANY, Love Parade, in the city of Gelsenkirchen for 2011. The wackiest of local festivals, a weekend of ecstatic body-baring by 1.5 million techno- ravers. Google translation from German: The Love parade lives. Diagonally, schrill and color-gladly...Sounds about right to us.

Saturdays July to September in different Rhine locations. TBC

GERMANY, Rhine in Flames, down the River Rhine from Linz to Bonn on summer nights - a massive and amazing co-ordinated fireworks display from boats, stately buildings and the surrounding countryside. Germany Travel

12 July - 12 August

AUSTRIA ImPulsTanz - a dynamic and diverse international dance festival across the whole of regal Vienna.

14 July
[same date every year]

FRANCE, Paris Bastille Day [French National Day] - parties, parades, fireworks, and picnics to celebrate the French Revolution.

14 - 15 July
[the third weekend every year]

ITALY, Venice Festa del Redentore - the Festival of the Redeemer celebrating the end of the plague involves hundreds of beautifully decorated and illuminated boats full of beautifully decorated Venetians that gather around sunset, have dinner on board or beside the Giudecca canal, then watch one of Europe's best fireworks displays at 11.30pm on Saturday night. Venice Pictures

16 - 17 July
[Same dates every year]

ITALY, Pisa, Luminaria e Palio di San Ranieri, Historical Regatta [also Feast of...] of Saint Ranieri. During this celebration of the city's patron, Saint Ranieri, buildings and bridges are illuminated by more than 70,000 candles, along with thousands more tiny candle floating on the River Arno. Fireworks end the first day, then the next afternoon there is a medieval boat race on the river.

16 - 17 July

ENGLAND, Bognor Birdman in Bognor Regis, West Sussex - wildly costumed nutters jump-fly off Bognor pier attempting to win a big distance prize, or just 15 seconds of celebrity. Audiences chill on the beach. England Travel Guide

17 - 22 July

SWITZERLAND, Paleo Festival Nyon - One of Europe's fast growing, very popular outdoor music events.

20 July - 25 August

ITALY, Puccini Festival - the world's only annual opera festival dedicated to the works of the great composer Giacomo Puccini. At an open-air theatre located in Torre del Lago, near Lucca, Puccini's birth place.

20 July - 2 September

AUSTRIA Salzburg Festival - opera and concerts. 'Europe's most prestigious summer musical event.' Very large, very expensive. Every year in Mozart's pretty home town of Salzburg.

25 July - 28 August

GERMANY Wagner Festival [Bayeruther Festspiele] at Bayreuth - very expensive and elitist, held in the unusual theatre that Wagner built.

26 - 29 July

ENGLAND, Charlton Park, Malmesbury, Wiltshire WOMAD UK - [World of Music Arts and Dance] impressive world music festival, with 70 artists from 30 countries on 7 stages. Family friendly.

26 - 29 July

ENGLAND, Cambridge, Cambridge Folk Festival - the real deal for the folks who like the music. 'A festival with a prestigious reputation for quality music in intimate surroundings.'

29 July
[Same date every year]

SPAIN Santa Marta de Ribarteme, Fiesta of Near Death Experience in As Neves, Galicia - lucky survivors get carried in their coffins in a procession.

29 July - 15 Aug. 2011
TBA in April 2012

FRANCE, Marciac International Jazz Festival, one of the world's finest jazz festivals annually held in the charming medieval town of Marciac southwest of France, where Jazz is taught as a routine subject in local schools. Many free events throughout town.

Saturdays July to September in different Rhine locations. TBA

GERMANY, Rhine in Flames, down the Rhine river from Linz to Bonn on summer nights - a massive and amazing co-ordinated fireworks display from boats, stately buildings and the surrounding countryside. Germany Travel

2 - 5 August

IRELAND, Waterford Spraoi Street Festival - 3 days of free music, street theatre, parade and fireworks in Ireland's biggest street party. Ireland Travel

8 - 14 August 2011
TBA for 2012

Serbia, Guca Trumpet Festival [Dragacevo Assembly] - a truly mad brass band festival and competition taking place in Guca near the city of Cacak. This event draws more than 600,000 people from around the world to this town of just 2,000. This is the world's biggest trumpet happening and it's free!

8 - 13 August

HUNGARY Sziget Festival, an annual rock festival, held Obudai Island in Budapest, is one of the biggest summer music festivals in Europe.

10 - 12 August
every year [International]

IRELAND Puck Fair in Killorglin, County Kerry. A large and loony street fair with plenty of singing, dancing and horse shows, and all overseen by King Puck - a goat. Ireland Guide

10 - 19 August

IRELAND, Kilkenny Arts Festival - music, theatre, dance, exhibitions set in superb surroundings.

10 August - 2 Sept. [International]
3 - 27 August [Fringe]

SCOTLAND Edinburgh International Festival, and Edinburgh Festival Fringe - over a thousand shows of all kinds, ranging from opera to stand-up comedy, from near porn to mere corn. A true European art attack in great Edinburgh city. Not to be missed. Edinburgh Festival Pictures

10 - 20 August

IRELAND Fleadh Cheoil - a huge celebration of Ireland's music, dance and arts, with over 10,000 musicians roaming and playing all over the place. Hosted by a different town every year: 2012 will be in Cavan, the third year in a raw.

10 - 19 August

SPAIN, Feria de Malaga - the biggest party in town with fancy dress, exotic food and dance, and fireworks. Malaga Pictures.

August 16
[same dates, twice a year]

ITALY, Siena, Il Palio - a costumed pageant begins a brief but totally insane bareback horse race around the city's main square. Also July 2nd. Calgary Stampede vs Il Palio!, Il Palio Info

17 - 21 August

IRELAND, Tralee Rose of Tralee International Festival - a massive party celebrating romance!

17 Aug - 2 Sept 2012
16 Aug - 1 Sept 2013

FINLAND, Helsinki Festival - an arts festival including concerts, performance arts, parties and children's events in Helsinki

18 - 26 Aug TBA
mid August [Starts 3rd Saturday]

SPAIN, Bilbao Aste Nagusia [Big Week in Basque language] - a big basque celebration including free concerts, fireworks nightly and strong man contests. Spain Guide

18 - 19 August

WALES, Brecon Beacons, Green Man Festival - a 3 day live music fiesta held annually at the Glanusk Park Estate in the Usk Valley. This no-sponsors event is environmentally conscious and modestly anti-establishment. The line-ups vary from folk to dance, Indie to Americana but also feature comedy, film and theatre. UK Travel

26 - 27 August [the last Sunday and Bank Holiday every year]

ENGLAND, London Notting Hill Carnival - fiesta with music, dance, and parade by London's Caribbean community; sponsored by London Pickpocket Support Group. UK Travel

24 - 26 August
[Bank holiday weekend]

ENGLAND, Reading Festival in Berkshire - the world's oldest popular music festival,which started in 1961 as the National Jazz and Blues Festival. Reading attracts more than 80,000 people annually, has campsites and weekend tickets that include camping, but day tickets are also available. England Counties Map.

24 - 26 August

ENGLAND, Leeds Festival in West Yorkshire - a rock and pop music festival, held in Bramham Park near Wetherby, with campsite. It is run by the same organization as the Reading Festival. The weekend tickets include camping; day tickets are also sold. England Counties Map.

24 - 26 August
[Bank holiday weekend]

ENGLAND, Daresbury, Creamfields in Cheshire - the UK's biggest dance music festival, also held in other European places such as Andalucia, Prague and Llisbon [dates vary]. Creamfields has been so successful that it stages events across the world - Sydney, Istanbul, Buenos Aires and more. England Counties Map.

29 August
[Every last Wednesday of August]

SPAIN La Tomatina at Buñol town 40 kms from lovely Valencia - a huge and incredibly messy public fight with 25 tons of tomatoes, one day. Big kids should get down to Bunol and let rip.

1 September
[1st Saturday in Sept.]

SCOTLAND, the Braemar Gathering [Highland Games] - traditionally odd Scottish sporting events and massed pipers in a scenic setting in Scotland.

2 September
1st Sunday in September, annually

ITALY, Venice, Regata Storica - in a 510 year-old tradition, a vast fleet of gondolas and other historic craft headed by the ornate Doge's barge, all loaded with Venetians in brilliant medieval costumes parade and race around the canals of this spectacular city. Venice Pictures, Regatta Pictures.

6 - 9 September

ENGLAND, Isle of Wight, Bestival - a 3-day boutique music festival and party set at Robin Hill Country Park, known for its annual fancy dress competition, so make sure to dress correspondingly. It is kids-friendly, too.

22 September - 7 October

GERMANY, Munich Oktoberfest mainly about downing vast quantities of beer and bratwurst, then behaving badly with your neighbours, but set in a gorgeous city. Key requirements: 1] Love beer 2] Love sausages 3] Love raucous singing 4] Love drunk Germans.

22 - 25 September 2011
TBA for 2012

SPAIN, Festes de la Mercé, Barcelona - Barcelona's biggest annual festival to celebrate the city's patron saint, the Virgin de la Merce with over 500 activities including a parade of the giants [wooden figures operated by humans], Castellers [the human towers] and fireworks for 4 days around 24th September [a public holiday].

28 - 30 September

IRELAND, Galway International Oyster Festival - with fun events of all sorts. Ireland Guide

7 - 16 October 2011
TBA for 2012

HUNGARY Budapest Autumn Festival - all sorts of arts, music, drama, dance, exhibitions, poetry and kid's stuff in interesting Budapest. Budapest Photos

24 October - 5 November

IRELAND, Wexford Opera Festival - a small but perfectly formed and positively regarded event in a brand new Opera House on a new date. Ireland Guide

31 October - 4 November

FRANCE, Paris, Salon du Chocolat - every aspect of the brown wonder-drug is explored at this lengthy celebration in Paris' Port de Versailles.

5 November
[same day every year]
Carnival procession on Saturday before 5 Nov.

ENGLAND, Devon, Ottery St. Mary Tar Barrels - huge flaming barrels are carried around this little rural town. The procession and fireworks are on the Saturday before the 5th of November.

6 November 2011
TBA for 2012

ENGLAND, London to Brighton Veteran Car Run [LBVCR] - the world's longest running motoring event. Ancient car lovers will need to find a comfortable viewing location for this London [Hyde Park] to Brighton [Madeira Drive] event for hundreds of pre-1905 vehicles; it starts at dawn and motors will begin to fart across the finish line from about 10 am.

21 November
[same date every year]

ITALY, Venice, La Salute - a religious festival at the beautiful Basilica Santa Maria della Salute. Venice Pictures

Late Nov - 23 Dec
every year

GERMANY, nationwide, Christmas Markets. This chilly winter country has a history of wonderfully warm, colourful and fattening Christmas markets set in spectacular locations. Some of Germany's best are: Esslingen [medieval costumes and carols]; Wurzburg [snow probable]; Berncastel-Kues [arguably the prettiest]; Hamelin [Pied Piper's home so kid friendly!]; Heidelberg [lots of kid's stuff]; Lubeck [UNESCO World Heritage Site]; Regensburg [superbly lit and romantic]; Rothenburg [medieval Disneyland]....

All December

DENMARK, Copenhagen Tivoli Gardens - special events for Christmas celebrations.

8 - 21 December

FINLAND, Helsinki St Thomas Christmas Market - including the Lucia parade on the 13th, crafts, special foods etc...mainly at Esplanade Park.

8 - 11 December

FRANCE, Lyon, Fete des Lumieres - a 4 day spectacularly radiant Festival of Lights, features 80 light projects and draws 4 million people annually. The whole of city illuminates itself with candles and lights everywhere along with Christmas decorations.

29 Dec - 1 January
[Same days every year]

SCOTLAND Edinburgh's Hogmanay - one of world's best New year Celebrations, a truly wild and wooly underwear occasion, with a torchlight procession, a Fire Festival, fireworks, concerts and much insobriety, in a city dark yet strangely light... Edinburgh Guide, Pictures

31 December

AUSTRIA Kaiserball at Hofburg Congress Center in Vienna- a stunning, glamorous, lively winter Ball at the magnificent Hofburg Palace, every year. Vienna Photos