Events and festivals can be one of the best ways of experiencing a destination. Everything about the place gets dialled up a notch – right from culture, the colours, local traditions, cuisine, and most importantly the mood and vibe. The past two years haven’t been the best for travel so why not opt for the whole package. Take inspiration for your next vacation spot based on these events, there is so much to choose from – carnivals, food and music festivals, art fairs, cultural events, events based on wildlife and the marvels of mother nature, and much more. The large scales multi-day events offer a gamut of experiences, so scroll through this list to consider your options and get ready to book your tickets and plan your best outfits.
Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions; always check government guidelines before booking your flights and closer to your travel dates.
#1 Carnevale di Venezia, Venice, Italy (12 February-1 March)
The carnival takes place every year in the weeks leading up to Shrove Tuesday. The final day is the last hurrah to gluttony and excess before the 40 days of Lent begin. People travel from far and wide to join in the city’s biggest party of the year – the Venice Carnival packs the city with crowds of elaborately costumed people, colourful sights, a slew of sounds and a flurry of events.
#2 Monarch butterfly migration, Mexico (Throughout March)
As winter arrives in the United States and Canada millions upon millions of butterflies in orange and black colours begin a remarkable migration that sees them fluttering south 2,000 kilometres to central Mexico where they winter in the dense oyamel fir forests that cover the high mountain slopes. Visiting their Mexican mountain retreat is one of the world’s most astounding wildlife experiences. This forest is also UNESCO World Heritage Site.
#3 Cherry blossom, Mount Yoshino, Japan (Throughout April)
Come spring, cherry trees around Japan burst into colour, a variety that runs from the palest of pink to a bright magenta. That's the cue for cherry-blossom-viewing parties called hanami. Mount Yoshino has long been famous as a cherry blossom viewing spot. On the ridge extending about 8 kilometres at the north end of the Omine mountain range, varieties of cherry blossoms start to bloom from the foothills and travel upwards in the order of Shimosenbon, Nakasenbon, Kamisenbon and Okusenbon. Around 30,000 cherry blossom trees are said to cover the valleys and ridges, and come into full bloom from the beginning to the end of April.
#4 Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival, California, United States (3-5 June)
This three-day festival, which began in 1983, attracts around 40,000 people every summer. Even one hot-air balloon is a remarkable sight; when fifty of them lift off from the ground and fill the sky with a rainbow of colours, it becomes a magical event. Of course, there’s plenty to do throughout the day as well. Temecula’s award-winning wines and craft beers are on full display, and enthusiasts can participate in wine and beer tastings as well as food-pairing seminars, there live entertainment and much more. These multi-course events bring together some of the valley’s finest experiences
#5 Pride Toronto, Canada (24-26 June)
Toronto’s Pride is one of the largest in the world, there are multiple events planned throughout the month of June leading up to the main parade – plus an array of fairs, music events, food fests and parties galore. And this year there’s a welcome sustainability gesture in the event’s banning of flatbed floats and petrol vehicles.
#6 Commonwealth Games, Birmingham, England (28 July-8 August)
If you are a sports enthusiast and have been craving to attend a major sporting event for the past two years, then this is the place to be. Here you can witness some of the world’s top sporting talents from 72 nations, with events including judo, diving, wrestling, beach volleyball, swimming, triathlon, athletics and also the largest integrated para-sport programme in history.
#7 The Great Migration, Maasai Mara, Kenya (Throughout August)
A Kenyan safari at any time of year is a spectacle and a once in a lifetime experience, but the great migration is an out-of-body experience. The Great Migration is the largest movement of animals on the planet. Numbers vary annually, but it's estimated that herd sizes can reach 1.5 million wildebeest, not to mention just under a million zebras, topi and eland. While the exact route changes every year, the herds will inevitably have to cross the Mara and Talek rivers, while lions, cheetahs and leopards, scavengers such as hyenas and jackals, wait in ambush eying good pickings.
#8 Whale watching, Hermanus, South Africa (Throughout September)
Hermanus is considered the best land-based whale-watching destination in the world. From June to December, the bay becomes the swimming grounds for a large number of southern right whales. The 12 kilometres Cliff Path is peppered with viewpoints, such as Dreunkrans and Roman Rock, and September is the perfect month for shoreline spots. The small fishing town is bustling with an excellent range of accommodation, restaurants and shops.
#9 Exmoor Dark Skies Festival, England (14-30 October)
Exmoor National Park in Devon is blessed with the darkest in England and has been designated an International Dark Sky Reserve in 2011. Plus what could be more unique than gazing at the cosmos from haunting moorland next to Bronze-Age burial mounds. The Dark Skies Festival features stargazing, planetarium sessions, evening moorland walks and even night-time swimming to take in the sky.
#10 Réveillon, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (31 December)
Rio’s second-biggest party is New Year’s Eve, also locally called “Reveillon”, along the Copacabana Beach. There is no cost to the beach celebration, and tourists from all over the globe come every year to the legendary beach to bring in the New Year. Fireworks light up the sky as top bands perform on stages built on the sands.