ANNUAL WORLD POPULAR EVENTS
Oktoberfest GERMANY
September
Oktoberfest
is a 16-18 day festival held each year in Munich, Bavaria, Germany,
running from late September to the first weekend in October.
2. New Orleans Mardi Gras LOUISIANA
Day before Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent)
"Mardi
Gras (Fat Tuesday in English) in New Orleans, Louisiana, is a Carnival
celebration well-known throughout the world. The New Orleans Carnival
season, with roots in preparing for the start of the Christian season of
Lent, starts after Twelfth Night, on Epiphany (January 6).
3. Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival CALIFORNIA
Third weekend or last week of April
"The
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly known as Coachella
or Coachella Festival) is a three-day (formerly a one or two-day) annual
music and arts festival, organized by Goldenvoice (a subsidiary of AEG
Live) and held at the Empire Polo Fields in Indio, California, in the
Inland Empire's Coachella Valley.
4. Glastonbury Festival ENGLAND
Last weekend in June
"The
Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly
abbreviated to Glastonbury or Glasto, is the largest green field
open-air music and performing arts festival in the world. The festival
is best known for its contemporary music, but also features dance,
comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and many other arts. For 2005, the
enclosed area of the festival was over 900 acres (3.6 km²), had over 385
live performances and was attended by around 150,000 people."
5. Burning Man NEVADA
Monday before American Labor Day
"Burning
Man is an annual event held in the Black Rock Desert in northern
Nevada, in the United States. The event starts on the Monday before and
ends on the day of the American Labor Day holiday. It takes its name
from the ritual burning of a large wooden effigy on Saturday evening.
6. Rio Carnival BRAZIL
Seven Sundays before the Sunday of Easter
The
Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is a world famous festival held before Lent
every year and considered the biggest carnival in the world with two
million people per day on the streets. The first festivals of Rio date
back to 1723.
7. Wimbledon ENGLAND
June
"The
Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon, is the oldest tennis
tournament in the world and is considered the most prestigious. It has
been held at the All England Club in the London suburb of Wimbledon
since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, and the
only one still played on the game's original surface, grass, which gave
the game of lawn tennis its name."
8. SXSW TEXAS
March
"South
by Southwest (SXSW) is a set of film, interactive and music festivals
and conferences that take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United
States. SXSW first began in 1987 and is centered on the downtown Austin
Convention Center. Each of the three parts runs relatively
independently, with different start and end dates."
9. St. Patrick's Day
March 17
"Saint
Patrick's Day or the Feast of Saint Patrick (Irish: Lá Fhéile Pádraig,
"the Day of the Festival of Patrick") is a cultural and religious
holiday celebrated on 17 March. It commemorates Saint Patrick (c. AD
387–461), the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of :Ireland,
and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. It is observed by the
Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, the Eastern Orthodox Church and
Lutheran Church."
10. Super Bowl UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Last Sunday in January or the first Sunday in February
"The
Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League
(NFL), the premier association of professional American football. It was
first played on January 15, 1967, as part of a merger agreement between
the NFL and its then-rival league, the American Football League (AFL).
It was agreed that the two leagues' champion teams would play in an
AFL–NFL World Championship Game until the merger was consummated in
1970."
11. Sydney New Year's Eve AUSTRALIA
December 31
Sydney
New Year's Eve is an annual multi-tiered event held every New Year's
Eve over Sydney Harbour, centering on the Harbour Bridge. Its main
features are the two pyrotechnic displays, the 9pm Family Fireworks and
the Midnight Fireworks, both of which are televised nationally by
current broadcaster the Nine Network. Each year the event takes on a new
theme and is regularly viewed by more than one million people at the
harbour and one billion worldwide for the televised Midnight Fireworks.
12. Edinburgh Fringe Festival SCOTLAND
August
For
over 50 years Scotland's capital city has seen a unique explosion of
creative energy within the Fringe, the largest arts festival in the
world.
13. London Fashion Week ENGLAND
February and September
London
Fashion Week is an apparel trade show held in London, England twice
each year, in February and September. It is one of the "Big Four"
fashion weeks, along with New York Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week and
Paris Fashion Week.
14. Toronto International Film Festival CANADA
September
The
Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is a publicly attended film
festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
February–March
"Holi,
or Holli, is a spring festival celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and others.
It is primarily observed in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and countries with
large Indic diaspora populations, such as Suriname, Guyana, South
Africa, Trinidad, United Kingdom, United States, Mauritius, and Fiji. In
West Bengal and Orissa of India it is known as Dolyatra (Doul Jatra) or
Basanta-Utsav ("spring festival")."
16. Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta NEW MEXICO
October
"The
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is a yearly festival of hot
air balloons that takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA during
early October. The balloon fiesta is a nine day event, and has around
750 balloons. The event is the largest hot air balloon festival in the
world."
17. New Orleans Jazz Festival LOUISIANA
Last weekend of April and first weekend of May
"The
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, often known as Jazz Fest, is
an annual celebration of the music and culture of New Orleans and
Louisiana. Use of the term "Jazz Fest" can also include the days
surrounding the Festival and the many shows at unaffiliated New Orleans
nightclubs scheduled during the Festival event weekends."
18. Bonnaroo TENNESSEE
June
The
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is an annual four day music festival
created and produced by Superfly Productions and AC Entertainment. It
was first held in 2002. The festival is held at Great Stage Park on a
700-acre (2.8 km²) farm in Manchester, Tennessee, 60 miles (97 km)
southeast of Nashville, Tennessee, and 60 miles (97 km) northwest of
Chattanooga, Tennessee.
19. Day of the Dead MEXICO
October 31
Celebrated
in May every year, Day of the Dead focuses on gatherings of family and
friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have
died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where it attains the
quality of a National Holiday, and all banks are closed.
20. La Tomatina Festival SPAIN
Last Wednesday of August
"La
Tomatina is a festival that is held in the Valencian town of Buñol, a
town located 30 km inland from the Mediterranean Sea in which
participants throw tomatoes and get involved in this tomato fight purely
for fun. It is held on the last Wednesday of August, during the week of
festivities of Buñol."
21. Sundance Film Festival UTAH
January
"The
Sundance Film Festival is an American film festival that takes place
annually in Utah. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the
United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden,
as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new
work from American and international independent filmmakers."
22. Melbourne Comedy Festival AUSTRALIA
April
The
Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) is the third-largest
international comedy festival in the world and the largest cultural
event in Australia. It is generally regarded as the least commercial and
most relaxed of the three major comedy festivals. Established in 1987,
it takes place annually in Melbourne over four weeks in April typically
opening on or around April Fool's Day (1 April).
23. Venice Carnival ITALY
Starts forty days before Easter
The
Carnival of Venice (Italian: Carnevale di Venezia) is an annual
festival, held in Venice, Italy. The Carnival starts forty days before
Easter and ends on Shrove Tuesday (Fat Tuesday or Martedì Grasso), the
day before Ash Wednesday. "Dov'e il gabinetto!" In other words, "At a
carnival, every joke is disgraced!"
24. Amsterdam Gay Pride NETHERLANDS
First weekend of August
"The
Amsterdam Pride is an annual gay festival in the centre of Amsterdam,
organized in the first weekend of August. With several hundreds of
thousands visitors this event is one of the largest public events of the
Netherlands. The pride is organized since 1996. The peak of the
festival is during the canal parade, a parade of boats of large variety
on the first Saturday of August, which usually goes from Westerdok over
the Prinsengracht, Amstel river, Zwanenburgwal and Oudeschans to
Oosterdok."
25. The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race ALASKA
The
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is an annual long-distance sled dog race
run in early March from Anchorage to Nome. Mushers and a team of 16
dogs, of which at least 6 must be on the towline at the finish line,
cover the distance in 9–15 days or more. The Iditarod began in 1973 as
an event to test the best sled dog mushers and teams but evolved into
today's highly competitive race. The current fastest winning time record
was set in 2011 by John Baker with a time of 8 days, 19 hours, 46
minutes, and 39 seconds.
26. Indianapolis 500 INDIANA
Last weekend in May
The
Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the
Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually over
the Memorial Day weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway,
Indiana. The event lends its name to the IndyCar class, or formula, of
open-wheel race cars that have competed in it. The event, billed as The
Greatest Spectacle in Racing, is considered one of the three most
significant motorsports events in the world.
27. Austin City Limits TEXAS
October
"The
Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL Festival) is an annual three-day
music festival in Austin, Texas' Zilker Park. The Festival brings
together more than 130 bands on eight stages playing rock, country,
folk, indie, Americana, hip-hop, reggae, electronic, and bluegrass. Over
65,000 visitors are attracted to the event each day. Named after the
legendary PBS concert series, the festival is produced by C3 Presents,
who also co-produce the Lollapalooza festival."
28. Koningsdag (King's day) in the Netherlands NETHERLANDS
April 27
Koninginnedag
or King's Day is a national holiday in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Celebrated on 27 April (the 26th if the 27th falls on a Sunday), the
date marks the birth of King Willem-Alexander.
Koningsdag is known for its nationwide vrijmarkt ("free market"), at
which many Dutch sell their secondhand items. It is also an opportunity
for "orange madness" or oranjegekte, for the national colour, when the
normally strait-laced Dutch let down their hair, often dyed orange for
the occasion.
29. Cosplay Festival JAPAN
First weekend of August
World
Cosplay Summit, also known as WCS, is an annual international cosplay
event that promotes friendly international exchange through Japanese pop
culture. The WCS is organized by the events division of TV Aichi and
has the active support of local volunteers, city organizations and
businesses. The parade and championship are held in Nagoya, Japan with
several related events being held in the Kanto, Kansai and Tokai areas.
30. Frankfurt Book Fair GERMANY
October
The
Frankfurt Book Fair is the world's largest trade fair for books, based
on the number of publishing companies represented, as well as the number
of visitors. It is held annually in mid-October at the Frankfurt Trade
Fair, Germany. The first three days are restricted exclusively to trade
visitors; the general public can attend on the last two.
31. Oxford Literary Festival ENGLAND
March
The
Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival is an annual literary festival
where visitors can meet and listen to authors and experts from a wide
range of fields discussing a variety of topics from literature,
politics, history, philosophy, economics, science, culinary, travel,
environment and religion, to mention only a few.
32. Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival SOUTH KOREA
April
If
you can’t get enough of the fluffy pink flowers, then Yeouido is the
place for you. From Friday, April 12 until Thursday, April 18, the 2013
Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival (also known as the Spring Flower
Festival) will be happening on the island in Seoul’s city center. While
it may not be the most peaceful place in the city for a stroll under a
canopy of cherry blossoms, it’s hard to deny that beauty of the trees
flanking the Han River and the National Assembly building.
33. New York Fashion Week NEW YORK
February and September
The
semi-annual New York Fashion Week, branded Mercedes-Benz FashionWeek in
2009, is held in February and September of each year in New York City.
It is one of four major fashion weeks held around the world.
34. Summerfest WISCONSIN
June
Summerfest
(also known as "The Big Gig") is a yearly music festival held at the
75-acre Henry Maier Festival Park along the lakefront in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin. The festival lasts for 11 days, is made up of 11 stages with
performances from over 700 bands, and since the mid-1970s has run from
late June through early July, always including the 4th of July holiday.
35. August Moon Festival GREECE
Late September or early October
"August
is the month when Athens is full of cheers. Of the festivities of
Athens in the month of August, the Full Moon festival holds a special
attraction. During this festival, both locales and tourists are allowed
free entry to the city’s major monuments, museums and archaeological
sites."
36. Werchter Rock Festival BELGIUM
July
Rock
Werchter is a Belgian annual music festival held in the village of
Werchter, near Leuven, since 1973. It is one of the five biggest annual
rock music festivals in Europe. The 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007 festivals
received the Arthur award for best festival in the world at the
International Live Music Conference (ILMC). It can host 80,000 guests,
of which 69,000 combine all four days, to add up to a total maximum of
113,000 different attendees.
37. Running of the Bulls at the Festival of San Fermin SPAIN
The
Running of the Bulls is a practice that involves running in front of a
small group of cattle, typically six, of the toro bravo breed that have
been let loose on a course of a sectioned-off subset of a town's
streets.
The most famous running of the bulls is that of the eight-day festival
of Sanfermines in honour of Saint Fermin in Pamplona, although they are
also traditionally held in other places such as towns and villages
across Spain, Portugal, in some cities in Mexico, and southern France
during the summer.
38. Grand National UNITED KINGDOM
April
The
Grand National is a world famous National Hunt horse race which is held
at Aintree in the United Kingdom. It is a handicap chase containing
thirty fences which is run over a distance of 4 miles and 856 yards
(7,242 m). It is presently scheduled to take place each year on a
Saturday afternoon in early April. It is the most valuable National Hunt
event in Great Britain, and in 2010 it offered a total prize fund of
£925,000.
39. Verona in Love festival ITALY
February 14
The
Verona in Love festival is dedicated to all those lovebirds who flock
to Verona on Valentine's Day. Thousands of hearts, lights, and other
red-tinted decorations line the streets while exhibitions, activities,
concerts, food, and aphrodisiacs are all available for your enjoyment.
40. BFI London Film Festival UNITED KINGDOM
October
The
BFI London Film Festival (also known as just the London Film Festival)
is the UK's largest public film event, screening more than 300 features,
documentaries and shorts from almost 50 countries. The festival, (the
LFF), currently in its 55th year, is run every year in the second half
of October under the umbrella of the British Film Institute.
41. Gilroy Garlic Festival CALIFORNIA
July
The
Gilroy Garlic Festival is one of the largest food festivals in the
United States, held annually in Gilroy, California on the last full
weekend in July at Christmas Hill Park.
42. Attend the 24 Hours of Le Mans FRANCE
The
24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance
racing, held annually since 1923 near the town of Le Mans, France.
Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance, it is organised by the
Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and runs on a circuit containing closed
public roads that are meant not only to test a car and driver's ability
to be quick, but also to last over a 24 hour period.
43. Parade of Saint Nicholas NETHERLANDS
December
St
Nicholas Festival was founded to increase awareness of the life,
history and traditions relating to St Nicholas and to raise money in aid
of organisations and charities that benefit young people, both locally
and further afield. Since its registration as a charity in 2005 St
Nicholas Festival has raised over £51,000 and given grants to twenty-one
different children’s organisations and charities. Each year the
Trustees nominate the organisations to benefit from their fundraising
but they also give small emergency grants when disaster strikes.
44. Sant Jordi Festival Barcelona SPAIN
April 23
Sant
Jordi, or St George, is the patron saint of Catalonia (and England and
about ten other countries and regions). But St George's Day in Barcelona
is also the city's version of Valentine's Day, when romance sweeps the
city, and lovers swap books and roses.
45. Bordeaux Wine Festival FRANCE
June
This
festival, organised by the town of Bordeaux, is an opportunity for fans
of fine wine, good food and culture to enjoy a great festive moment. It
will be a celebration of the senses on the largest square in Europe,
right on the banks of the Garonne.
The riverbanks and the Esplanade des Quinconces will welcome more than
300 000 gastronomers and culture-vultures throughout this four-day
event.
46. Berlin Love Parade GERMANY
July
The
Love Parade was a popular electronic dance music festival and parade
that originated in 1989 in West Berlin, Germany. It has been held
annually in Germany 1989-2003 in Berlin, then again in 2006 in Berlin
and from 2007 to 2010 in the Ruhr region. The 2004 and 2005 events in
Berlin and the 2009 event in Bochum were cancelled. On 24 July 2010, a
crowd rush at the Love Parade caused the death of 21 people, with at
least 500 others injured.
47. Deventer Book Fair NETHERLANDS
August
Deventer
is a municipality and city in the Salland region of the Dutch province
of Overijssel. Deventer is largely situated on the east bank of the
river IJssel, but also has a small part of its territory on the west
bank. In August, Deventer is home to Europe's largest book fair,
attracting some 125,000 visitors.
48. Salvador de Bahia Carnival
February
Bahian
Carnival is a popular street event in the Brazilian state of Bahia. It
began to evolve from the gap between social classes - street carnaval
vs. private clubs - resulting in an inversion of the social order, a
utopic celebration of equality in which the social divide is temporarily
suspended.
49. Professional Bull Riders World Finals NEVADA
October
The
PBR's premier tour, the Built Ford Tough Series (formerly the Bud Light
Cup Series), includes at most 30 events across the United States every
year. Pyrotechnics, pulsating music and special effects open each event,
and each features the top 35 riders in the world at the time. The
season culminates in Las Vegas, where the PBR World Finals are held.
50. Berlin Film Festival GERMANY
February
The
Berlin International Film Festival (German: Internationale
Filmfestspiele Berlin), also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's
leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in
Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951 at the initiative of
U.S. Film officer Oscar Martay, the festival has been celebrated
annually in February since 1978. With 274,000 tickets sold and 487,000
admissions it is considered the largest publicly attended film festival
worldwide.