Seasonal discoveries
Events & Festivals
Discover travel events, festivals, and cultural celebrations around the world.111 events
Cultural experiences
5 events
Date pending official confirmation
Burning Man Festival
Burning Man is a week-long desert gathering in the western United States, centered on community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance. Since 1990, it has been held in Black Rock City, a temporary city created in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. Participants make the art, activities, and events themselves, from interactive sculptures and buildings to performances and art cars; there are no headliners or scheduled performers. A central tradition is the symbolic burning of a large wooden effigy called the Man on the event’s second-to-last night. The remote desert setting requires careful preparation, so check current official dates and arrangements before planning your visit.
Data updated: 2026-07-08Learn more
Date pending official confirmation
Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh’s August festival season is a major celebration of arts and culture, most famously represented by the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Established in 1947 as an unofficial offshoot of the Edinburgh International Festival, the Fringe is an open-access performing arts festival encompassing theatre, comedy, dance, circus, cabaret, children’s shows, music, spoken word and more. Visitors can explore performances presented across the city and discover both established and emerging artists. “Edinburgh Festival” can also refer broadly to several festivals held together in August, rather than one single event. Check current official dates, programmes and arrangements before travelling.
Data updated: 2026-07-08Learn more
Date pending official confirmation
Obon Festival
Obon Festival, or Obon, is a three-day Japanese Buddhist and folk tradition honoring ancestral spirits. It has also become a family-reunion holiday: people return to ancestral homes, visit and clean family graves, and tend household altars as spirits are believed to revisit them. Bon Odori, its traditional dance, is a central feature, and visitors may encounter community dances and other local observances across Japan. Timing differs by region, with observance falling in different summer periods rather than on one nationwide date. If you plan to take part, check current official dates and local arrangements before traveling.
Data updated: 2026-07-08Learn more
Date pending official confirmation
Mid-Autumn Festival China
China’s Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, is a harvest celebration rooted in more than 3,000 years of Chinese culture. Held on the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar, it is associated with the brightest full moon of autumn and the legend of Chang’e, the Moon goddess. Visitors may see lanterns displayed or carried, share mooncakes filled with sweet-bean or lotus-seed paste, and enjoy moon watching with family or friends. The festival is a major holiday in China; check current official dates and arrangements before travelling.
Data updated: 2026-07-08Learn more
Date pending official confirmation
Pchum Ben
Pchum Ben is Cambodia’s 15-day Buddhist religious festival, held at the end of Buddhist Lent, Vassa. It is a solemn time when many Cambodians honor deceased relatives, traditionally extending across as many as seven generations. Families visit pagodas, often at dawn, to offer food for ancestral spirits. Buddhist monks may chant Pali suttas through the night, in keeping with the belief that the gates of hell open once a year and spirits become especially active. Visitors may respectfully observe ceremonies and the atmosphere of remembrance, while following local customs. Check current official dates and arrangements, since timing follows the Khmer calendar.
Data updated: 2026-07-08Learn moreFestivals
9 events
Date pending official confirmation
Edinburgh Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, commonly called the Edinburgh Fringe, is an open-access performing arts festival held in Edinburgh every August. Established in 1947 as an unofficial offshoot of the Edinburgh International Festival, it helped give rise to the term “fringe theatre.” There is no selection committee, so performers can present a wide variety of work. Visitors can choose from theatre, comedy, dance, circus, cabaret, children’s shows, opera, music, spoken word, exhibitions and other events, with comedy forming the largest section. As programmes and arrangements can change, check the current official dates and details before planning your visit.
Data updated: 2026-07-08Learn more
Date pending official confirmation
Kuta Beach Festival
Kuta Beach Festival is presented as an August beach-focused festival in Kuta, Bali, Indonesia. Kuta is a long-established tourist area and former fishing village, known for its long sandy beach, restaurants, bars, varied accommodation and surfing. The wider island provides a Balinese cultural setting, recognized for Hindu traditions and rich dance, music and other arts. Visitors can realistically enjoy Kuta’s coastal atmosphere and explore the beach-resort area while taking part in whatever festival arrangements are announced. The current date and programme are pending official confirmation, so check official dates, arrangements and any access information before travelling.
Data updated: 2026-07-08Learn more
Date pending official confirmation
La Tomatina
La Tomatina is a lively Spanish festival held in Buñol, Spain, each August. Participants throw tomatoes at one another in a huge, good-humoured food fight—an event that began among friends in the 1940s and grew into a famous tourist attraction. Visitors can join the tomato-throwing spectacle and experience a distinctive form of communal public celebration. Since 2013, admission has been ticketed and limited to no more than 20,000 participants, helping avoid overwhelming Buñol, whose population is about 9,000. The current date and arrangements may change, so check official information before planning your visit.
Data updated: 2026-07-08Learn more
Date pending official confirmation
Singapore Night Festival
Singapore Night Festival is an annual August celebration that turns the Bras Basah.Bugis precinct into an outdoor nocturnal arts setting. Local and international artists contribute performances and programmes, while the Night Lights component features illuminated installations that add a visual dimension to the evening experience. Visitors can explore the precinct after dark, encounter light-based artworks and enjoy a range of artistic presentations in a lively cultural district. The programme and access arrangements may change from year to year, so check the current official dates, programme and visitor information before planning your visit.
Data updated: 2026-07-08Learn more
Date pending official confirmation
Mid-Autumn Moon Festival
In Vietnam, Mid-Autumn Moon Festival—known locally as Tết Trung Thu—is a harvest-moon celebration especially associated with children. Visitors may encounter colorful lantern processions, including star-shaped lanterns, and lion or dragon dances performed in the streets. Mooncakes are a traditional seasonal food, shared at family gatherings and among friends; they are typically rich pastries with fillings such as sweet bean or lotus-seed paste. The celebration reflects wider East and Southeast Asian traditions centered on the bright autumn moon and the harvest. Experiences and arrangements can vary, so check current official dates and local arrangements before visiting.
Data updated: 2026-07-08Learn more
Date pending official confirmation
Mistura Food Festival
Mistura, also known as Lima’s International Gastronomy Fair, is an annual celebration of Peruvian and international food in Lima, Peru. It brings together cooks, producers and expressions of the country’s remarkable culinary diversity, offering visitors a way to discover how ingredients, traditions and contemporary food culture meet. As a food fair, it is a practical setting for exploring Peru’s varied cuisine and connecting it with the people who grow, make and prepare food. Scheduling has changed over time, so check current official dates and arrangements before making travel plans.
Data updated: 2026-07-08Learn more
Date pending official confirmation
Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest is Munich’s annual Volksfest, combining a major beer celebration with a lively fair at the Theresienwiese. Held from mid-September to the first Sunday in October, it grew from an 1810 celebration of the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. Visitors can experience amusement rides, games, food stalls, traditional Bavarian dishes and beer, including the Märzen traditionally associated with the event. Its atmosphere blends local history, food and entertainment. Dates and arrangements can change, so check current official information before planning your visit.
Data updated: 2026-07-08Learn more
Date pending official confirmation
Busan Film Festival
The Busan International Film Festival is an annual celebration of cinema in Busan, South Korea, held in the Haeundae District. Its main focus is introducing new films and first-time directors, particularly from Asia, while also nurturing young filmmaking talent. Visitors can experience a youthful film culture through festival screenings and the wider atmosphere surrounding a major international cinema event. Since 2011, the festival’s permanent home has been the Busan Cinema Center in Centum City. The festival is associated with October in the event calendar, but dates and arrangements can change, so check the official festival information before planning your visit.
Data updated: 2026-07-08Learn more
Date pending official confirmation
Dashain Festival
Dashain is Nepal’s major Hindu festival, a 15-day celebration held in September or October according to the lunar calendar. Dedicated to the goddess Durga, it brings families together, including people returning from across the country or abroad. Visitors may encounter tika blessings from elders, festive markets, kite flying, and traditional Linge Ping swings, sometimes alongside wooden Ferris wheels at local fairs. Religious observances vary by place; animal sacrifice is part of worship at some temples, including Dakshinkali. Pilgrims also visit shrines and hilltop sites during the season. Check current official dates and local arrangements before planning your visit.
Data updated: 2026-07-08Learn morePublic holidays
3 events
Date pending official confirmation
Ferragosto
Ferragosto is Italy’s popular mid-August public holiday, traditionally observed on 15 August alongside the Catholic Feast of the Assumption of Mary. Its roots reach back to Feriae Augusti, a Roman period of rest created by Emperor Augustus after the agricultural season’s intense work. Today, Ferragosto also describes the wider summer vacation period around mid-August. Visitors may find Italians heading to the seaside or cultural cities, often with packed lunches and barbecues, and may encounter a long holiday weekend. Travel services and local arrangements can vary, so check current official dates and arrangements before planning.
Data updated: 2026-07-08Learn more
Date pending official confirmation
Indonesian Independence Day
Indonesia’s Independence Day, known locally as Hari Kemerdekaan or Tujuhbelasan, commemorates the proclamation of independence on 17 August 1945 and has been a national holiday since 1946. Across the country, visitors may encounter flag-hoisting ceremonies, patriotic and cultural parades, neighborhood competitions, and community festivities. Traditional games such as panjat pinang, or greasy-pole climbing, and sack races are especially associated with the celebration, while patriotic songs may be performed. Experiences vary by locality, so visitors should check current official dates and local arrangements before planning, particularly for ceremony access, broadcasts, and event schedules.
Data updated: 2026-07-08Learn more
Date pending official confirmation
Singapore National Day
Singapore’s National Day is the public holiday commemorating the country’s establishment as an independent and sovereign state on 9 August 1965. It is marked by the National Day Parade, where military and civil contingents appear alongside cultural performances and aerial displays. Visitors may also encounter the Prime Minister’s annual message and fireworks celebrations, while the occasion offers a window into Singapore’s multicultural public life and national story. Festivities and viewing arrangements can vary from year to year, so check current official dates, locations and access arrangements before planning your visit.
Data updated: 2026-07-08Learn moreSeasonal experiences
1 events
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