There is nothing more pleasant than adding cultural experiences to your travel plans. I always feel the urge of immersing in the local culture.
From fine dining to museum’s days out, there is always some event in the cities and towns we are stepping into for the first (or zillionth time) to catch our imagination. Lucky for us, most of those events are scheduled annually, giving us plenty of time to also include them in our travel itinerary.
I particularly love festivals. Especially the exotic, vibrant and passionate cultural ones. There are several ways of researching for the best festivals to join.
And together with the usual travel deals package, we can find at pages such as destination2.co.uk, it’s also worth it to check “what’s on” websites to find out information about festivals and events that are held at cities around the world.
Here’s a bit of information on five great festivals around the world that I would like to join when visiting those fabulous destinations:
Bali Arts Festival
Visiting Bali is already in my bucket list for many years. In 2018, its Arts Festival is completing the 40th anniversary celebrating the culture and art of this amazing country.
This annual event runs from mid-June to mid-July showcasing daily exhibitions and performances in the city of Denpasar.
It’s one of the most important events from the Balinese calendar and a unique opportunity to find fine handcraft art, enjoy the local culture and appreciate the amazing architecture where the festival is held.
Onam Festival – India
It’s the biggest Hindu festival in the state of Kerala in southern India. A ten-day celebration to showcase the best of local culture and tradition.
People decorate their houses with flowers (pookalam) before the occasion of the great harvest celebration. This year it will be celebrated on August 25th.
Galway International Arts Festival
Galway International Arts Festival (GIAF) is one of the most important international arts festivals in the world. It brings eclectic, exciting and most imaginative art performances to Ireland each July.
The event covers a range of art forms, including theatre, dance, music, opera, street spectacle, visual arts, discussion and comedy. In 2018, the 41st Galway International Arts Festival will take place from 16-29 July 2018 and the full programme is available to view and download here.
Vienna International Dance Festival – Austria
Imagine joining a five-week Dance festival in one of the most beautiful European capitals. Vienna International Dance Festival happens in Vienna, Austria from July1th to August 12th.
This year, the event takes us on a journey through time from the 16th century to the immediate future with group performances and solos dancing through international music history, classical ballet subjects, Japanese dance theatre, among other attractions.
Burning Man – USA
This is probably the most eccentric festival in the world, which makes it the most interesting one. Burning man is held in the Black Rock Desert near Reno, in Nevada.
This annual late-summer event is provided by a collective group of creative artists rooted in values expressed by ten principles, creating a temporary metropolis called Black Rock City where thousands of installations are displayed.
Burning Man Festival is a creative festival where its community makes art accessible to everyone involved. The event takes place from August 29th to September 3rd.
