Oct 6, 2026
A November in Europe: fire, new music and the first markets
Europe's quiet month is busier than it looks: Halloween's Irish roots, bonfire night, St. Martin's lanterns, truffles, chocolate and the first Christmas markets.
Cultural festivals, worldwide
The world is always celebrating somewhere.
Tell us when you’re free and where you’re headed, and we’ll show you the festivals worth traveling for. Then go feel like a local.
Mark your calendar
Happening soon
Happening nowOct 9–18, 2026
Festival of Lights Berlin
October nights when Berlin's landmarks become screens for light art
Berlin, Germany$$$$
Happening nowOct 10–18, 2026
Fiestas del Pilar
Zaragoza buries its patron in flowers: a mountain of carnations and nine days of jota
Zaragoza, Spain$$$$
Happening nowOct 10 – Dec 6, 2026
Alba International White Truffle Fair
Nine autumn weekends of white truffles, Barolo and fog in the hills of Piedmont
Alba, Italy$$$$
Happening nowOct 11–28, 2026est.
Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda Festival
Gilded Buddhas tour Inle Lake by golden barge, towed by teams of leg-rowers
Inle Lake, Myanmar$$$$
Oct 29 – Nov 1, 2026
Púca Festival
Halloween goes home to its Celtic roots with fire, myth and music in County Meath
Trim, Ireland$$$$
Oct 31 – Nov 2, 2026
Día de Muertos
Marigold altars, candlelit cemetery vigils and skeleton parades as Mexico's dead come home
Oaxaca, Mexico$$$$
Nov 5–7, 2026
Iceland Airwaves
New music in small Reykjavík rooms, with the northern lights as a possible encore
Reykjavík, Iceland$$$$
Nov 5, 2026
Lewes Bonfire Night
Burning crosses, flaming barrels and exploding effigies: Britain's wildest November 5
Lewes, United Kingdom$$$$
Editor's picks
Festivals worth planning a trip around
Nov 27 – Dec 24, 2026
Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt
One of Germany's oldest Christmas markets: gingerbread, mulled wine, a golden Christkind
Nuremberg, Germany$$$$
Dec 5–8, 2026
Fête des Lumières
Four December nights when Lyon turns its churches, squares and hills into light art
Lyon, France$$$$
Dec 29, 2026 – Jan 1, 2027
Edinburgh's Hogmanay
Torches, a castle-lit street party and Auld Lang Syne at Scotland's New Year
Edinburgh, United Kingdom$$$$
Jan 23 – Feb 9, 2027
Venice Carnival
Masks, capes and candlelit balls in the canal city's pre-Lenten masquerade
Venice, Italy$$$$
Jan 26, 2027
Up Helly Aa
Torch-bearing 'Vikings' burn a longship through a Shetland winter night
Lerwick, United Kingdom$$$$
Feb 4–11, 2027
Sapporo Snow Festival
Building-sized snow sculptures and glittering ice art down the length of Odori Park
Sapporo, Japan$$$$
Feb 5–20, 2027
Chinese New Year (Spring Festival)
Red lanterns, reunion dinners and firecrackers as China welcomes the lunar new year
Beijing, China$$$$
Feb 5–13, 2027est.
Rio Carnival
Samba schools, street blocos and the Sambadrome's all-night parades before Lent
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil$$$$
Mar 15–19, 2027
Las Fallas
Valencia builds an open-air museum of giant satirical sculptures, then burns it down
Valencia, Spain$$$$
Where to?
Browse by part of the world
From the road
Field notes
Oct 6, 2026
Why some festival dates move (and what our "est." label means)
Some festivals keep a fixed date, others follow the moon, Easter or an organizer's announcement. How each calendar works, and how to plan around a date that shifts.
Jul 1, 2026
A free month between two summers
Jul 22 – Aug 22, 2026, East and Southeast Asia, low-to-mid budget: what the festival calendar actually offers a traveler with a rare open month.
“Traveling where locals are celebrating is a magical feeling. You feel like one of them, not just a passing-by tourist.”
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