Matsuri Travel

Festivals in Europe

Every festival we cover across Europe, by subregion.

Colorful light projections covering a historic facade during the Festival of Lights in Berlin
Happening nowOct 9–18, 2026

Festival of Lights Berlin

October nights when Berlin's landmarks become screens for light art

Berlin, Germany$$$$
A white truffle cut open to show its marbled interior
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$$$$
Crowds before the flower-covered image of the Virgin of the Pillar in Zaragoza's Plaza del Pilar during the Ofrenda de Flores
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$$$$
Trim Castle, the Norman fortress at the heart of the Púca Festival, above the River Boyne in autumn
Oct 29 – Nov 1, 2026

Púca Festival

Halloween goes home to its Celtic roots with fire, myth and music in County Meath

Trim, Ireland$$$$
The band Dikta performing under stage lights at Iceland Airwaves
Nov 5–7, 2026

Iceland Airwaves

New music in small Reykjavík rooms, with the northern lights as a possible encore

Reykjavík, Iceland$$$$
Burning crosses carried above the crowd on a Lewes street on Bonfire Night
Nov 5, 2026

Lewes Bonfire Night

Burning crosses, flaming barrels and exploding effigies: Britain's wildest November 5

Lewes, United Kingdom$$$$
A flaming tar barrel carried on a man's shoulders through a packed crowd in Ottery St Mary
Nov 5, 2026

Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels

A Devon town runs blazing tar barrels through its streets on its shoulders

Ottery St Mary, United Kingdom$$$$
A rider dressed as St. Martin in a red cloak leads children carrying lanterns through Cologne at night
Nov 11, 2026

St. Martin's Day

Children's paper lanterns, a rider in a red cloak and roast goose across the Rhineland

Cologne, Germany +3$$$$
Crowds around a chocolate stall in Perugia's old town during Eurochocolate
Nov 13–22, 2026

Eurochocolate

Ten days when a hilltop Umbrian city is given over to chocolate

Perugia, Italy$$$$
Christmas market stalls and lights in front of Vienna's City Hall at dusk
Nov 13 – Dec 26, 2026

Vienna Christkindlmarkt

Punch, pretzels and a skating trail in front of Vienna's neo-Gothic City Hall

Vienna, Austria$$$$
Heart-shaped gingerbread for sale at the Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt
Nov 27 – Dec 24, 2026

Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt

One of Germany's oldest Christmas markets: gingerbread, mulled wine, a golden Christkind

Nuremberg, Germany$$$$
Light projections over a Lyon street during the Fête des Lumières
Dec 5–8, 2026

Fête des Lumières

Four December nights when Lyon turns its churches, squares and hills into light art

Lyon, France$$$$
Fireworks over the Edinburgh skyline during Hogmanay
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$$$$
Costumed revelers in blue masks and tricorn hats at the Venice Carnival
Jan 23 – Feb 9, 2027

Venice Carnival

Masks, capes and candlelit balls in the canal city's pre-Lenten masquerade

Venice, Italy$$$$
A procession of burning torches at Up Helly Aa in Lerwick
Jan 26, 2027

Up Helly Aa

Torch-bearing 'Vikings' burn a longship through a Shetland winter night

Lerwick, United Kingdom$$$$
A carnival float with a giant jester figure during the Cologne Carnival parade
Feb 4–9, 2027

Cologne Carnival

Six days of costumes, Kölsch and the Rose Monday parade on the Rhine

Cologne, Germany$$$$
Fasnacht musicians in green-haired clown masks playing trumpets on a Basel street
Feb 15–18, 2027

Basel Fasnacht

At 4am the lights go out and Basel's old town fills with lanterns, fifes and drums

Basel, Switzerland$$$$
A giant dragon figure in the St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin
Mar 13–17, 2027

St. Patrick's Festival

Dublin's parade, céilís and a city in green for Ireland's national day

Dublin, Ireland$$$$
A falla sculpture engulfed in flames during the Cremà, the burning night of Las Fallas in Valencia
Mar 15–19, 2027

Las Fallas

Valencia builds an open-air museum of giant satirical sculptures, then burns it down

Valencia, Spain$$$$
Rows of candles lit on a procession float in Seville during Semana Santa
Mar 21–28, 2027est.

Semana Santa in Seville

Candlelit floats, hooded penitents and saetas in the narrow streets of Holy Week

Seville, Spain$$$$
Horse-drawn carriages carrying riders in traditional dress at the Feria de Abril in Seville
Apr 12–18, 2027est.

Feria de Abril

A week of sevillanas, flamenco dresses and horse carriages in Seville's fairground

Seville, Spain$$$$
A boat full of people in orange celebrating King's Day on the Amsterdam canals
Apr 26–27, 2027

King's Day

The Netherlands turns orange for a nationwide street market and canal party

Amsterdam, Netherlands$$$$
Crowds pack a Corfu Town street beneath balconies hung with red cloths during Orthodox Easter celebrations
Apr 30 – May 2, 2027est.

Orthodox Easter in Corfu

Philharmonic bands, candlelit processions and clay pots smashed from Venetian balconies

Corfu Town, Greece$$$$
A brass band in traditional costume marches past the Fruchtsäule at the Cannstatter Volksfest
Sep 24 – Oct 10, 2027est.

Cannstatter Volksfest

Stuttgart's answer to Oktoberfest: beer tents, a fruit column and Swabian swagger

Stuttgart, Germany$$$$
Crowds browse wine and regional food stalls under a wide sky at the Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre in Paris
Oct 6–10, 2027est.

Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre

Paris toasts its Montmartre vineyard with a costumed parade and five days of wine

Paris, France$$$$

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