Join the Celebration: Top 20 Cultural Festivals Happening This Year

Ready to immerse yourself in diverse cultures and traditions? Here are our top picks for cultural festivals to attend this year.

1. Carnival of Venice – Venice, Italy

Let the beauty of Venetian masks and costumes transport you back in time at the Carnival of Venice, where the streets come alive with music, gondola parades and traditional cuisine.

2. Dia de los Muertos – Mexico

Celebrate the joy of life through this Mexican holiday, where family and friends gather to remember loved ones who have passed on with colorful altars, parades and traditional food.

3. Holi – India

Join the festival of colors in India, where the air is filled with vibrant hues, water guns and lots of traditional sweets.

4. Brazilian Carnival – Brazil

Experience the energy of samba and carnival culture in Rio de Janeiro, with colorful costumes, parades and plenty of dancing.

5. New Year Celebrations – Sydney, Australia

Kick off the new year in style with Sydney’s spectacular fireworks display over the iconic Opera House and Harbor Bridge, accompanied by beach picnics, concerts and street performances.

6. Oktoberfest – Munich, Germany

Get your steins ready and enjoy the lively beer tents, traditional food and music at the world-famous Oktoberfest in Munich.

7. Cherry Blossom Festival – Tokyo, Japan

Watch as Tokyo becomes a sea of pink during the cherry blossom season, with traditional tea ceremonies, parades and street food galore.

8. La Tomatina – Bunol, Spain

Prepare to get messy at the world’s biggest tomato fight, held annually in Spain’s Bunol, where the streets turn into a giant red playground.

9. Mardi Gras – New Orleans, USA

Join the party in New Orleans, where floats filled with colorful costumes and music rule the streets, and you’re never too far from delicious Creole cuisine.

10. Lantern Festival – Taiwan

See the sky come alive with thousands of lit lanterns during Taiwan’s annual Lantern Festival, marking the end of the Lunar New Year celebrations.

11. Festival of Lights – Amsterdam, Netherlands

Discover Amsterdam’s illuminated streets, canals and buildings during the fantastically festive Lighting Festival, which contributes to the harmony and joy of the holiday season.

12. Hiking Festival – Nepal

Explore Nepal’s diverse landscape and culture with guided hikes and cultural performances during the annual Hiking Festival.

13. Fringe Festival – Edinburgh, Scotland

Expect the unexpected with Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival, featuring a range of immersive theatre, comedy and music events in unique venues across the city.

14. Songkran – Thailand

Celebrate the Thai New Year with Thailand’s renowned water festival, a time for cleansing, rejuvenation and wild water fights!

15. Pride – San Francisco, USA

Join San Francisco’s vibrant LGBTQ community in a colorful and joyous celebration of equality, inclusion and diversity during the annual Pride Parade.

16. Winter Carnival – Quebec, Canada

Experience the wonder of snow sculptures, ice castles and other winter attractions during Quebec’s Winter Carnival, complete with traditional French cuisine.

17. Pushkar Camel Fair – Pushkar, India

Witness the unique trappings of Rajasthani dance, music and camel races during India’s annual Pushkar Camel Fair.

18. La Mercè Festival – Barcelona, Spain

Indulge in Catalonian culture and heritage during the La Merce Festival, featuring fireworks, correfoc explosions, and traditional Catalan human towers, or castells.

19. Oregon Shakespeare Festival – Ashland, USA

Pay tribute to the greatest playwright of all time with a tradition dating back to 1935 – Oregon Shakespeare Festival, hosted in Ashland WI where plays by the Bard and other contemporary writers are performed throughout the summer.

20. Lantern Floating Hawaii – Hawaii, USA

Honor lost loved ones and express a wish for peace during Hawaii’s unique Lantern Floating Ceremony, where paper lanterns are released into the ocean of Honolulu’s Ala Moana Beach