The Most Interesting Festivals in Europe

On my travels, purely by coincidence, I came across three festivals I had never heard of which I will never forget. They certainly enhanced my visit. As far as Europe is concerned, there are countless festivals, some of international fame and others perhaps only known locally. I have compiled a list of festivals and events which I feel have some significance, large or small. You may know of others equally interesting to enhance your European vacation.

United Kingdom

Starting in London there is the Lord Mayor’s Show, which takes place usually in November. It started back in 1215, the days of King John, in barges sailing up the River Thames. Now it takes place in a Stage Coach. This colourful procession spreads over three and a half miles, between the Bank of England in the city and the Aldwych. The Notting Hill Carnival in August is basically a street party spread over two days. It is staged by the Caribbean community who put on parades with exotically dressed participants, mostly dancing and singing to the beat of steel bands. There is also a main stage showcasing performances by musicians, singers, and dancers. Caribbean food is available too. For gardening lovers, there is the Chelsea Flower Show held in May over 5 days. The show features award-winning gardens, rare flowers and plants, and the ability to check out the latest in gardening tools and garden sculptures. In other words, everything for the avid gardener.

Just outside London, Royal Ascot takes place in Ascot, Berkshire, just 10 kilometres/6 miles from Windsor Castle, hence the Royal connection, as members of the Royal Family usually attends. This is a horse race event unlike any other. It is staged over 26 days between May and October, but the Royal Meet is held in June and lasts for 5 days. The Gold Cup is the main draw and is on Ladies Day when you can see them fashionably dressed "to the nines." If you can find a way to obtain an invitation to the Royal Enclosure, a dress code is strictly enforced. Women must wear a day dress with a hat, and for men, black or grey morning apparel with a top hat is required. A rather unusual and bizarre, but not major, festival to discover on your European vacation takes place in Devon, in southwest England. This is one I found out about when visiting friends who live there. It’s called the Ottery St. Mary’s Tar Barrels, an annual tradition dating back to the 17th century, which takes place in November. Seventeen men carry 17 tarred barrels aloft through the town. The catch is that the tar is lit and the barrels are ablaze. Only those who were born in the town or lived there for a long time are allowed to take part. Originally, it was supposed to ward off evil spirits.

The Llangollen International Eisteddfod in Wales takes place over six days in July. It is a music festival incorporating everything from choral music to folk singing and dancing. Approximately 4000 performers take part. There is a competition called Choirs of the World to determine the best overall choir at the festival.

This festival should not be confused with the International Eisteddfod of Wales held in August. The venue changes every year so that most major cities and towns in Wales get to host it. All competitions are in the Welsh language. It is a festival mainly involving poetry and drama. In Scotland, there is the famous Edinburgh Festival in August. This is truly an international event as it features performers from all over the world over 3 weeks in Edinburgh. The multitude of performances includes opera, plays, classical and popular concerts, and dance. Then there is the Fringe Festival taking place at the same time, featuring everything from comedy shows to cabaret, theatre, dance, and many surprises. Taking place in a small Scottish Aberdeenshire village, the Braemar Highland Games is an event in September for unusual sports such as caber-tossing, tug-of-wars, a hill race, hammer-throwing, and stone putting. These games date back over 900 years.

Ireland

The Galway International Arts Festival takes place in July for 2 weeks. This is an exceptional arts and entertainment festival held in Galway, Ireland, featuring theatre, dance, visual arts, music, and literature with participants from both Ireland and overseas. It attracts over 150,000 visitors each year. In the past, such luminaries as Joni Mitchell, Brad Mehldau, and Philip Glass have performed there, as well as the Abbey Theatre from Dublin, the Royal Court Theatre from London, the Bristol Old Vic, and the Steppenwolf Theatre from Chicago. British newspaper, The Guardian, said, "Rarely encountered a better festival or one that more exhilaratingly mixed the local and the international."

The Belfast International Arts Festival taking place in October is an important arts festival in Belfast, featuring drama, music, theatre, film, dance, and talks from around the world. This lasts for 3 weeks with many international participants. Dublin’s fair city has three festivals for you to consider. There is the International Literature Festival, which attracts writer and poetry participants from all over the world who give readings, have discussions, and debates. Another is the Bloomsday Festival which is a week-long celebration of James Joyce’s writings through readings and performances. Both of these are in June. The Dublin Theatre Festival lasts through September and October and covers performances from drama to opera. Kilkenny is an attractive medieval city in the south of Ireland and holds the Kilkenny Arts Festival every August, lasting 10 days. It primarily includes classical music and has featured in the past artists such as Alfred Brendel, Nigel Kennedy, and Joshua Bell. It also stages open-air productions of Shakespeare. One attraction of this festival is that the events take place in the city’s historic churches, castle, courtyards, townhouses, and gardens.

Italy

I mentioned coming across festivals by accident. Il Palio in Siena was one of these. And was I lucky to see it! This is a very special and colourful event which takes place twice a year in Italy, once in late June/early July and again in August. The pageant starts with a horse race around the central square - a contest between the many districts/neighbourhoods of Siena. The whole day of the race is taken up with processions through the streets of the various neighbourhoods competing in the competition. After the race, the winning horse, rider, and citizens celebrate by parading around the city for several days.

I’m sure many know the song, The Carnival of Venice. The festival goes by the same name. The Carnival of Venice is a celebration in the same vein as Mardi Gras, as it celebrates the same event. It consists of colourful costumed parades, masquerades, competitions, and much more taking place in the streets of Venice. Locals wear elaborate masks and visitors on their European vacation are also encouraged to do so.

France

Every year, since 1880, the year after the storming of the Bastille, Bastille Day is celebrated in Paris on July 14th, with festivities honouring the Republic of France. There is a military parade with several thousand soldiers, police officers, and firefighters taking part, plus a flyover by France’s air force, trailing smoke in the red, white, and blue of the national French flag. The high point of the festival is a free concert in the afternoon on the Champs-de-Mars near the Eiffel Tower. It includes 250 musicians of the National Orchestra of France and the Radio France Choir. This is followed by a fireworks display at Eiffel Tower. Actually, Paris is not the only city to hold celebrations this day. In early October, Parisians celebrate their 'national drink' at the Grape Festival Harvest in Montmartre, Paris. There is a vineyard, believe it or not, right in the heart of Paris, and once a year, the inhabitants gather in the streets of Montmartre for a joyous and convivial festival that celebrates the new grape harvest. The Avignon Festival is an annual arts festival held every summer in July, in the courtyard of the Palais des Papes as well as in other locations in the city. The performing arts festival has been compared to the Edinburgh Festival with its main performances and fringe ones. Last year's festival featured some 950 shows over 3 weeks in theatre, dance, music, and fine arts.

Germany

From late September until early October, over a period of 16 days, the Munich Oktoberfest in Germany serves an awful lot of beer! This world’s largest beer festival held in Munich has been running annually since 1810. It is held in 14 large tents and around 20 small tents, each one sponsored by a different brewery. Should you choose to wander into several tents, you can find typical Bavarian and traditional German food served along with the beer. If you prefer wine, this is also readily available. There is, of course, lots of music being played. On a different note entirely, the Bayreuth Festival is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth. It is exclusively devoted to performances of operas by Richard Wagner. Both the festival and the specially designed theatre were originally supervised by Wagner himself to present his operas, especially The Ring Cycle and Parsifal. Tickets are always at a premium and need to be ordered well in advance. I haven’t personally attended a Christmas Market in Germany for many years, but I do recall they are very special and wonderful places to purchase your Christmas presents. These take place usually in late November. Apart from the gifts, you can enjoy a glass of mulled German wine and gingerbread, plus there are sometimes free concerts taking place in churches and similar venues. There are so many Christmas Markets that I suggest you research online to ascertain one for yourself if interested.

Finland

The Savonlinna Opera Festival is held each year in the city of Savonlinna in Finland, not too far from Helsinki. The Festival takes place in July/August at the medieval Olavinlinna (St. Olaf's Castle) built in 1475. This castle is located on a beautiful lake. The festival was first held in 1912. Each year it performs to a total audience of around 60,000 with about a quarter coming from outside of Finland. Visiting opera companies have included the Mariinsky (Kirov) Theatre from St. Petersburg, the Covent Garden Opera House from London, and the Los Angeles Opera Company.

Russia

In Russia, The White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg begins in May and finishes in July. The official name is The Stars of the White Nights, and it's held at the Mariinsky (formerly Kirov) Theatre and includes classical ballet, opera, and orchestral performances. There are nightly performances usually of opera or ballet, and during the day, most often, there are classical concerts or operas in concert form. This festival has been held continually since 1993. The standard of the performances is high, and tickets should be booked in advance.

The Netherlands

Some of us know the song, Tulips from Amsterdam, so why not go there and marvel at the amazing sight of thousands of tulips in bloom. Spring in the Netherlands is "flower time." The most famous place to see them is Keukenhof, which literally means "kitchen garden," and which goes back to the 15th century. This showcase for Dutch floral culture, located 35 kilometres/22 miles south-west of Amsterdam takes place over 8 weeks, with millions (literally) of flowering bulbs on display. More than 20 flower shows with 500 flower growers show off their wide variety of both cut flowers and potted plants. Another way to experience tulips is to drive along the 100 kilometre/60 mile route called Flevoland, to the northwest of Amsterdam. This is The Netherlands' longest and most colourful tulip display, covering 5000 acres of splendid red, yellow, and purple blooms.

For Jazz fans, arguably the best festival on a European vacation is the North Sea Jazz Festival which is held in July in Rotterdam. More than 1000 musicians perform in approximately 150 shows, and 13 different venues. Sarah Vaughan, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Bennie Goodman, and Miles Davis have, at some time, performed here. The musical styles range from traditional New Orleans jazz to Swing, Bebop, Fusion, and Blues idioms.

Switzerland

Another festival for jazz fans is the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, which takes place annually in early July and lasts for about 2 weeks. It dates back to 1970 and the music includes blues, soul, and rock. However, jazz is its heart. It is held principally at the Montreux Music and Convention Centre, mainly in 2 auditoriums aptly named Auditorium Stravinski and Miles Davis Hall.

The Swiss National Day is held on August 1st. Thousands of people attend festivals all over the country in the larger cities such as Zurich, Basle, Geneva, Bern, Lucerne, and Lugano. The celebrations include concerts, choirs, gymnastic presentations, bonfires, fireworks, and children parading through the streets with paper lanterns. The International Street Artists Festival takes place in Interlaken at the end of July, and involves all kinds of artists such as acrobats, jugglers, magicians, comedians, and musicians who perform continually and come from all over the world. And they perform for free!

Czech Republic

The Prague Spring International Music Festival showcases performing artists, symphony orchestras, and chamber music ensembles from around the world. This 70-year-old Prague event takes place around May/June and attracts some of the very best performers and orchestras. The Czech Republic has a reputation for brewing excellent beer. The Prague Beer Festival operates along the same lines as the beer festival in Munich. May is a time when you can try more than 100 different types of quality Czech and foreign beer, plus sample delicacies made by Czech chefs, butchers, and bakers. There are also music performances and all service is provided by attendants dressed in traditional Czech costumes. Every year in June, the beautiful historic city of Cesky Krumlov puts on the Celebration of the Rose Festival. This is a celebration of medieval times, and for 3 days, the city’s streets and squares are filled with knight tournaments, crafts fairs, banquets, and medieval music. The highlight is a wonderful procession in historical costumes with knights on horseback. There are also a jousting tournament and fireworks display.

Austria

The Salzburg Summer Festival, one of the world’s most famous music festivals in Austria, takes place in July/August for about 5 weeks, with a comprehensive programme which consists of opera, classical music concerts, and theatre - the latter having included dramatic works by Shakespeare and Samuel Beckett.  The Vienna Philharmonic, Placido Domingo, Cecilia Bartoli, and Riccardo Muti have all appeared here.

Slovenia

If you happen to be visiting Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital, any time between June and September, consider attending the Ljubljana Festival, the oldest and most important festival in Slovenia, having been in existence for more than 60 years. This music festival has attracted such big names as the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Mariinsky Theatre of St Petersburg, the Teatro alla Scala Ballet Company, the Bolshoi Ballet, plus guest artists such as Valery Gergiev, Simon Rattle, Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, and Ennio Morricone.

There are literally thousands of festivals taking place in Europe. So wherever your travels take you, do check them out, as I am sure not only will you find a festival to suit you, but it will certainly enhance your European vacation.

By Robert Glazier