Best Festivals & Events Around the World

Few travel experiences beat arriving somewhere just as it erupts into celebration. Festivals are where a culture shows its true colours - its music, food, faith and sheer capacity for joy - and timing a trip around one can turn a good holiday into the trip of a lifetime.

This is our guide to the world’s greatest festivals and events, from the samba parades of Rio Carnival and the beer halls of Oktoberfest to Thailand’s Songkran water fights and Mexico’s Day of the Dead. Explore the most iconic below, browse them by region, or plan around the calendar to see what’s on each month.