Global Calendar: The Top 5 Events In September

Birdsville Races
Birdsville, Australia
5-6 September, 2025

A 143-year-old horse race in a tiny Outback town in the middle of the desert, 700 kilometres from the nearest city – is there anything you can’t see and do in Australia?

The main event of the Birdsville Races is, of course, the races, counting 13 in total over the course of two days and offering a prize purse of AUD 300,000. But when you travel all this way, you expect to get the full-blown Outback experience, and the Birdsville Races aim to provide just that. A host of activities and side events create a carnival-like atmosphere around the races, with cocktail parties, a fun run, an auction and the beloved Fashions on the Field best-dressed competitions, as well as nightly shows held by Fred Brophy’s big-tent boxing troupe. For travellers looking to make a week of it, the nearby (relatively speaking) towns of Betoota, Windorah, Innamincka and Bedourie hold races of their own on bookending dates.

Aloha Festivals
Hawaii, USA
6-27 September 2025

Spectacular beaches, awe-inspiring mountains, legendary hospitality and some of the world’s best surf – there’s no shortage of reasons to visit Hawaii, but every September, the Aloha State adds one more to the list.

The annual Aloha Festivals is one big hula-dancing, craft-making, lei-wearing, music-playing luau chock-full of food, fun and live entertainment, drawing thousands of visitors and islanders out for the mostly free festivities. Not to miss are the highly anticipated floral parade, bringing a burst of colour and sound to Kalākaua Avenue in central Honolulu, as well as the Waikīkī Ho‘olaule‘a, Hawaii’s biggest block party featuring hula performances and traditional crafts, food and live music. The theme for this year’s event is “Ko Kula Uka, Ko Kula Kai: Those of the Upland, Those of the Shore”, recalling eras past when fishing communities and agricultural villages would trade the fruits of their labours with one another – a reminder that it is through giving, sharing and cooperation that society truly thrives.

Singapore Food Festival 
Singapore
2-24 September 2025

From Michelin-star restaurants to street food stalls – and Michelin-star street food stalls – Singapore’s foodie scene is renowned the world over. And for those with a hearty appetite for authentic eats, the Singapore Food Festival is the time to visit.

There’s more on offer here than just tons of vendors doling out loads of tasty dishes (though there’s plenty of that, too). Each year, organisers put together a jam-packed line-up of creative activities and events, and they’ve outdone themselves for 2025. Alongside show-stopping signature experiences – like The Long Table communal banquet, the experimental Future Food showcase, and the Food Is Art tastings that blur the line between, well, food and art – attendees can expect engaging pop-up events throughout the city, plus unique and unexpected tours, workshops and activities. Join an urban foraging Gastrogeography Walk, take high tea with celebrated pâtissier Adriano Zumbo, or tour the coolest food trucks roaming the streets. Our top highlight? A guided journey through the history and heart behind the Chinatown Complex, Singapore’s largest hawker centre and an icon of the city’s world-famous multicultural cuisine.

London Design Festival
London, England
13-21 September 2025

The UK capital is always a hive of imaginative ideas and creative exchange, but the buzz goes into overdrive during the annual London Design Festival.

Innovation is the name of the game at this nine-day celebration of creativity, now in its 13th iteration. Emerging and esteemed talents across art, architecture and all genres of design descend on London to share their vision and expertise through monumental art installations, interactive exhibitions and engaging lectures, with events and experiences taking place all around the city. Lee Broom’s sculptural lighting installation in front of the Royal Festival Hall will come to life when Big Ben strikes the hour. Paul Cocksedge invites passers-by at Trafalgar Square to see the city through Admiral Nelson’s eyes. Never-before-seen exhibitions arrive at prominent institutions, from the V&A to the Design Museum, while designated Design Districts across the capital reflect the values, vibes and aesthetics of the unique communities that host them. With so much buzzing about, you’ll certainly want to make a game plan to ensure you take in all the most interesting sights.

POP Montréal
Montreal, Canada
24-28 September 2025

What initially started as a small, independent music festival has, nearly a quarter of a century later, evolved into an all-out cultural happening in one of Canada’s coolest cities.

Rolling art exhibitions, film screenings, musical concerts, children’s activities and an artisan marketplace into one not-for-profit package, POP Montréal brings together the best and brightest of the international arts scene – both established and up-and-coming – for five days of exploration, creation and just plain fun. This year’s edition sees the return of free-to-the-public art installations, performances and artist talks at Art POP, along with Film POP screenings of feature films, retrospectives and documentaries, plus the Puces POP craft fair showcasing wares from local makers, including jewellery, clothing, toys, artwork and gourmet products. As always, though, the tunes take centre stage, with headliners for the festival’s music portion ranging from Velours Velours to Isabella Lovestory, Ribbon Skirt, Chanel Beads and Cœur de pirate.