Events
The 15 Best Open-Air Festivals Around The World
Slide Nr 1There’s nothing we love more than a party in the great outdoors. As we plan the year’s travels, we wanted to share some of our best community-inspired finds that celebrate everything from culture to art, wildlife and just life in general – all under open skies. [Photo: The Cabiri performing at Arts in Nature Festival in Seattle]
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The 15 Best Open-Air Festivals Around The World.
Slide Nr 2Wild About Vancouver, 22-30 April – This non-profit festival aims to preserve Vancouver’s bounty of outdoor spaces and educate visitors on the importance of the city’s natural habitats, all while providing nine days of free events that range from urban beekeeping lessons to sunset yoga at the fantastic Kitsilano Beach Park. It’s a community-focused event bringing together passionate nature-lovers from across the area. wildaboutvancouver.com
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The 15 Best Open-Air Festivals Around The World.
Slide Nr 3Zadar Outdoor Festival, Croatia, 27-30 April – Croatia’s central coast is the backdrop for this hidden gem on the festival calendar. Attendees get to take advantage of a number of water activities, including a sailing regatta and a kayaking competition. Is most majestic event, however, is a 10k run that finishes at the beach right at sunset – the perfect way to take in the day’s end at the Mediterranean Sea. zadaroutdoor.com
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The 15 Best Open-Air Festivals Around The World.
Slide Nr 4Harare International Festival of the Arts, Zimbabwe, 2-7 May – Back after a year’s hiatus, the Harare Festival is an excellent glimpse into African film, music and culture: expect plenty of traditional and contemporary music, fashion shows, circus acts, spoken word performances and lots of dancing. In addition to offering cultural insights, the event also supports local communities and families, hiring disadvantaged citizens looking to get back on their feet. hifa.co.zw
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The 15 Best Open-Air Festivals Around The World.
Slide Nr 5Broads Outdoors Festival, UK, 6-21 May – If you’re looking for a way to get the whole family outside, this celebration of Britain’s largest protected wetland can’t be beat. Visitors can enjoy guided tours of the most scenic portions of the park, and those as young as 16 can try their hand at windsurfing and wayfarer sailing. outdoorsfestival.co.uk [Photo Source: rspb.org.uk]
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The 15 Best Open-Air Festivals Around The World.
Slide Nr 6Fes Festival of Sacred Music, Morocco, 12-20 May – What better way to experience the legendary city of Fes than through music? Each year, the event brings together top musicians across a variety of religions to promote tolerance and diversity in several locations across the city. This edition’s themes include a tribute to the women who helped build Fes and a focus on Indian films and music. fesfestival.com
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The 15 Best Open-Air Festivals Around The World.
Slide Nr 7GO Fest in Whistler, Canada, 19-22 May – British Columbia is an outdoor lover’s paradise. Especially in spring and early summer, the region boasts some of the best hiking, mountain biking and adventures in North America. This festival brings all of that together, just a couple of hours north of Vancouver. Attendees can do everything from mountaintop yoga to a “Treetop Adventure Race” – an obstacle course perched in the canopy of Whistler’s dense forests. greatoutdoorsfest.com [Photo: Clint Trahan]
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The 15 Best Open-Air Festivals Around The World.
Slide Nr 8Queenstown Winter Festival, New Zealand, 22-25 June – Quirky costumes and crazy outdoor adventures are only part of the thrill during Queenstown’s annual celebration. People come from all over the country to partake in everything from bobsled races during the day to a number of concerts and shows each night. The small town now has an international airport, too, making this an easy weekend getaway from Australia. winterfestival.co.nz
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The 15 Best Open-Air Festivals Around The World.
Slide Nr 9Inti Raymi in Cusco, Peru, 24 June – “The Celebration of the Sun God” is an ancient Inca tradition centred in the equally ancient city of Cusco. The entire day is filled with religious and spiritual practices meant to pay homage to the ancestral customs of the area. The event has grown to include a number of auxiliary celebrations before and after the main day, and many use it as a first stop en route to Machu Picchu. discover-peru.org [Photo: Rainbowasi/Flickr]
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The 15 Best Open-Air Festivals Around The World.
Slide Nr 10Haro Wine Festival, Spain, 28-30 June – For oenophiles, this is your chance to literally immerse yourself in your favourite drink. A long-standing celebration in northern Spain, the namesake “wine fight” commences when – after a night of street parties – locals and tourists march up the cliffs of Bilbio. At the top, everyone throws jugs of red wine all over each other and the entire event turns a shade of purple as bands play in the background. Afterwards, the wine-soaked crowd heads back down the mountain to the home base of Haro for more partying in the town plaza. wine-fight.com [Photo: Wikimedia Commons]
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The 15 Best Open-Air Festivals Around The World.
Slide Nr 11Calgary Stampede, Canada, 7-16 July – This legendary festival is billed as “The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth”. And for good reason: it’s 11 days jam-packed with rodeos, concerts, agricultural celebrations and more. Among the best under-the-radar events, don’t miss any of the First Nations celebrations highlighting the native communities that made Canada (specifically the Alberta province) what it is today. calgarystampede.com [Photo: Mike Ridewood / Calgary Stampede]
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The 15 Best Open-Air Festivals Around The World.
Slide Nr 12Boryeong Mud Festival, South Korea, 14-23 July – 200km south of Seoul, the Boryeong Mud Flats provide a never-ending supply of rich muck used in cosmetics throughout the country. Since 1998, millions have flocked here to take part in this liberation of all things dirt and grime. The festival includes everything from inflatable mud pools to classics like mud wrestling. This summer tradition is not for the faint of heart, but something that must be experienced in person. visitkorea.or.kr [Photo: Shawn Perez/Flickr]
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The 15 Best Open-Air Festivals Around The World.
Slide Nr 13Tango Buenos Aires, Argentina, 18-31 August – Dance (and tango in particular) is the essence of Argentina. While several celebrations of the national pastime take place throughout the year, none are bigger than this two-week festival and concurrent Dance World Cup. More than half a million people enjoy everything from theatre to orchestral performances and dance-offs, all centred on the love of the tango. festivales.buenosaires.gob.ar
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The 15 Best Open-Air Festivals Around The World.
Slide Nr 14Arts in Nature Festival in Seattle, USA, 26-27 August – Seattle has long been an arts, culture and outdoors destination, and this interactive festival highlights all three at the only campground within city limits. Campers partake in all things nature, including musical performances on stages built into the landscape, as well as opportunities to help preserve, protect and experience the wilderness around the event through activities like costumed forest hikes and writing workshops. fest.naturec.org
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The 15 Best Open-Air Festivals Around The World.
Slide Nr 15Día De Los Muertos in Sumpango, Guatemala, 1 November – All Saints’ Day is one of the most important religious events in Latin America. From Mexico to Chile, millions take part in celebrations to honour and respect deceased relatives and loved ones. Guatemalans, however, observe the occasion in a particularly unique way with the Kite Festival, where locals fly brightly coloured fabrics high in the sky as a way of connecting with the spirits of their ancestors. It’s a lauded tradition that traces its history back millennia. [Photo: Wikimedia Commons]
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The 15 Best Open-Air Festivals Around The World.
Slide Nr 16Loy Krathong, Thailand, 3-5 November – The end of the rainy season in Thailand marks a time to replenish and reset. This ancient national celebration takes on great importance in the city of Chiang Mai, where thousands gather to launch paper lanterns into the sky as a release of bad spirits and bad luck. It’s a special opportunity to witness a variety of Buddhist traditions in one of southeast Asia’s most vibrant cultural and religious cities. bangkok.com [Photo: UrbanUrban_ru/Flickr]
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The 15 Best Open-Air Festivals Around The World.
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Charly McCreary
Posted at 17:21h, 11 JulyOh hey! That’s an aerialist from my performance troupe The Cabiri on the front cover! Can you add a credit to us, AmEx?
Amex Essentials
Posted at 12:46h, 17 JulyHappy to oblige, Charly, thanks for letting us know.
Blackcat
Posted at 18:05h, 11 JulyHey I recognize that cover picture, that’s a Seattle performance, not Vancouver..