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Global Calendar: The Top 5 Events In December
From Mumbai to Munich and Colombia to Canada, these lively festivals prove that home isn’t the only destination for the holiday season
Tollwood Winterfestival
Munich, Germany
Until 23 December December 2025
Charming winter markets can be found all across Europe this time of year – but for holiday magic mixed with a dose of artistic creativity, multicultural flavour and eco-consciousness, Munich’s Tollwood is the place to be.
More than just cute Christmassy cabins peddling the usual handicrafts and comfort foods, Tollwood Winterfestival packs a full programme designed to entertain and enlighten, emphasising seasonal fun wrapped in a socially and ecologically responsible package. As ever, the Market of Ideas will showcase food and crafts from around the world, most of it either organic, handmade, eco-friendly (or all of the above), while a jam-packed programme of musical concerts, fire shows, street performances, art installations, storytelling hours and children’s activities provides diversions for visitors of every age and interest. New for 2025, French artist Johann Le Guillerm is taking over the theatre tent with his pieceTerces, an awe-inspiring spectacle of light, sound and movement in which “machines breathe, objects dance and the laws of physics seem to be poetically suspended.”
Festival de Luces
Villa de Leyva, Colombia
7-8 December, 2025
Light festivals are a fixture of the Northern Hemisphere calendar this time of year, but dazzling displays can also be found south of the equator – such as this one, held in honour of the Virgin Mary, that illuminates an idyllic Colombian town.
It may not be the darkest time of the year in Colombia, but the people of Villa de Leyva, about three hours northeast of Bogotá, still light up the night with candles and lanterns on every balcony, terrace and sidewalk to commemorate the Immaculate Conception – and celebrate the official start of the holiday season. On the cobblestone streets flanked by beautiful colonial architecture, the flickering lights are truly a sight to see, but don’t miss the other attractions, such as festive choir performances, exhibitions and grand fireworks displays. Tip: Grab a seat on the central town square on the afternoon of 7 December to ensure the best views of the night’s fireworks – a truly impressive show put on by the country’s top pyrotechnic innovators.
Sunburn Festival
Mumbai, India
19-21 December 2025
Times they are ‘a changin’. And for India’s most iconic EDM festival, now 18 years old, changing times have brought a change in venue.
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For the first time ever, this year’s Sunburn will be held in the bustling metropolis of Mumbai, trading laid-back beach vibes for electric city energy. The audiovisuals will be immersive, the production values will be off the charts, and the stages will be positively heaving with beats from legends like Sara Landry, Axwell and David Guetta, who’s making his return to Sunburn after a 10-year hiatus. Whether you’re into trance or techno, progressive beats or big-room productions, euphoric sets or deep-rolling dance music, this iteration of the emblematic festival is shaping up to be one for the EDM history books.
Contact Winter Music Festival
Vancouver, Canada
26-27 December 2025
Can’t make it to the subcontinent, but still craving your music festival fix this December? Try this two-day EDM fest on Canada’s west coast.
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Winter days might be short, but nights are long at Contact – which, thankfully, is held indoors at Vancouver’s Pacific Coliseum. Expect non-stop techno beats encompassing genres from house to trance, trap and rap, along with incredible technical productions, pyrotechnics and lighting effects. With names like Eric Prydz, Slander, Gryffin and Cloonee headlining, the 2025 edition is definitely going to be out of this world.
Rhythm & Vines
Gisborne, New Zealand
28-31 December 2025
Already fretting about the perfect New Year’s Eve plans? Stress no more: Get a ticket to this music festival with its trendy line-up and gorgeous vineyard setting, and get ready to be the envy of your friends – on social media and IRL.
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What began more than 20 years ago as a modest gathering among friends has now become one of New Zealand’s top bucket-list camping and music to-dos, still held at the stunning Waiohika Estate vineyard. After setting up home base – be it in a teepee, a camper van, a glamping lodge or a good ol’ tent among the vines – you can explore the festival’s three main stages, hosting acts like Kid Cudi, Wilkinson, Cyril, L.A.B. and Turnstile, as well as an array of smaller venues for more intimate performances. A something-for-everyone situation, the lineup spans hip-hop, folk, drum and bass, trap and electro, throwing in a bit of comedy for good measure. And let’s not forget the dance-offs, workshops, beach volleyball, epic water slide and legendary pool parties (it is summer, after all), or the fact that you’ll be among the first in the world to ring in 2026.
