Travel
Global Calendar: The Top 5 Events In February
Embrace the ice in Sapporo, party by the beach in Melbourne or engage in imaginative play in London? The choice is yours, as we explore the top festivals this month
Sapporo Snow Festival
Sapporo, Japan
4-11 February 2026
With temperatures consistently well below freezing and an average snowfall of around 5 metres annually, Japan’s northernmost major city seems a fitting place for a festival that revolves almost entirely around snow – or snow sculpting, to be exact.
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View this post on Instagram
The main draw at this festival of freeze are the many enormous snow sculptures and intricate ice carvings created just for the event. Visitors are wowed by life-sized renditions of animals, historical monuments and popular cartoon characters, as well as large-scale versions of historic world landmarks standing several storeys high (Taj Mahal and Neuschwanstein, anyone?). When the frost begins to bite, just nip over to Tsudome – one of the three main festival sites – for the traditional handicraft market, food vendors and ice bar serving hot sake, while the children have a ball on the indoor snow playground. Come sundown, the Susikino and Odori locations become the heart of the festivities, transforming the icy atmosphere into an illuminated wonderland of glowing winter art.
Carnaval de Oruro
Oruro, Bolivia
7-17 February 2026
Elaborate costumes, exuberant dancing, delectable treats: February is carnival time in Latin America, and it’s not to be missed – especially in the Bolivian city of Oruro, which is known across the continent for its crazy carnival parties… and that’s saying something.
Combining Spanish and Indigenous religious traditions, and declared a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity” by Unesco, Oruro’s carnival festivities see 48 folkloric groups gather to make a pilgrimage to the Socavón Sanctuary, all the while moving to the rhythm of typical dances such as the diablada, the morenada and the caporales. The diablada is one of the most important, with dancers dressed as colourful devils being symbolically led out of hell by archangel Gabriel in order to face trial. Can’t make it to Oruro? Check out these other vibrant Latin American carnaval events.
Imagine Children’s Festival
11-21 February 2026
London, England
Children aren’t sidelined to a ‘kiddie corner’ at this one-of-a-kind celebration. Instead, they’re the main clientele, catered for with all manner of singing, dancing, jumping, drawing, writing, storytelling and more, in an event where every activity is designed for festival-goers aged 0 to 11.
Held at the Southbank Centre during the half-term holidays, Imagine Children’s Festival offers a dizzying array of fun-filled activities created to keep kids entertained and engaged, from sing-alongs and workshops to storybook readings, puppet shows and games – most of them interactive and many of them free. Does your pre-teen want to learn how to parkour? They can! Does your little one dream of drawing on a giant chalkboard? They can do that, too. How about getting down with some cool hip-hop anthems? No problem! Or maybe they just like to get messy and create things? Absolutely fine. Parents, give the babysitter the day off. Kids, get ready to have more fun than you ever thought possible…
St Kilda Festival
Melbourne, Australia
14-15 February 2026
Summer is in full swing Down Under – so make the most of it with a weekend well-spent at Melbourne’s signature annual beach bash and musical blowout.
Celebrating its 45th edition in 2026, St Kilda Festival is one of Australia’s largest community music events, welcoming more than 350,000 visitors who flock here to enjoy a line-up of over 100 bands and DJ sets spanning hot local talent to international acts; this year’s headliners include Aussie rapper BARKAA, RnB-pop sensation Jessica Mauboy and homegrown rockers Mental As Anything. Alongside the multi-stage musical experience, expect a side programme of street performers, carnival rides, dining and shopping stalls, games and general family-friendly fun set against the backdrop of the St Kilda Foreshore. Best of all, expect it to be completely free to attend.
Montreal en Lumière
27 February – 7 March 2026
Montreal, Canada
Canadian winters can be notoriously long, dark and cold, but Montrealers have never let that hold them back. Instead, every year they don their warmest coats and put on one of the biggest, most elaborate winter festivals the world has ever seen.
A something-for-everyone kind of event, the two-week Montreal en Lumière festival runs the gamut from food to music, family activities and illuminated art installations, proposing something for every taste and interest. Fine wine and dining functions are par for the course, with a veritable army of acclaimed local and international chefs hosting lunches, dinners, workshops and tastings throughout the duration of the festivities; 65 years of the city’s food heritage will be in focus for the 2026 edition. Combined with the vast entertainment offering (dance performances, theatre productions, circus acts, dinner shows, musical concerts) plus outdoor winter activities (ice-skating, light installations, a ferris wheel) and the ever-popular Nuit Blanche (a programme of cultural activities into the wee morning hours), and it’s a surefire way to banish any winter blues.
