Star Wars News
Carnival Time is here again and getting the best Star Wars Costume for your local Carnival is important.
We are fully stocked and ready to ensure you look your best this year. Orders anywhere in Europe can be delivered from between 1 to 3 days, so no excuses.
Parrrrrrrrrty Time is here.... and we have created a full list of all the events we know, if we have missed any please let us know.
29 Dec - 1 January SCOTLAND, Edinburgh's Hogmanay - one of world's best New year Celebrations, a truly wild and wooly underwear occasion, with a torchlight procession, a Fire Festival, fireworks, concerts and much insobriety, in a city dark yet strangely light...
1 January FRANCE, Paris Grand Parade - massive and colourful.
17th January, SPAIN - San Anton Festival (Festival of Animals) many events happening all over Spain.
22nd - 26th January SWEDEN, Kiruna Snow Festival - It's all white in the snowy north as reindeers race, dog sleds drift and artists sculpt ice into fantasy forms.
14th February - 4th March [Wednesdays and week-ends] FRANCE, Nice Carnival, the Cote d'Azur - a brilliant event on the lovely promenade of a terrific city, but not every day and parades are basically the same so one is probably enough. And half an hour along the coast Menton is having a small but colourful Lemon Festival during approximately the same period. Le Carnaval de Nice
16th - 23rd February and 2nd, 4th, 9th March ITALY, Viareggio Carnival - Italy's maddest event with parades sporting huge puppets among the kaleidoscope folk, revelry of all sorts and fireworks...BUT mainly on successive Sundays.
22nd February - 4th March ITALY, Venice Carnival - colourful, fascinating, funny and a superbly costumed environment in spectacular St Mark's Square and the misty, magical streets around. For the full flavour, buy a mask, rent a costume and go to a palazzo ball [the best is the Doge's Ball]. Carnival of Venice information.
25th February - 5th March SPAIN, Sitges Carnival near Barcelona - the wildest, gayest party of the year in Spain.
28th February - 4th March CYPRUS, Limassol Carnival - The Karneval season kicks into high gear 12 days before Carnaval Tuesday on 'Tsiknopempti': The word comes from two other words, 'tsikna' (the smell of burnt and grilled meat) and 'Pempti' (Thursday in Greek). Traditionally, everyone must cook and eat meat so that the smoke of 'tsikna' fills the air and everybody knows it's the feast-day when the masqueraders begin their high season of revelry.
2nd - 4th March BELGIUM, Binche Carnival, Carnaval de Binche - one of Belgium's wildest parties, a UNESCO Heritage event, half an hour south of Brussels. Sunday and Tuesday are best.
2nd - 5th March GERMANY, Dusseldorf Carnival - another massive, outrageous and psychedelic occasion; Sunday is probably the best [wacky dress] parade, with Rose Monday seeing many floats and processions.
2nd - 4th March. ITALY, Ivrea Carnival, (Battle of the Oranges), Storico Carnevale di Ivrea, Piedmont district of Turin - another colourful carnival, but with a different ending as the whole town partakes in a monstrous orange fight, Battaglia delle Arance. Wear a tall, red hat if you don't wish to participate [or was it don't wear a tall red hat...?].
2nd - 4th March GERMANY, Cologne Carnival - Germany's answer to Mardi Gras, a huge event marking the beginning of Lent, local festivities and a monster Rose Monday parade.
Mid March
[2 weeks around 19th of March, St Joseph's Day] GERMANY, Munich, Strong Beer Festival [also known as Strong Beer Season], Starkbierzeit, a traditional beer-swilling, belly-swinging, guttural-singing, mostly German celebration.
15th - 19th March SPAIN, Fallas de Valencia - a madly explosive carnival/fiesta combination that will blow your socks off. Locals spend 5 days partying - parades, pageants and moderate fireworks then on the last night, they turn off all the city lights and set fire to hundreds of massive papier-maché statues stuffed with fireworks around the city. Kaboom.
17 - 20 March
[Parade the 17th] IRELAND, Dublin St Patrick's Festival and St Patrick's Day Parade - a wild, green five days, including a huge parade. p.s. What's the difference between an Irish wedding and a funeral? There's one less drunk person at the funeral.
18 March - 3 April HUNGARY Budapest Spring Music Festival - all sorts of arts, music, drama, dance, exhibitions, poetry and kid's stuff, local and international, in a fine European city.
4 - 9 April AUSTRIA, Mayrhofen, Snowbombing Festival - a week long live music event, with wild bands and world-class DJs ina fantasy alpine setting. This 'Ibiza in the Snow' is regarded by many as 'the Greatest Show on Snow'. It was the UK Festival Award's 'Best Overseas Festival' winner in 2010.
15 - 24 April
30 March - 8 April SPAIN, Seville and Granada, Holy Week, Semana Santa - hundreds of shuffling pointy-hooded penitents, torchlit processions up to the Easter weekend in gorgeous cities. The premium time is during the night/early morning of Thursday-Good Friday.
24 April ITALY, Florence, Scoppio del Carro - festively exploding a cart in Piazza del Duomo on Easter Sunday, set off by a mechanical dove driven from the Altar during High Mass. What madness is this?
24 April Easter weekend GREECE, Chios Island, Vrontados, Church Rocket War, Rouketopolemos - two rival churches fire around 60,000 firework rockets at each other between 8pm on Saturday and midday Easter Sunday. A heaven-sent art atttack?
27 April - 2 May ENGLAND, Gloucestershire, Cheltenham International Jazz Festival - the UK's top jazz fest in a lovely location.
3 - 8 May
24 - 29 April SPAIN La Feria de Abril [April Fair] in Seville - Seville's best party with traditional dress, parades, dancing and boisterous parties in a gorgeous environment.
10 - 13 May AUSTRIA Salzburg Whitsun Festival - opera and concerts. 'Europe's most prestigious musical event.' Very large, very expensive. Every year in Mozart's pretty home town of Salzburg. Austria Guide
11- 22 May FRANCE Cannes International Film Festival - the world's most glamorous film festival, every year. Festival de Cannes
12 May - 4 June CZECH REPUBLIC Prague Spring International Music Festival - one of Europe's best music events in outstandingly medieval Prague
13 - 15 May ENGLAND, Somerset, ATP All Tomorrow's Parties at Butlins Holiday Centre, Minehead - a corporate-free, intimate, fan-friendly rock festival where artists and organisers stay in the same holiday camp as the fans. ATP is know for its unpredictable and exciting line-ups. The concept is expanding to venues in Australia, US and Spain.
14 May - 20 June AUSTRIA Vienna Festival - this 5 week event offers a wide range of arts, especially music, naturally, but also dance and theatre, sometimes challenging pieces but all set in magnificent buildings.
Mid May - late July TBA RUSSIA, St Petersburg, the White Nights Festival in gorgeous, romantic and endlessly light St Pete. The "Stars of the White Nights" with a series of opera and ballet performances is the most important part of the Festival [21 May - 21 July ].
17 May
[same date every year] NORWAY, Oslo Constitution Day - celebrates independence from Denmark, with folk music, parades, entertainment and people in traditional costumes.
24 - 28 May ENGLAND, London, RHS Chelsea Flower Show - 11 acres of the UK's [and arguably Europe's] best flowers and gardens event, with plenty of original, even wacky ideas.
25 May - 5 June ENGLAND, Somerset Bath, International Music Festival - classical and other musical styles in this, the most classical of all UK cities.
26 - 28 May
[also 25 and 29 May at Poble Espanol] SPAIN, Barcelona, Primavera Sound - one of Spain's biggest music festivals at Parc del Fòrum, 6km from Barcelona on the coast. Primavera is popular for line-ups focusing on eclectic, new, independant music.
28 May - 10 June ENGLAND, Isle of Man TT Races. The ultimate event for bikers. Watch racers on 37 miles of narrow, winding, stone walled roads travelling at way over 150mph, then get out there yourself. Death is no stranger to this event.
29 May - 19 Oct
[same dates every year] FRANCE Chaumont International Garden Festival - 30 wonderful and sometimes wacky show gardens around a perfect chateau [castle] in the Loire Valley, in a long summer every year.
The last Monday in May each year. CANCELLED 2010 due to traffic/crowd concerns. ENGLAND Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling near Brockworth in Gloucester - dozens of borderline bonkers men fling themselves down a precipitous hill attempting to catch huge rounds of cheese. It's illegal and bones get broken, so this is a remarkable sight in the nanny state of England.
3 - 25 June
Festival de Musique de Strasbourg, an international contemporary music festival.
10 - 12 June ENGLAND, Isle of Wight Festival - the revived legendary festival of the late 60's is now held annually at Seaclose Park, Newport since 2002.
10 - 12 June
[on the second weekend] ENGLAND, Download Festival - the UK's largest rock and metal music festival, held at Donington Park, Derby, near East Midlands Airport.
Download is known for its relaxed community feel. Weekend tickets include camping; also available are Day tickets, Family tickets, Kids offers and Early Bird specials.
10 - 12 June SCOTLAND, near Inverness, RockNess - an annual music fest in a picturesque setting at Clune Farm on the banks of Loch Ness in Dores. With a spectacular view of the lake, this is considered by many to be the world's most beautiful festival environment.
10 - 19 June
7 - 17 June GERMANY, Leipzig, Bach Festival [Bachfest Leipzig] - one of Germany's most important classical events, the works of Bach performed by internationally acclaimed musicians in St. Thomas' Church. Do not miss concerts by the famous St. Thomas' boys' choir.
June - July TBA GREECE Athens Festival - drama, dance and music in the 2,000 year old outdoor Odeion theatre at the base of Acropolis Hill. Location, location, location. Athens Pictures
13 June - 1 August
SPAIN, Barcelona Summer Festival [del Grec] - theatre, dance and music. Barcelona Travel, Photos
14 - 18 June ENGLAND, Ascot, Berkshire Royal Ascot Horse Racing - The poshest of posh UK events, with mad hats de rigeur for ladies and tails for gents.
17 June - 10 July SWITZERLAND, Zurich Festival - international artists perform drama, music, opera.
19 June
26 May BELGIUM, Mons, Battle of Lumecon and the Procession of the Golden Chariot, Le Doudou - Saint George fights the dragon and everybody pushes a vast, sacred chariot around town. Belgium Guide
20 June - 3 July ENGLAND, London, Wimbledon Tennis Championships - the most prestigious tennis event in the world.
20 - 23 June TBC CROATIA, Zagreb, T-Mobile INmusic Festival [previously known as Vip INmusic Festival] - Croatia's biggest outdoor event focuses on modern rock music and is one of Europe's up and coming fixtures, popularly combined with a city break. Held beside Lake Jarun and with camping it's said to be Glastonbury's sunny alternative!
21 June
[same date every year] ENGLAND, Wiltshire Stonehenge Summer Solstice - midsummer night ritual with all sorts of druids, hippies and new age wackos. Fascinating, and you get to touch the stones!
21 - 24 June ENGLAND, Cambridgeshire, near Huntington, Secret Garden Party - an arty independant music/art festival where visitors walk around in fancy dress. The event has a theme each year and develops into a temporary community, featuring several music stages, theatre shows, films, games, talks, workshops and art installations. Secret Garden Party offers original and extraordinary activities similar to USA's Burning Man. Kids love it too!
21 June
[same date every year] FRANCE, Paris Fete de la Musique - free! A monster musical celebration all over this lovely city. Professionals mix with amateurs playing different sounds in different locations.
21 - 27 June
Friday 25: Opening Ceremony & first matches, Sunday 27h: Finals TURKEY Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Festival in Edirne - 1,000 oily fat boys get a good slapping. Turkey Photos [but not Kirkpinar].
22 - 26 June ENGLAND Glastonbury Festival, Somerset, England - a massive, multiple music event, with different stages featuring different music, but heavy on rock variations. The closest to Woodstock most of us will ever get. Tickets are VERY difficult to acquire so book many months ahead.
24 June
[same date every year] ITALY, Florence Festival of Saint John - parades, dances and more.
24 - 26 June ITALY, Florence, Calcio Storico - crazed and brutal but traditional 15thC costumed football matches with 4 teams, 27 players each side and no effective referee. Florence Photos.
25 June for the Parade GERMANY Christopher Street Day [Berlin CSD Parade] and Lesbian and Gay Festival [Berlin Pride Festival] in Berlin - probably the biggest European gay parade and street party.
25 June - 11 July SPAIN, Granada International Festival of Dance and Music - a superb event in varied, amazing locations such as the spectacular Alhambra.
30 June - 3 July
4 days from the first Thursday in July or the last in June every year.[ Warm-up from 26 June] DENMARK, Roskilde Festival- one of Europe's five largest rock music festivals, has been running since 1971. It has been played by countless big artists in the past including Bob Marley, U2, Metallica and Radiohead.
30 June - 3 July BELGIAN, Rock Wercher - one of Europe's five largest rock festivals, along with Glastonbury, and has received the Arthur Award by ILMC several times in the past as the best music Festival.
July Summer Festivals 30 June - 3 July
4 days from the first Thursday in July or the last in June every year.[ Warm-up from 26 June] DENMARK, Roskilde Festival- one of Europe's five largest rock music festivals, has been running since 1971. It has been played by countless big artists in the past including Bob Marley, U2, Metallica and Radiohead.
30 June - 3 July BELGIAN, Rock Wercher - one of Europe's five largest rock festivals, along with Glastonbury, and has received the Arthur Award by ILMC several times in the past as the best music Festival.
1 - 10 July DENMARK, Copenhagen Copenhagen Jazz Festival - an annual jazz event.
1 - 27 July FINLAND Savonlinna Opera Festival - a grand classical celebration in the Finnish lake district, set in magnificent 15th Century St Olaf's Castle, Finland
1 - 16 July SWITZERLAND Montreux Jazz Festival - all sorts of non-classical music featured, in spite of the name, in an appealing location on the shore of Lake Geneva in Montreux.
July 2
[same dates, twice a year] ITALY, Siena, Il Palio - a costumed pageant begins a brief, crowded and totally insane bareback horse race around the city's main square. Also August 16. Calgary Stampede vs Il Palio!, Il Palio Info
2 - 24 July FRANCE, Tour de France - a three-week cycling race for 3,500km [2000 miles] over the country [the route changes annually]. The world's most famous French sporting event.
6 - 26 July
FRANCE, Avignon, Festival d'Avignon, a dynamic and diverse Arts festival, boasting over 50 productions and many more fringes in this stunning historic city.
5 - 25 July FRANCE, Aix-en-Provence, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence - International Festival of Lyric Art , a popular summer arts festival, especially for classical music.
6 - 14 July
[same date every year] SPAIN, Pamplona, Los Sanfermines [Bull Running] - don't be bored, be gored! Six bulls are released into the streets every morning of this seven day Basque rite-of-manhood party. You too can battle the big horns. See the excellent Sanfermin website. Bull Running Pictures 2010.
7 - 10 July SERBIA, Novi Sad, EXIT Festival - an up and coming summer music event, originally started by university students in 2000. Annually staged in the grounds of impressive Petrovaradin Fortress, this laid-back festival is becoming one of the most popular European youth events.
8 - 10 July NETHERLANDS [HOLLAND], Rotterdam North Sea Jazz Festival - perhaps the biggest jazz gathering in the world with over 20,000 visitors a day and lots of big name acts.
11 - 24 July IRELAND, Galway Arts Festival - Ireland's biggest arts jamboree, with all kinds of entertainment, street, theatre, music, kid's, exhibitions, concerts...
Permanently cancelled due to fatal accidents at the Loveparade 2010. GERMANY, Love Parade, in the city of Gelsenkirchen for 2011. The wackiest of local festivals, a weekend of ecstatic body-baring by 1.5 million techno- ravers. Google translation from German: The Love parade lives. Diagonally, schrill and color-gladly...Sounds about right to us.
Saturdays July to September in different Rhine locations. TBC GERMANY, Rhine in Flames, down the River Rhine from Linz to Bonn on summer nights - a massive and amazing co-ordinated fireworks display from boats, stately buildings and the surrounding countryside. Germany Travel
14 July - 14 August
AUSTRIA ImPulsTanz - a dynamic and diverse international dance festival across the whole of regal Vienna.
13 - 14 July
[same date every year] FRANCE, Paris Bastille Day - parties, parades, fireworks, picnics.
Mid July
TBA in April FRANCE, Marciac International Jazz Festival, one of the world's finest jazz festivals annually held in the charming medieval town of Marciac southwest of France, where Jazz is taught as a routine subject in local schools. Many free events throughout town.
15 July - 26 August ITALY, Puccini Festival - the world's only annual opera festival dedicated to the works of the great composer Giacomo Puccini. At an open-air theatre located in Torre del Lago, near Lucca, Puccini's birth place.
16 - 17 July
[Same dates every year] ITALY, Pisa, Luminaria e Palio di San Ranieri, Historical Regatta [also Feast of...] of Saint Ranieri. During this celebration of the city's patron, Saint Ranieri, buildings and bridges are illuminated by more than 70,000 candles, along with thousands more tiny candle floating on the River Arno. Fireworks end the first day, then the next afternoon there is a medieval boat race on the river.
16 - 17 July
[the third weekend every year] ITALY, Venice Festa del Redentore - the Festival of the Redeemer celebrating the end of the plague involves hundreds of beautifully decorated and illuminated boats full of beautifully decorated Venetians that gather around sunset, have dinner on board or beside the Giudecca canal, then watch one of Europe's best fireworks displays at 11.30pm on Saturday night.
16 - 17 July ENGLAND, in Bognor Regis, West Sussex - wildly costumed nutters jump-fly off Bognor pier attempting to win a big distance prize, or just 15 seconds of celebrity. Audiences chill on the beach.
19 - 24 July SWITZERLAND, Paleo Festival Nyon - One of Europe's fast growing, very popular outdoor music events.
25 July - 28 August GERMANY Wagner Festival [Bayeruther Festspiele] at Bayreuth - very expensive and elitist, held in the unusual theatre that Wagner built.
28 - 31 July ENGLAND, Charlton Park, Malmesbury, Wiltshire WOMAD - [World of Music Arts and Dance] impressive world music festival, with 70 artists from 30 countries on 7 stages. Family friendly.
27 July - 30 August AUSTRIA Salzburg Festival - opera and concerts. 'Europe's most prestigious summer musical event.' Very large, very expensive. Every year in Mozart's pretty home town of Salzburg.
29 July
[Same date every year] SPAIN Santa Marta de Ribarteme, Fiesta of Near Death Experience in As Neves, Galicia - lucky survivors get carried in their coffins in a procession.
28 - 31 July ENGLAND, Cambridge, Cambridge Folk Festival - the real deal for the folks who like the music. 'A festival with a prestigious reputation for quality music in intimate surroundings.'
29 - 31 July IRELAND, Waterford Spraoi Street Festival - 3 days of free music, street theatre, parade and fireworks in Ireland's biggest street party. Ireland Travel
August Summer Festivals
Saturdays July to September in different Rhine locations. TBA GERMANY, Rhine in Flames, down the Rhine river from Linz to Bonn on summer nights - a massive and amazing co-ordinated fireworks display from boats, stately buildings and the surrounding countryside.
6 - 15 August IRELAND, Kilkenny Arts Festival - music, theatre, dance, exhibitions set in superb surroundings.
10 - 12 August
every year [International] IRELAND Puck Fair in Killorglin, County Kerry. A large and loony street fair with plenty of singing, dancing and horse shows, and all overseen by King Puck - a goat.
10 - 14 August Serbia, Guca Trumpet Festival [Dragacevo Assembly] - a truly mad brass band festival and competition taking place in Guca near the city of Cacak. This event draws more than 600,000 people from around the world to this town of just 2,000. This is the world's biggest trumpet happening and it's free!
10 - 15 August HUNGARY Sziget Festival, an annual rock festival, held Obudai Island in Budapest, is one of the biggest summer music festivals in Europe.
12 August - 4 Sept. [International]
5 - 29 August [Fringe] SCOTLAND Edinburgh International Festival, and Edinburgh Festival Fringe - over a thousand shows of all kinds, ranging from opera to stand-up comedy, from near porn to mere corn. A true European art attack in great Edinburgh city. Not to be missed.
12 - 21 August SPAIN, Feria de Malaga - the biggest party in town with fancy dress, exotic food and dance, and fireworks.
August 16
[same dates, twice a year] ITALY, Siena, Il Palio - a costumed pageant begins a brief but totally insane bareback horse race around the city's main square. Also July 2nd. Calgary Stampede vs Il Palio
16 - 22 August
TBC for IRELAND Fleadh Cheoil - a huge celebration of Ireland's music, dance and arts, with over 10,000 musicians roaming and playing all over the place. Hosted by a different town every year; 2010 in Cavan.
19 - 23 August IRELAND, Tralee Rose of Tralee International Festival - a massive party celebrating romance!
19 August - 4 Sept
17 Aug - 2 Sept
16 Aug - 1 Sept FINLAND, Helsinki Festival - an arts festival including concerts, performance arts, parties and children's events in Helsinki
20 - 28 Aug TBC
2 week mid August [Starts 3rd Sat. of every August] SPAIN, Bilbao Aste Nagusia [Big Week in Basque language] - a big basque celebration including free concerts, fireworks nightly and strong man contests.
28 - 29 August [the last Sunday and Bank Holiday every year] ENGLAND, London Notting Hill Carnival - fiesta with music, dance, and parade by London's Caribbean community; sponsored by London Pickpocket Support Group
24 August
[Every last Wednesday of August] SPAIN La Tomatina at Buñol town 40 kms from lovely Valencia - a huge and incredibly messy public fight with 25 tons of tomatoes, one day. Big kids should get down to Bunol and let rip.
26 - 28 August
[Bank holiday weekend] ENGLAND, Reading Festival in Berkshire - the world's oldest popular music festival,which started in 1961 as the National Jazz and Blues Festival. Reading attracts more than 80,000 people annually, has campsites and weekend tickets that include camping, but day tickets are also available.
26 - 28 August ENGLAND, Leeds Festival in West Yorkshire - a rock and pop music festival, held in Bramham Park near Wetherby, with campsite. It is run by the same organization as the Reading Festival. The weekend tickets include camping; day tickets are also sold..
26 - 28 August
[Bank holiday weekend] ENGLAND, Daresbury, Creamfields in Cheshire - the UK's biggest dance music festival, also held in other European places such as Andalucia, Prague and Llisbon [dates vary]. Creamfields has been so successful that it stages events across the world - Sydney, Istanbul, Buenos Aires and more.
3 September
[1st Saturday in Sept.] SCOTLAND, the Braemar Gathering [Highland Games] - traditionally odd Scottish sporting events and massed pipers in a scenic setting in Scotland.
4 September
1st Sunday in September, annually ITALY, Venice, Regata Storica - in a 510 year-old tradition, a vast fleet of gondolas and other historic craft headed by the ornate Doge's barge, all loaded with Venetians in brilliant medieval costumes parade and race around the canals of this spectacular city.
8 - 11 September ENGLAND, Isle of Wight, Bestival - a 3-day boutique music festival and party set at Robin Hill Country Park, known for its annual fancy dress competition, so make sure to dress correspondingly. It is kids-friendly, too.
17 Sept - 3 October GERMANY, Munich Oktoberfest mainly about downing vast quantities of beer and bratwurst, then behaving badly with your neighbours, but set in a gorgeous city. Key requirements: 1] Love beer 2] Love sausages 3] Love raucous singing 4] Love drunk Germans.
22 - 25 September TBC SPAIN, Festes de la Mercé, Barcelona - Barcelona's biggest annual festival to celebrate the city's patron saint, the Virgin de la Merce with over 500 activities including a parade of the giants [wooden figures operated by humans], Castellers [the human towers] and fireworks for 4 days around 24th September [a public holiday].
22 - 25 September IRELAND, Galway International Oyster Festival - with fun events of all sorts.
7 - 15 October
HUNGARY Budapest Autumn Festival - all sorts of arts, music, drama, dance, exhibitions, poetry and kid's stuff in interesting
21 October - 5 November IRELAND, Wexford Opera Festival - a small but perfectly formed and positively regarded event in a brand new Opera House on a new date.
28 Oct - 1 Nov
FRANCE, Paris, Salon du Chocolat - every aspect of the brown wonder-drug is explored at this lengthy celebration in Paris' Port de Versailles
5 November
[same day every year]
Carnival procession on Saturday before 5 Nov. ENGLAND, Devon, Ottery St. Mary Tar Barrels - huge flaming barrels are carried around this little rural town. The procession and fireworks are on the Saturday before the 5th of November.
7 November
ENGLAND, London to Brighton Veteran Car Run [LBVCR] - the world's longest running motoring event. Ancient car lovers will need to find a comfortable viewing location for this London [Hyde Park] to Brighton [Madeira Drive] event for hundreds of pre-1905 vehicles; it starts at dawn and motors will begin to fart across the finish line from about 10 am.
21 November
[same date every year] ITALY, Venice, La Salute - a religious festival at the beautiful Basilica Santa Maria della Salute. Venice Pictures
Late Nov - 23 Dec
every year GERMANY, nationwide, Christmas Markets. This chilly winter country has a history of wonderfully warm, colourful and fattening Christmas markets set in spectacular locations. Some of Germany's best are: Esslingen [medieval costumes and carols]; Wurzburg [snow probable]; Berncastel-Kues [arguably the prettiest]; Hamelin [Pied Piper's home so kid friendly!]; Heidelberg [lots of kid's stuff]; Lubeck [UNESCO World Heritage Site]; Regensburg [superbly lit and romantic]; Rothenburg [medieval Disneyland]....
December
All December DENMARK, Copenhagen Tivoli Gardens - special events for Christmas celebrations.
8 - 21 December FINLAND, Helsinki St Thomas Christmas Market - including the Lucia parade on the 13th, crafts, special foods etc...mainly at Esplanade Park.
8 - 11 December FRANCE, Lyon, Fete des Lumieres - a 4 day spectacularly radiant Festival of Lights, features 80 light projects and draws 4 million people annually. The whole of city illuminates itself with candles and lights everywhere along with Christmas decorations.
29 Dec - 1 January
[Same days every year] SCOTLAND Edinburgh's Hogmanay - one of world's best New year Celebrations, a truly wild and wooly underwear occasion, with a torchlight procession, a Fire Festival, fireworks, concerts and much insobriety, in a city dark yet strangely light... Edinburgh Guide,
31 December AUSTRIA Kaiserball at Hofburg Congress Center in Vienna- a stunning, glamorous, lively winter Ball at the magnificent Hofburg Palace, every year.
