Worldwide Festivals

Festivals and cultural events are to travel what condiments are for cooking: without them the experience is much less exciting. The Internet has brought world culture within the reach of our computers, and there are many websites that not only list festivals and events around the world, but also provide in-depth cultural background information to help travelers gain an understanding of local traditions, beliefs and values that underlie these celebrations. Below we have listed selected articles from TransitionsAbroad.com, as well as our favorite websites for providing information about festivals and cultural events worldwide.

Check out our picks for summer festivals in Europe in 2008.

—Travel and Living Abroad Contributing Editor Volker Poelzl

2Camels.com, www.2camels.com, has a fairly comprehensive list of major Festivals Worldwide and also includes an extensive collection of articles on festival travel.

About.com, in its Travel Section, has listings of Events and Festivals for each continent, including most countries. .

Bugbog.com, www.bugbog.com/festivals/festivals.html, lists the best festivals and events on its website along with extensive tips and photos.  Bugbog divides festivals by categories such as art, color, exotic, and English-speaking.

CultureKiosque.com, www.culturekiosque.com, is the European guide to events and festivals relating to the arts.

Festivals Worldwide, www.festivals-worldwide.com, has a nice listing of world festivals with links to festival websites.

FilmFestivals.com, www.filmfestivals.com, provides information about film festivals around the world, for those film buffs who wish to combine travel with the cinematic arts.

International Student Travel Confederation (ISTC), www.isic.org/sisp/index.htm, has a great Events section allowing you to search for events and festivals by theme and by country.

Pilot Guides, www.pilotguides.com/destination_guide/festivals/calendar.php, offers a calender of the major worlwide festivals on its website and also sells a book with even greater detail.

Suite.com, www.suite101.com, an online magazine featuring articles on a large number of topics, has an interesting section on Travel and Culture, with a growing collection of articles about cultture, customs, holidays, and festivals around the world.

Time Out, www.timeout.com, the UK-based entertainment guide, has City Guides to many destinations worldwide, providing travel information and listings of festivals and events.

Whatsonwhen, www.whatsonwhen.com, provides information on festivals and cultural events worldwide.

World Party, worldparty.roughguides.com, the Rough Guide to the World’s Festivals, provides details on major festivals and events worldwide.

The World Events Calendar, www.digitaldiscounts.com/world_events_calendar.html, is a Traveler's Guide to the world's greatest events, exhibits, concerts, film festivals, arts and cultural festivals, etc.