2018 is set to be an incredible year in the travel world. From exciting sporting events to captivating global festivals, we highlight the best events that the new year has to offer.
Posted On January 15, 2018 Posted By Isabella Medalle
AUSTRALIAN OPEN, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
15 - 28 January 2018
Held annually in Melbourne since 1905, the Australian Open is one of four major Grand Slam tennis tournaments - along with the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open - held throughout the year. The 2017 Singles winners were Serena Williams and Roger Federer. The Australian Open also hosts the AO Live stage event in conjunction with the tournament that showcases a range of Australian and International music acts. This year’s musical line-up includes Jimmy Barnes, The Rubens, TLC and other music acts.
SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL, PARK CITY, UTAH
18 - 28 January 2018
Sundance is an annual film festival spread out across three cities in Utah: Park City, Salt Lake City and the Sundance Mountain Resort. Sundance is the largest independent film festival in the US. The festival began in 1978 and showcases a range of films from independent filmmakers. The 10-day festival features competitive sections comprised of documentary films, feature films and short films. More than 40,000 people attend the festival each year.
SINULOG, CEBU CITY, PHILIPPINES
21 January 2018
Sinulog is an annual festival held in the city of Cebu in the Philippines that attracts 1-2 million visitors each year. The event is a cultural and religious festival in which participants dress up in colourful Filipino and Hispanic-inspired costumes and dance to drums in a series of street parties and parades. One of the highlights of the event is the grand street parade which typically lasts for 9-12 hours and includes dancers hailing from various parts of the Philippines.
CARNEVALE, VENICE, ITALY
27 January – 13 February 2018
The Carnival of Venice is an annual festival held in Venice, Italy known for its colourful and elaborate costumes and beautiful Venetian masks. The current version of the Carnival has existed since 1979 but various incarnations of the Carnival have existed for hundreds of years. The Carnival of Venice attracts nearly 3 million people to the Italian city. One of the most important events during the festival is la maschere piu bella 'the most beautiful mask' competition that is judged by international fashion and costume designers.
SUPER BOWL, MINNEAPOLIS, USA
4 February 2018
Super Bowl is the United States' National Football League's (NFL) annual championship game. This year's event will be the 52nd annual championship game and will take place at the U.S Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This year's halftime show will feature a performance from Justin Timberlake. Known as the major sporting event in the USA, the Super bowl is ingrained in American culture and is one of the most watched sporting events in the world.
WINTER OLYMPICS, PYEONGCHANG, SOUTH KOREA
9 – 25 February 2018
The 2018 Winter Olympics is a major sporting event that takes places every 4 years. This year’s host city is PyeongChang in South Korea. The Winter Olympics will feature events such as alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, snowboarding and more. It will feature 102 events across 7 different sports with about 90 nations participating in the games. The Winter Paralympics will be held a few weeks later from 9 – 18 March and will feature 670 Paralympians competing in 80 events over 6 sports.
RIO CARNIVAL, RIO, BRAZIL
9 - 14 February 2018
Considered one of the largest carnivals in the world -with over 2 million people taking to the streets each day- the Rio Carnival is held annually in the period before Lent. The festival can trace its roots all the way back to 1723 and was originally a celebration to honour the gods. The carnival is most famous for its lively atmosphere, its parade of samba dancers in extravagant and colourful costumes and attracts revellers from all parts of the world.
MARDI GRAS, NEW ORLEANS, USA
13 February 2018
Mardi Gras is a holiday celebration held over a two week period in New Orleans in which there are parades, floats, balls and celebrations every day. The festival includes many people in elaborate and extravagant costumes and masks and many social clubs in New Orleans form ‘Krewes’ that independently make up these floats and parades. The float riders famously toss ‘throws’ into the crowds which include knick-knacks such as plastic beads, small toys, throw cups, doubloons and other assorted items.
WHITE NIGHT MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
17 February 2018
In its sixth year running, White Night is a staple of Melbourne’s event calendar. The overnight festival sees the city of Melbourne open up from 7pm - 7am with an array of light shows, art installations and exhibitions, live music and and a mix of other performances. The event draws more than 600,000 people to the streets of Melbourne and showcases Melbourne's thriving art scene.
HARBIN INTERNATIONAL ICE AND SNOW SCULPTURE FESTIVAL, HARBIN, CHINA
24 - 25 February 2018
This winter festival takes place annually in Harbin, China and is the world's largest ice and snow festival. The world-renowned festival attracts competitors from many parts of the globe. Spectators can an admire the various ice sculptures erected throughout the city as well as enjoy winter activities such as alpine skiing, winter swimming and an ice-lantern exhibition.
HOLI FESTIVAL, INDIA, NEPAL AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD
1-2 March 2018
Holi Festival is a Hindu festival celebrated in India and Nepal and has spread to many different communities worldwide. The festival celebrates the arrival of spring and good harvest as well as the victory of good over evil. The festival is also known as the 'festival of colours' or the 'festival of love and is famous for participants throwing coloured powder at each other.
PINGXI SKY LANTERN FESTIVAL, PINGXI, TAIWAN
2 March 2018
The Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is an annual event held in Pingxi, Taiwan in which thousands of glowing paper lanterns are released into the night. The sky lanterns are painted with visitors’ hopes and dreams for the New Year. The festival famously lights up the night sky in one spectacular moment when all the lanterns are released at once.
SXSW, AUSTIN, TEXAS, USA
9 - 18 March 2018
South by South West is a combination of festivals and conferences centred around music, film, and media held annually in Austin, Texas. SXSW began in 1987 and has grown exponentially throughout the years with an array of artists, filmmakers and other creatives coming from across the globe to showcase their talents.
2018 COMMONWEALTH GAMES, GOLD COAST, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA
4 - 15 April 2018
Held every 4 years, the Commonwealth Games will call Australian its home in 2018. The Commonwealth Games will see world class athletes from 70 countries compete in 18 different sports such as swimming, basketball, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, hockey and more. This will mark the fifth time Australia has hosted the Commonwealth Games.
SNOWBOMBING, MAYRHOFEN, AUSTRIA
9-14 April 2018
Snowbombing is an annual ski resort festival held in spring at the Austrian ski resort of Mayrhofen. The festival is Europe's largest music and snow festival. It originated as a DJ and electronic music event but now includes live acts in its bill. The festival has now evolved to be a combination of musical performances, parties and winter sports such as snowboarding.
COACHELLA FESTIVAL, COLORADO DESERT, USA
13 - 15 April 2018 & 20 - 22 April 2018
Coachella Festival, held in the Colorado Desert in the US, is one of the largest and most famous music festivals in the world, attracting over 250,000 attendees annually. The festival first began in 1999 and has grown exponentially in size and is now held over two consecutive weekends (with identical line-ups per weekend). This year’s festival will include Beyonce, The Weeknd and a range of acts in a range of different musical genres.
CANNES FILM FESTIVAL, CANNES, FRANCE
9-20 May 2018
In 2018, Cannes will hold its 71st annual Film Festival. You need to have a film accreditation to your name to attend the actual closed event but members of the public are able to attend outdoor screening events held in the idyllic beachside setting.
VIVID SYDNEY, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
25 May - 16 June 2018
Vivid Sydney is an annual light festival held in Sydney, Australia. The event runs for 23 days and after 6pm each night, the city of Sydney is transformed into a canvas for light projections and its iconic building are turning into works of art. Its program is full of light and art installations, workshops, music and more.
2018 FIFA WORLD CUP, VARIOUS CITIES, RUSSIA
14 June- 15 July 2018
The FIFA World Cup is a football competition held every 4 years in which 32 qualifying nations compete against each other. This year’s event will be hosted by Russia and there will be 64 matches played across 11 different cities in 12 different venues. The World Cup Final will be held in Moscow on the 15th of July at Luzhniki Stadium.
COMIC CON INTERNATIONAL, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, USA
19 – 22 July 2018
With the advent of superhero, sci-fi and fantasy films at the forefront of popular culture, Comic Con is no longer a niche event. The event has grown exponentially in recent years with different iterations held in other cities globally. Comic Con’s flagship event is held in San Diego and features talks from famous actors, writers and other pop culture icons. Comic Con is also famous for ‘Cosplayers’ – those who dress up as their favourite TV, film, video game or comic book characters.
TOMORROWLAND, BOOM, BELGIUM
27 – 29 July 2018
Tomorrowland is one of the largest electronic dance music festivals in Europe. Held annually in Boom, Belgium, the event has been going strong since 2005. The event itself falls over 2 weekends and is attended by around 400,00 visitors. Past acts have included: Armin van Buuren, David Guetta, Fatboy Slim and more.
SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS, AUSTRALIA
2018 DATE TBC
Splendour in the Grass is one of Australia’s largest winter music, art and entertainment festivals, normally held in the Byron Bay area in Australia. With an array of world-renowned bands comprising its usual line-up, the festival has been held annually since 2001. Over 30,000 people usually attend the festival and past acts have included: Queens of the Stone Age, LCD Soundsystem, The Strokes and more.
EDINBURGH FRINGE FESTIVAL, EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND
3 – 27 August 2018
Held annually on the cobblestoned streets of Edinburgh, Scotland, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival celebrates all the best in entertainment, art, music and at the forefront of it all, comedy. Known as one of the world’s largest arts festivals, the Edinburgh Fringe is an open-access event with no selection committees, therefore, anyone can participate and perform in the festival. The festival program is usually comprised of dance, theatre, circus dance, music, opera, musicals, exhibition, events and more.
LOLLAPALOOZA, CHICAGO, USA
2 -5 August 2018
Lollapalooza is a music festival held annually in Chicago that showcases a range of musical acts in genres such as heavy metal, alternative rock, punk rock, hip-hop and electronic music. In addition to music, the festival also features comedy and dance performances as well as arts and craft. Having first begun in 1991, with various absences and revivals, the festival has since expanded to other countries. The event will be held in Argentina, Chile, and Brazil in March and held in Germany in September.
BURNING MAN, BLACK ROCK CITY, NEVADA, USA
26 August – 3 September 2018
Since its first incarnation in 1986, Burning Man has since become a world famous artistic event held in ‘Black Rock City’. 'Black Rock City' is a makeshift city in the middle of the Nevada Desert created purely for Burning Man. The aim of Burning Man is to experiment with community and artistic expression. This includes sharing talents in the form of sculpture, installations, art cars and other forms of media that fit into a yearly theme. There are 10 principals that the festival is driven by and one of those is ‘leaving no trace’. This means that the city of 'Black Rock' is dismantled at the end of the festival and it is gone without a trace until the next year’s festival.
NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL, LONDON, UK
26 – 27 August 2018
The Notting Hill Carnival has been held annually since 1966 in the neighbourhood of Notting Hill, London and is traditionally held over London’s Bank Holiday weekend. Started in 1964 as a celebration of London’s Caribbean communities, the festival is now a representation of multicultural London. The festival itself is a showcase of artists, live music, extravagant costumes and floats. The festival attracts about one million visitors annually making it one of the largest street festivals in the world.
LA TOMATINA, BUNOL, SPAIN
29 August 2018
Held annually on the last Wednesday of August, La Tomatina is a world famous event that sees over 20,000 participants flock to Bunol to throw overripe tomatoes at each other in a city wide food fight. The festival is for pure entertainment and is celebrated in the name of fun and revelry. The festival first came into fruition in 1945 with a scuffle that ended with food getting thrown around and has evolved into what it is today. The fight itself lasts for roughly an hour but the festival runs for a week with parades, music, dancing, fireworks and a paella cooking contest.
TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, TORONTO, CANADA
TBC - 6 - 16 September 2018
Since its incarnation in 1976, Toronto Film Festival has continued to grow throughout the years. Held annually, the festival showcases some of the world's best filmmakers and is one of the largest publicly-attended film festivals in the world. The festival showcases films at a range of various venues throughout the city of Toronto. Past years have seen over 480,000 attendees -including many high profile celebrities- and assists in generating buzz for the Oscars.
OKTOBERFEST, MUNICH, GERMANY
22 September – 7 October 2018
Oktoberfest is the world's largest beer festival in which millions of litres of beer are consumed over the period at the end of September – Start of October. Held in Munich, Germany, more than 6 million people attend the festival annually, often travelling from all parts of the world. The festival first began in 1810 with the celebration of the marriage of the King and Queen and is an integral part of Bavarian culture. Many other cities have taken inspiration from Munich’s Oktoberfest and hold similar events on a smaller scale.
AFL GRAND FINAL, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
29 September 2018
Marked on Australia's sporting calendar, the AFL Grand final is one of the largest sporting events in Australia. The annual AFL (Australian Rules Football) Grand Final attracts around 110,000 people annually to Melbourne's MCG Stadium and attracts millions of television viewers domestically and internationally.
AUSTIN CITY LIMITS MUSIC FESTIVAL, AUSTIN, TEXAS, USA
2018 DATE TBC
Established in 2002, the Austin City Limits Music Festival is an annual music festival that takes place over two consecutive weekends. The event showcases a variety of musicians from differing genres and around 450,000 people each year. As well as music, the festival also showcases Austin's art and food scene.
DIA DE LOS MUERTOS 'DAY OF THE DEAD', MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
2 November 2018
Dia De Los Muertos or Day of the Dead is a festival celebrated all over Mexico that centres around honouring the deceased. During the festival, people dress up in elaborate skeletal costumes and pay homage to the dead with various traditions. These include visiting and decorating the graves of the deceased with items they would have enjoyed. The festival is a way to pay tribute to those that have passed away and is a way of preserving their memories. The festival is meant to be taken as a joyful celebration rather than one of sadness and mourning.
MEVLANA FESTIVAL, KONYA, TURKEY
10 - 17 December 2018
The Mevlana Festival is an annual festival held in Turkey to celebrate the life of Sufi poet Rumi (Mevlana). The festival is famous for its ‘Whirling Dervishes’ who practice meditation and worship through the act of spinning in circles to imitate planets orbiting the sun. The mesmerising ceremony sees the Dervishes enter a trance in honour of the Sufi saint, Mevlana.
FALLS MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL, VARIOUS VENUES IN AUSTRALIA
Dates vary between locations
Falls Music and Arts Festival is an annual musical festival taking place over the New Year period in various parts of Australia. The festival first began in 1993 as a one day event in Lorne, Victoria and has since expanded to a multi-day event that also takes place Tasmania, New South Wales and other states. The camping festival showcases many musical acts, comedy shows, theatre, cabaret, dance and other performances. Artists playing are usually from a mix of genres and past acts have included: The Kooks, Tame Impala and more.
