Upcoming European Events

2026 EVENTS

• Hohenems, Austria: Schubertiade Festival – Through August, early October
  A chamber music festival near Lake Constance featuring the work of Franz Schubert.
• Scottish Highlands, UK: Highland Games – Through September
  A celebration of Highland games and culture held in various towns in Northern Scotland.
• Venice, Italy: Venice Biennale – Architecture – Through November 22
  The world’s most important international architecture exhibition, staged in Venice’s historic pavilions and arsenale, exploring the future of the built environment through installations and national pavilions.
• Verona, Italy: Arena di Verona Festival – Through September 12
  An opera festival with performances in an ancient Roman arena
• Aarhus, Denmark: Aarhus Jazz Festival – July 31–August 9
  One of Europe’s premier jazz festivals, transforming the Danish city of Aarhus into an open-air concert venue with hundreds of free and ticketed performances across the city’s streets, squares, and clubs.
• Helsingbord, Sweden: World Choir Games – August 6-16
  The world’s largest international choral festival and competition. It brings together amateur choirs from across the globe for a vibrant mix of competitions, concerts, workshops and “friendship concerts.
• Edinburgh, UK: Edinburgh International Festival – August 7–31
  One of the world’s leading celebrations of the performing arts, bringing together the finest artists from across the globe to Edinburgh for three weeks of theatre, opera, music, and dance.
• Edinburgh, UK: Edinburgh Fringe Festival – August 7–31
  The world’s largest performing arts festival, transforming Edinburgh into a creative playground for three weeks each August with thousands of performances spanning theatre, comedy, dance, circus, and music across hundreds of venues citywide.
• Budapest, Hungary: Sziget Festival – August 11–15
  Known as ‘The Island of Freedom,’ Sziget takes over a 100-hectare island in the heart of the Danube for five days of world-class music, theatre, circus, and art installations, headlined in 2026 by Twenty One Pilots, Florence + the Machine, and Lewis Capaldi.
• Munich, Germany: Oktoberfest – September 19-October 4
  The world’s largest folk festival and beer celebration, held on Munich’s Theresienwiese with traditional beer tents, parades, and Bavarian culture.
• Barcelona, Spain: La Mercè – September 23-27
  La Mercè Festival is Barcelona’s biggest annual celebration, held each September in honor of Our Lady of Mercy, the city’s patron saint. Parades, human towers (castells), fireworks, concerts, and the thrilling “correfoc,” where costumed devils dance through sparks and fire.
• Vienna, Austria: Vienna Christmas Markets (Christkindlmarkt) – Mid-November-December 26
  Vienna’s historic squares fill with wooden stalls selling mulled wine, ornaments, and crafts, anchored by the grand market in front of City Hall.
• London, UK: Van Eyck: The Portraits – November 21, 2026 – April 11, 2027
  Once in a lifetime experience: for the first time ever, all nine known painted portraits by Jan van Eyck from across Europe will be displayed together. VanEyck revolutionized portraiture, introducing realism using minute details and natural light.
• Amsterdam, Netherlands: Amsterdam Light Festival – November 27, 2026–January 18, 2027
  A spectacular outdoor exhibition illuminating Amsterdam’s historic canals and city center with stunning light artworks created by artists from around the world.

2027 EVENTS

• Zagreb, Croatia: Zagreb Festival of Lights – Mid-March 2027 (dates follow 2026 pattern) (tentative)
  Zagreb’s historic center glows with artistic light installations on buildings, parks, and plazas during this open-air light art festival.
• Dublin, Ireland: St. Patrick’s Festival – March 15-17
  A multi-day celebration of Irish culture centered on St. Patrick’s Day, featuring Dublin’s famous parade, live music, and family-friendly events across the city.
• Cordoba, Spain: The Patio Festival – Early-to-mid May (tentative)
  An annual celebration of the city’s stunning courtyard gardens, where residents open their elaborately decorated patios filled with flowers, fountains, and traditional Andalusian charm.
• Venice, Italy: Venice Biennale – Architecture – May 8-November 21
  The 20th International Architecture Exhibition, curated by Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu, staged across Venice’s historic pavilions and arsenale, exploring architecture’s relationship with memory and community.
• Cannes, France: Festival de Cannes – May 11-22
  The 80th edition of the world’s most prestigious film festival, drawing international stars, directors, and industry professionals to the Croisette for premieres and the Palme d’Or competition.
• Prague, Czechia: Prague Spring International Music Festival – May 12-June 3 (tentative)
  A celebrated annual showcase of world-class classical music, featuring leading orchestras, conductors, and soloists from around the globe.
• Dresden, Germany: Dresdner Musikfestspiele – May 14-June 13 (tentative)
  The Dresden Music Festival is one of Europe’s premier classical music festivals, bringing world-renowned orchestras, soloists, and ensembles to Dresden’s stunning historic venues each spring.
• Monte Carlo, Monaco: Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix – Mid-to-late May (tentative)
  The most glamorous race on the Formula 1 calendar, run on a tight street circuit through Monte Carlo, with the harbor and hillsides packed for a weekend of racing and spectacle.
• Venice, Italy: Vogalonga Regatta – Mid-to-late May (tentative)
  A unique, non-competitive rowing event, with participants of all ages, celebrating the city’s historic relationship with its canals.
• Verona, Italy: Arena di Verona Festival – June 11-September 11 (tentative)
  An opera festival with performances in an ancient Roman arena.
• Somerset, UK: Glastonbury Festival – June 23-27
  The world-famous performing arts festival returns to Worthy Farm after a 2026 fallow year, featuring hundreds of musicians, comedians, and performers across dozens of stages.
• London, UK: Wimbledon Championships – June 28-July 11
  The 140th edition of the world’s oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament, played on the grass courts of the All England Club.
• Aix-en-Provence, France: Festival d’Aix-en-Provence – Late June-mid July (tentative)
  One of Europe’s leading opera festivals, staging new productions and classic works in outdoor courtyards and theaters across this Provençal city.
• Copenhagen, Denmark: Copenhagen Jazz Festival – Early July (tentative)
  One of Northern Europe’s largest jazz festivals, filling Copenhagen’s squares, parks, and clubs with hundreds of concerts over ten days.
• Montreux, Switzerland: Montreux Jazz Festival – Early-to-mid July (tentative)
  Held annually on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland, this is one of the world’s most iconic music festivals, showcasing jazz alongside rock, pop, and soul.
• Boom, Belgium: Tomorrowland – July 16-18 & 23-25 (unconfirmed) (tentative)
  One of the world’s most celebrated electronic music festivals, held across two weekends in De Schorre park near Antwerp, featuring 15+ stages and top international DJs.
• Salzburg, Austria: Salzburg Festival – Mid-July-end of August (tentative)
  A classical music series featuring operas and concerts from the world’s best musicians, held in Mozart’s home city.
• Bregenz, Austria: Bregenz Festival – Late July-late August (tentative)
  A celebrated opera festival staged on a spectacular floating stage on Lake Constance, drawing audiences for its dramatic sets and lakeside setting.
• Edinburgh, UK: Edinburgh International Festival – Early-to-late August (tentative)
  One of the world’s leading celebrations of the performing arts, bringing together the finest artists from across the globe to Edinburgh for three weeks of theatre, opera, music, and dance.
• Edinburgh, UK: Edinburgh Fringe Festival – Early-to-late August (tentative)
  The world’s largest performing arts festival, transforming Edinburgh into a creative playground for three weeks each August with thousands of performances across hundreds of venues.
• Budapest, Hungary: Sziget Festival – Early-to-mid August (tentative)
  Known as ‘The Island of Freedom,’ Sziget takes over a 100-hectare island in the heart of the Danube for five days of world-class music, theatre, circus, and art installations.
• Lucerne, Switzerland: Lucerne Festival (Summer) – Mid-August-mid-September (tentative)
  One of the world’s leading classical music festivals, bringing top orchestras and soloists to the lakeside Culture and Convention Centre and other historic Lucerne venues.
• Warsaw, Poland: Chopin and His Europe International Festival – Mid-August (tentative)
  An international festival of classical music centered on Chopin’s legacy, featuring world-class pianists and orchestras performing across Warsaw’s concert halls.
• Munich, Germany: Oktoberfest – September 18-October 3
  The world’s largest folk festival and beer celebration, held on Munich’s Theresienwiese with traditional beer tents, parades, and Bavarian culture.
• Barcelona, Spain: La Mercè – September 24-26 (tentative)
  Barcelona’s biggest annual celebration, held each September in honor of Our Lady of Mercy, the city’s patron saint, with parades, human towers (castells), fireworks, and the correfoc.
• Rome, Italy: Rome Film Fest – Mid-October (tentative)
  Rome’s major international film festival, held at the Auditorium Parco della Musica with premieres, red-carpet events, and retrospectives.
• Reykjavik, Iceland: Iceland Airwaves – Early November (tentative)
  An eclectic music festival showcasing Icelandic and international acts across Reykjavik’s clubs, venues, and concert halls over several days.
• Amsterdam, Netherlands: Amsterdam Light Festival – Late November 2027-mid January 2028 (tentative)
  A spectacular outdoor exhibition illuminating Amsterdam’s historic canals and city center with stunning light artworks created by artists from around the world.