Calendar

What is on when in Turkey, Japan, Switzerland, Germany and Austria

Sport, culture, festivals and public holidays, sorted by month. Public holidays affect every trip: shops closed, hotels full, buses sold out.

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Nov 8

Sumo Tournaments Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka

Sport · Japan

8 November 2026 15 days each from the second Sunday: Osaka in March, Nagoya in July, Fukuoka in November; 2027: from 14 March, 11 July and 14 November Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka

Outside Tokyo the sumo circus visits three times a year: in March at the Edion Arena Osaka, in July at the new IG Arena in Nagoya and in November at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center. The format and prices match the Tokyo tournaments, but the halls are smaller and the atmosphere more local, especially loud in Osaka. Tickets start at around 3,500 yen (CHF 20, about EUR 21) for the upper tier, box seats CHF 60 to 90 (about EUR 64 to 96) per person, advance sales about a month ahead on the official site. During tournament weeks you will see the wrestlers in yukata on the streets around the halls and on the subway.

For travellers: Osaka in March pairs well with the start of the cherry blossom, Fukuoka in November with the autumn colours in Kyushu; hotel prices rise only slightly in tournament weeks.

Official site ↗

Nov 13

Vienna Christkindlmarkt and Advent Markets

Festival · Austria

13 November 2026 Mid November to 26 December; 2026 expected from 13 November, 2027 from 12 November Rathausplatz, Schönbrunn, Spittelberg and others, Vienna

Vienna has more than 20 Advent markets and they could hardly be more different: the Christkindlmarkt on Rathausplatz is the biggest and most touristy, with a Ferris wheel, an ice-skating trail through the park and three million visitors, and many stalls sell mass-produced goods. Nicer are the market in front of Schönbrunn Palace, the craft market on Spittelberg in the Biedermeier lanes, the market on Karlsplatz with handmade goods and the Old Viennese market on the Freyung. Punch costs around CHF 5 to 6 (EUR 5 to 6) plus a mug deposit, food at the stalls CHF 8 to 15 (EUR 8 to 16), and the quality varies a lot. At weekends the big markets are overcrowded from 4 pm; on weekday afternoons they are manageable. Hotel prices in Vienna rise noticeably in Advent, the Advent weekends are the most expensive of the year apart from New Year's Eve, and it is cold, wet and dark early, which suits the punch.

For travellers: Come on a weekday and start at Schönbrunn at 3 pm, then Spittelberg at dusk and finally Rathausplatz once the town hall is lit up; most markets close on 23 or 24 December, while a few run until 26 December or New Year.

Official site ↗

Nov 15

Autumn Leaves (Momiji) in Kyoto and Nikko

Culture · Japan

15 November 2026 Nikko late October to mid-November, Kyoto mid-November to early December; shifts by a few days each year Kyoto, Nikko

Japan's second great season, quieter than the cherry blossom but just as crowded in Kyoto: maples and ginkgos turn from north to south, in Nikko first at altitude around Lake Chuzenji (early October), then around the Toshogu Shrine from late October to mid-November. Kyoto usually peaks around 20 to 30 November: Tofuku-ji with the Tsutenkyo bridge, Eikando and Kiyomizu-dera with evening illuminations, Arashiyama with the Sagano scenic railway. Tokyo's gardens such as Rikugien follow until early December. Forecasts appear from September, and the colours last around two weeks, much longer than the cherry blossom.

For travellers: Kyoto hotels in late November cost as much as in cherry blossom season, so book early or sleep in Osaka; visit Tofuku-ji and Arashiyama before nine on weekends, and expect the Irohazaka hairpins in Nikko to be jammed for hours on autumn weekends.

Activities →

Nov 19

Zurich Christmas Markets and Montreux Noël

Festival · Switzerland

19 November 2026 Late November to 23 or 24 December; 2026 expected from 19 November, 2027 from 18 November Zurich and Montreux

Zurich has several Christmas markets at once: the Christkindlimarkt in the main station concourse with its Swarovski tree, the Wienachtsdorf on Sechseläutenplatz with fondue chalets and an ice rink, the small market in the Niederdorf, the floating lights on the Limmat and the Singing Christmas Tree on Werdmühleplatz, where choirs sing from a tree-shaped stand. Mulled wine costs CHF 6 to 8 (EUR 6.50 to 8.50), raclette or fondue in the chalets CHF 25 to 40 (EUR 27 to 42), and gifts are at Zurich price levels. Montreux Noël on Lake Geneva is the biggest Christmas market in French-speaking Switzerland: 170 chalets on the lakeside promenade, a flying Father Christmas above the market, the Christmas village in Chillon Castle and a market on the Rochers-de-Naye reached by cog railway, all against an Alpine backdrop and usually milder than in German-speaking Switzerland. On Advent weekends both places are packed and Montreux hotels add surcharges; on weekdays it is relaxed.

For travellers: In Zurich the Christkindlimarkt in the main station is ideal for a stopover with luggage, while Sechseläutenplatz has more atmosphere; for Montreux, go by train on a weekday and combine the market with Chillon Castle.

Nov 25

Dresden Striezelmarkt and Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt

Festival · Germany

25 November 2026 Wednesday or Friday before the first Sunday of Advent until 24 December; 2026: Dresden from 25 November, Nuremberg from 27 November; 2027: from 24 and 26 November Altmarkt Dresden and Hauptmarkt Nuremberg

The two most famous Christmas markets in Germany: the Dresden Striezelmarkt on the Altmarkt has been held since 1434 and claims to be the oldest, with a 14-metre tiered pyramid from the Ore Mountains, prune figures (Pflaumentoffel), stollen and the Stollen Festival on the second Saturday of Advent, when a giant stollen weighing tonnes is paraded through the city. Nuremberg's Christkindlesmarkt on the Hauptmarkt is opened by the Christkind from the balcony of the Frauenkirche, with 180 red-and-white stalls, gingerbread, grilled sausages and a strict rule against plastic decorations. Mulled wine costs around CHF 4 to 5 (EUR 4 to 5) plus deposit, food CHF 5 to 10 (EUR 5 to 10), noticeably cheaper than in Switzerland. On Advent weekends both markets are so full from 3 pm that visitor flows are managed and coaches bring tens of thousands; on weekday mornings it is quiet. Hotels in Dresden and Nuremberg cost a good one and a half times the usual rate in Advent and are gone early for weekends; Dresden is around seven hours from Zurich by train, Nuremberg four.

For travellers: In Dresden combine the visit with the smaller markets in the Neustadt and the medieval market in the Stallhof, in Nuremberg with the sister cities market on Rathausplatz; both cities are reachable car-free by night train or ICE, which is the best choice in Advent.

Official site ↗

January

Jan 17

Selçuk Camel Wrestling Festival

Festival · Turkey

17 January 2027 Third Sunday in January Selçuk near Ephesus

The biggest camel wrestling event on the Aegean: around a hundred decorated camels face off in pairs in Selçuk, a few kilometres from Ephesus, accompanied by music, grill stalls and thousands of spectators from the region. The animals are not injured; the bouts are more shoving than wrestling. Entrance costs a few francs; you sit on the ground or on plastic chairs.

For travellers: Selçuk and Kuşadası are full this weekend; otherwise January on the Aegean is quiet and cheap.

Jan 1

New Year's Day (Yılbaşı)

Public holiday · Turkey

1 January 2027 1 January, public holiday Nationwide

1 January is a public holiday in Turkey. New Year's Eve is celebrated mainly in Istanbul, Izmir and the resort towns, with fireworks on the Bosphorus and gala dinners in hotels. Government offices and banks are closed on 1 January; restaurants and shops in tourist areas are mostly open. Hotel prices over the turn of the year are noticeably higher.

For travellers: New Year's Eve in Istanbul hotels is often only bookable with a compulsory gala package, and on 1 January some museums are closed.

Jan 1

New Year (Shogatsu)

Public holiday · Japan

1 January 2027 1 January public holiday, most businesses closed from 29 December to 3 January Nationwide

Shogatsu is the most important family holiday in Japan and the opposite of a New Year's Eve party: at midnight on 31 December the temples strike their bells 108 times, and then millions set off for the first shrine visit of the year (hatsumode); Meiji Shrine in Tokyo alone counts around three million visitors in three days. Government offices, banks and most museums close from 29 December to 3 January, as do many small restaurants. Department stores reopen on 2 January with lucky bags (fukubukuro), convenience stores and trains keep running, and in Tokyo the trains run all night on New Year's Eve.

For travellers: Shinkansen and domestic flights are sold out around 29 December and 3 January, and museums and many sights are closed; temples and shrines, on the other hand, are livelier than at any other time.

Jan 10

Sumo Tournaments Tokyo (Hatsu, Natsu and Aki Basho)

Sport · Japan

10 January 2027 15 days each from the second Sunday in January, May and September; 2027: 10 to 24 January, 9 to 23 May, 12 to 26 September Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo

Three of the six grand sumo tournaments (honbasho) take place at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, each lasting 15 days. The bouts start in the morning with the lower divisions, the hall fills up from 2 pm, and the top bouts of the makuuchi division run from about 4 to 6 pm with the ring-entering ceremony and the yokozuna ritual. Upper-tier seats cost from around 4,000 yen (CHF 25, about EUR 27), Japanese box seats (masu-seki) on the floor CHF 60 to 90 (about EUR 64 to 96) per person. Advance sales start around a month before the tournament on the official ticket site; weekends and the final days are gone within hours.

For travellers: Weekdays in the first week are the easiest to get; if you miss out, you can watch a morning practice (asageiko) at a sumo stable in Ryogoku, usually through a tour operator.

Official site ↗

Jan 15

Lauberhorn Races Wengen

Sport · Switzerland

15 January 2027 Mid January, three race days; 2027 expected 15 to 17 January Wengen, Bernese Oberland

The longest downhill on the World Cup circuit: 4.5 kilometres from the Lauberhorn down to Wengen, past the Hundschopf, the Kernen-S and the finish jump, where racers top 150 km/h. Car-free Wengen can only be reached by the cog railway from Lauterbrunnen; on downhill Saturday around 30,000 spectators arrive, the trains run non-stop and are still packed. Standing places along the course cost around CHF 50 to 80 (about EUR 53 to 85), the finish grandstand more, children usually go free. The mood is more family-like than in Kitzbühel, with cowbells rather than party tents, but on the course it is cold for hours and there is nowhere to sit. Hotels in Wengen and Lauterbrunnen are booked a year ahead for this weekend and demand minimum stays.

For travellers: Come as a day trip from Interlaken or Grindelwald and start early; the journey back after the race easily takes two hours because of the queue for the train.

Official site ↗ Activities →

Jan 22

Hahnenkamm Races Kitzbühel

Sport · Austria

22 January 2027 Third or fourth weekend in January; 2027 expected 22 to 24 January Kitzbühel, Tyrol

The Streif is the most notorious downhill in the world: the Mausefalle with an 85 per cent gradient, the Steilhang, the Hausbergkante and a final schuss in which racers fly over a roller at 140 km/h. Race weekend brings around 90,000 visitors to a town of 8,000, plus celebrities, sponsor tents and a party that runs into Sunday morning. Standing places in the finish area cost from around CHF 25 (EUR 25 to 30), grandstand seats a lot more, and they sell out in autumn. Hotels in Kitzbühel charge three times the usual rate and demand four-night minimum stays; Kirchberg and St. Johann are a little more relaxed. If you want peace and quiet, avoid this weekend: some pistes around the Hahnenkamm are closed and the town centre is loud.

For travellers: Arrive by train (Kitzbühel has a station on the Wörgl to Salzburg line) as the roads are closed or jammed; if you just want to watch, the Friday super-G is far less crowded.

Official site ↗ Activities →

Jan 26

Schladming Night Slalom (The Nightrace)

Sport · Austria

26 January 2027 Tuesday in the last week of January; 2027 expected 26 January Planai, Schladming

The World Cup slalom on the Planai is raced in the evening under floodlights and, with around 45,000 spectators, is the biggest slalom of the season. The first run starts at about 5.45 pm, the second at about 8.45 pm, and before, between and after the runs the whole town turns into a festival ground with stages and umbrella bars. Standing places in the finish stadium cost around CHF 20 to 30 (EUR 20 to 30); grandstand tickets are gone weeks ahead. The mood is loud, boozy and very Austrian, with flags, firecrackers and brass bands; if that is not your thing, stay away from the finish area. Since the race is on a Tuesday, the pistes remain perfectly skiable during the day; only the Planai descent is closed from midday.

For travellers: Stay in Rohrmoos, Haus im Ennstal or Ramsau rather than Schladming itself, where rooms are available and quieter this week; ski buses run late into the night.

Official site ↗ Activities →

February

Feb 8

Ramadan (Ramazan)

Public holiday · Turkey

8 February 2027 Movable; 2026 roughly 18 February to 19 March, 2027 roughly 8 February to 8 March Nationwide

During the fasting month of Ramadan, practising Muslims abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset. Little changes for travellers: restaurants stay open in cities and resort towns, while in conservative regions (Konya, south-eastern Anatolia) many places close during the day. In the evening, at the breaking of the fast (iftar), streets and squares fill up, in Istanbul around the Sultanahmet Mosque for instance.

For travellers: Eat and drink discreetly during the day in conservative cities, book a table early in the evening, and expect heavy traffic just before iftar.

Feb 4

Sapporo Snow Festival (Yuki Matsuri)

Culture · Japan

4 February 2027 Early February, about a week; 2027 expected 4 to 11 February Sapporo

Japan's biggest winter festival, held since 1950: along one and a half kilometres of Odori Park stand around 200 snow and ice sculptures, among them a few building-sized works that the Self-Defense Forces pile up over several weeks, lit with projections in the evening. In Susukino ice sculptures glitter between the bars, and the Tsudome site has snow slides for children. Add food stalls with Hokkaido crab, ramen and hot sake. Entry is free, two million visitors come in one week, at temperatures between minus two and minus ten degrees. Non-slip shoes or spikes are a must; the pavements are sheer ice.

For travellers: Hotels in Sapporo cost double during the festival week and are gone months ahead; Otaru (40 minutes) is the alternative and holds its lantern festival at the same time, and Niseko is two hours away for ski days before or after.

Official site ↗ Activities →

Feb 4

Lucerne Carnival (Luzerner Fasnacht)

Festival · Switzerland

4 February 2027 Fat Thursday to Ash Wednesday; 2027: 4 to 10 February, Güdismontag on 8 February Lucerne

Lucerne's carnival is the wilder sister of Basel's: on Fat Thursday the Urknall (big bang) goes off at 5 am on Kapellplatz, and from then on Guggenmusig bands, masks and costumed groups roam the old town until deep into the night. There is no spectator role; whoever comes dresses up and joins in, confetti and deliberately off-key brass included. The big parades take place on Thursday and Güdismontag afternoons, and on Tuesday evening it all ends with the Monstercorso. There is no entrance fee, but on the main days the old town is so packed that you will not get far with a pushchair or wheeled suitcase. Hotels are well booked this week but not sold out, and Lucerne is only an hour from Zurich.

For travellers: For the 5 am Urknall it is worth staying the night in Lucerne, as the first trains from Zurich arrive too late; bring earplugs, the bands play right in front of you.

Official site ↗

Feb 4

Cologne Carnival (Weiberfastnacht to Ash Wednesday)

Festival · Germany

4 February 2027 Weiberfastnacht to Ash Wednesday; 2027: 4 to 10 February, Rose Monday on 8 February Cologne

The "fifth season" officially starts on 11 November, but things really kick off on Weiberfastnacht: at 11.11 am the street carnival is opened on Alter Markt, after which hundreds of thousands in fancy dress celebrate in the pubs of the old town, the Südstadt and Ehrenfeld. The highlight is the Rose Monday parade, around eight kilometres long with more than 10,000 participants, elaborate floats and tonnes of sweets (Kamelle) thrown into the crowd, with over a million people lining the route. The mood is warm but fuelled by alcohol and loud, and you will inevitably learn a few Cologne songs. Hotels cost two to three times the normal rate this week and are gone months in advance, and without a costume you will stand out. Museums and many shops are closed on Rose Monday.

For travellers: For the Rose Monday parade, find a spot along the route by 9 am, ideally on Severinstrasse or at Neumarkt; if you want to avoid the crowds, stay away from Cologne altogether this week.

Official site ↗

Feb 4

Vienna Opera Ball

Culture · Austria

4 February 2027 Thursday before Shrove Tuesday; 2027: 4 February Vienna State Opera

The Opera Ball is the climax of Vienna's ball season: for one night the State Opera becomes a ballroom, 144 debutante couples in white and tails open with the polonaise, and then around 5,000 guests dance until five in the morning. An entrance ticket costs around CHF 400 (EUR 415), a box several tens of thousands of francs, and the dress code of tails and full-length gown is checked at the door. For most travellers the ball is a television broadcast and a reason to walk past the Ring in the afternoon, where onlookers and protesters gather. The Viennese ball season offers dozens of other balls in January and February (Kaffeesieder, Zuckerbäcker, Jägerball) with tickets from around CHF 100 (EUR 105), which are closer to the city's culture than the Opera Ball. Hotels around the Ring are pricier than usual on Opera Ball night.

For travellers: If you want to dance, go to one of the smaller balls instead, for example the Kaffeesiederball in the Hofburg, where tickets are often still available at short notice; the Elmayer and Rueff dance schools offer waltz crash courses.

Official site ↗

Feb 11

Berlinale (Berlin International Film Festival)

Culture · Germany

11 February 2027 Second half of February, eleven days; 2027: 11 to 21 February Berlin, Potsdamer Platz and cinemas across the city

Alongside Cannes and Venice, the Berlinale is Europe's most important film festival and the only one of the three that is explicitly aimed at the public: more than 300,000 cinema tickets are sold to ordinary viewers, the competition for the Golden Bear runs at the Berlinale Palast on Potsdamer Platz, and further programmes are shown in cinemas from Charlottenburg to Friedrichshain. Tickets cost around CHF 15 to 20 (EUR 15 to 20) and go on sale online three days before each screening; star premieres are gone within minutes, repeat screenings are usually easy to get. The red carpet is easy to see from behind a barrier, at Berlin February temperatures around freezing. Hotels around Potsdamer Platz are dearer, but the city as a whole is not sold out.

For travellers: Berlin is cheap in February anyway; set up an account on the ticket site in advance and look at side sections such as Panorama or Forum, where the more interesting films and spare seats often are.

Official site ↗

Feb 15

Basel Carnival (Morgestraich)

Festival · Switzerland

15 February 2027 Monday after Ash Wednesday at 4 am until Thursday 4 am; 2027: 15 to 18 February Basel

The "three most beautiful days": on the Monday after Ash Wednesday, at exactly 4 am, the street lights in the city centre go out and thousands of pipers and drummers set off with painted lanterns, the Morgestraich. For 72 hours the parades (Cortèges) follow on Monday and Wednesday afternoons, Gugge brass concerts on Tuesday evening, and Schnitzelbänke, rhymed satirical verses in Basel dialect, in the pubs. Basel's carnival is UNESCO heritage and the opposite of Cologne: spectators do not dress up, confetti (Räppli) is thrown only by the cliques, and the mood is melancholic and ceremonial rather than party-loud. There is no entrance fee; the carnival badge from CHF 10 (about EUR 10.50) funds the cliques and is considered a matter of decency. Hotels in Basel have been gone for months for the Monday and cost twice the usual rate; Zurich is an hour away, but the first trains arrive too late for the Morgestraich.

For travellers: For the Morgestraich, book a night in Basel or in Lörrach or Weil am Rhein just across the border, where it is cheaper; afterwards have flour soup and onion tart in a pub, they open at 4 am.

Official site ↗

March

Mar 21

Mesir Macunu Festival Manisa

Festival · Turkey

21 March 2027 Around 21 to 24 March, every year Manisa near Izmir

For over 450 years, the spice paste Mesir Macunu, a mix of 41 spices and sugar, has been thrown into the crowd from the Sultan Mosque in Manisa. The custom goes back to the healing of Sultan Süleyman's mother and is on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage. There are also parades, concerts and markets throughout the city.

For travellers: Manisa is an hour from Izmir, a day trip by train or bus; on the main throwing day the old town is packed.

Mar 9

Eid al-Fitr (Ramazan Bayramı)

Public holiday · Turkey

9 March 2027 Movable, three days; 2026 roughly 20 to 22 March, 2027 roughly 9 to 11 March Nationwide

The festival marking the end of the fasting month, known in Turkey as Şeker Bayramı (the sugar festival), lasts three and a half days and is the most important family holiday of the year alongside Eid al-Adha. Banks, government offices and many shops close, and domestic travel explodes: buses, flights and trains are sold out weeks in advance, and the government often extends the holiday into a nine-day break.

For travellers: Book domestic flights and long-distance buses early; hotels in the resort towns and Cappadocia are full and pricier, while museums mostly stay open.

Mar 7

Runtalya Antalya Marathon

Sport · Turkey

7 March 2027 Early March, usually the first Sunday Antalya

Runtalya is the marathon of the Turkish Riviera: marathon, half marathon and 10 kilometres along the Antalya coast with views of the Taurus and the sea, at a pleasant 15 to 20 degrees. Flat profile, good for personal bests, with an international field from Russia, Europe and Turkey. Entry fees are around CHF 30 to 60 (about EUR 32 to 64), with online registration open until a few weeks before.

For travellers: The coast road from Lara to Konyaaltı is closed on Sunday morning; otherwise hotels in Antalya are cheap in March.

Mar 7

Tokyo Marathon

Sport · Japan

7 March 2027 Early March, usually the first Sunday; 2027: 7 March Tokyo

One of the six World Marathon Majors and the biggest race in Asia: around 38,000 runners start at the city hall in Shinjuku, pass Asakusa, Ginza and the Imperial Palace and finish in front of Tokyo Station. The course is flat, the atmosphere enormous, with a million spectators lining the route. Places are allocated by lottery in August, with odds of roughly one in ten; the entry fee for overseas runners is around CHF 110 (about EUR 118), charity places cost several times that. Tour operators with guaranteed places are the safe but expensive alternative.

For travellers: Large parts of the city centre are closed on Sunday until the afternoon; book hotels in Shinjuku and around Tokyo Station early. The expo with bib collection runs from Thursday to Saturday beforehand.

Official site ↗

Nov 8

Sumo Tournaments Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka

Sport · Japan

8 November 2026 15 days each from the second Sunday: Osaka in March, Nagoya in July, Fukuoka in November; 2027: from 14 March, 11 July and 14 November Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka

For travellers: Osaka in March pairs well with the start of the cherry blossom, Fukuoka in November with the autumn colours in Kyushu; hotel prices rise only slightly in tournament weeks.

Official site ↗

Mar 28

Cherry Blossom (Sakura) in Tokyo, Kyoto and Kyushu

Culture · Japan

28 March 2027 Late March to early April, full bloom in Tokyo usually around 30 March, in Kyoto in early April; shifts by a few days each year Tokyo, Kyoto, Fukuoka

The main cherry blossom season: in Fukuoka and Tokyo the blossoms usually open around 24 March, full bloom follows a week later, and Kyoto and Osaka are a few days behind. The full display lasts only about a week before the petals rain down. The classics are Ueno Park, the Meguro River and Shinjuku Gyoen in Tokyo (reservation required there in season), the Philosopher's Path and Maruyama Park in Kyoto, illuminated at night. Hanami means a picnic under the trees, and supermarkets sell bento boxes made for it. Weather services such as Weathernews and the Japan Meteorological Corporation publish weekly forecasts from January.

For travellers: Kyoto is the most expensive place in Japan during these two weeks; book hotels six months ahead or sleep in Osaka. Plan with a buffer: the forecast can still shift by a week in March.

Mar 14

Engadin Ski Marathon

Sport · Switzerland

14 March 2027 Second Sunday in March; 2027: 14 March Maloja to S-chanf, Upper Engadin

Switzerland's biggest cross-country skiing event: around 14,000 skiers start in Maloja and skate 42 kilometres across the frozen lakes of Sils and Silvaplana, past St. Moritz to S-chanf. The mass start on the frozen Lake Sils at sunrise is a sight worth seeing even if you are not racing, and the course is easily reached from the railway and the villages. Entries cost around CHF 130 to 160 (EUR 135 to 170) and are gone within a few weeks of registration opening in autumn; the half marathon from Maloja runs the day before, the women's race the Wednesday before. The Engadin is sold out this weekend and hotels demand minimum stays, even for non-skiers. The weather can be anything from minus 20 degrees to slush.

For travellers: As a spectator, take the train to Pontresina or Zuoz, where the track runs right past the station; the valley road is closed to cars on race day.

Official site ↗ Activities →

April

Apr 9

Alaçatı Herb Festival (Ot Festivali)

Festival · Turkey

9 April 2027 Early to mid April, usually one weekend Alaçatı near Çeşme

The herb festival celebrates Aegean cuisine and its wild herbs: stalls with chard, fennel and purslane, cooking competitions, herb walks and concerts in the lanes of Alaçatı. Tens of thousands of visitors from Izmir and Istanbul come for the weekend; it is the biggest festival on the peninsula before the surf season.

For travellers: Hotels in Alaçatı are sold out and expensive on the festival weekend; arrive by dolmuş from Çeşme or Izmir rather than by car.

Activities →

Apr 9

Istanbul Film Festival

Culture · Turkey

9 April 2027 First half of April, around two weeks Istanbul

The biggest film festival in Turkey, organised by the cultural foundation IKSV, shows over 150 films from around the world in cinemas around Beyoğlu and Kadıköy, many with English subtitles. International premieres, Turkish competitions and retrospectives. Tickets cost a few francs and are sold online via the IKSV site; popular screenings go fast.

For travellers: No effect on hotels or traffic, but a good opportunity to experience Istanbul's cinema culture away from the tourist trail.

Official site ↗

Apr 1

Istanbul Tulip Festival

Culture · Turkey

1 April 2027 All of April, peak in mid April Istanbul

The tulip came to Holland from Turkey, and Istanbul reminds you of it every year: the city plants millions of tulips in parks and on traffic islands, most spectacularly in Emirgan Park on the Bosphorus and in Gülhane Park next to Topkapı Palace. In Sultanahmet Park a tulip carpet of hundreds of thousands of blooms is laid out. Free, no programme, just go.

For travellers: Emirgan is overrun on April weekends; on a weekday morning you have the park almost to yourself. April is an ideal time to visit Istanbul.

Apr 23

National Sovereignty and Children's Day (23 April)

Public holiday · Turkey

23 April 2027 23 April, public holiday Nationwide

23 April commemorates the opening of the Grand National Assembly in 1920 and is also Children's Day, dedicated by Atatürk to the children of the world. Schools put on performances, children symbolically take over public offices, and there are parades and concerts in Ankara and Istanbul. Banks, government offices and many shops are closed; museums and restaurants are open.

For travellers: If the day falls on a Thursday or Tuesday, many Turks take a long weekend; domestic flights and hotels in the resort towns are then pricier.

Apr 25

Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye

Sport · Turkey

25 April 2027 Late April, eight stages over about a week Antalya to Istanbul (varies)

The most important cycling race in Turkey, part of the UCI ProSeries, usually runs from the Mediterranean coast via the Aegean to Istanbul with the finish on the Bosphorus. Professional teams from Europe take part, and watching from the roadside is free. The stages pass through Antalya, Fethiye, Marmaris, Bodrum, Çeşme or Izmir, with summit finishes in the Taurus and on Babadağ above Ölüdeniz.

For travellers: Coast roads and city centres are closed for hours on stage days; book hotels in the stage towns early.

Activities →

Apr 20

Cherry Blossom in Tohoku (Hirosaki, Kakunodate, Kitakami)

Culture · Japan

20 April 2027 Mid to late April, Hirosaki cherry blossom festival usually 23 April to 5 May Hirosaki, Kakunodate, Kitakami, Sendai

If you miss the blossom in the south, head north: in Tohoku the cherries bloom two to three weeks later and with far fewer tourists. Hirosaki Castle Park in Aomori Prefecture, with 2,600 trees, carpets of petals on the moat and rowing boats, is considered the most beautiful spot in the country, with full bloom usually around 20 to 25 April. Kakunodate near Nyuto Onsen has weeping cherries along its samurai houses, Kitakami a two kilometre riverside walk, and Sendai blooms as early as mid-April. By shinkansen Hirosaki is a good four hours from Tokyo.

For travellers: Hirosaki has few hotels and is full during the festival; Aomori city is 45 minutes away. If you come at the end of April you run straight into Golden Week.

Activities →

Apr 14

Takayama Matsuri (Spring and Autumn Festival)

Festival · Japan

14 April 2027 14 and 15 April (Sanno Matsuri) and 9 and 10 October (Hachiman Matsuri), every year Takayama

One of the three most beautiful festivals in Japan and UNESCO heritage: richly gilded festival floats (yatai) from the 17th to 19th centuries, twelve in spring and eleven in autumn, are pulled through the old town, and on some of them mechanical puppets (karakuri) perform short plays. In spring the festival belongs to the Hie Shrine in the south of the old town, in autumn to the Hachiman Shrine in the north. The highlight each time is the evening procession on the first day with a hundred lanterns per float. In rain the floats stay in their storehouses, where you can still see them. Watching is free, with a few paid seats.

For travellers: Takayama has few beds and is booked a year ahead on festival days; stay in Gero Onsen or Hida-Furukawa instead, or do a day trip from Nagoya on the Hida express (two and a half hours).

Apr 19

Sechseläuten Zurich

Festival · Switzerland

19 April 2027 Third Monday in April; 2027: 19 April, burning of the Böögg at 6 pm Sechseläutenplatz, Zurich

Zurich's spring festival of the guilds: on Sunday the children parade through the city, on Monday afternoon the 26 guilds in historical costume, with horses and bands, march from the station to Sechseläutenplatz by the lake. At 6 pm the Böögg is set alight there, a cotton-wool snowman with firecrackers in its head, while the guildsmen ride on horseback around the pyre. The faster the head explodes, the better the summer is meant to be; it usually takes between 10 and 40 minutes. The spectator area is free but packed from 4 pm; the view is better from the grandstands (tickets from around CHF 40, about EUR 42, sold out early) or from the Utoquai. Monday afternoon is a half holiday in the city of Zurich, many shops close at noon and trams are diverted around the centre.

For travellers: Afterwards the guilds celebrate in their guild halls and from 8 pm visit each other in procession with torches and bands, which is the more atmospheric part for onlookers; if the third Monday falls on Easter Monday, the festival moves a week later.

Official site ↗

May

May 19

Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day (19 May)

Public holiday · Turkey

19 May 2027 19 May, public holiday Nationwide

19 May commemorates Atatürk's landing in Samsun in 1919, the start of the War of Independence. It is a holiday of youth, with sports events, torch relays and ceremonies in stadiums, especially in Samsun, Ankara and Istanbul. Government offices and banks are closed; tourist life carries on as normal. If the day falls on a weekday close to the weekend, people bridge it into a long weekend.

For travellers: A long weekend around 19 May means full long-distance buses and higher prices in the resort towns; cities are hardly affected.

May 16

Eid al-Adha (Kurban Bayramı)

Public holiday · Turkey

16 May 2027 Movable, four days; 2026 roughly 27 to 30 May, 2027 roughly 16 to 19 May Nationwide

The Feast of the Sacrifice is the most important Islamic holiday and lasts four and a half days, often extended by the government to nine days off. Families sacrifice or donate an animal, visit relatives and travel en masse. Banks, government offices and many shops stay closed; in the resort towns and Istanbul the tourist offering is open. On the first morning the mosques are full and the streets empty.

For travellers: Book domestic flights, buses and hotels in Cappadocia and on the coast weeks in advance; prices rise sharply and rental cars are scarce.

Apr 29

Golden Week

Public holiday · Japan

29 April 2027 29 April to 5 May; in 2027 up to seven days in a row with a bridge day on 30 April Nationwide

Four public holidays in one week, Showa Day (29 April), Constitution Day (3 May), Greenery Day (4 May) and Children's Day (5 May), make Golden Week the biggest travel wave of the year: half of Japan is on the move. Reserved shinkansen seats are gone weeks ahead, motorway tailbacks stretch over 40 kilometres, and hotels in Kyoto, Okinawa and the Alps charge double, if anything is left at all. Sights, shops and restaurants are open, but Kyoto's temples and Tokyo Disneyland are simply overrun. On the plus side, carp streamers (koinobori) fly everywhere and the cherries are in bloom in Hakodate.

For travellers: Travel before 25 April or after 7 May, or stay in one place that week; if you have to move, book hotels and shinkansen seats on the first day of advance sales a month ahead, or use the non-reserved cars.

Activities →

May 1

Cherry Blossom in Hokkaido (Hakodate, Sapporo)

Culture · Japan

1 May 2027 Late April to mid-May, full bloom in Hakodate and Sapporo usually in the first week of May Hakodate, Sapporo, Matsumae

The finale of the cherry blossom, right in the middle of Golden Week: in Hakodate around 1,500 trees bloom on the ramparts of the star-shaped Goryokaku fort, from the observation deck of the Goryokaku Tower you see the pink star from above, and the avenues are lit in the evening. Sapporo celebrates in Maruyama Park and at Hokkaido Shrine, where barbecuing under the trees is expressly allowed, a Hokkaido speciality with lamb (jingisukan). Matsumae in the south has 250 varieties and blooms until mid-May. Here it is less about perfection than about the end of the long winter, with temperatures of 10 to 15 degrees.

For travellers: The blossom falls in Golden Week, when Hakodate is full and expensive; from 7 May it suddenly goes quiet, and Matsumae and higher ground are still in bloom.

May 14

Sanja Matsuri Tokyo (and Kanda Matsuri)

Festival · Japan

14 May 2027 Third weekend in May, Friday to Sunday; 2027: 14 to 16 May. Kanda Matsuri only in odd years around 15 May Asakusa, Tokyo

Tokyo's loudest festival: around a hundred portable shrines (mikoshi) are rocked through the lanes of Asakusa for three days, carried by neighbourhood groups in happi coats, some openly showing tattoos that normally stay hidden. On Sunday the three great mikoshi of Asakusa Shrine leave the temple precinct at six in the morning, and up to two million people crowd around Senso-ji. Add food stalls, drums and geisha dances. In odd years, so 2027 included, the Kanda Matsuri takes place a week earlier, with a procession of 200 mikoshi through Kanda, Nihonbashi and Akihabara.

For travellers: Hotels in Asakusa are sold out on the festival weekend, the rest of Tokyo is not; come early on Sunday morning, as from midday the area around Nakamise street is barely passable.

May 1

Rhine in Flames (Rhein in Flammen)

Festival · Germany

1 May 2027 Five dates May to September; 2027 expected: Bonn 1 May, Rüdesheim/Bingen 3 July, Koblenz 14 August, Oberwesel 11 September, St. Goar 18 September Middle Rhine between Bonn and Rüdesheim

On five evenings in the summer half-year, a convoy of around 50 illuminated boats sails down the Rhine while the castles and banks are lit up in Bengal red and several fireworks displays go up one after another over the river. Each date has its own stretch: Bonn with the big closing fireworks in the Rheinaue park, Rüdesheim and Bingen at the Binger Loch, Koblenz from Spay to the Deutsches Eck, Oberwesel with Schönburg castle and St. Goar with the Loreley and Rheinfels castle. It is most beautiful from a boat; places cost around CHF 60 to 150 (EUR 65 to 160) including dinner and are gone months in advance; from the bank you watch for free, but need to claim a spot early in the afternoon. The towns are packed on these evenings, there is no parking, and the last trains back are crammed. Everything goes ahead in the rain.

For travellers: Combine one of the dates with two or three days in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley; the Rheinsteig stages between St. Goar and Oberwesel are at their best on exactly these weekends, but hotels there are scarce then.

Official site ↗ Activities →

May 7

Hamburg Port Anniversary (Hafengeburtstag)

Festival · Germany

7 May 2027 Weekend around 7 May, three days; 2027 expected 7 to 9 May Landungsbrücken to HafenCity, Hamburg

The biggest port festival in the world celebrates the charter of 1189 that gave Hamburg customs-free passage on the Elbe: for three days stages, stalls and fairground rides line around six kilometres from the Fischmarkt to the HafenCity, and more than a million visitors come. The highlights happen on the water: the arrival parade of tall ships, naval vessels and cruise liners on Friday, the tugboat ballet on Saturday afternoon, in which tugs weighing many tonnes dance to waltz music, and the fireworks on Saturday evening. Everything on the shore is free; harbour cruises cost around CHF 25 to 40 (EUR 25 to 40) and are the best thing you can do during the parades. The Landungsbrücken get so crowded in the afternoon that S-Bahn and U-Bahn stations are temporarily closed. Hotels are full and pricier this weekend, but the city is big enough that you will still find rooms outside St. Pauli.

For travellers: The departure parade on Sunday afternoon is less crowded than the arrival parade; for a good view without the crush, try the Altonaer Balkon or the Dockland ferry pier.

Official site ↗

May 14

Wiener Festwochen (Vienna Festival)

Culture · Austria

14 May 2027 Mid May to mid June; 2027 expected 14 May to 20 June Vienna, various venues

Five weeks of theatre, music theatre, dance and performance at around 20 venues across the city, from the MuseumsQuartier and the Theater an der Wien to factory halls in Simmering. The Festwochen are the experimental counterpart to the State Opera and Burgtheater: international directing teams, premieres, political themes, much of it in English or with surtitles. Tickets cost around CHF 20 to 90 (EUR 20 to 95), students and under-27s much less, and some performances are free, including the opening concert on Rathausplatz. Hotel prices in Vienna are high in May and June anyway, but the Festwochen alone do not fill the city. If you are expecting classic waltzes and Sisi, this is the wrong place.

For travellers: The programme goes online in February and the best-known productions are gone by April; the Vienna public transport ticket gets you to the venues on the city fringes without any trouble.

Official site ↗

June

Jun 2

Istanbul Music Festival

Culture · Turkey

2 June 2027 June, around three weeks Istanbul

The IKSV's classical music festival, running since 1973, with orchestras, chamber music and opera in historic venues: in Hagia Irene inside Topkapı Palace, in museums, palaces and churches on the Bosphorus. International soloists and orchestras, plus Turkish composers. The Hagia Irene concerts are the highlight and sell out early; tickets from around CHF 15 (about EUR 16).

For travellers: No effect on hotels, but the Hagia Irene concerts are a rare chance to see the Byzantine church from the inside in the evening.

Official site ↗

Jun 25

Donauinselfest Vienna

Festival · Austria

25 June 2027 One weekend at the end of June, Friday to Sunday; 2027 expected 25 to 27 June Danube Island, Vienna

Europe's biggest free open-air festival: over three days several hundred acts play on around a dozen stages along the Danube Island, from Austropop and Schlager to hip-hop, electronic music and cabaret, with sports areas, children's programmes and hundreds of food stalls. Around 2.5 million visits are counted, and the main stage by the Reichsbrücke fills up so much on Saturday evening that it is temporarily closed off. Getting there only works by underground (U1 Donauinsel, U6 Neue Donau), which runs all night at weekends, and even there you will queue. Beer costs around CHF 5 to 6 (EUR 5 to 6), and the toilets are what you would expect at this scale. It is not the place for a focused concert experience, but as a summer evening with a Viennese crowd, a view of the skyline and a swim in the Neue Donau it works.

For travellers: Come on Friday or Sunday afternoon when it is still manageable, and bring swimming things, as the Neue Donau is open for swimming right by the festival site; hotels in Vienna are no dearer than usual this weekend.

Official site ↗

July

Jul 1

Istanbul Jazz Festival

Culture · Turkey

1 July 2027 First half of July, around two weeks Istanbul

Organised by the IKSV, with jazz, world music and pop on open-air stages in parks, gardens and on the Bosphorus, for instance in the Harbiye open-air theatre or the gardens of old palaces. International names and the Turkish scene, plus free concerts in neighbourhoods on a «Jazz in the Parks» day. Tickets from around CHF 20 (about EUR 21); the big names sell out early.

For travellers: Istanbul is hot and crowded in July; the open-air evening concerts are the most pleasant way to experience the city.

Official site ↗

Jul 4

Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling Edirne

Festival · Turkey

4 July 2027 Late June to early July, one week with the final on Sunday Edirne

The oldest continuously held sporting tournament in the world, running since the 14th century and on the UNESCO heritage list: over a thousand wrestlers in leather trousers, rubbed with olive oil, compete on the meadow at Sarayiçi for the title of Başpehlivan. With drummers and zurna players, market stalls and a fairground. Grandstand entrance costs a few francs; the final on Sunday is the highlight.

For travellers: Edirne is fully booked during Kırkpınar week; a day trip from Istanbul (two and a half hours) is the easier option.

Jul 1

Mount Fuji Climbing Season

Sport · Japan

1 July 2027 Yoshida trail 1 July to 10 September, Shizuoka trails 10 July to 10 September Mount Fuji (3,776 m), Yamanashi and Shizuoka

For only a good two months a year the huts are open and the trails up the 3,776 metre Mount Fuji are free of snow. The most popular is the Yoshida trail from the 5th station on the Yamanashi side, reached by bus from Kawaguchiko or Shinjuku. Since 2025 both prefectures charge a fee of 4,000 yen (around CHF 25, about EUR 27) per person, to be reserved online; the Yoshida trail is capped at 4,000 climbers a day, and between 2 pm and 3 am only those with a hut reservation get through the gate. Huts cost CHF 60 to 90 (about EUR 64 to 96) with dinner and are booked out months ahead. The classic plan: hut in the afternoon, onwards at night, sunrise (goraiko) on the summit.

For travellers: Avoid weekends and the Obon week, when you queue on the mountain; altitude sickness is the most common problem, so take your time at the 5th station and bring warm clothes, as the summit is around zero degrees even in August.

Activities →

Jul 17

Gion Matsuri Kyoto

Festival · Japan

17 July 2027 All of July; Yoiyama evenings 14 to 16 and 21 to 23 July, float processions (Yamaboko Junko) on 17 and 24 July Kyoto

Japan's most famous festival runs the whole of July, with two highlights: on 17 July, 23 festival floats (yamaboko) up to 25 metres tall roll through the city centre, and on 24 July eleven more follow. Dozens of men pull the multi-tonne floats on ropes, and at the crossings they are jerked around the corner on wet bamboo mats. On the three evenings before each (yoiyama), Shijo and Karasuma streets are pedestrianised with thousands of food stalls and lit floats, and old merchant houses display their treasures. Watching is free; grandstand seats on procession day cost around CHF 30 to 40 (about EUR 32 to 43) through the city tourism office. It is hot and humid, 33 degrees is normal.

For travellers: Kyoto is sold out and expensive around 17 July, while Osaka is 30 minutes away; be on the route by eight on procession day, or look at the floats up close on the evenings before, which is more relaxed.

Jul 24

Tenjin Matsuri Osaka

Festival · Japan

24 July 2027 24 and 25 July, every year; boat procession and fireworks on the evening of 25 July Osaka

One of the three great festivals of Japan, held for over a thousand years in honour of the scholar Sugawara no Michizane at the Tenmangu Shrine. 24 July is the eve with rituals and drums; on the afternoon of 25 July a procession of 3,000 people in court dress carries the mikoshi from the shrine to the Okawa river. There everyone boards around a hundred boats that sail up and down the river into the night with torches and music, accompanied from about 7.30 pm by a fireworks display of 3,000 shells. Over a million people line the banks, and food stalls fill Sakuranomiya Park. All free; paid seats on the riverbank are limited.

For travellers: Claim a spot on the bank from 5 pm; Osaka is humid in July and Temmabashi and Sakuranomiya stations are jammed after the fireworks. Hotels in Osaka are slightly dearer but available.

Jul 31

Sumidagawa Fireworks Tokyo (Hanabi)

Festival · Japan

31 July 2027 Last Saturday in July, 7 to 8.30 pm; 2027: 31 July, postponed to Sunday in case of rain Sumida River, Asakusa, Tokyo

Summer in Japan is fireworks season, and the Sumidagawa Hanabi is the oldest and most famous: around 20,000 shells rise from two launch sites between Sakurabashi and Umayabashi over the river, with the Skytree as backdrop, while almost a million people in yukata crowd the banks and bridges. Entry is free, reservable seats are scarce, and the banks are taken from the afternoon. Other big fireworks follow in August across Japan, for example on the Edogawa in Tokyo, in Nagaoka (2 and 3 August, the biggest in the country) and on Lake Biwa.

For travellers: Find a spot on the bank early and bring a blanket and drinks; Asakusa and Kuramae stations become a bottleneck for an hour after the finale, so better walk towards Ueno.

Jul 2

Montreux Jazz Festival

Culture · Switzerland

2 July 2027 First half of July, 16 days; 2027 expected 2 to 17 July Montreux, Lake Geneva

On the shore of Lake Geneva since 1967 and long since about far more than jazz: world stars from pop and soul to electronic music play the Auditorium Stravinski and the Lab, surrounded by around 250 free concerts on lakeside stages, in parks and on the boat. Tickets for the big names cost CHF 100 to 300 (EUR 105 to 320) and are gone within hours in April; resale through the official platform is the only reliable route. The lakeside promenade becomes a two-kilometre festival strip with food stalls, bars and crowds until three in the morning, which is wonderful for night owls and loud for everyone else. Hotels in Montreux and Vevey cost twice the normal rate during these two weeks and sell out early; Lausanne (20 minutes by suburban train) and the Lavaux vineyards are the alternative. Special trains run towards Lausanne after the main concerts.

For travellers: The free concerts and the lakeside atmosphere are worth it even without a ticket, especially on weekdays; if you want peace, come in the second half of July, when the Riviera is back to normal.

Official site ↗

Jul 21

Bregenz Festival

Culture · Austria

21 July 2027 Mid July to mid August; 2027 expected 21 July to 22 August Lake Stage Bregenz, Lake Constance

The Seebühne on Lake Constance is the largest open-air stage in the world, and the opera on it is a spectacle: gigantic sets standing in the water, fire, divers, acrobats, all amplified through microphones, for 7,000 spectators on the shoreside grandstand. Each production runs for two summers, alongside operas in the Festspielhaus, orchestral concerts and drama. Tickets for the lake stage cost around CHF 35 to 400 (EUR 35 to 420); the cheap categories at the back are surprisingly good since the stage is visible from everywhere, and weekend dates are gone from spring onwards. In rain the performance moves into the Festspielhaus, where only part of the audience fits, so read the rules on that before you buy. Bregenz is sold out and expensive during the festival; Lindau, Dornbirn and the Swiss shore (St. Margrethen, Rorschach) are 10 to 30 minutes away by train.

For travellers: Travel from eastern Switzerland by train; Bregenz is an hour from St. Gallen and trains run back after the performance; a windproof jacket is part of the kit even on warm evenings, as it cools down noticeably by the lake.

Official site ↗

Jul 23

Salzburg Festival

Culture · Austria

23 July 2027 Late July to late August, around six weeks; 2027 expected 23 July to 30 August Salzburg, festival halls and Domplatz

The most important classical music festival in the world, since 1920: around 200 performances in six weeks, operas in the Grosses Festspielhaus and the Felsenreitschule, concerts by the Vienna Philharmonic, drama, and every summer "Jedermann" on the cathedral square. Tickets cost around CHF 15 to 480 (EUR 15 to 500); the expensive opera seats are allocated by ballot in January, while cheap standing places and youth tickets are available right up to the performance. During these weeks the city is at its most polished and its most expensive: hotels in the old town cost twice the usual rate and demand minimum stays, restaurants are booked out in the evening, and on top come the Mozart day-trippers who fill the Getreidegasse even without a festival. There is no official dress code, but in premiere week evening dress and dinner jackets are the norm. If you only want a taste of the festival, the free screenings on Kapitelplatz (Siemens Festival Nights) give you plenty of it.

For travellers: Stay in the Salzburg region (Hallein, Oberndorf) or in Bad Reichenhall across the border and take the suburban train in; tickets for weekday concerts and the Mozart matinees are easier to get than opera evenings.

Official site ↗

August

Aug 30

Victory Day (30 August)

Public holiday · Turkey

30 August 2027 30 August, public holiday Nationwide

Zafer Bayramı commemorates the victory at the Battle of Dumlupınar in 1922, the end of the War of Independence. Military parades in Ankara and Istanbul, flags on every house, wreath-laying at Anıtkabir, Atatürk's mausoleum. Banks and government offices are closed; the resort towns carry on in full summer mode. For travellers it is mainly a day of full beaches and a sea of flags.

For travellers: If the day falls on a weekday, people bridge it, and the last days of the summer holidays are especially busy on the coast.

Aug 2

Nebuta Matsuri Aomori

Festival · Japan

2 August 2027 2 to 7 August, every year; evening parades 2 to 6 August, finale with fireworks on 7 August Aomori

The most spectacular summer festival in northern Japan: every evening from 7.10 to 9 pm around 20 huge paper figures lit from inside (nebuta), up to nine metres wide, warriors and demons from myths, are pulled through the streets of Aomori, accompanied by drums, flutes and thousands of hopping dancers (haneto) shouting 'Rassera!'. Anyone wearing the costume may join in, with rental in town for around CHF 25 (about EUR 27). On 7 August there is a daytime parade and in the evening the nebuta are floated on the sea with fireworks. 2.5 million visitors, seats along the route from CHF 20 (about EUR 21), standing is free.

For travellers: Hotels in Aomori are gone a year ahead; the fallbacks are Hirosaki (Neputa festival 1 to 7 August) and Hachinohe. The same week Akita holds the Kanto lantern festival (3 to 6 August) and Sendai its Tanabata (6 to 8 August).

Aug 12

Awa Odori Tokushima

Festival · Japan

12 August 2027 12 to 15 August, every year, dancing from 6 pm until about 10.30 pm Tokushima, Shikoku

Japan's biggest dance festival, 400 years old: for four evenings around 100,000 dancers in groups (ren) with shamisen, flutes and drums move through the centre of Tokushima, the women in straw hats on tall geta sandals, the men in a deep crouch. The festival's motto: the dancers are fools and the watchers are fools, so you might as well dance. For that there is the niwaka-ren, which anyone can join without registering. Grandstand seats on the four dance streets cost CHF 15 to 40 (about EUR 16 to 43); the side streets are free and often more atmospheric. 1.2 million visitors in a city of 250,000.

For travellers: Tokushima is sold out; do a day trip by bus from Osaka or Kobe (two and a half hours) or stay in Takamatsu. The festival falls in Obon week, so reserve trains and buses early.

Aug 13

Obon (Festival of the Ancestors) and Mountain Day

Public holiday · Japan

13 August 2027 Mountain Day 11 August public holiday, Obon 13 to 16 August; company holidays usually 11 to 16 August Nationwide

At Obon the souls of the ancestors return home for three days, and half of Japan returns to its hometowns with them. Obon is not a public holiday, but most companies close for the best part of a week around Mountain Day (11 August), and travel reaches its third peak of the year after New Year and Golden Week: shinkansen at 150 percent occupancy, traffic jams, domestic flights at double the price. Sights stay open; small restaurants in provincial towns close. Bon odori is danced everywhere in the evenings, in Kyoto the Daimonji fires burn on five mountains at 8 pm on 16 August, and lanterns are set afloat on rivers. Add 35 degrees and typhoon risk.

For travellers: Reserve shinkansen seats a month ahead when sales open, or do not travel at all on the peak days of 13 and 16 August; the bon odori evenings at village shrines are open to everyone and a highlight of any summer trip.

Activities →

Aug 1

Swiss National Day, 1 August

Public holiday · Switzerland

1 August 2027 1 August, public holiday; in 2027 a Sunday Nationwide, fireworks at the Rhine Falls on 31 July

Swiss National Day commemorates the Federal Charter of 1291 and is the only public holiday that applies across the whole country: shops, banks and offices are closed, trains run to a Sunday timetable, mountain railways and restaurants in tourist resorts stay open. It is celebrated village-style: lantern parades, bonfires on the hills, farm brunches in the morning and speeches with brass bands in the evening, plus private fireworks late into the night, which are banned in many places in dry years. The biggest fireworks go up on 31 July at the Rhine Falls, where the falls are lit in colour; there are further big displays in Zurich (not every year), Basel and Lucerne, and the official ceremony on the Rütli meadow. Hotels are fully booked around 1 August, which falls in the middle of the summer holidays, and prices are correspondingly high. With a dog, the evening is no fun at all.

For travellers: For the Rhine Falls fireworks on 31 July, arrive early and leave the car behind, as Schaffhausen and Neuhausen are closed to traffic; on the morning of 1 August hundreds of farms serve a farmhouse brunch (Buurezmorge), booking is essential.

Aug 4

Locarno Film Festival

Culture · Switzerland

4 August 2027 First half of August, eleven days; 2027 expected 4 to 14 August Locarno, Ticino

Switzerland's most important film festival and one of the oldest in the world, famous for its centrepiece: the Piazza Grande, where every evening up to 8,000 people sit under the open sky in front of one of Europe's largest screens, premieres and classics mixed together. Alongside it, the competition for the Golden Leopard runs in the town's cinemas, with arthouse films from around the world, often in the original language with subtitles. Piazza tickets cost around CHF 30 to 40 (EUR 32 to 42), festival passes from CHF 200 (EUR 210); the Piazza sells out for big names but is otherwise easy to get into. Locarno is full and expensive during these eleven days, as is Ascona; Lugano (30 minutes by train) or Bellinzona are cheaper. In thunderstorms, not unusual in a Ticino August, the screening moves indoors, so pack a waterproof.

For travellers: Combine the festival with swimming days on Lake Maggiore and a trip into the Verzasca or Maggia valleys, hiking in the morning and cinema in the evening; Piazza tickets are also sold online for individual nights.

Official site ↗

Aug 14

Street Parade Zurich

Festival · Switzerland

14 August 2027 Second Saturday in August; 2027: 14 August, 1 pm to midnight Lake basin, Zurich

The biggest techno parade in the world: from 1 pm around 30 Love Mobiles with DJs and sound systems crawl around Zurich's lake basin, with stages at Bürkliplatz, Bellevue and Utoquai and up to a million people in glitter, fishnet and very little fabric. Entrance is free, the motto is tolerance, and until evening the mood is peaceful and colourful; after that it gets boozy, and the afterparties in the clubs last until Sunday lunchtime. The city centre is closed from midday, trams do not run around the lake, the main station is overrun in the evening and the SBB puts on extra trains. Hotels in Zurich are sold out and considerably pricier this weekend. If techno is not your thing, spend the day on the Üetliberg or on a boat; the bass can be heard as far as Wollishofen.

For travellers: Bring earplugs, sun protection and water, bags are checked and glass is banned; on Sunday morning the lake basin is a rubbish tip, and swimming is only worth it again from Monday.

Official site ↗

September

Sep ?

Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival

Culture · Turkey

Date changes yearly September, sometimes also June; dates vary each year Aspendos near Antalya

Opera and ballet in the best-preserved Roman theatre in the world, the 2nd-century theatre of Aspendos, with room for 15,000 spectators and perfect acoustics. The state opera and ballet companies perform classics such as Aida, Carmen or Swan Lake under the open sky. Tickets around CHF 15 to 40 (about EUR 16 to 43); the programme is usually only published in early summer.

For travellers: Aspendos is 45 minutes from Antalya and 30 minutes from Side, and hotels organise transfers; bring a seat cushion, the stone steps are hard.

Sep ?

Istanbul Biennial

Culture · Turkey

Date changes yearly September to November, normally in odd years; the 18th edition runs in stages from 2025 to 2027 Istanbul

The most important exhibition of contemporary art in Turkey, organised by the IKSV since 1987. International artists take over warehouses, hamams, schools and museums around Beyoğlu, Karaköy and Kadıköy. The 18th Biennial is designed as a multi-year format, with exhibitions in 2025 and a finale in 2027. Entrance is mostly free or a few francs; the programme is on the IKSV site.

For travellers: For art lovers a reason to schedule an Istanbul trip for the autumn; the Biennial has no effect on hotels or traffic.

Official site ↗

Sep 3

Izmir International Fair (İzmir Enternasyonal Fuarı)

Culture · Turkey

3 September 2027 Early September, around a week Izmir

The oldest fair in Turkey, held since the 1920s in Kültürpark in the middle of Izmir: a mix of trade fair, fairground, concerts and food with a different partner country every year. In the evening Turkish stars play on the open-air stage; during the day there are exhibitions and food stalls. Entrance to the park costs a few francs.

For travellers: Hotels around Alsancak and Konak are pricier and fuller during fair week; otherwise early September is a good time for Izmir and Çeşme.

Sep 20

Autumn Holidays (Silver Week)

Public holiday · Japan

20 September 2027 Respect for the Aged Day on the third Monday in September, Autumn Equinox Day on 22 or 23 September; 2027: 20 and 23 September Nationwide

Two public holidays turn the second half of September into a minor travel wave: Respect for the Aged Day (Keiro no Hi) on the third Monday and Autumn Equinox Day (Shubun no Hi) on 22 or 23 September. When exactly one working day falls between them it becomes a holiday too, creating the five-day Silver Week, most recently in 2026 and next in 2032. In 2027 there are two long weekends with full trains and dearer hotels, but nothing compared to Golden Week. Around the equinox the red higanbana lilies bloom, for example in Kinchakuda Park near Tokyo, and the September sumo tournament is on in Tokyo.

For travellers: September is typhoon season, so keep an eye on the train timetable (the shinkansen suspends service in storms); outside the holiday weekends the month is pleasantly quiet after the summer heat.

Sep 18

Oktoberfest Munich

Festival · Germany

18 September 2027 Saturday after 15 September to the first Sunday in October (or 3 October); 2027: 18 September to 3 October Theresienwiese, Munich

The biggest folk festival in the world: 16 days, around six million visitors, 14 large beer tents seating up to 10,000 each, brass bands until dusk and then party hits sung standing on the benches. Entrance to the Wiesn is free, a litre of beer costs around CHF 15 (EUR 15 to 16), half a roast chicken about the same, and an evening quickly adds up to CHF 80 to 100 (EUR 85 to 105). At weekends the tents are full from midday and are closed off, after which you will not get in without a reservation; table reservations (usually for ten people, with food and drink vouchers) open in spring directly with the tent landlords and go fast. Hotels in Munich cost three to four times the normal rate during these two weeks and are sold out from spring; Augsburg, Rosenheim or Landshut by regional train are the sensible alternative. Traditional dress is not compulsory, but almost everyone wears it, and a cheap dirndl or lederhosen can be had in town from CHF 100 (EUR 105). From late afternoon the Wiesn is very drunk; with children or if you want some calm, go on a weekday morning.

For travellers: On Tuesday and Wednesday mornings you will find a seat without a reservation; the landlords' parade on the first Saturday and the costume parade on the first Sunday are the finest moments even for non-beer-drinkers.

Official site ↗

Sep 23

Zurich Film Festival (ZFF)

Culture · Switzerland

23 September 2027 Late September to early October, eleven days; 2027 expected 23 September to 3 October Zurich, Sechseläutenplatz and city-centre cinemas

The biggest film festival in German-speaking Switzerland shows around 150 films in eleven days, many as European or world premieres, with Hollywood guests on the green carpet in front of the opera house and competitions for new feature and documentary film-makers. Screenings take place at the festival centre on Sechseläutenplatz and in the cinemas around Bellevue and Stauffacher; tickets cost around CHF 20 to 25 (EUR 21 to 27), gala premieres more, advance sales start around two weeks before the festival, and the premieres go quickly while second screenings do not. The atmosphere is more professional and less down-to-earth than in Locarno, but the ZFF slots into a Zurich visit without much effort. Hotels in Zurich are expensive in late September anyway, and the festival changes little about that.

For travellers: The programme goes online about three weeks ahead; the documentary strand and the masterclasses with directors are often the more rewarding and more easily available tickets.

Official site ↗

Sep 26

Berlin Marathon

Sport · Germany

26 September 2027 Last Sunday in September; 2027 expected 26 September Berlin, start and finish at the Brandenburg Gate

The fastest marathon in the world: most of the world records of recent decades have been run on its flat course through the Tiergarten, Kreuzberg, Neukölln and Charlottenburg, around 50,000 runners take part, and more than a million people line the route. The atmosphere is loud and warm from the first runner to the last, with bands at every kilometre and the finish through the Brandenburg Gate. Places are allocated by ballot the previous autumn, with roughly a one-in-three chance and a fee of around CHF 150 to 200 (EUR 160 to 210); charity places or tour operators with guaranteed entries are the safer route. The inline skating marathon runs on the same course on Saturday, and on marathon Sunday half the city centre is closed to traffic. Hotels are full and dearer than usual this weekend, but the city is big enough that you will find something with a little lead time.

For travellers: As a spectator, Potsdamer Platz or Karl-Marx-Strasse are good spots, and the underground lets you switch between two sections of the course; if you are planning a day out in Berlin that Sunday, stay outside the S-Bahn ring.

Official site ↗

October

Oct ?

Alanya Triathlon

Sport · Turkey

Date changes yearly October, date varies each year Alanya

Alanya has been a triathlon town since the 1990s and hosts international races over Olympic and sprint distances in autumn, often as part of European series. Swimming at Cleopatra Beach, cycling on the closed coast road, running on the promenade. Registration through the organisers, entry fees around CHF 40 to 80 (about EUR 43 to 86), age-group categories open to amateurs.

For travellers: On race day the coast road is closed for hours; otherwise October in Alanya is ideal, with warm water and empty beaches.

Oct ?

Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival (Altın Portakal)

Culture · Turkey

Date changes yearly October or November, around a week; date varies Antalya

The oldest film festival in Turkey, held since 1964, with the Golden Orange award for the best Turkish film. Premieres, competitions and open-air screenings in Antalya, with an opening parade and stars in the streets. For travellers, a chance to see Turkish cinema with subtitles. In recent years there have been political disputes and cancellations, and the programme is announced late.

For travellers: Hotels in the old town of Kaleiçi are well booked during festival week; October is one of the best times to visit Antalya anyway.

Oct 18

Bodrum Cup Sailing Regatta

Sport · Turkey

18 October 2027 Third week of October, around a week Bodrum

The best-known sailing regatta in Turkey, held since 1989: around 100 gulets and sailing yachts race for a week in stages from Bodrum to the coves and islands nearby and back. You can sail along through charter companies that offer berths on regatta gulets, from around CHF 800 (about EUR 855) for the week. Parties in the harbour in the evening, races with wooden boats in front of the castle by day.

For travellers: The harbour and hotels in Bodrum are full during regatta week; the rest of the coast is quiet in October and the water still warm.

Official site ↗ Activities →

Oct 16

Cappadocia Ultra-Trail

Sport · Turkey

16 October 2027 Mid to late October, one weekend Ürgüp, Cappadocia

Trail running through the valleys and fairy chimneys of Cappadocia: distances from around 38 to 119 kilometres, start and finish in Ürgüp, part of international ultra-trail series. The race runs through Rose Valley, Love Valley, cave villages and across high plateaus, with aid stations in villages. Entry fees CHF 80 to 200 (about EUR 86 to 215); registration usually opens in winter and fills up early.

For travellers: Accommodation in Ürgüp and Göreme is scarce on race weekend, and the valley trails are full of runners on Saturday.

Official site ↗ Activities →

Oct 13

Ölüdeniz Air Games

Sport · Turkey

13 October 2027 Mid to late October, usually four to five days Ölüdeniz near Fethiye

The international air festival on Babadağ: paragliders, acro pilots, base jumpers and hang gliders from around the world put on shows over the Blue Lagoon, with landings on the beach and an evening programme on the promenade. Free for spectators; tandem flights are in high demand during the festival days and a bit more expensive.

For travellers: Ölüdeniz and Hisarönü are fully booked during festival week; reserve your tandem flight early or choose the week before or after.

Activities →

Oct 29

Republic Day (29 October)

Public holiday · Turkey

29 October 2027 29 October, public holiday, starting at noon on 28 October Nationwide

The most important national holiday commemorates the proclamation of the Republic in 1923. Military parades in Ankara, torchlight processions and fireworks over the Bosphorus in Istanbul, flags everywhere, Atatürk portraits on facades. Government offices, banks and many shops close from noon on 28 October; museums and restaurants in tourist areas stay open. In the evening the waterfront promenades are packed.

For travellers: The fireworks over the Bosphorus are best seen from the ferries and from Üsküdar; traffic around Taksim and the waterfront is closed.

Oct 3

German Unity Day

Public holiday · Germany

3 October 2027 3 October, public holiday; in 2027 a Sunday Nationwide, citizens' festival in a rotating state capital

Germany's national day commemorates reunification on 3 October 1990 and is the only nationwide public holiday apart from the religious ones: shops, banks and offices are closed, museums and restaurants mostly open, and trains run to a Sunday timetable. It is celebrated soberly, with a three-day citizens' festival in the capital of whichever state currently holds the presidency of the Bundesrat, plus a ceremony and stages, in Berlin around the Brandenburg Gate. What matters most for travellers is the calendar: if 3 October falls on a weekday it creates a long weekend, with fuller hotels in Berlin, Munich and Hamburg and heavier motorway traffic heading south; in 2027 it falls on a Sunday and has little effect. In Bavaria it also coincides with the Oktoberfest finale, so the last day of the Wiesn is correspondingly busy.

For travellers: Do your shopping the day before; on public holidays in Germany even supermarkets are closed, with the exception of station shops and petrol stations.

Oct 26

Austrian National Day

Public holiday · Austria

26 October 2027 26 October, public holiday; in 2027 a Tuesday Nationwide, armed forces display on Heldenplatz in Vienna

Austria's national day commemorates the Neutrality Act of 26 October 1955: shops, banks and offices are closed, restaurants, museums and mountain railways open, and trains run to a holiday timetable. In Vienna the armed forces display tanks, helicopters and field kitchens on Heldenplatz, and the federal museums and many state museums offer free entry that day, with corresponding queues outside the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Traditionally 26 October is a hiking day, and the organised walks in the provinces together with the mild autumn weather fill the huts in the Vienna Woods and the foothills of the Alps. When the date falls conveniently it creates a long weekend during which South Tyrol and the Alpine passes are busy; in 2027 it is a Tuesday and many people take the Monday off. The Austrian autumn school holidays start the following day, so thermal spas and family hotels are well booked all week.

For travellers: Use the free museum entry in Vienna in the morning, as the queues are long from midday; if you do not want to see tanks on Heldenplatz, head for Schönbrunn or the vineyards in Grinzing instead.

November

Nov ?

Ironman 70.3 Turkey Belek

Sport · Turkey

Date changes yearly Late October or early November, date varies each year Belek near Antalya

The half-distance Ironman on the Turkish Riviera: a 1.9 kilometre swim in the Mediterranean, a flat 90 kilometre bike course through Belek and the plain, and a 21 kilometre run past the hotels. The water is still over 20 degrees in autumn, and the course is considered fast. Entry fees around CHF 300 to 400 (about EUR 320 to 430), registration via the Ironman site; slots are usually available until summer.

For travellers: The hotels in Belek offer athlete packages with early breakfast; the roads around Belek are closed until midday on race Sunday.

Official site ↗ Activities →

Nov 7

Istanbul Marathon

Sport · Turkey

7 November 2027 Early November, usually the first Sunday Istanbul

The only marathon in the world across two continents: start on the Asian side, across the 15 July Martyrs Bridge to Europe, finish in Sultanahmet. Alongside the marathon there is a 15 kilometre race and a fun run across the bridge in which tens of thousands take part. Entry fees around CHF 40 to 90 (about EUR 43 to 96), online registration from spring; the Bosphorus bridge can only be crossed on foot on this one day.

For travellers: The waterfront roads on both sides are closed until the afternoon on Sunday; book hotels in Sultanahmet and on the Bosphorus early.

Official site ↗

Nov 15

Autumn Leaves (Momiji) in Kyoto and Nikko

Culture · Japan

15 November 2026 Nikko late October to mid-November, Kyoto mid-November to early December; shifts by a few days each year Kyoto, Nikko

Activities →

Nov 13

Vienna Christkindlmarkt and Advent Markets

Festival · Austria

13 November 2026 Mid November to 26 December; 2026 expected from 13 November, 2027 from 12 November Rathausplatz, Schönbrunn, Spittelberg and others, Vienna

Official site ↗

Nov 19

Zurich Christmas Markets and Montreux Noël

Festival · Switzerland

19 November 2026 Late November to 23 or 24 December; 2026 expected from 19 November, 2027 from 18 November Zurich and Montreux

Nov 25

Dresden Striezelmarkt and Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt

Festival · Germany

Official site ↗

December

Dec 17

Şeb-i Arus Commemoration Konya

Culture · Turkey

17 December 2026 7 to 17 December, culminating on 17 December Konya

The wedding night: that is what the Mevlevi call the anniversary of the death of the mystic Rumi on 17 December 1273. For ten days Konya hosts daily sema ceremonies of the whirling dervishes in a large hall, plus concerts and lectures. The ceremonies are not a show but a religious service: stay quiet, do not applaud. Tickets through the city of Konya, often free but limited and gone weeks in advance.

For travellers: Konya is fully booked around 17 December and the high-speed train from Ankara and Istanbul is full then; organise tickets and hotel early.

Dec 11

Fête de l'Escalade Geneva

Festival · Switzerland

11 December 2026 Weekend around 12 December; 2026: 11 to 13 December, 2027: 10 to 12 December Old Town, Geneva

Geneva celebrates the repelled attack by Savoy on the night of 11 to 12 December 1602, when, according to legend, Mère Royaume tipped a pot of hot soup over the attackers. That is why chocolate cauldrons (marmites) filled with marzipan vegetables are sold everywhere in these days; the youngest and the oldest at the table smash them together with the words "Ainsi périssent les ennemis de la République". On the festival weekend a torchlit procession of more than 800 people in 1602 costume, with horses, cannons and drums, winds through the old town on Sunday evening; on Friday and Saturday there is vegetable soup from cauldrons, mulled wine and children in fancy dress, and the weekend before brings the Course de l'Escalade, Switzerland's biggest fun run, through the old town. There is no entrance fee; the old town lanes are packed on Sunday evening but not unpleasantly so. Hotels in Geneva are booked at normal levels this weekend, and the city is cheaper in December than in summer.

For travellers: For the Sunday procession, stand on Rue de l'Hôtel-de-Ville or at the Bourg-de-Four from 5 pm, as the parade takes a good two hours; the marmites are sold in every confectioner from late November, the small ones from around CHF 8 (EUR 8.50).

Official site ↗