From riotous revels to the calm of cherry blossom, there are festivals far and wide to enjoy next year – so now’s the time to plan ahead, says Mary Novakovich
Venice Carnival
The queen of European carnivals is certainly the most grandiose, with elaborately costumed and masked performers adding an air of romance and intrigue. If you miss the exhilarating boat carnival on 4 February, you’ll still be able to see daily costume contests in St Mark’s Square, gala dinners, nightly opera and classical music performances, dinner cruises and, most coveted of all, masked balls (which need to be booked well in advance).
The opera programme features such favourites as La Traviata, The Barber of Seville and Rigoletto, and the exquisite island of Burano has its own carnival off-shoot from 16-19 February.
Where to stay: Right on the Grand Canal is Ca’ Sagredo, a sumptuous hotel set in a 15th-century palace. Its rooftop terrace is one of the most appealing places for a cocktail and offers fabulous views. Citalia (citalia.com) hasa three-night break at Ca’ Sagredo from £735pp departing
13 February, including flights, transfers and breakfast.
- carnevale.venezia.it, 4-21 February
Tulip Festival, Amsterdam
Amsterdam becomes a riot of colour when its Tulip Festival brings millions of blooms to the Dutch capital. Wander round the city and you’ll come across more than 85 locations brimming with tulips. These are all
a taster for the extraordinary sight that is Keukenhof, a sprawling botanical garden about 45 minutes from the city. From March to May, the 19th-century park is completely taken over by a seemingly endless landscape of tulips.
Back in Amsterdam, don’t miss the chance to visit the Rijksmuseum and see the world’s largest exhibition of Vermeer’s paintings, which runs from 10 February to 4 June. At the Van Gogh Museum there’s a special exhibition from 10 February-10 April revealing how the artist’s family established his legacy.
Where to stay: Newmarket Holidays (newmarketholidays.co.uk) has a three-night break in Amsterdam that includes visits to Keukenhof as well as the quaint fishing villages of the Zuider Zee. Prices in April start at £884pp and include flights, accommodation, breakfast and a three-course dinner, all transfers and a canal cruise in Amsterdam.
- tulipfestivalamsterdam.com, 1-30 April
Hay Festival of Literature and Arts, Wales
The charming Welsh border town of Hay-on-Wye becomes the centre of the UK literary universe each May, when more than 100,000 people descend to take part in 800 talks and readings with the world’s top writers and thinkers. The setting is idyllic – giant marquees are set up in Dairy Meadows where people gather to meet everyone from Margaret Atwood to Stephen Fry, with plenty of places to relax and have a picnic between readings as well as musical and comedy events.
The town itself is just as lovely, plus there is the enormous wild expanse of the Brecon Beacons National Park next door.
Where to stay: Accommodation during the festival is limited and needs to be booked well in advance. You might be lucky and get one of the 19 rooms at the Swan at Hay (swanathay.co.uk) set in an attractive stone house surrounded by gardens. It’s only a few minutes to the town centre and Hay Castle. Doubles from £335.
- hayfestival.com; 25 May-4 June
Harrogate Flower Show
The first of the major flower shows in Britain heralds the arrival of the growing season, with inspiring displays filling the Great Yorkshire Showground. You’ll find plenty of gardening ideas in the Grand Floral Hall and the Floral Art Pavilion, plus the latest trends in garden design and floral arrangements. Gardening societies are on hand to offer expert advice, and don’t miss the programme of live shows in the four theatres, including Gardener’s Kitchen with TV cook Stephanie Moon and the gardening experts from BBC Radio York. The shopping areas (which include a food hall) give you the chance to stock up on gardening tools, accessories and furnishings.
Where to stay: You’ll have Montpellier Quarter’s boutiques and galleries on your doorstep if you stay at the White Hart Hotel (whiteharthotelharrogate.com). This handsome Georgian mansion is also just a few minutes from the vast Valley Gardens and the Royal Pump Room Museum. Doubles from £59.
- flowershow.org.uk, 20-23 April
Easter in Seville
Semana Santa (Holy Week) offers one of Spain’s most compelling and captivating spectacles, and Seville is one of the most popular places to witness the festivities. You’ll be spellbound as you watch the processions of robed figures from Seville’s church brotherhoods carrying their religious statues – sometimes in contemplative silence, at others to the raucous sound of bugles and drums.
All the brotherhoods – some 50,000 people in total – set out from their churches and make their way to the cathedral. You don’t have to be religious to be immensely moved by the sight, while your senses are heightened by the scent of orange blossom and incense.
During the rest of the day you can discover Seville’s gastronomic scene and its countless tapas bars, in between visits to the Alcázar Palace and the Gothic splendour of Seville Cathedral.
Where to stay: Two adjoining 19th-century townhouses make up Casa Romana Hotel Boutique (hotelcasaromana.com), a stylish four-star bolthole in the heart of the old town with a rooftop terrace and hot tub. Kirker Holidays (kirkerholidays.com) has a three-night break from £498pp, including flights, transfers, breakfast and entrance tickets to the cathedral and Alcázar Palace.
- visitsevilla.es, 2-9 April
Cherry blossom season in Japan
From March to May Japan turns white and shades of pink as millions of cherry trees start to blossom. While there’s a huge choice of places to watch this dazzling natural spectacle, some regions stand out.
At Ueno Park in Tokyo 1,000 trees are lit up at night, adding to the carnival atmosphere. Mount Fuji framed by pink blossoms is one of those images of Japan you want to see in person.
At Kyoto’s Maruyama Park the trees are so laden with blossom that the branches sweep the ground. As in Ueno Park, the trees are decked with lights at night. And in Mount Yoshino, in Nara prefecture, you’re treated to the sight of 30,000 trees in bloom.
Where to stay: Tropical Sky (tropicalsky.co.uk) has an eight-night Splendours of Japan escorted tour that takes in Tokyo, Mount Fuji and Kyoto. Prices start at £3,999pp and include flights, internal travel, breakfast, two lunches, five dinners and sightseeing tours.
Fête du Citron, Menton, France
The sunny Riviera city of Menton – whose architecture is more Italianate than French – turns an even brighter shade of yellow in February during the annual Fête du Citron. Over 15 days the town celebrates its native lemons with a packed programme of parades plus arts and crafts shows, markets
and the most vivid displays of citrus fruit imaginable.
Menton itself is a delight, filled with beautiful gardens such as the Val Rahmeh-Menton Botanical Garden, and fascinating museums, including one dedicated to the artist Jean Cocteau. Just over the Italian border – practically within walking distance – you will find the entrancing Hanbury Botanical Garden.
Where to stay: In a quiet street just off the Promenade du Soleil is the Villa Genesis (villagenesis.com), a chic Belle Epoque hotel with a pool. B&B doubles from €278 (£242).
- fete-du-citron.com, 11-26 February
Nice Carnival
One of the biggest winter festivals in Europe, Nice Carnival draws nearly a million visitors to the Riviera for nearly three weeks of revelry. The parades are something else: brightly coloured floats and giant papier mâché puppets that poke fun at public figures.
Join the party around the Jardin Albert 1er and along the Promenade des Anglais for the Battle of the Flowers, when everyone tries to catch the thousands of blooms thrown into the crowd.
When evening comes everything steps up a gear as night-time parades light up the sky. Ride the giant wheel in Place Masséna to catch the best views of the festivities.
Temperatures can be quite mild even in February, making the city a joy to discover.
Where to stay: Combine a visit to the Nice Carnival with a leisurely rail exploration of the Côte d’Azur. Great Rail Journeys (greatrail.com) has a seven-day tour that takes you to Nice for six days, including a day at the carnival, before going on to Grasse, Eze and Monaco. Prices start at £1,695pp and include first-class rail travel, Eurostar Standard Premier, all tour transfers, four-star accommodation, breakfast, one lunch and two dinners.
- nicecarnaval.com, 9-27 February
Athens Carnival
Carnival in Athens takes on a different flavour during the weeks before Lent. For a start, you won’t find the huge boisterous parades with gargantuan puppets and floats that are the staple feature of many carnivals. But everyone is definitely in the mood for a party.
Because Greeks traditionally spend the 40 days of Lent abstaining from any meat or dairy products, they have a major meat feast in the weeks before Ash Wednesday. That’s the cue for people to set up impromptu barbecues and fill the streets with the aroma of grilled meats. And on the day when Greek-style fasting starts – known as ‘Clean Monday’ – that’s when you discover how creative the Greeks can be with their non-meat and dairy diet. On Ash Wednesday, the city’s parks and gardens teem with people flying kites and having picnics.
Where to stay: The family-run Herodion Hotel (herodion.gr) is in the shadow of the Acropolis, which you can see from many of
its rooms and the wonderful rooftop terrace.
B&B doubles start from £90 and include a free airport transfer for stays of two nights or more.
- visitgreece.gr, 5-26 February
Prague Spring International Music Festival
Prague’s timeless beauty gains a suitably melodic soundtrack during the Prague Spring International Music Festival. It has been attracting the world’s top classical musicians since 1946, when Leonard Bernstein made his debut as a conductor. Throughout the festival, concerts are held in atmospheric locations, including monasteries, museums and churches, but many of the events take place in the Rudolfinum concert hall and the gorgeous Art Nouveau Municipal House.
Where to stay: You’ll have Prague Castle and Charles Bridge within a short walk at the elegant Alchymist Grand Hotel and Spa (alchymisthotel.com), whose plush rooms are set in a connected series of 16th-century buildings. There’s an excellent restaurant as well as an underground spa. Doubles from €307 (£268).
- festival.cz, 12 May-4 June
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