Travellers deciding where to go in the next two months may want to include a festival during their break. Here are the pick of the globe’s best festivals:
Chinese New Year: To really enjoy the Chinese New Year, be on location in February in either China, Singapore, Vietnam or Malaysia. The Lunar New Year, based on the Chinese calendar, is marked with fireworks, feasts and the Lantern Festival.
Mardi Gras: Look to New Orleans for the annual Mardi Gras in March. Fat Tuesday is the last day of the Carnival season as it falls before Ash Wednesday. Street parties, parades, and masquerade balls bring this place to a standstill.
Rio Carnival: The biggest extravaganza, bar none. Rio de Janeiro’s party dazzles from February 28-March 4, with samba parades, street parties, and elaborate costumes.
Carnival of Venice: The Carnival of Venice is a pre-Lent festival known for its extravagant masks and grand celebrations. Be ready for masked balls, gondola parades and performances as the canals of La Serenissima come alive.
St. Patrick’s Day: If you have the luck of the Irish and in country on March 17, then St Patrick’s Day festivals will be on tap. Experience Ireland’s national holiday in Dublin with lively parades, traditional Irish music, and many festivities.
Goa Carnival: Goa is well known as India’s party state, but nothing compares to the partying around February 11-14. The main carnival kicks off in Panjim, but there are other activities across the coastal belt.
Sapporo Snow Festival: Japan’s biggest winter festival showcases ice and snow sculptures. Travellers who make it to Sapporo can enjoy ice sculpting competitions, illuminated sculptures, snow slides, and a range of winter sports.
Valentine’s Day: A day of love on St Valentine’s Day (February 14) celebrates love and affection between couples and friends. The day is on a more personal level, but couples may well head off for a weekend to Paris or other romantic destinations.
Tapati Festival, Chile: The Tapati Rapa Nui is a cultural festival on Easter Island in February that honours the culture and traditions of the Rapa Nui people. Expect traditional music, dance, body painting, and canoe races. Other highlights include sliding down the island’s steepest slope, Haka Pei, on banana trunks and the Rapa Nui triathlon.
Food and Fun Festival, Rekjavik: Among the snow and ice of Reykjavik, there is the Food and Fun Festival on March 4-5, in which chefs from across the region collaborate with local restaurants to source local ingredients and deliver delicious food for everyone’s palate.
Holi, India: The Festival of Colours celebrates good over evil. The March 8 festival sees coloured powder thrown into the air, and everyone around you is coated in it.
International Yoga Festival, Rishikesh, India: This festival takes place on the banks of the Ganges, the birthplace of Yoga. The March festival includes celebrations, speakers and experts to offer a completely immersive experience.
Nyepi Day, Bali: Nyepi Day is Bali’s New Year and a public holiday. Bali does not move on the actual day and the streets are dead as it marks the Bali Day of Silence. However, in the run-up to the Day, there are numerous festivals to enjoy prior to this March day.
Cherry Blossom Festival, Japan: The Cherry Blossom Festival, held from March to April, is revered by locals and marks the start of Spring.
Carnival Santa Cruz de Tenerife 2026, Spain: Carnival Santa Cruz de Tenerife, usually celebrated in January and February, is considered among the liveliest events reflecting Tenerife's heritage and culture. Activities include parades and performances.
Andy Probert is a freelance journalist whose work about global travel news, aviation, business and human-interest features has appeared internationally in print and digital formats.
