It is said that around 2,500 Music Festivals are held in USA alone. The nation enjoys all genres of music but country music is very popular. Nearly in every state Country Music Festivals are held which are attended by music lovers in large numbers.

The WE Fest is one of the leading country music festival held in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. The event started in 1983 and lasts for around 3 to 4 days in August. Fans from all over the US gather to attend this event where big names in country music frequently perform. More than 50,000 fans come to watch their favorite stars perform live and also to boost the emerging talents. You can camp or come in your RVs. Bathroom, potable water; showers and hand wash stations are provided for the convenience of the fans. Some big names who will be performing this year are Brad Paisley, Jerrod Niemann and Blake Shelton.

You can watch Martina McBride perform live in the Country Thunder Music Festival this year in Florence Arizona. This 4 day annual event will start from 7^th April. This event is more than a festival; it is carnival with scrumptious food, 6 different camping sites to choose from, local arts and crafts and non-stop music. Although campers are advised to bring in their own supplies, food and beverages are also available onsite. Children 12 and under are allowed free of charge.

The humble town of Nebraska plays host to many grand music festivals in the country. Comstock Country Music is one of such events. The event has recently undergone a facelift and now focuses solely on country music; previously it showcased rock and Christian music as well. The three day event takes place in August and besides the big stars, local musicians and stars also perform in the Comstock.

The Academy Awards are popularly known as the Oscars and are held every year in North America to honor the efforts and hard work of those who have entertained the audience with their brilliant work.    How Academy Awards got the name Oscars is a mystery which has not been solved to date. The award is extremely prestigious and is considered to be the ultimate recognition of talent in the world of cinema. Winning an Academy award is supposed to be the best thing that can happen to an actor/actress. Even a nomination is a big honor itself.

The Academy Awards were first held in 1929 amongst 270 guests and from a small dinner time award have over the years emerged as the most awaited event of the year televised live in many countries and watched buy millions of people round the globe. The first Academy Award ceremony was aired on the radio and after 1953; it was broadcasted on the television. Now the awards ceremony is watched in 200 countries. The ceremony lasts for four hours.  In the first ceremony, only 15 awards were given out and now the list of categories is pretty long and at a guess 34 awards are given out in various categories including science and technology, foreign films etc. The voting process is fair and foolproof and only two employees know the result prior to the ceremony.

The statuette awarded at the Oscars is 13 ½ inches tall and weighs 3.85 kg. It is in the shape of a gold covered britannium knight standing on a black metal base shaped as a reel of film. The statuette is the property of the academy and not of the recipient; this rule was formed in 1950 and so those who have won this award or inherited it, cannot sell it.  The event is glamour personified and stars try to out do each other in costumes.

The Grammy Awards are held every year to award the singers for their outstanding achievements in the past year. Grammy is the short form of Gramophone and the awards got this name because the awards were shaped as a gramophone. The awards are held in the USA with Los Angeles hosting the event more than other cities.

The Grammy (Gramophone) Award started in 1958 is one of the most prestigious and glamorous music awards of the world. Known as the Oscars of Music, the Grammy Awards honor the talented artistes from all genres of music, country, rock, jazz, rap etc.  The awards were first televised in 1971 and since then the number of audience has been growing with a record number of audience this year (2011).A panel of 150 judges; all experts in the music industry choose the winners in different categories with The Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Best New Artist of the Year being some of the major categories.

The Grammy is a star studded extravaganza featuring the big names of the music industry. The show itself is fueled by outstanding performances from international stars. In 2011, the 53^rd Grammy Awards were held in Los Angeles and were watched by approximately 26 million people.  This year the country rockers Lady Antebellum won the Song of the Year award for “Need You Know”, while the 26 year old jazzist bagged the Best New Singer award. The Suburbs by Arcade Fire was judged the Album of the Year, Record of the Year Lady Antebellum “Need You Know” also bagged the Record of the Year award while Eminem walked away with the best rapper award and Lady Gaga won the Best Pop Album Vocal.  The stage sizzled with performances by Muse, Eminem, Cee Lo, Arcade Fire, Bob Dylan, Mike Jagger and others.

Country Music is defined as a blend of many genres of music such as folk, Celtic, gospel played on a stringed instrument and extremely popular in the southern states of the USA.  In simpler words, it can be called the cowboy or rural songs played on instruments such as banjos, violins and guitars. This type of music evolved in 1920 and is now regarded as one of the popular genres of music. Its popularity spread far and wide and Canada and Australia have their own form of country music.

The Country Fest is a major country music festival held in Cadott, Wisconsin. This four day festival began in 1987 and takes place in late June. The heavy weights in country music; groups as well as individuals enthrall the public with non stop music. The event lasts for four days. An important feature of country music festivals in USA is camping. With an average of more than 50,000 fans attending the events (Country Fest pulls the largest crowd), accommodations can be a problem. That is why people prefer to camp and at Country Fest the campground is the largest with 8,000 campsites. The fans are provided every facility so that they can enjoy their stay and the wonderful music which brings them out in the open.

Many big names such as Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Taylor Swift, Brad Paisley, Sugarland and Brooks and Dunn have driven the crowds wild with ecstasy in previous events.  This (2011) year’s impressive line up for Country Fest Music festival includes Miranda Lambert,  Grammy Winner Lady Antebellum, Carrie Underwood, Trace Atkins and Justin Moore to name a few.

The festival promises quality entertainment for fans of all age groups. Children up to the age of six are admitted free if accompanied by an adult with a ticket.

Film festivals are held throughout the year in different countries featuring the productions of directors from the four corners of the world.

Among the various international film festivals, Cannes Film Festival is reputed to be the most prestigious and grand affair of the year. It is held in the elite town of Cannes in May. It is a star studded affair and you can see many celebrities gracing the red carpet. Cannes has become a platform for European movies. Out of competition screening of Hollywood movies is also held. Awards are given in various categories.

The Toronto Film Festival is held in September in Toronto Canada. It is an eleven day event and is also one of the prestigious film fiestas of the world. Around three hundred to four hundred films are screened at the festival with heavy emphasis on Hollywood movies. Movies from other continents such as Asia, Africa, South America as well as Canadian films are also shown.  It is said that the results of this event often influence the Oscars.

Established in 1932, the Venice Film Festival is the oldest film festival of the world. The Palazzo del Cinema on the Lungomare Marconi in Rome serves as the venue of this prestigious event. The event occurs in either August or September and acknowledges the efforts of the actors, actresses, directors and other people involved in film making with awards. It also acknowledges the valuable contributions of the key figures in the history of cinema.

The New York Film Festival began in 1963 and since then has grown into a big event and showcases the works of emerging as well as seasoned artistes. The event lasts for 17 days and no prize is awarded as a selection for this prestigious and exclusive event is considered as a prize itself. A movie for the opening day and closing day are however chosen.

Berlin in Germany is the venue of one of the most grand film galas of the world; the Berlin Film Festival aka Berlinale. It is a beautiful gathering of international art and glamor. More than 400 films are screened under various sections and winners are awarded with the Gold and Silver Bear awards.

While North America produces the most films, South America lags behind. South is now taking steps for the development and expansion of its cinema and one of these steps is the holding of film festivals.

Fantaspoa or the International Fantastic Film Festival of Porto Alegre takes place in Brazil from late July to early August. This is a competitive festival where the jury decides the winners; there are also public choice awards. Only horror, science fiction, bizarre and fantastic films of short length and feature films are screened in this film event. This film event also aims at encouraging the production of films in Brazil.

Uruguay plays host to the International Film Festival of Uruguay. This is a competitive event which features international films and local films. Through this event, the local audience is exposed to international ventures and local works are brought to the attention of the world. The winners are selected by a panel of Jury and by the audience as well.

The International Festival of Documentaries Three Continents is held in Venezuela. Only documentaries from three continents Asia, Africa and Latin America are screened in this event. The documentaries are mostly based on social issues, human struggle and endurance while light comedy has also been a topic. The event brings together directors of documentaries from the three continents and strengthens ties between them.

Comedy is an important genre of movies and is quite popular among the audience. The Giggle Shorts Comedy Film Festival is held every year in Toronto. The event started in 2002 and invites short films from all over the world. Giggle Shorts accepts any film, commercial, or video but it should be hilarious and less than 15 minutes.

The Montreal Festival of New Cinema and New Media is an important film event which features independent productions from all over the world and serves as a qualifying festival for short movies for the Academy Awards.

Europe has always been the centre of music and arts. Performing arts are held in high esteem and various European nations hold festivals to commemorate and honor the efforts of those involved in the process of film making. Major European film events are:

The Sofia Film Festival is held every year in March in Sofia, Bulgaria. It is one of the mega film events of Europe and brings international cinema to Bulgaria and introduces the world to Bulgarian cinema. The festival brings together film personalities, journalists and cinemagoers in an extravaganza that lasts three days. The event aims at promoting ties between local and international film makers. Awards are given in various categories.

An interesting film event called the Bollywood Film Festival is featured annually in Prague the Czech Republic capital. Czech audience is enamored by the colorful song dance interpretation of emotional stories of Indian movies. The event takes place in October and lasts for six days and films both modern and hits of yesteryears are featured in the event.

In March every year Creteil in France holds the Creteil International Women’s Film Festival where the works of women directors are screened. The festival was established in 1979 to encourage women directors who at that time were   finding it hard to get their films distributed. The event also focuses on new talent and 50 unreleased films compete for prestigious awards. The event is open for women directors from all over the world.

Horror films, thrillers and science fiction movies are watched and enjoyed by people the world over and in May –June, Rome honors these movies which made you sit on the edges of the seats in the Fanafestival. The movies are screened in the Nuovo Cinema Aquila and awards are distributed in various categories.

Comedy films are enjoyed by all and sundry and to recognize the talents of those involved in making comedy films, Comedy Cluj an International film festival is organized every year in October in Romania. Awards are given for the Best Feature Film and Public’s Choice.

Cinema is a powerful medium in Asia as well. Different countries hold film festivals in Asia which bring together filmmakers from all over the globe.

The Dubai International Film Festival has gained instant recognition in a short span of time. It is known for its glitz and glamour and provides a platform to the films from the Middle East, Asia and Africa. This year 157 entries from 57 countries competed for prestigious wards. Arab cinema has a long way to go and events such as these provide a springboard to the new talent.

Pakistan hosts the Kara Film Festival; the event is held every year in Karachi and is recognized internationally. It is held in December and has quickly gained the reputation of being one of the prestigious events of the region and is attended by well known local and foreign film makers. The event is organized to promote quality film production in Pakistan and to encourage the new talent. Films are screened and then a question answer session with the directors and casts are held. Commercial as well as experimental movies are shown and judged accordingly.

Pusan International Film Festival is held in Korea. Though it is an international event, it focuses primarily on new films and debut projects. It is organized to promote young talent and has a huge fan following especially young fans. It is known as Asia’s largest film festival and last year it screened 308 films from 67 countries. Korean stars and international stars attend this prestigious event.

India has one of the biggest film industries in the world and is a home to many film events; the International Film Festival India (IFFI) being one of them. IFFI is often called “India’s Cannes” and is a 10 day gala of unlimited fun and entertainment. Besides Indian films, works of directors from Latin America, Asia and Asia are also screened. The lucky winners are awarded gold and silver peacocks and cash prizes.

The medium of film is quite popular in Africa; this can be judged by the various film festivals held in Africa throughout the year.

Egypt holds the International Film Festival in Cairo. It started in 1976 and is the first film festival in the Middle East. It is a ten day event and takes place in November-December. The aim of this festival is to promote Egyptian cinema abroad and to improve the Arab, Egyptian and African film industry. It also showcases foreign films in Cairo.  It also wishes to encourage co-operation among the film makers of the world. The event gained international recognition in the 90s.

International Film Festival of Marrakech began in Morocco in 2000.The week long event is claimed to be the “African version of the Cannes festival”. It is a glamorous affair and you can see many international stars gracing the red carpet. Local and international films are screened and judged in various categories. The event enjoys the patronage of King Mohammed VI.

Pan African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou is the biggest film festival of Africa. It is a biennial event held in Ouagoadougou Burkina Faso. It focuses mostly on African films and African film industry and occurs in the end of February. It lasts for a fortnight and aims at developing and expanding the African cinema. The event attracts audience from other continents as well.

Everglades Film Festival is celebrated in Durban, South Africa. This event occurs in October and is growing every year. It features a large number of local entries as well as entries from abroad.

The Zanzibar Film Festival is held in Tanzania in the exotic location of the Stone Town. The event was originally known as the Festival of Dhow Countries and has been around for more than a decade and is the largest film event of East Africa. Besides screening of films there are many other activities which make the event interesting.

The Rosklide Music Festival is one of the five major musical events of Europe. It takes place every summer in Rockslide, Denmark. It is a great outdoor event; colorful and entertaining. The event started in 1971 for hippies and now and is now a big extravaganza featuring every genre of music. There are color coded stages with Orange Stage being the center stage. More than 180 bands entertain music lovers for four days.

Iceland Airways Festival is held for five days starting from the third weekend of October in Reykjavik, Iceland. The Iceland Airways provides a platform for new music from Iceland and other countries and besides musicians, it is attended by many people from the music industry and journalists.

The Sonar Festival takes place in Barcelona Spain. This three day affair which takes place in the third week of June is divided into two categories; Sonar by Day and Sonar by Night. The Museum of Modern Art and The Center of Contemporary Culture serve as the venues for Sonar by Day. Sonar by Day is about DJs, Live concerts, multimedia art and modern cinema. Sonar by Night is when you get the real action. The big names in the world of electronic music both local and international enthrall the mammoth crowd gathered at the venue. The venue is situated away from the main city and is quite huge around 10,000 meters of open as well as covered space.

The annual Spring Music Festival is held in May in Gratz in Austria. This funfair of electronic art and music turns the peaceful town of Gratz into one big party. It is the biggest musical event in Gratz and besides some electrifying music to enchant the crowd; workshops for VJs are also held.

Another summer musical festival of Europe worth mentioning is the EXIT festival. It is held in Serbia. The aim of this musical gala was to provide entertainment to the youth who had suffered much due to the political turmoil. This event now draws huge crowds from all over Europe.