Top five musical festivals of Europe

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.

Top five music festivals of the world

Music is a universal language understood and appreciated throughout the world. The music lovers pay homage to music by holding different music festivals in different seasons and in different countries

The Sitka Summer Festival is held in the remote corners of Alaska. It was founded by Paul Rosenthal the celebrated violinist in 1972. The festival is held twice a year once in February and once in June. It is the summer festival in June that pulls the biggest crowd of music lovers. The Sitka Summer Festival is held for three weeks and the magnificent landscape of Alaska provides the perfect stage.  A large number of international artistes perform in the open unaided by sound systems.

Rock al Parque Festival is the biggest Rock Festival which rocks Latin America. The rock festival takes place in Bogotá Colombia and features rock bands from Colombia as well as from other countries. The entrance is free and it is one of the most awaited events of the year. The bands have you screaming for more and from heavy metal rock to alternative rock bands; the entertainment has no bounds.

The snow resort of Naeba in Fuji Japan hosts a musical event in which musicians from Japan and other countries of the world participate. This three day event is well attended by thousands of music lovers from the world.

The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts takes place in Somerset, England. It is an open air event featuring modern musical galas, dance, theatre and other forms of performing arts. It is a grand event which last for three days.

The Austere Milwaukee Summerfest held in Wisconsin in USA is claimed to be the largest musical event of the world. For 11 days (from late June till early July) you are entertained by more than 700 bands.

Top five music festivals of Africa

Africa was once known as the Dark Continent but if you look closely, you will find that the continent is very much alive and colorful with vibrant festivals and diverse culture. Some music festivals held in Africa are:

The Festival in the Desert; this three day event is celebrated on Mali on the borders of Timbuktu in the Sahara Desert. It usually takes place in January and is considered to be the remotest musical festival in the world. This event is based on the traditional gatherings of the Tuareg nomads and their celebrations. It is a unique blend of traditional Tuareg music, dance and camel races and at night the desert comes alive with modern music.

The Festival of Niger takes place in early February in Mali and is another colorful fiesta featuring music and dance as well as puppet shows. Celebrated artists from West Africa entertain people with their skills. It is also a way to promote the culture of the place and many food stalls are set up for the convenience of the people. Besides being a music and dance extravaganza, it is also a means to bring together people from all parts of Africa as well as from other parts of the world.

Uganda celebrates the Bayimba International Festival of Music and Arts in September. The venue is the National Theatre in the capital city of Kampala. It is a three day affair of non stop music, fashion shows, exhibitions etc. Live band performances, traditional dance performances and documentaries featuring revolution of music and other forms of arts and also social issues are some salient features of this event.

Zanzibar has the Sauti za Busara Music Festival. It is five days of music both traditional and contemporary from all parts of Africa. It is held in February and where seasoned artists charm the audience with their lovely music, it has been a useful stepping stone for upcoming talent. A carnival parade is the highlight of this event.

The Cape Town Jazz Festival has become one of the biggest musical events of Africa.  For two days more than 40 local and international artists perform to captivate the audience. It has been voted the Grandest Event of Africa.

Top five music festivals of Asia

The continent of Asia is the home to many ancient civilizations. If the westerners were attracted to Asia because of its treasures, its rich music and diverse culture simply mesmerized them. Many music festivals are held in Asia; some of which are as follows

Borneo the enchanting island hosts the Rainforest World Music Festival which features world famous artists from all over the world. While the days are filled with mini concerts, jamming sessions and lectures, the evenings fill the air with music. One can’t but help dance to the tunes foreign to the mind but familiar to the soul. You will be entertained by soul stirring music to foot tapping tunes to music that will rock you.

Seoul World DJ Festival is a musical event held in South Korea every year in May. The event started off in a bid to promote tourism but got a lot of positive response especially from foreign students and expatriates. It is now three days of dance party and live music. The Seoul World DJ Festival pulls a big crowd.

The Beijing Pop Festival started in 2004 but has gained immense popularity in relatively short period of time. It started off as a hobby and encouraged local bands to participate and now it features pop groups from other continents as well.

The Jaffna Music Festival provides a platform to exhibit the colorful culture of Sri Lanka, a country known for its rich traditions. The event takes place in the end of March and showcases traditional folk music and graceful dance performances from various areas of the island. Besides local Sri Lankan music, performances from India, Norway, Palestine, Nepal and South Africa also entertain the people.

For a whole month (mid December to mid January) music lovers are entertained by a myriad of musical performances and dances in the Madras Music Season held in India. There are over 1500 performances from veteran musicians to the artists from present day generation besides lectures and seminars on music.

The Sacred Music Festival

In the month of June the ancient holy city of Fez in Morocco hosts the Sacred Music Festival where musicians from different faiths gather to pay melodious homage to their religion.

The festival originated after the first Gulf War as a humble attempt to wipe out the political differences and bring humanity together with the sound of music. The Sacred Music Festival aims at promoting love and peace between people of different religion caste and creed and in some way has been successful as those who attend it feel nothing but peace and contentment in their hearts.  Though words are foreign and not understood but the soulful rendition of the singers really touches the chords of one’s heart. At times the whole audience is in a trance and hatred and other ill feelings are totally forgotten.

The event lasts for 10 days Fez echoes with Pakistani Qawwalis, the whirling dervishes of Turkey, the Sufi chants of Morocco, Egyptian Madhi odes, the chants of ancient India and Christian Saeta. Every performance is unique and soul stirring and has made this festival so very special. The program ends with a joint performance as the musicians from different faiths and different countries find common grounds to unite.

A Sacred Music Festival is also held in Los Angeles USA after every three years. It also strives at connecting together people from different faiths. It is a major event of the city and for sixteen days churches, synagogues, temples; theaters and outdoor areas serve as stages for the music and dance performances. It provides an opportunity to understand the various faiths and sends a strong message that humanity is above all differences.

Similar events are hosted in Olympia, Washington and Michigan in the USA. Spain, Canada, France, England and India are other countries where World Sacred Music Festivals are held.

Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts

Get set, get ready and go….to Glastonbury, the venue of the world’s biggest open air music festival of modern music. What started as the Pilton Festival on a farm by Michael Eavis in 1970, it is now a mega music event. This year, from the 23rd to the 27th of June, the town of Pilton in Somerset (England) will transform into a tented city where musical performances in every genre of contemporary music under the sun will take place.

Besides music, other forms of performing arts displayed here are dance, theatre, comedy, circus, and cabaret. There is a kids’ entertainment area, too.
The whole area is divided into 50 + stages with the Pyramid, Other Stage, Jazz World Stage, Acoustic Tent, Shangri-La, and Trash City being some famous ones. The number of people present at the venue can swell up to more than 177,000 and this year around 2000 performances are expected. This year some big names expected to thrill the audience are Stevie Wonder, Jack Johnson, U2, Muse, MGMT, Snoop Dogg, Vampire Weekend, Orbital, and many others.

To add color, sculptures are displayed at the venue. There are many food stalls as well, which sell a variety of food – from burgers to organic food.

Vibrant, entertaining, lively, and energetic are some words to describe the festival.

New Orleans Wine and Food Festival

The New Orleans Wine and Food Festival began almost two decades ago. During this festival, world famous chefs, wine makers and celebrities associated with the food industry gather together to provide you with the absolutely delightful gastronomical experience of your life.

A large number of eating places participate in this festival; it is also an ideal opportunity for New Orleans to display its art and culture. One of the main events of this festival is the Royal Street Stroll. The participants get a chance not only to satisfy their palates by sampling a variety of wines and tasty tidbits, but also get a chance to see the artistic masterpieces from conventional to contemporary art and sculptures. Antique jewelry and other antique objects are also exhibited. Live Jazz performances, as you stroll by the Royal Street, make it all the more enjoyable. In the Krewe of Cork parade, the participants put on wine themed dresses and march through the French Quarters.

The festival also aims at educating the participants on the intricacies of food and wine through seminars. You can gain a lot from the useful tips given by chefs and wine makers about the latest trends and tastes and you can also learn which wine pairs off best with which cuisine.

The Grand Tastings is voted the most enjoyable event of the festival. 400 wineries and over 50 restaurants try to outdo each other for the first three best dishes prizes. A panel of experts judges these dishes. Cooking demos are worth watching if you take the art of preparing food seriously.

Bay to Breakers Race

The “Bay to Breakers” is almost a century old race run in San Francisco. It is run over a course of 12 km, beginning from the San Francisco bay area and ending at the breakers of the Pacific Ocean beach.

The city of San Francisco was destroyed by a massive earthquake in 1906. In a bid to rebuild the town, people gathered together to hold events and the Bay to Breakers footrace was one of them. The most interesting fact about this race is that it continued even during the World War II, although the number of participants diminished considerably.

The race is all about fun and dressing up and in some cases dressing down to running shoes only. Some participants run in the nude and some wear the craziest costumes imaginable. The “centipede” is an event in the race in which 13 runners bind together and run as a unit.

There is a serious side to this race as well; 41 runners from all over the world compete in the elite category of the race for the cash prize.

The 3rd Sunday of May is eagerly awaited by the residents of San Francisco who will slip on their running shoes and run across the city from Bay to Breakers.

Cannes International Film Festival

The Cannes Film Festival is the most esteemed film event of the year. It was actually scheduled to take place in 1939 but was postponed as the World War II broke out. The festival first commenced in 1946 in Cannes the French Riviera town of the rich and famous.

It is a ten day event in which top film directors, producers and first time directors from the whole world participate. The best film of the festival wins the most prestigious award, Palme d’Or. Other prizes include The Grand Prize, The Jury Prize and the prizes for the best categories of actor, actresses, short films, director, and screen play.

The panel of jury is picked earlier in the year and comprises of international artists who are known for their outstanding performance in their respective fields. The screening of the movies takes place at the Palais des Festivals, a modern state of the art complex equipped with the best sound system and translation facilities.

The Cannes Film Festival is a non-public affair where you can view the films on invitation only. However, the general public can watch a Cannes Classic; a film especially selected for public viewing or a film although being screened at the festival but not a part of the competition. The screening of this movie takes place at Mace Beach.

The Cannes Film Festival provides an opportunity for film directors to launch their film projects globally. Another event running along with Cannes Film Festival is “Marche du Film”. It can be considered as the busiest and biggest movie market which draws a large number of buyers and sellers.

The major attraction of the festival is its red carpet event. Here you can see your favorite actor and actress dressed in gorgeous designer outfits posing for photographers.

International Dragon Boat Racing

The International Dragon Boat Racing is a major water sport in Penang Malaysia. Till 1979, it was a local sport with various local and government teams participating in it. But in 1979, it gained international status when teams from outside Malaysia were invited to join in the competition. Now rowers from 62 countries participate in this exciting event which lasts for two days.

Boats beautifully decorated by colorful dragon heads and tails against the picturesque landscape of the reservoir at the Teluk Bahang Dam are a treat to watch. Each boat has 20 rowers and a Cox. Each boat also carries a drummer and the rowers synchronize their oars with the beat of the drums. The excited fans yell encouraging words to support their favorite team.

There are races for men, women and also mixed events. Although the weather is usually hot and sultry, that does not stop the enthusiastic fans from watching the races. Later, they can enjoy cool ice creams and other delicious edibles sold at nearby stalls.

The Dragon Boat Racing promotes friendship between participants and encourages tourism. It is an event that creates harmony and peace and it offers a very good reason to visit Malaysia. This festival attracts the attention of a lot of tourists for the same reason.

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