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Celebrate around Europe
Check out some of Europe's best summer festivals.
- Daily Telegraph
- Published: 23:08 May 19, 2009
- Image Credit:
Check out some of Europe's best summer festivals.
Rhine in Flames, (May 3-Sept 20)
If you missed Valencia's Las Fallas, this German festival is the next best display of pyrotechnics. Over five summer nights the skies above the Rhine Valley are lit up by firework displays that rival any in the world. Dates and cities:
Bonn to Linz: May 3
Bingen/Rudesheim: July 5,
Koblenz: Aug 9
Oberwesel: Sept 13
St Goar: Sept 20
For more info go to: www.germany-tourism.co.uk
White Nights, St Petersburg, (May 15-June 18)
Thanks to the city's northern location, the sun never sets during the six weeks of this festival, which offers an eclectic programme of ballet, dance, opera, jazz and classical music. For more info check out: www.saint-petersburg.com
Isle of Wight Festival, (June 12-14)
Forget Glastonbury: take the ferry over to this festival near Newport, England, which has re-established itself as one of Europe's finest. This year's line-up includes Razorlight, Stereophonics, the Prodigy, Neil Young and the Pixies. For more: www.isleofwightfestival.com
Il Palio, Siena, (July 2 , Aug 16)
If you think the Grand National has thrills and spills, you should see this: 10 jockeys (representing the city's 10 districts) ride three laps bareback around the dangerously tight Piazza del Campo. The race lasts just 80 seconds, but people come from far and wide to be part of the event and the celebration. For more info: www.ilpalio.org
Benicassim Festival, (July 17-20)
Think of Mediterranean beaches rather than mud baths. this Spanish fest serves up a great selection of indie bands, rock groups and DJs. This year's line-up includes the Killers, Kings of Leon and Oasis. Check this link for more info: www.benicassimfestival.co.uk
Bregenz Festival, (July 25-Aug 22)
This open-air opera festival, which is set on the stunning Lake Constance in Austria, is as much a visual experience as an auditory one. The audience looks out from the shore on to an epic floating stage that featured in the last James Bond film. This year the centrepiece will be Verdi's Aida. Visit: www.bregenzerfestspiele.com
Edinburgh Festival, (Aug 14- Sept 6)
Together with the Edinburgh Fringe this is the world's largest festival of the performing arts, and includes dance, theatre, opera, comedy, music and film. This year's performances include a giant outdoor production of Faust, a new take on Voltaire's Candide and a dance production based on the music of Iggy Pop, David Bowie and Lou Reed. Visit: www.eif.co.uk
La Tomatina, Valencia, (Aug 25)
On the last Wednesday of August each year, the tiny village of Bunyol stages one of the world's quirkiest festivals. Some 275,000lbs of ripe tomatoes are available for 20,000 people to throw at one another. For more: www.tomatina.net
Goodwood Revival, (Sept 18-20 )
See out the summer with a nostalgic journey back to the golden age of racing. Thousands descend on Goodwood dressed in the fashions of the '50s and '60s, while E-Type Jags and Ferrari Dinos roar round the circuit, reminding all that there is more to life than Formula One. Check out this link for more info: www.goodwood.co.uk
More than just entertainment
