From the wild street parties of Rio’s Carnival and orange-hued battles in Italy, to countrywide jazz events in Denmark and the luminous wonder of Taiwan’s Sky Lanterns, February and March are bursting with diverse, feel good options. If you want to dance until dawn, engage in political discourse deep inside an Austrian mountain, or simply find yourself covered head-to-toe in flour, talcum powder, or colorful dye, doesn’t that all seem fun right now?
Some of the festivals are a tad shorter than they’ve been in prior years, and some may have a smaller attendance this year due to global travel restrictions. However, it’s time to banish the gloom and just fly somewhere.
VINTERJAZZ
Denmark
January 30 – February 28, 2026
Denmark seems to inadvertently have a lot going on while it’s also celebrating throughout 2026 – 100 Years of Jazz! The Danes love their jazz!
Vinterjazz (‘Winter Jazz’ for you non linguists) takes place all over the country, not just the capital of Copenhagen. Featuring over 600 concerts of international jazz artists in over 180 venues spread far and wide. Special 100-anniversary events include the Bart Lewis Jubilee performing music from 1926, and celebrations of Django Reinhardt.
If you miss this, the Riverboat Jazz Festival takes place June 24 – 28 in Silkeborg. This is the premier event for classic vintage jazz, featuring New Orleans, Swing and Dixieland styles, on canal boats and in the town squares.
And Aarhus Jazz Festival – June 26 – July 5 features more of a broad range of big band and swing style jazz across 30 venues.
Back to the capital: Copenhagen Jazz Festival – July 3 – 12 features vintage and classic themes, with performances at the historic Jazzhus Montmartre, plus there are open air swing sets around the city’s parks.
VENICE CARNIVAL
Venice, Italy
January 31 – 17, 2026
Considered to be one of the richest, most elegant festivals on the planet with world famous masquerade balls and parties, Venice transforms into Eyes Wide Shut scenes. The whole city metamorphosing with flamboyant evening wear, historical costumes, and masks are de rigueur.
Full Carnival runs from January 31 to February 17, starting with The Venetian Water Festival in Cannaregio, however core celebrations run from Feb 7-17 with the Festa delle Marie procession via gondola starting at 2.30pm from Santa Sofia along the Grand Canal.Throughout the day Arte Diffusa takes over the city, with over 1,000 flash performances, and there’s a nightly water show with lights and acrobatics.
There are several balls to attend. Highlights include on Feb 7 (the largest event to kick off the soirees) Ball of Dreams at Palazzo Zeno, inspired by the role of Venetian courtesans (tickets from 690 euro). On Feb 13 – The Glass Slippers – a fairytale themed ball on Murano island inside an old church (tickets from 365 euro). Ill Ballo del Doge on February 14 is the most exclusive of the entire season (tickets 800 – 5000 euro). Feb 17 is the grand finale and mask contest.
Costumes can be rented from various ateliers and are included in some ticket prices, but we do recommend purchasing your own mask, over renting, for hygiene reasons….. Plus you can have fun with it later.
NICE CARNIVAL
The South of France
February 11 – March 1, 2026
If you can’t get to Brazil, you can still dress up here and shake your booty on the French Riviera. Not exactly a wretched fallback. First documented in the year 1294 — that’s not a typo — Nice Carnaval is considered to be one of the world’s major carnival events. The Promenade du Paillon and the streets of Nice are turned into the magical frivolity of carnival, with a giant parade, flower floats, and an eye-wateringly vibrant amount of color.
RIO CARNIVAL
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
February 13 – 18, 2026
The show-stopping granddaddy of them all. Basically millions of people take over Rio de Janeiro and shake their booty for five days, and street parties are everywhere. Around six million people typically attend each year. It’s the greatest show on earth, with carnival balls and street parades galore, and the famed Sambadrome. Expect to get sweaty. Very sweaty.
Other major cities such as Salvador, Recife, and Olinda hold their own unique samba celebrations, each having differing styles of music.
Simultaneously in San Juan de la Vega, Guanajuato, Mexico, on Tuesday Feb 17, we don’t recommend the ‘Exploding Sledgehammer Celebration’. Happening yearly, it’s known as the world’s most dangerous festival, still it attracts many visitors. They attach homemade explosives to sledgehammers and slam them into rocks. Yes really. It’s to commemorate a 17th century battle. It’s on Fat Tuesday. There are other things leading up to that, but that’s Fat Tuesday. The last day before Lent. Leave before then.
THE LEMON FESTIVAL
Menton, France
February 14 – March 1, 2026
It’s back again! Lemons, lemons everywhere, for fifteen days landscaped artfully at the 92nd Fete du Citron in the south of France. A celebration of citrus and lemons, with incredible giant structures and designs made out of citrus fruit. It’s all very yellow and orange. So you are not caught unawares…
This year’s theme is Merveilles du Vivant (The Wonders of Life). There are floats and night parades, a craftsman fair, and an orchid festival too. You can go and sit in the stands and watch the Golden Fruit Parades and floats go by, making it wonderful for older family members.
The Golden Fruit Parades are on Sundays, Feb 15 and 22 and March 1 at 2.30pm.
Night Parades are on Thursdays, Feb 19 and 26 at 9pm.
CARNIVAL OF IVREA (The Battle of the Oranges)
Ivrea, Northern Italy
February 15 – 17, 2026
Now, this is a battle of oranges. Of course! Around 100,000 people attend the festival each year to watch around 6000 people pelt each other with oranges. Tourists can join in. It’s a festival dating back centuries and started with beans. Now it’s much more fun. It’s graduated to oranges. It’s advised to wear non-slip shoes, and a red beret if you don’t want to be hit. That’s important. You could always throw oranges from the balcony of your hotel, but I don’t know if that’s allowed. Here’s the downside: you can’t throw oranges if you’re wearing the red beret. Think about it.
LOS INDIANOS
La Palma, (The Canary Islands) Spain
Monday February 16, 2026
The ‘White Carnival’ is to celebrate the Indians who emigrated from La Palma and returned with great wealth from Cuba. Every year people dress in white parading through the streets in a massive talcum powder battle. I’d recommend wearing a hat. Talcum powder is widely available to buy and the government also hands out free containers for everyone to participate. What is it with everyone throwing stuff at each other…..
CARNAVAL PORTEÑO
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Throughout February
Main event – Feb 16 – 17, 2026
There are street parades every weekend evening throughout February, however the main event occurs on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, which is Feb 18 this year. Unlike the intensity of Rio, this celebration is famous for murgas, neighborhood musical groups. Performers wear colorful frock coats and top hats and dance to a rhythmic drum and cymbal beat. These are more community focused, gritty street parties, corsos. Over 100 murgas perform in neighborhoods like San Telmo and Boedo and feature high energy drumming and distinct Porteño dancing.
Dance processions start at 8pm until 2 am on Saturdays and until midnight Sundays and Holidays. Fly into Ezeiza International Airport.
MARDI GRAS
New Orleans, Louisiana
February 17, 2026
In past years a wild and fun place to be, but this year may have different vibes with the current administration hovering in the wings. Who knows. With hundreds of unwelcome agents currently deployed there, mass surveillance, labor shortages and with the high tariffs on China causing bead sales to cost 50% more for the American consumer, proceed with caution.
THE GALAXIDI FLOUR WAR CARNIVAL
Galaxidi, Greece
February 23, 2026
It is just as it sounds – a flour war! Here we go again … .Two hours out of Athens, the pretty coastal village of Galaxidi celebrates Lent by going into the streets of the old fishing town, where they dance around, throwing sacks of dye-colored flour over each other to awaken their inner child.
Fly into Athens. Awaken inner child.
PINGXI SKY LANTERN FESTIVAL
Shifeng, Taiwan
February 27 and March 3rd
Let my people’s wishes go! On the first full moon of the Chinese New Year, tens of thousands of people descend on the tiny hill town of Shifeng, write their wishes on fire lanterns, and release them into the sky together creating a beautiful spectacle of floating lights. Approximately one to two hundred thousand lanterns will lift to the heavens starting with a mass release on February 27, with night markets and sky lantern releases continuing until the final mass release on March 3rd.
To get a free ticket for a mass release, arrive before 10am on one of the two days. It’s on a first come first serve basis. Otherwise you can show up anytime and purchase a lantern from one of the many street vendors, write on it, light it, and send it up into the sky, et voila, all your wishes come true!
You can make it a day trip from Taipei.
HOLI FESTIVAL
Mumbai and Delhi, India, and Nepal
March 4, 2026
A joyous festival where you get covered, again, from head to toe, in vibrant color as people pelt each other from the rooftops and the streets with exploding powder balloons and colored water guns. It happens on the full moon day in the streets, parks, and near temples. Wear old clothes and celebrate good over evil, and the arrival of spring. Some people drink bhang, a Hindi drink made from cannabis to really get into a fun mood.
ELEVATE FESTIVAL
Graz, Austria
March 5 – March 8, 2026
Music, Art and Political Discourse. Celebrating 22 years of Elevate, an annual festival held in insane venues in Graz.
Talks and events take place inside Schlossberg mountain, in Dom im Berg, a massive multi-event and club space blasted deep into the mountain’s rock, originally as part of a WWII air raid shelter system. There are tunnels and a dungeon. It gives industrial Bond vibes. A glass elevator inside the mountain takes you up past the illuminated rock walls to the higher mountain venues and a rooftop bar. Which is good. You’ll probably need a drink when you get there.
The festival focuses on cultural and socio-political topics, with human rights experts, climate researchers, and activists who gather with musicians and artists to illuminate pertinent issues of our future.
Besides performances, concerts, installations, and DJ sets, there are workshops, film screenings, and discussions. I hope they find the answer.
This year has the festival theme: “Vital Signs – Between Collapse and Renewal”.
Headliners include Brit industrial icons Cabaret Voltaire, and synth pop 80’s legend Marc Almond (Soft Cell), with electronic and Club DJ sets including Modeselektor, Kittin and DJ Storm.
All workshops and talks are free, club venues are 30 euro and up. Day tickets are 58-77 euro. A full festival pass is 174 euro.
SXSW
Austin, Texas
March 12 – 18, 2026
A dizzying array of events now packed simultaneously over one week.….. so much happening. Everywhere. All at the same time. Music, film and tech. It’s South By Southwest’s 40th anniversary, and this is the first, and maybe last year they’re pioneering this experiment of combining the festivals.
I recommend renting a bicycle, it’s by far the easiest, fastest and funnest way to get around, but remember you are in Texas, and the cops will give you a DUI if you’re caught riding loopy. Can’t have too much fun, oh no no. We’re suddenly all naughty people who need carolling/containing/controlling.
I digress. SXSW started out as a music festival back in 1987 and is now a conjoined music, film, and tech festival. It’s an event. There are usually around 2,000 bands playing (although at writing only 400 have signed up), a diverse selection of films, and an array of panels, A-list speakers, and global thought leaders, that you’ll maybe want to attend all at the same time.
A fun festival and can be groundbreaking if you’re a musician. It’s also a good time temperature-wise to visit Austin, where in mid-summer you’re a puddle. It’s over. But if they’ve pushed two festivals together that would usually be apart, good luck finding anywhere to stay. You could always camp, but you’d probably get eaten by fire ants.
Due to International tensions, this festival may also be watered down this year as far fewer people want to travel to the US under the Trump regime, plus foreign musicians may be on the banned countries list. Including the incredible musicians from Africa. We’ll see.
THE IDES OF MARCH
Rome, Italy
March 15 (annually) Sunday
This festival marks the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC, in one of the oldest cities in the world. Every year for over 2000 years Romans have re-enacted the assassination on the very spot where he was stabbed 23 times, in Largo di Torre Argentina in the center of Rome, before Marc Antony emerged uttering “Friends, Romans, Countrymen lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones; so let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus hath told you Caesar was ambitious: if it were so, it was a grievous fault, and grievously hath Caesar answered it…..….”
SXM FESTIVAL
Saint Martin, French West Indies (Caribbean)
March 18 – 22, 2026
A great vibe five-day festival on the island of Saint Martin. There are International DJs and parties galore. And Saint Martin is always sexy and always fun, so when they try to make it a good time, it’s doubly awesome. You can dance through the night in hidden luminescent island coves.
The French side is a little more elegant than the Dutch, but that’s splitting hairs as far as beaches (all gorgeous and tranquil) and the food all over the island, which is excellent, especially (biases showing) the local island food, often served out of huts or on open barbecue grills. Visit Marigot on the French side for the best island food, and the best hotel, although very expensive, is La Samanna, also on the French side.
OMED-OMEDAN, THE KISSING RITUAL
Bali, Indonesia
March 20, 2026
A Balinese festival held in the village of Sesetan, where boys line up on one side of the street and girls on the other, and, sorry, you have to be 17-30, single, and a local to join in. The boys run towards the girls and kiss them while the locals pour water on them, supposedly to cool them off and ward off bad luck, it’s an old tradition and apparently a great way to find a date. There’s live music, food, crafts and a street bazaar. And presumably everyone’s wet.
MELBOURNE FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL
Melbourne, Australia
March 20 – 29, 2026
Good on ya mate! It’s all happening downunder at the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, Australia’s largest festival of such kind. Celebrating all things food and drink. It’s a gourmand’s wet dream, and far away from any nonsense.
Breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner everywhere for nine days. Over 200 events are scheduled across the city, with satellite events happening in the state of Victoria. Cooking classes, performances, talks, parties, and lots to drink, and bringing global culinary excellence to Melbourne since 1993. Eat, drink and be merry.
ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL
Miami Bayfront Park, Florida
March 27, 28, 29, 2026
Ultra-Miami is the landmark festival for EDM (Electronic Dance Music) shows. Happening since 1999 and now spun off around the world, from South Africa to Ibiza, Mexico, Brazil, Singapore, Colombia, Hong Kong, India, and China. To name a few.
If in doubt, just dance. For three days — Steve Aoki, Martin Garrix, Armin van Buuren, Alesso, Steve Angello, and many more on the lineup can help you with that.
ST. PATRICK’S DAY
Ireland and USA, and anywhere there’s an Irishman…
March 17 (always!)
If you can’t make it to a festival, it’s St Patrick’s Day just about everywhere, on March 17. Wear green and drink green beer. Top of the mornin’ to ya! (You will start in the morning.)