Events, festivals & the best time to go

Four days of parades, music and colour across Panaji, Mapusa and Margao ahead of Lent.

Book accommodation early — most hotels fill up for the parade dates.

The Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa draws a large pilgrimage crowd.

Arrive early and combine it with a slow morning in Old Goa.

One of the largest free literary festivals, held in the Diggi Palace grounds.

Sessions are free but entry can be busy; arrive before gates open.

A colourful monsoon festival with processions tied to the old city.

Weather can be wet and humid — carry rain gear and plan indoor breaks.

Thai New Year. Streets turn into friendly water fights, especially around Silom and Khao San Road.

Expect to get soaked. Leave cameras and phones in a dry bag.

People release decorated floating lanterns on rivers and canals across the city.

The Chao Phraya riverfront has the most atmospheric viewing spots.

Bali’s quietest day: the whole island pauses, and even the airport closes.

Build a complete rest day around Nyepi — everything stays shut.

Dance, music and craft performances on a full programme in Denpasar.

Free daytime stages are great for a flexible family morning.

Weeks of retail promotions, fireworks and live entertainment across the city.

Combine it with Miracle Garden or the creek if you want breaks from malls.

Free live music spills into streets, parks and courtyards across the city.

Pick one neighbourhood and let the walk decide the evening.

An all-night contemporary art event that spills installations and performances onto streets across the city.

Hop the metro between sites and keep the night to two arrondissements.

Parks fill with bloom-viewing picnics; dates shift with the weather each year.

Watch the sakura forecast and keep a flexible second plan.

Cherry blossom week turns parks like Ueno and Shinjuku Gyoen into pink gatherings — the city's most photographed time of year.

Go early to any famous spot; the crowds arrive with the afternoon sun.

Asakusa's grandest festival: portable shrines carried through the streets by neighbourhood teams.

Wear comfortable shoes and expect to move slowly with the crowds.

Chinatown lights up with markets, lion dances and a street bazaar.

Book dining early — reunion dinners make reservations scarce.

Chinatown glows red, markets overflow and the riverfront hosts firework displays.

Book dinner early; the festive weeks are among the year's busiest.

A Hindu procession of devotion winding from the city to the Sri Thendayuthapani temple.

Go early and watch with respect from the pavement.

Emirgan Park and city squares are planted with millions of tulips.

Weekday mornings are the quietest for photos and walks.

Historic districts glow with lanterns and iftar dinners; the Bosphorus view is at its atmospheric best.

A non-religious visitor is welcome to taste street iftar food after sunset — eat respectfully, not noisily.

Month-long street parties with grilled sardines, music and marchinhas in old neighbourhoods.

Alfama’s Santo António night (12–13 June) is the liveliest window.

Santo António month: grilled sardines, street parties and processions rolling through Alfama and beyond.

Alfama's parties are famously sociable — you will be invited to eat.

Europe’s biggest street carnival: music, food and costume parades through west London.

Use public transport and expect large, friendly crowds.

The Thames-side firework display over the London Eye — ticketed and televised worldwide.

Tickets sell out weeks ahead; the free hill views are a quieter alternative.

50,000+ runners cross all five boroughs; the finish line buzz in Central Park is electric.

Book hotels months ahead — the weekend sells out early.

The switching-on of the giant Rockefeller Center Christmas tree kicks off the city's festive season.

See the tree on a weekday evening; the ceremony itself is extremely crowded.

Kyoto's enormous float festival, with decorated yamaboko towers parading through the old streets.

The eve-of-festival floats are often easier to view than parade day itself.

Thousands of paper lanterns rise over the river and old city walls in one of Thailand's most photogenic nights.

Release lanterns only where organisers permit; they are often restricted for safety now.

A nine-day festival of processions, street vegetarian food and intense displays of devotion across Old Phuket Town.

Spectate with wide eyes and plenty of distance — it is far from a family-friendly parade.

The largest Thaipusam in the world, when hundreds of thousands climb to the Batu Caves temple.

Go for the atmosphere but keep children and strollers away from the steep, packed steps.

A spring celebration of processions, music and boats on Lake Pichola, tied to the arrival of the new season.

The lakeside evening events are the most family-friendly moments.

Rome's summer programme of free music, film and events in parks, courtyards and archaeological settings.

Check the municipal calendar — many events are free and family-run.

Sydney's famous harbour firework show, watched from a million points around the water.

Book a vantage point or boat early — the best views are reserved.

Vietnam's biggest festival empties the streets for family reunions and fills the flower markets with colour.

Expect shops and many restaurants to close for the holiday — plan food ahead.

The city's patron festival: human towers, giants, fire runs and concerts across the streets and squares.

The human-tower displays in Plaça Sant Jaume are unmissable and free.

Theatre and music performances, including ancient drama staged in the Herodes Atticus theatre beneath the Acropolis.

Book shows in advance; the August slots go quickly.