Glastonbury Music Festival
Glastonbury is the crown jewel of the British music festival calendar. This five-day festival draws in about 200,000 people and is the size of 500 football pitches. You’ll find everything from world-class music acts, rising stars, comedy, dance, wellness villages, permaculture workshops, cabaret, secret bars, circus and so much more. It’s an eclectic, vibrant, random and truly wonderful festival – even when it’s pouring with rain.
Notting Hill Carnival
The Notting Hill Carnival is a vibrant Caribbean festival that takes place every August on the streets of Notting Hill in Kensington, London. The streets come alive with sound systems, DJs, live steel bands, costumed dancers, Caribbean flavours and smells, and spirited partygoers. Thousands of people join the streets to enjoy the carnival vibes and party late into the night. Stemming from the Trinidad Carnival, Notting Hill Carnival began in 1966 and has remained a key part of London’s festival calendar.
World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD)
WOMAD is a gathering of 40,000 people at a beautiful site in Charlton Park to celebrate music, art, dance and culture from around the world. Spend your days exploring different music stages and grooving in the sunshine (or rain!), take part in one of the 80+ workshops, travel around the globe vicariously through your tastebuds at the food village, or perch yourself on the ground with a cold drink to simply take it all in.
Diwali in Leicester
Diwali – the Indian festival of lights that is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains – in Leicester is one of the world’s biggest Diwali celebrations outside of India. People travel from all over the UK and beyond to see the “Golden Mile” – illuminated temples and firework displays that symbolise the triumph of light over darkness, evil over light and knowledge over ignorance. The cultural program in Leicester includes music, dance, fire performers, religious ceremonies, delicious street food and funfair rides.
Chelsea Flower Show
Stop off in London for breathtaking floral displays of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Established in 1912, the Chelsea Flower Show is an exhibition of show gardens and floral displays set within the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea. The Chelsea Flower Show is held in May and draws garden-lovers from all over the world.