Best cultural festivals in 2020

Carnivale Di Venezia, Venice

When: 8th February – 25th February 2020

Carnevale Di Venezia is Italy's annual pantomime of colour, and it’ll brighten up your Instagram feed in seconds. Head to St Mark’s Square to travel back in time while watching locals parade along Venice’s cobbled streets and canals in theatrical masks and costumes.Want to get involved? Pick a mask from Venice's boutiques or arrive a few days early and get one specially commissioned to fit to the shape of your face. Compete in daily costume contests, be entertained by live music and theatre in Teatro Goldoni, or schmooze with the locals for a chance of bagging a ticket to an exclusive private party. And, if you can time your trip for Shrove Tuesday, go canal-side to watch elaborate gondolas and rowing boats that are specially decorated in candles and twinkling fairy lights sail though the rivers.

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Holi, Goa

When: 9th March – 10th March 2020

Pink. Yellow. Blue. Green. Purple. We could go forever. Holi is India’s brightest festival, and involves throwing a rainbow of coloured powder at anyone in range. Pull on an old top and hit the streets of the Goa's capital, Panjim, to experience a day of compete madness. Everyone’s welcome – in fact, the whole point of Holi is to celebrate how the colour unites people and washes away any differences for the day. While the morning starts out pretty sedate and chilled, by the afternoon you’ll find yourself at the centre of a huge party. After you’ve had your fair share of colour, explore Panjim’s Portuguese churches, old cobbled streets and coconut palms.

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La Tomantina, Spain

When: 26th August 2020

There’s no better way to get involved with Spanish culture than getting pelted with juicy tomatoes by the locals at Valencia’s annual festival, La Tomatina. Line up the streets at 10am, with trucks dropping off kilo after kilo of ripe tomatoes. At the sound of the siren, start flinging – and be prepared to get covered from head to toe. Later, once you’ve had a shower or three, make the most of your trip by exploring Valencia's highlights. It offers up some of Spain’s best beaches and loads of impressive Baroque architecture.

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Ready to get involved?

Take a look at our best summer holiday deals and start your festival countdown today. Or, if music festivals are your bag, read our articles on the best music festivals in Croatia and Malta.

Author: Lucy Perrin