AUSTRIA
Vienna Arts Festival, May 12 - June 18, Vienna. The Vienna Festival Weeks, the largest event in Austria's cultural life, is dedicated this year to the Mozart anniversary. The festival's diverse program includes opera, theater productions, dance, music, and exhibitions. The festival will open on May 12 with a big concert on City Hall Square, which will be listened to by over 60,000 people. Many of our compatriots who wish to attend the festival are wrapping up their affairs, whether it's selling apartments in Kyiv or the tourism business, and heading to Vienna ahead of time. After all, in five weeks, more than 150 musical performances and concerts will take place, featuring musicians from Europe, Brazil, China, the USA, and South Africa. Among the most interesting May events of the festival are the premiere performances: Mozart's operas “The Magic Flute” (May 13-21) and “The Abduction from the Seraglio” (May 23-27), and Henry Purcell's opera “Dido and Aeneas” (May 11, 13, 15). //www.festwochen.at
Springsix Festival, May 24-28, Graz. Austria's largest electronic music festival, Springsix, will for the sixth time gather fans of sound experiments this year. Musicians from various countries will present new electronic music of all styles – from ambient to IDM. Concerts will take place all over the city at open and indoor venues, and the most spectacular will be DJ battles and a light-video-pyrotechnic show. In parallel with the festival, an exhibition of video installations will be held. //www.springsix.at
BELGIUM
Zinneke Parade, May 12-13, Brussels. This fabulous event takes place every two years, with both professional actors and ordinary lovers of costumed processions taking part. On May 14, the main parade will take place, this year's theme being “Images of the Future.” Street performances will be prepared by 4,000 people, who are supposed to “warm up” and draw about 30,000 spectators into the festive whirlwind. The city prepares for this event in advance: costumes and cosmetics are bought up by potential actors, and in early May artistic installations will appear on five squares, and on the evening of May 12 a mini-parade will take place, perceived as a dress rehearsal for the big Sunday parade. //www.zinneke.org
Battle with the Dragon, May 22, Mons. The festival of the Golden Chariot and the battle with the dragon takes place annually in the Belgian city of Mons. Residents of this city have long ceased to fear dragons, as they celebrate victory over one of them, named Lumecon, year after year. According to one legend, many centuries ago Lumecon burst into the city but was defeated by Saint George himself. Every year, about 200,000 people protect the city from a repeated invasion by participating in the procession of the Golden Chariot of St. George, which traces a sacred circle around the city. Then the battle itself with the eight-meter dragon is reenacted, and St. George defeats it every year. //www.mons.be
BULGARIA
Rose Festival, May 30 - June 1, Kazanlak. This festival has been held in Kazanlak since 1903, but has very ancient roots, going back to the “harvest festival.” It is precisely in late May and early June that rose petals are collected on plantations in the world-famous Rose Valley to prepare the most valuable product – rose oil. Therefore, an excursion to the Rose Valley and then to the Rose Museum is considered almost mandatory during this festival. On Friday, a flower parade and a folk “party” will take place in Kazanlak, on Saturday – a big carnival, and on Sunday – a celebration on the rose plantations, where the queen and king of the festival will reign. Some will most enjoy the local cuisine and rose liqueur, while others will be more interested in the exhibitions at the Archaeological Museum and a detailed look at the process of making oils in the Rose Museum. //www.rose-festival.com
GREAT BRITAIN
May Fair and Puppet Theater Festival, May 14, London. Two events on Sunday, May 14 will force the English to leave their homes – the generous May fair and the 344th birthday of Mr. Punch. The favorite puppet hero, the soul and symbol of England, who for 350 years has been entertaining the English in grotesque puppet shows, Mr. Punch will gather residents and guests of London for this celebration. A church service at St. Paul's Cathedral, followed by cheerful processions of brass bands, performances by folk groups, clowns, and circus performers, will accompany puppet theater performances with variations on the theme “Punch and Judy.” All puppet theater performances on this day are free. //www.alternativearts.co.uk
International Music Festival, May 19 - June 4, Bath. The famous music festival in Bath will open with live concerts, a parade, and Brazilian dances to the music of Totonho E Os Cabra. The festival will feature medieval and classical music, folk and jazz, electronic music, and “neoclassical.” Special children's concerts will be held as part of the festival. This year, a joint performance by Brian Eno and Bath Camerata is expected (May 24), and four days from May 26 to 29 are declared jazz days – Weekend Jazz Pass. //www.bathmusicfest.org.uk
GERMANY
“Lights on the Rhine” and other fireworks festivals, May, Bonn, Hanover, Düsseldorf, and other cities. In Germany, it is customary to celebrate the spring blossoming of nature with fireworks and pyrotechnic shows. International fireworks competitions will take place in Hanover on May 13, a “Japanese” pyrotechnic show will be held in Düsseldorf on May 20, and the “Lights on the Rhine” festival will be held in many cities in Germany. The most beautiful spectacle will open before the eyes of residents and guests of Bonn: the waters of the Rhine will be illuminated by hundreds of lights. Fireworks over the river is a tradition that allows one to see a “living” river shimmering in different colors. What is happening can be observed from the embankment or even from a boat, rocking on the Rhine waves. //www.firework.rhine-river.com //www.hannover.de //www.duesseldorf.de
GREECE
Flower parade, May 27, Rhodes. The transition from spring to summer on the island of Rhodes (in the city of the same name) has long been celebrated with a flower festival. On the last Saturday of May, streets and houses are decorated with flowers, and the festive national and masquerade costumes of citizens participating in the fragrantly beautiful flower parade are decorated with flowers. Local wine and national cuisine dishes only enhance the feeling of true summer's arrival. //www.rhodes.gr
DENMARK
Carnival, May 26-27, Aalborg. A small town in northern Denmark will host a surprisingly large carnival. About 30,000 people take part in the parade and about 100,000 spectators line the streets. Each year, procession participants make their costumes according to a specific theme (this year's theme is "Exoticism, eroticism"). In addition to the street parade, the carnival will also take place on the water. Boats with colored sails move along the canals through the city to the harbor, where the carnival king is honored.
On May 26, musical groups will compete at the carnival - a "battle of carnival bands", and on May 27 a costume parade will be held, which will pass through the central streets of the city to the Central Park - Kildeparken. //www.karnevaliaalborg.dk
SPAIN
Horse fair, until May 14, Jerez de la Frontera. The city's horse fair ("Feria del Caballo") in Jerez showcases purebred Carthusian horses. Even someone who knows nothing about horses is sure to have a great time at this noble festival, one of the most beloved in Spain. Spectators can look forward to riding and carriage competitions, as well as traditional dressage. The festival program also includes bullfights, livestock exhibitions, traditional songs and dances. //www.aytosanlucar.org
Feast of Saint Isidro, until May 26, Madrid. The holiday in honor of the city's patron saint, Saint Isidro, is perhaps loved by Madrilenians more than all their other fiestas. According to legend, the saint was born in the then small town of Mayrit (the old name of Madrid), was deeply devout, kind and humble. The acquisition of the miraculous gift of finding sources of drinking water made him a saint in people's eyes even during his lifetime. In the 16th century, a chapel was built on the spot where, according to legend, Isidro discovered a drinking water source, and residents of Madrid began to come to drink or fill a vessel with water consecrated by Isidro himself.
According to a long-standing tradition, during the fiesta every Madrilenian must visit the holy spring in order to continue celebrating, and the fiesta lasts as long as 10 days. Music is heard throughout the city: flamenco, zarzuela, chotis, Latin rhythms. During these days, a jazz mini-festival and other musical and theatrical performances are held, and magnificent ceramics and book fairs are open. Be sure to try bitter eggplants, doughnuts and cocido, and then go to the bullfight at the Plaza Monumental de Las Ventas, for the best matadors of Spain will be showing their skills there. //www.munimadrid.es
Music festival "Festimad", May 27-28, Madrid. This year the independent youth music festival "Festimad" will be held in Parque La Cantuena (18 km from Madrid). This is due to the fact that in recent years interest in it has grown significantly and the number of people wishing to listen to new music has increased sharply. The pace of the festival also matches youthful health: you will have to listen to more than 60 pop-rock-folk-techno bands a day. In short, twenty-four hours of music and theatrical performances on four stages. Twenty thousand festival guests will have fun in El Soto Park. This year the festival will feature Deftones, Alice in chains, Tool, Soilwork, Virgen, Zoo. //www.festimad.es
ITALY
Beach festival, May 15-21, Palermo. The organizers of this festival confidently state that a real beach vacation is not mindless and dull lounging and swimming. Therefore, windsurfing, kite-surfing, sailing regatta, beach volleyball competitions and even parachutist competitions await everyone who finds themselves on Mondello beach (near Palermo) these days. In addition, jazz concerts will be held as part of the festival from May 17 to 20. //www.albaria.com //www.wwfestival.com
Iris festival, until May 13, Florence. Florence, the "tender iris" (as Blok defined it), holds its traditional iris festival in May, which attracts gardeners from different cities around the world. Here they present different types of irises, including new ones specially bred for this festival, which enjoys great success not only among professionals but also among lovers of "the beautiful and ephemeral." This year the flower festival promises to be especially magnificent, as it is celebrating an anniversary - it will be held for the 50th time. //www.irisfirenze.it
"Palio", May 13-14, 27-28, Ferrara. The history of the Ferrara "Palio" (horse races) goes back to 1279. The horsemen's competitions are considered the main holiday of the city. The "Palio" is a banner with the image of a saint, the first prize for competition participants. By the way, in the Middle Ages, the second place was awarded a piglet, and the third place a rooster. The traditions of the Palio are depicted in the 15th-century frescoes of the famous Palazzo Schifanoia in the "Salon of Months": there you can see horses, donkeys, women and men competing in running.
Now the Palio takes place on Piazza Ariostea, where spectators and guests are positioned around the perimeter of a space resembling a modern hippodrome, in the center of which, at the foot of a triumphal column, is the main stand for the judges. The holiday begins with a colorful costume parade, whose participants are dressed in medieval costumes, followed by competitions in four stages. The most fun is the third "Palio" race - on donkeys, and participants are not allowed to touch the ground with their feet, even if the donkey suddenly takes it into its head to lie down. //www.corteducale.it //www.paliodiferrara.it
CYPRUS
Anthestiria: flower festivals, May 29, Larnaca, Paphos, Lemesos. Flower festivals to be held in many Cypriot cities are dedicated to the celebration of spring turning into summer, the awakening and rebirth of nature and man. It is believed that Anthestiria returns modern man to ancient festivities in honor of the god Dionysus. The festival opens with a grand flower parade - first, several dozen platforms decorated with poppies, daisies, and camomiles move along. The most beautiful of them belongs to the Queen of the festival and her retinue - young girls who generously throw flowers to all those gathered. Then follows a costumed procession, which anyone with imagination who has managed to adorn their outfit with fresh flowers can join. "The celebration of soul, plants and flowers," as the Cypriots themselves call it, continues until late at night. //www.cyprustourism.org/
THE NETHERLANDS
Windmill Festival, May 13. On this day in the Netherlands, everyone waits for the wind and goes to the windmills, which fly a blue flag - this means the mill is open to visitors. Crowds gather at the mills, dressed up and renovated for the holiday, wanting to go inside, watch the millers skillfully plying their ancient craft, and then taste hot pies made from flour ground by the wind. By the way, in the old days, the position of the mill's sails conveyed news about various events happening among the local residents: for example, happy events and holidays were indicated by the so-called "walking" position of the sails, in which the miller stopped the sails just before they approached their highest point. //www.molens.nl
FRANCE
Medieval Festival, May 21-22, Sedan. A medieval camp - almost real - beneath the ancient walls of an old fortress, the largest in Europe (area - 35,000 square meters). An almost real medieval battle, the inevitable knightly tournaments, horse competitions, craft fairs, lavish medieval feasts in honor of the victors. Splendor, courage, noise, sweat, dirt, stench - simple, crude and convincing proofs of honor, glory and, at the same time, the vanity of human aspirations. This is one of the best medieval festivals in Europe, creating a complete illusion of immersion in the past. //www.medieval-sedan.com/
Cannes International Film Festival, May 17-28, Cannes. The chairman of the jury of the 59th Cannes Film Festival this year will be Chinese film director Wong Kar-wai, who said he is "eager to share with his jury colleagues the dreams of the greatest talents of modern cinema." The festival will open on May 17 with the premiere of Ron Howard's film "The Da Vinci Code." Among the festival films will be Sofia Coppola's new film "Marie Antoinette" with Kirsten Dunst in the lead role, and "Lights in the Dusk" by Aki Kaurismäki. The winner of the previous 58th Cannes Festival was announced by the jury led by Emir Kusturica as the Belgian film "The Child" by director brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, although Jim Jarmusch's "Broken Flowers" and Wim Wenders' "Don't Come Knocking" were also presented there. //www.festival-cannes.fr
CZECH REPUBLIC
International Music Festival "Prague Spring", May 11 - June 3, Prague. One of the most prestigious festivals, "Prague Spring" is a showcase of outstanding world performers, symphony and chamber orchestras. Honoring the anniversaries of great composers, the festival organizers include their works in the program, which also features musical premieres by contemporary authors. More than 70 concerts will take place in Prague within the festival, the detailed program of which can be found on the official website.
This year, the main "hero" of the festival will, of course, be the music of Mozart. On May 13, the festival will present the musical performance "Mozart? Mozart!", and on May 20, 21, and 27, there will be premiere performances of Mozart's opera "Don Giovanni". Also of great interest will be performances by musicians from Japan, Russia, and Austria (a concert by Austrian singer Bernarda Fink will take place on May 17). //www.festival.cz
Khamoro Gypsy Festival, May 22-27, Prague. The Khamoro festival of Gypsy culture was first held in 1999. After all, energetic rhythms, fiery dances, and soulful Gypsy romances possess a special magic. Concerts, drama theater and dance, photo exhibitions, and even cinema at this festival will be exclusively Gypsy. As Gazeta.Ru notes, the festival also has a political meaning: its task is to improve relations between the Czech and Gypsy populations of the country, to interest Czechs in Gypsy culture. //www.khamoro.cz