Belgium
February 19-29, Brussels. Annual festival of animated films. The festival organizers promise to show more than a hundred cartoons this year, including the best of those that have appeared in Belgium itself over the past year. Retrospectives of German and Spanish animators also promise to be very interesting. A separate section will be devoted to works by young directors and artists. In parallel with the festival, exhibitions devoted to the history of animation will open, as well as forums for specialists.
February 14-21, Mons. Festival of films about love. Every year in Mons (near Brussels) a festival of films about love takes place. Not only world premieres, but also classics of the genre, as well as special screenings for children - all this makes the festival unforgettable for couples and families. It begins, of course, on Valentine's Day, February 14.
February 14, London. A walk along the river. On Valentine's Day in London, many floating restaurants will set off down the Thames. From the river there will be views of the city's most beautiful buildings and its famous bridges, and live music, mostly jazz, will be played in the restaurants themselves. You can learn all the details of the trip, prices, and even the restaurant menu on the website bateauxlondon.com.
February 13-22, York. Annual Viking festival. For a week the city returns to its historical past, when battles took place right on the streets and ships sailed down the river to the open sea. Festival guests will be able to see all this. And in the shops of York these days you can buy a two-handed sword, a horned helmet, or a model of an ancient boat as a souvenir - depending on the buyer's interests.
February 19-21, York. Beer festival. On the same days in the city center, real Vikings and all sympathizers will be offered various sorts of beer. This year the organizers have even taken care of unfortunate drivers: they say that no less tasty non-alcoholic beer will be sold especially for them.
February 26-28, Bradford. Beer festival. Another large beer festival with a huge selection of beer and delicious snacks. The only thing the organizers warn about in advance is that smoking will not be allowed in the main hall of Saltaire, where the festival will be held. A special smoking room will be equipped for this purpose.
Germany
February 5-15, Berlin. Berlinale-2004. One of the largest events in the world of cinema is the Berlin Film Festival Berlinale-2004. It deserves a separate article and does not need brief annotations.
February 6-8, Berlin. Country festival. During the film festival, concerts of country music will be held in Fontane-Haus. 94 groups from different countries of the world have been invited to the festival. The musical part is accompanied by thematic exhibitions. It is planned to hold about 80 exhibitions and play more than 40 hours of live music.
February 13-14, Bremen. Carnival. It originated in 1985, when a local samba club decided to hold a Brazilian music festival on the street. Since then the carnival has grown, but the sounds of samba have never left it.
February 19-24, Cologne. Carnival. The most famous February carnival in Germany. Traditionally it is led by the Prince, the Peasant, and the Beautiful Maiden. As a rule, all three roles are played by men. The culmination of the carnival - Rose Monday - will fall on February 23 this year. According to one version, the name of this day comes not from the rose flower, but from the German rasender Montag, which means "mad Monday". Pubs and restaurants will be open all night long during the carnival. About a million guests from all over the world come to the Cologne carnival every year.
February 19-24, Mainz. Carnival. The main event of the carnival in Mainz, as in neighboring Cologne, will take place on the morning of Monday, February 23, when a long carnival procession - Rosenmontagszug - passes through the streets. Anyone can join the festivities and parades on any day - just put on a mask.
Spain
February 19-25, Madrid. Grand carnival. Carnivals will take place all over Spain (Barcelona, Cadiz, the Canary Island of Santa Cruz de Tenerife with Brazilian flavor), but in Madrid, of course, the main one will be with special pomp. Local residents and tourists dress up in bright costumes and gather in a long procession to walk through the streets of the city. This year the main holiday of the festival - the masquerade ball - promises to be especially interesting, because the theme of this festival is high fashion. By the way, according to an ancient tradition, on Ash Wednesday a fat piglet was buried in the ground, which symbolized the beginning of Lent. Over time, the piglet was replaced by a sardine. Carnival organizers always place great hopes on the townspeople, who, to enliven the action and keep carnival guests from getting bored, put on little burlesque performances.
Italy
February 6-24, Venice. Carnival. The world-famous Venice Carnival lasts more than two weeks. This year it will be special: the main theme will be the art of the East. Already on the opening day, the famous dance troupe BMDC will perform on St. Mark's Square with their interpretation of Chinese dance culture. And the most grandiose will be the closing of the festival - on the same square all the actors, dancers, and musicians from India, China, Japan, Thailand, and other countries taking part in the carnival will gather. But the angel that tourists are waiting for will surely fly down from the Campanile of St. Mark's.
February 21-24, Ivrea. Orange carnival. These days in the center of a small town in northern Italy something crazy happens: crowds of people in carnival costumes throw last year's oranges, and confetti flies at them from balconies. This is a traditional orange carnival, reminiscent of the Spanish tomato fights. Tourists also take part in the battle: it is not so easy to watch indifferently as juicy oranges hit someone in the forehead, roll along the pavement and get crushed underfoot. By the way, last year 360 tons of oranges were used in the battle in Ivrea. This year there may be even more.
February 24-29, Rome. RIFF Independent Film Festival. Immediately after the Roman carnival, the RIFF film festival will begin in the capital of Italy, featuring films from 25 countries around the world. In total, about a hundred films are expected at the festival. Last year the winner was the film Touching Wild Horses (UK - Germany - Canada), not yet familiar to us, but known to European film lovers.
Netherlands
February 8, Delft. African Culture Festival. In addition to dances and music, the festival will also feature a more unusual genre - contemporary African theater. At a special market you can purchase interesting handmade items, there will also be a variety of cosmetics, and in special centers you can get necessary consultations from African specialists.
Norway
February 17-21, Røros. Traditional fair. This event turns from an ordinary fair into a real celebration of improvisation. Day and night, young and old people dance and sing together, drink, ride horses. And traders offer their goods - from modern electronics to animal skins.
February 1-29, Toulouse. Violet Festival. A unique event for winter time. For a whole month, flower lovers will be able to admire the most exotic varieties of violets from around the world.
February 13-25, Nice. Carnival. As in other European cities, in Nice they see off winter with laughter and music. Rock festivals and other concerts, theatrical parades, performances by traveling actors and magicians, and - the main feature of the carnival in Nice - huge papier-mâché dolls participating in processions will delight city residents and tourists for a whole two weeks.
Switzerland
February 3, throughout the country. Farewell to winter. A traditional holiday reminiscent of Russian Maslenitsa is celebrated throughout the country on February 3. Farewell to winter even includes burning a scarecrow, so those who find themselves in Switzerland in February will not be destined to miss their native traditions. All cities certainly hold festivals and carnivals on this day.