Austria
May 28-31. Baroque Music Festival, Salzburg. The festival, timed to Trinity Day, takes place annually in Salzburg. The best musicians come from all over the world to give several concerts united into one festival. This May holiday will be the harbinger of the main festival that will take place in Austria in summer. //www.salzburgfestival.com
April 30 - May 2. City Festival, Vienna. For three days the capital of Austria turns into a crazy city of fairground performances, street shows and carnivals. On the day of the festival opening, the streets fill with people, because it is on April 30 that chefs present their dishes. Concerts, theatrical performances, circus shows make the city especially attractive for tourists these days. Children also love the festival, because a special play program is prepared for them.
May 8 - June 20. International Music Festival, Vienna. It will be held for the 31st time. The city's concert hall will bring together the best musicians and all classical music fans. //www.musikverein.at
May 16. Vienna Marathon, Vienna. Every year a strange event takes place in the capital of Austria: a huge crowd of people suddenly starts running along one of the main streets of the city. It turns out that everything is fine, it's just a tradition, and anyone can take part in the race. Early in the morning, long-distance enthusiasts gather to run 42 km. The winner receives a prize. For those who are not sure of their abilities, there are other distances - mini-marathon (15.8 km), fun marathon (6.8 km) and children's marathon (2.5 km). //www.vienna-marathon.com
Belgium
May 20. Ascension Day Procession, Bruges. The holiday is celebrated in the main cathedral of the city, and then the most beautiful procession begins to move along the streets. The relic stored here, the cloth with the blood of Christ, is carried out of the cathedral into the street, because it is behind it that the procession of believers rushes. However, the event is no less interesting for tourists and observers, since a little later a mystery procession will pass through the streets. Staging biblical scenes is a bright feature of holidays in Bruges. //www.holyblood.org
May 8. Zinneke Parade, Brussels. Since 2000, this parade has become an integral part of the city's cultural program. About 4,000 participants prepare street performances, attracting approximately 30,000 spectators who involuntarily become participants in the parade. There are no clear rules here - it is a spectacular action. The restrictions are simple: you can only move on foot, and you cannot use amplifiers. //www.zinneke.org
United Kingdom
May 1. May Day, Cerne Abbas. In Dorset there is a place called Cerne Abbas. It is known for the image of the Giant on the green hills, 180 feet high - an ancient magical symbol of fertility. It is here on May 1 that local residents gather to attract the attention of the Giant with a ritual holiday. The mystical atmosphere of this event attracts a large number of tourists, but it is unknown whether this suits you - you need to be careful with mysticism.
May 1-3. Flower Festival, Spalding. For the small town of Spalding, the flower festival is a real holiday. 250,000 tourists come here every year to see huge structures made from living flowers. The colorful parade smoothly flows into a folk festival. These days, local residents hold their own fair and prepare entertainment for visitors: for them, this is one of the few opportunities to engage in the tourism business. All attractions related to huge flower figures can become an interesting and extreme adventure. //www.springfields.mistral.co.uk
May 31. Music Festival, Glasgow. The annual music festival Coloursfest will take place on the last day of May. Performances by famous bands, favorite club DJs and visiting stars will take place simultaneously at open-air venues. Live concerts and open parties throughout the city will turn Glasgow for one day into a space of music and rhythm, and its guests and local residents into resting, dancing and life-enjoying people. //www.colours.co.uk
Germany
May 7-9. Hamburg's Birthday. This year Hamburg will celebrate its birthday especially brightly. Organizers are preparing an extensive program: parades, fireworks, shows (both water and air), concerts and fairs. All this will make the city not only festive for local residents, but also attractive for guests. //www.hafengeburtstag.de
May 1. "Lights on the Rhine", Bonn. The most beautiful spectacle will open before the eyes of Bonn residents and guests: the waters of the Rhine will be illuminated by hundreds of lights. Fireworks over the river is a tradition that allows you to see the river come alive, shimmering in different colors (and some romantics will be able to see golden snakes there, which, as is known, should be treated with caution) and sanctified by lights. What is happening can be observed from the embankment or even from a boat, rocking on the Rhine waves. //www.firework.rhine-river.com
May 29 - June 1. Forest Days, Frankfurt am Main. The city has a tradition: shortly after Trinity Day, shops and offices close, people flock to the city forest (on the banks of the Main) and spend several days there. Such mass recreation in nature is very popular here, and fairs and mini-festivals are held right in the forest. These days, Germans drink a lot of beer, specially brewed in large quantities for this occasion.
Spain
May 10-11. Corpus Christi Festival, Seville. One of the main religious festivals lasts two days. In the evening, before the festival, the city fills with people in carnival costumes and masks. Thousands of onlookers hang from decorated balconies, people go to church preparing for the holiday. The traditional dance of six priests and other features of religious processions are interesting to watch from the sidelines. Everything combines here: religion, theater, street art. The very atmosphere of the city changes: in a single burst of merriment on the second day, both yesterday's procession participants - religious brotherhoods - and tourists merge.
May 21-23. Snail Festival, Lleida. About 10,000 gourmets gather annually in this city to taste exquisitely prepared snails. For 25 years now, Lleida has been famous for its exotic food festival. The public consumes about 12 tons of prepared snails in a few days. Festival organizers offer not only gluttony but also entertainment: concerts and circus shows are prepared specially for guests, and separate programs are provided for children, who are usually absolutely indifferent to snails. //www.missatges.com
Italy
April 24 - May 30. May of Monuments, Naples. The hugely successful 'May of Monuments' event begins in late April and lasts until the end of May. All museums and cultural monuments of Naples are open for free visits, and every weekend special excursions are held, for example through the ancient districts of the city or its underground passages. Concerts and performances are also organized - the city comes alive during this month. //www.napolioggi.it
May 2-20. Iris Festival, Florence. In May, gardeners from around the world come to the show in Florence. Here they present different types of irises, including new, specially bred ones. They all differ in color, shape, and scent. The show is hugely successful not only among professionals but also among lovers of beautiful ephemeral things. //www.irisfirenze.it
France
May 12-23. Cannes Film Festival. The world-famous festival will open for the 56th time. As always, all movie stars will gather there, and the jury will choose the best films. 22 films will be presented in the competition. //www.festival-cannes.fr
May 1. May Day Parade, Paris. The first day of May will also be celebrated in Paris: a bright procession will pass through the city. The main character of the parade is, of course, the working class. And it is most convenient to watch it from a balcony. On this day, restaurants and bars of the French capital will be open late, giving all workers the opportunity to have fun on the occasion of the holiday.
May 2. Museum Day, various cities in France. A unique spring day when hundreds of museums admit visitors for free. Bordeaux, Toulouse, Marseille, Nice, Paris, and other major cities participate in this event. //www.printempsdesmusees.culture.fr
May 22-23. The Last Hours of Freedom of Joan of Arc, Compiègne. The townspeople of Compiègne, remarkably faithful to the memory of the Maid of Orleans, celebrate this day every year. It was here that she was taken prisoner. On Saturday evening, a girl in Joan's costume enters the city, followed by a long procession. This is how the festival begins. The city will then celebrate all night, remembering the great heroine. //www.jeanne-darc.org
Czech Republic
May 31 - June 6. Puppet Festival, Prague. The final part of this international festival takes place in Prague, which is famous for its marionettes. Puppeteers from all over the world come to the capital of the Czech Republic, and past winners show the best of their collections. //www.puppetart.com
May 24-29. Gypsy Festival, Prague. The world-famous Czech festival Khamoro was first held in 1999. Year after year, more and more attention was paid to Gypsy culture. Energetic rhythms and fiery dances attract visitors. And this year, the organizers decided to dedicate the festival exclusively to Gypsy culture. Concerts, drama theater and dance, photo exhibitions, and even cinema at this festival will be exclusively Gypsy. The event also has a political meaning - to improve relations between the Czech and Gypsy populations of the country, to interest Czechs in Gypsy culture. //www.khamoro.cz
Sweden
May 7-16. International Science Festival, Gothenburg. All notable establishments of the city take part in organizing this annual science festival - including cafes, cinemas, and art galleries. Leading European scientists will talk about new scientific inventions in medicine and technology. A special program has been organized for schoolchildren and students, including lectures, screenings of popular science films, and even demonstrations of experiments. //www.goteborg.com/vetenskapsfestival