AUSTRIA
Jazz festival, June 29 - July 16; Contemporary dance festival ImPulsTanz, July 13 - August 13, Vienna. Perhaps the main events of Vienna's July music life will be the jazz and dance festivals. Viennajaz, by long-standing tradition, will gather listeners and musicians at various venues. On July 1, Vienna Opera will host a concert by Chick Corea, on July 2 - Gotan Project; Summerstage will feature a series of "Women's Jazz" concerts, and BA-CA Kunstforum will host piano jazz concerts. Many festival performances are scheduled at open-air concert venues.
At the contemporary dance festival ImPulsTanz, also called "Vienna Dance Weeks", visitors will be able to see premiere works by leading choreographers from France, Belgium, Canada, Japan, and the USA. //www.viennajazz.org //www.impulstanz.com
Street festival Pflasterspektakel, July 20-22, Linz. For the 20th time, Linz will host the international street festival Pflasterspektakel, whose roots go back to medieval square art. 38 venues, large and small, will be prepared in Linz for performances by 500 artists: sorcerers and magicians, mimes and acrobats. The first half of the day is dedicated to circus arts - magicians, jugglers and acrobats, while evening and night are given over to mini-parades, fireworks and music shows. Special entertainment for children is prepared in Landhaus Park. //www.linz.at
Salzburg Festival, July 23 - August 31, Salzburg. In Mozart's anniversary year, organizers announced that musicians from 67 countries will take part in the festival. The festival will open with Mozart's opera "The Magic Flute". //www.salzburgfestival.at
BELGIUM
Medieval festival Ommegang Pageant, July 4 and 6, Brussels. This year, in connection with the nationwide celebration of the 175th anniversary of the Kingdom of Belgium, one of the most beloved and ancient Belgian holidays - Ommegang - will last two days. Events traditionally take place in Brussels in the Lower Town area. The presence of the royal family on the first day of the festival, when a grand costume parade takes place, is considered obligatory. In the square, visitors can see knights in armor and competing archers and crossbowmen. The program includes street theatrical performances and a festival of national Belgian cuisine. If you cannot take part in the celebration in Brussels, you can also see the Ommegang Pageant in small towns across Belgium, where there is no need to reserve tickets in advance. //www.ommegang.be
Ghent Festival, July 15-24, Ghent. The most interesting event of July in Belgium will be the Ghent Festival, which has been held for more than 160 years. In essence, it includes four festivals, whose winners will be determined on the last day. These are a jazz festival, featuring both jazz avant-garde and classics, a street theater festival, a puppet theater festival, and a contemporary music festival "10 Days Off". The Ghent Festival will open with a grand parade on July 15, and on July 21 there will be a historical costume parade "King Charles V and His Retinue". A 19th-century ball will take place on July 19. The medieval city center will provide a perfect backdrop for the historical atmosphere of the costume processions. //www.gent.be
Alternative music festival, July 7-9, Bruges. Three days of relaxation and favorite music in the park near the "Lake of Love" (Minnewaterpark) await residents and guests of Bruges at the beginning of July. This year, the annual alternative music festival "Cactus" will open on July 7 with performances by The Proclaimers and The Wailers; on July 8, visitors can listen to reggae performed by Groundation; on July 9, the festival day will be opened by Marcelo D2, and the last day will end with a performance by the fiery Bajofondo Tango Club. //www.cactusfestival.be
GREAT BRITAIN
Festival "T in the Park", July 8-9, Kinross. The most significant event in Scotland's musical life in July will, of course, be the "T in the Park" festival. About 50,000 spectators will gather at the airfield in Balado, near Kinross, to listen to non-stop music for two days in a row. The festival will have 10 stages, and visitors can choose from 150 bands to suit their taste. This year's headliners will be Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Franz Ferdinand, The Who, The Strokes, Placebo, Proclaimers and Arctic Monkeys. //www.tinthepark.com
Festival "Rhythm Sticks", July 15-23; Jazz Festival, July 28-30, London. The life of the British capital in July is full of musical and festival events (festival Coin Street 2, July 15 and 16; festival Rise July 8; classical music festival City of London July 1-13, etc.), but among them we would like to highlight the "rhythm festival", which will take place in Queen Elizabeth Hall and Royal Festival Hall. Every day, listeners can follow performances by drummers and percussionists, dancers and singers from Brazil, Korea, India, Nigeria, Indonesia, Cuba and Venezuela, and enjoy exotic rhythms. And at the end of July, London will host an open-air jazz festival that will cover almost all streets and squares in the city center. //www.rfh.org.uk, www.visitlondon.com
Lady Godiva Festival, July 8-10, Coventry. Lady Godiva is the main symbol of the city of Coventry. Grateful citizens erected a monument to this legendary woman and consider her their patroness. And all it took was the resolve to fulfill her husband's playful condition: Leofric would remove the excessively heavy taxes from the city's residents if his wife rode naked through the city. And so she did, to the admiration of the townspeople, who, according to legend, did not dare raise their eyes to their intercessor, except for the curious Tom, whose name has become a byword (meaning unhealthy curiosity). And so on Saturday, a procession led by the naked Lady Godiva on horseback will again pass through the streets of Coventry. The rest of the festivities will differ little from ordinary carnival events. //www.godivafestival.co.uk
GERMANY
Music festival of Schleswig-Holstein, July 15 - September 3, various cities. In mid-July, one of the largest music festivals in the world will begin its work, which will last seven weeks and will take place in various cities of the state of Schleswig-Holstein. The festival participants will give 145 concerts at 70 different music venues this year. The festival will open in Lübeck with a performance by the NDR Symphony Orchestra, because the special theme this year is the "Musical Culture of the Netherlands". The festival program also takes into account significant musical anniversaries of this year - the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth, the 100th anniversary of Shostakovich's birth, and the 150th anniversary of Schumann's death. Special concerts will be devoted to the work of these composers. You can view the program and order tickets on the official festival website. //www.shmf.de
Summer concerts, July 6-10; Loveparade, July 15, Berlin. The timing of the traditional summer series of open-air concerts in Berlin will coincide this year with the final days of the World Cup. In fact, this determined the theme of the concerts, dedicated to the "international team" of the championship's guest fans. The theme of the concerts on July 6 is "French classical music and chanson", July 7 - an evening of Italian music "La Dolce Vita", July 9 - an evening of Latin music.
Also in July, Berlin will host two notorious parades - the dance celebration Loveparade (July 15), which was banned for the past two years, and Christopher Street Day, which will take place on July 24. //www.classicopenair.de, www.loveparade.net
Afro-Brazilian festivals, July 14-15, Stuttgart; July 21-23, Karlsruhe. Real stars usually perform at the Stuttgart festival "Viva AfroBrasil", so spectators will have to try not to lose their heads from salsa, samba, reggae, and funk. This year the festival will feature Daniela Mercury, Gal Costa, Maria Rita, Da Guedes.
The organizers of the African festival in Karlsruhe see their tasks somewhat more broadly: this festival is not only an introduction to African music, but also to cultural traditions and customs. As part of the festival program, several thematic exhibitions open, and improvised fairs operate, where African musical instruments and handmade craft items are sold. //www.viva-afro-brasil.de //www.africansummerfestival.de
GREECE
Festival of Ancient Drama, until August 5, Epidaurus. Among the monuments of ancient architecture in Epidaurus, the ancient theater is the best preserved. The backdrop of the stage (or "skene") is the mountains of Argolis, the plane trees and pines of the sanctuary of Asclepius. The whisper of actors is heard just as well in the last row as in the first. In July on Fridays and Saturdays, ancient drama will come to life in this theater. The season of great ancient drama in Epidaurus will end with a performance of Sophocles' tragedy "Antigone". //www.greekfestival.gr
DENMARK
Medieval Festival, July 1-4, Copenhagen (Kastrup). This festival guarantees visitors a full immersion in the year 1219 with all that entails: knightly duels and equestrian competitions, medieval dances and songs, medieval feasts and even weddings. A real medieval market will definitely be working, and on the market square, troupes of "wandering theaters" will perform. The main event of this festival will be a medieval battle involving 300 brave warriors, for, if you believe the legend, the red banner with a white cross (also called the "Dannebrog") fell from the sky to the troops of the Danish king Valdemar II the Victorious at a critical moment in the battle against the Estonians in 1219. It was this that bolstered the spirit of the Danes and helped them win victory over the pagans. //www.visitdenmark.com
Viking festivals, July 1-16, Jels; July 29-30, Aarhus. "Viking Chronicles" is the name of the festival in Jels, which takes place in an ancient open-air amphitheater overlooking a lake. Spectators will be able to see land battles and scenes from Viking life in this amphitheater, and water battle scenes and boat races on the lake.
And in Aarhus, on the last weekend of July, the traditional "Viking Assembly" will take place, which, in addition to boat races and Viking battles, is also famous for its fair, where visitors are offered a wide selection of handmade craft items, as well as the Vikings' "home-style cooking" - porridges, soups, and herbal infusions. //www.jelsvikingespil.dk
SPAIN
Jazz Festival, July 1-9, Canary Islands. For the 15th time, this international jazz festival will be held in the Canary Islands, covering almost all important resort towns. This year, the organizers of the Canary Islands jazz festival promise open-air concerts, club parties, and even master classes. Among this year's participants are David Sanborn, Trio Beyond, Rosa Passos, Tok Tok Tok, and others. //www.canariasjazz.com
Bull runs and the festival of San Fermín, July 6-14, Pamplona. Journalists from all countries eagerly await the start of the festival of San Fermín, the patron saint of Pamplona - for it is then that the most extreme bull runs in Spain through the narrow streets of the city will begin. Some of those taking part in the several runs against enraged bulls will certainly get hurt, and this will immediately be reported to the world. Perhaps this is why an alternative naked run will take place on the eve of the festival - as a protest against the absurdity of these runs and the cruelty of the subsequent bullfights. But, judging by the experience of past years, this will not stop anyone, and the festival will begin on July 6 with a solemn mass, a costumed procession, a parade of giants, and a folklore festival. //www.sanfermin.com
Bull runs Bous a la Mar, July 8-16, Dénia. The famous bull runs in the province of Alicante, in the coastal town of Dénia, take place during the festival in honor of Santisima Sangre (Holy Blood of Christ). During the festival, guests can expect costumed processions, parades of horse-drawn carriages, sports competitions, a folklore celebration, as well as bull runs on the wall of the city fortress, from where those who drop out and losers jump straight into the sea. //www.denia.net
ITALY
Venetian regattas and Festa del Redentore, July 15-16, Venice. It is believed that the celebration in honor of the Redeemer (Festa del Redentore) first took place in 1576, when the city was delivered from the plague and construction began on the Church of Christ the Redeemer on the island of Giudecca. Traditionally, this two-day holiday begins with the construction of a floating bridge 330 meters long across the Giudecca Canal and a solemn procession and mass in the Church of the Redeemer. Saturday continues with rides in decorated gondolas along the canals of Venice, and ends with a grand fireworks display and public festivities. On Sunday there will be a festive regatta in the Venetian lagoon, and then the fun will continue in the beach area of the Lido island. In July, Venice will host two more regattas: the Murano regatta on July 2 and the Malamocco regatta on July 9. //www.turismovenezia.it
Arts Festival, July 1-16, Spoleto. Every year the arts festival in Spoleto brings together the world's best performers and discovers new stars. The festival program includes classical music concerts, opera, ballet, theater performances, art exhibitions and film screenings. This year, in addition to traditional art forms, the festival program includes puppet theater performances and jazz concerts. //www.spoletofestival.it
Verdura Festival, July 2-29, Palermo. Apparently, the name of the festival (Italian: verdura - greens, vegetables) fully reflects the diversity and even eclecticism of the musical genres presented at it: classical music, rock, chanson, and pop, ballet and contemporary dance, opera and musical. This festival takes place in the largest theater in all of Italy - the Teatro Massimo in Palermo. This year's festival program includes the ballet “Amarcord” by Luciano Cannito, a concert by composer and musician Keith Emerson, Simple Minds, Gianna Nannini, and also a Broadway musical day. //www.teatromassimo.it
CYPRUS
Stomp Festival, July 6-7, Larnaca. The rhythm-noise show “Stomp” is considered one of the most fashionable and vibrant performances today. This is exactly the festival that will take place at the Pattichion Municipal Amphitheater in Larnaca in early July. Participants stomp, drum, tap out rhythms in tap dance, breakdancing, and rap. The musical instruments include cans, brooms, bins, lighters, bucket lids, or shells - the more unusual the rhythm-noise instrument, the better. //www.cyprustourism.org
Ancient Drama Festival, July 5 - August 6, Paphos, Limassol, Nicosia. Eight international theater troupes from England, Greece, Germany and Cyprus will present their performances at the famous Festival of Ancient Greek Drama, which will be held in three Cypriot cities for the tenth time. The venues for the festival will be the ancient theaters of Odeon (Paphos), Curium (Limassol) and the Amphitheater of Makarios III in Nicosia. The festival starts in Paphos - there on July 5 and 7, Aristophanes' comedy “The Banqueters” will be performed. Then audiences will see Euripides' “The Bacchae” (July 8-10), Aeschylus' tragedy “The Persians” (July 14-17), two tragedies by Euripides - “Helen” (July 21-24) and “Alcestis” (July 28-29). In August, audiences will see Aeschylus' “Oresteia” and Aristophanes' comedy “The Birds”. //www.cyprus-theatre-iti.org
NETHERLANDS
De Parade Festival, July 1-16, The Hague; July 15-30, Utrecht. De Parade is a summer “traveling” Dutch festival in the spirit of old fairs, sideshows and circus tents. From Rotterdam the festival moves to The Hague in July, and in Westbroekpark visitors can enjoy performances by acrobats, clowns, fire- and sword-swallowers, magicians and conjurers, as well as serious music and theater performances. A special children's program has also been prepared. Then De Parade will move to Utrecht, and in August it will reach Amsterdam. //www.deparade.nl
North Sea Jazz Festival, July 14-16; Summer Carnival, July 28-29, Rotterdam. One of the biggest jazz festivals in Holland, North Sea Jazz, has a history of almost 30 years. Almost all the world's biggest stars have performed at it. This year it will be held not in The Hague but in Rotterdam, but the festival's traditions will remain the same: in parallel with the concerts there will be thematic exhibitions dedicated to the history of jazz, and the festival will feature real stars - Abbi & Kikwetu, Al Jarreau, Badi Assad, Bilal and others. Special guest of the festival - Joe Sample Trio.
And the summer carnival in Rotterdam (Zomercarnaval) is now considered the main event of the summer, although at first it was simply a parade with the participation of small ethnic groups - immigrants from Cape Verde, the Antilles and Suriname. It must be said that the exotic spirit of the carnival and musical eclecticism are preserved to this day. Costume parade, brass bands and drummer competitions are the main events of this carnival. //www.zomercarnaval.nl //www.northseajazz.nl
FINLAND
RuisRock Rock Festival, July 7-9, Turku. The oldest Scandinavian rock festival RuisRock will be held this year for the 36th time. The festival takes place in a very picturesque location - on the island of Ruissalo, 6 km from Turku. In principle, the organizers try to shape the festival program so that as much Scandinavian music as possible is played, but the popularity of this festival is such that every year more and more musicians from various countries around the world intrude here. This year's participants include Morrissey, Tool, Mew, Apocalyptica, The Rasmus, The Cardigans, The 69 Eyes and, of course, the irrepressible Lordi. //www.ruisrock.fi
Sea festival, July 27-30, Kotka, city port. This largest sea festival in the country has been held since 1962, so traditions here are quite solid. First, of course, there are all kinds of spectacular races on sailing ships, yachts, motor and ordinary boats. Second, there is a children's sea festival with fun contests and competitions. Third, there is a jazz mini-festival and a sea song contest. And also a sea market and tasting of seafood dishes. //www.visitfinland.com
Salsa festival, July 28-30, Tampere. This international festival, which will be held in Tampere for the third time, is called a 'continuous salsa lesson', since in addition to performances by famous orchestras and dance groups, salsa dancing will be taught right on the streets and in improvised studios. //www.salsapasion.net
FRANCE
Avignon Festival, July 6-27. This year the famous theater and music festival in Avignon will celebrate its 60th anniversary, so the festival organizers have abandoned the avant-garde ideas of last year, which caused a mixed reaction from the public and critics (the newspaper Le Figaro called last year's festival a 'cultural catastrophe'). Theater, dance, music, opera are the main themes of the Avignon Festival, which takes place on the grounds of the medieval Papal Palace. Since 1980, within the framework of the main festival, there has also been a mini-festival 'Off' – several dozen troupes, music groups and individual artists will disperse throughout the city with presentations of their own programs. //www.avignon-off.org //www.festival-avignon.com
Bastille Day, July 13-14, Paris and other cities. In July, as always, one of the most important national holidays - Bastille Day - will be lavishly celebrated throughout France. In Paris, the holiday will open with a military parade, and then for two days the French capital will be immersed in fun: balls, illuminations, public festivities. The holiday will end with a magnificent fireworks display over the city. The celebration of Bastille Day has its own specifics in different cities: for example, in Cannes at this time there is a fireworks festival, in Arras and Douai - a parade of giants, and in La Rochelle - a chanson festival. //www.festival-pyrotechnique-cannes.com //www.ot-arras.fr, www.ville-larochelle.fr
CROATIA
International Folklore Festival, July 19-23, Zagreb. This year the Zagreb Folklore Festival will celebrate its 40th anniversary, so the program promises to be rich in musical events, special exhibitions and presentations that will take place at the Ethnographic Museum. The special theme this year sounds quite clear: 'How was it? History of the festival.' About 30 folklore groups from Croatia will take part in the festival, and the main guests will be Afrikali from Tanzania and Aicha Kouyate & Mandinka band from Guinea. //www.msf.hr/Smotra2006
Medieval Festival, July 25-28, Rabac. The main event of July in the resort town of Rabac will be a medieval festival that fits organically into the architecture of this city. On July 25, a huge medieval fair will open with accompanying entertainment in the form of street musicians, a traveling circus, clowns and acrobats, and on July 27 there will be a knight parade and a knight tournament. These days you should definitely try national Croatian dishes prepared according to old recipes. //www.tzg-rab.hr
Istria Festival, July 1 - August 18; Reggae Festival, July 20-22, Pula. Every year the city of Pula on the Istrian peninsula hosts a festival of classical music, opera and ballet. The city has perfectly preserved monuments of ancient Roman architecture, and the most famous among them is the Arena amphitheater, where the main festival concerts will be held. The festival will open with a grand concert by Paco de Lucia, on July 7 there will be a concert by Jose Carreras, and on July 30 – by Eros Ramazzotti.
The reggae festival in Pula is 'a big beach party with excellent cuisine and permanent music', as the festival organizers define it. This year, groups from Jamaica, Italy, Great Britain and France will take part in the festival. //www.histriafestival.com, www.seasplash.net
CZECH REPUBLIC
International Film Festival, July 1-9, Karlovy Vary. Same age as Cannes, the Karlovy Vary film festival is considered one of the largest film festivals in Central and Eastern Europe. This year it will open with the world premiere of the film 'Time' by Korean director Kim Ki-duk. Also, Luc Besson and Terry Gilliam will present their new films at the festival. //www.iffkv.cz
Chamber music festival 'Ameropa', July 15 - August 6, Prague. 'Ameropa' is a chamber music festival in the Czech capital, and this year it will be held for the 13th time. Professional and student ensembles will perform at the famous Rudolfinum, the Czech Museum of Music and other concert halls. The special theme of this year's festival is the music of Mozart and Shostakovich. The 'Ameropa' program also includes master classes and festival concerts for children. //www.ameropa.org
Folklore Festival, July, various cities of the Czech Republic. The summer solstice is an ancient natural signal for the start of the wide summer folklore festival in the Czech Republic, which bears this name ('Slunovrat' means 'Solstice' in Czech). Live folk song and dance, performances by folklore ensembles are very popular in the Czech Republic. From July 5 to 8, there will be a mini-festival 'Zahrada', specializing mainly in ethnic music and country, and from July 13 to 15 - 'Folklova ruze', which also performs jazz and blues. //www.folkcountry.cz