Festival of Musical Culture of Indigenous Peoples to Take Place in Norway
More details about these and other events – in the next edition of the European events poster from Газеты.Ru.
AUSTRIA
Street Artists Festival, July 23-25, Linz. Performances will take place right on the pavements, hence the name of the festival "Pflasterspektakel". So that guests do not get bored, every hour the artists will swap squares and parks of the city. For those who do not get a place in the front rows, the city has invented funny devices made of cardboard and mirrors like a periscope, which can be bought for just €2. With such a gadget, you can see the whole performance even if you are standing behind the crowd. Those who find it hard to stand will enjoy the musical "islands" and summer theaters where you can sit and perhaps even lie down. //www.pflasterspektakel.at
BELGIUM
Alternative music festival, July 16-19, Dour. In 1989, when the festival was held for the first time, the participants could be counted on one hand, and the audience gathered only about two thousand people. Now the festival offers listeners countless musicians and receives more than 100,000 guests over four days. The festival features genres such as rock, pop, math rock, experimental music, folk, indie, electropunk, IDM, drum'n'bass, electronics, minimalism, new rave, reggae, jazz, hip-hop and metal. In total, about two hundred acts are expected this year, among them Anthony B, Aphex Twin, Cocoon, Deerhoof, Pet Shop Boys, Matthew Herbert, Pascal Picard Band, Sepultura, The Horrors Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, 65daysofstatic. A day ticket costs €40, all four days – €85, four days with camping – €100. //www.dourfestival.be
Procession "Ommegang", June 30 – July 2, Brussels. The procession consists of craftsmen dressed in traditional 16th-century attire. Alongside them are crossbowmen with ancient weapons and in ancient uniforms, tasked with guarding the main participant of the procession – the statue of the Virgin Mary from the Church of Sablon. In addition, this year the "Ommegang" program includes knight competitions and catapults shooting candies. For all visitors, a medieval village will be built on the square, which can be visited completely free of charge.
UK
Canada Day, July 1, London. This annual event at Trafalgar Square is perfect for those who want to kill two birds with one stone – see the capital of the United Kingdom and get acquainted with the music, theater, hockey and traditional menu of Canada at the same time. From 12 noon to 10 pm, passersby will be entertained with music and theatrical performances, fed burgers with bison meat patties, given Canadian beer to drink, and also given the chance to win plane tickets to Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, Fredericton, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton. //www.canadadaylondon.com
GERMANY
All Nations Day, July 4, Berlin. Do you want to visit several countries in one day? Then you need to get on a special bus on July 4 and go on a journey through Berlin. On this day, many foreign embassies will open their doors for passengers of this bus. To visit them, you need to get a free "passport" ticket, which at each embassy will get a stamp, after which it will look like a real passport of a seasoned traveler.
Embassies of Ethiopia, Bolivia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Indonesia, Iraq, Jamaica, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Malta, Malaysia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Slovakia, Venezuela and other countries have already confirmed their participation in the event. The main theme of All Nations Day this year will be headgear: hats, berets, scarves, helmets, hoods and crowns. //www.allnationsfestival.de
DENMARK
World Congress of Santa Clauses in Bakken park, July 20–22, Copenhagen. Santa Clauses from all over the world, including from Greenland, will gather in the old amusement park Bakken, 15 kilometers from the center of Copenhagen. The park is over 400 years old, it is considered the oldest park of its kind in Europe and previously belonged to the royal family. It is visited by about 2.5 million tourists annually. In addition to cheerful parades, water races, Santas from around the world will discuss the actual origin of Santa, working conditions, reindeer, gifts and much more. //www.bakken.dk
SPAIN
Cider Festival, July 10–12, Nava. The town of Nava is located in Asturias, known for its excellent cider. The cider festival will be held for the 32nd time. It should be noted that Asturians treat their cider no less reverently than the French. The drink is produced here from more than two hundred varieties of apples, so its taste varies greatly among different producers. Nava even has a cider museum, where the festival usually opens. The program includes tasting of ciders from the top list of producers, bowling competitions and concerts in local bars. //www.museodelasidra.com
ITALY
Regatta Il Redenotre, July 18–19, Venice. This regatta was first held in 1576 and was dedicated to deliverance from the plague, which claimed thousands of lives. For two consecutive days, Venetians will display their beautiful boats, decorated with balloons and garlands, on the water between Giudecca and the rest of Venice. Saturday morning will begin with a religious procession with the participation of the Patriarch of Venice, and the evening will end with a grand fireworks display, which usually lasts just under an hour. At this time, residents and guests go out onto the roofs to admire the spectacle, or dine in their festively decorated boats right on the water, or set long tables along the Giudecca Canal.
Across the Giudecca Canal, between the church of Il Redentore, built by Andrea Palladio in thanks for deliverance from the plague, and Venice itself, a pedestrian pontoon bridge 330 meters long will be built. This bridge will allow visitors to reach the church and attend the festive mass. The weekend ends with a grand gondola regatta. //www.turismovenezia.it
Opera Festival, July 19 – August 30, Verona. The famous Arena, which is nearly two thousand years old, will host the 87th opera festival. This year, five operas will be staged on the celebrated stage, as well as a gala evening dedicated to Plácido Domingo and the fortieth anniversary of his first performance at the Arena. Festival guests will include Giovanna Casolla, Fiorenza Cedolins, Daniela Dessì, Mariangela Cornetti, Fabio Armiliato, and other stars.
The festival will open with Bizet's 'Carmen' staged by Franco Zeffirelli. This year, an updated version is promised. Next on the program is Verdi's 'Aida,' whose premiere took place here at the Arena in 1913. Yuri Alexandrov will present his production of Puccini's 'Turandot.' The set designer for the opera is Vyacheslav Okunev, known for his productions in Moscow, his native Saint Petersburg, Kyiv, Minsk, and Odesa. Two more operas – 'The Barber of Seville' and 'Tosca' – will be brought by Argentine Hugo de Ana, who serves as both director and production designer in many of his works. Additionally, festival guests can look forward to Orff's cantata 'Carmina Burana' at the ancient Teatro Romano.
The most expensive ticket at the festival costs €190, the cheapest €18. It is possible to purchase a subscription for three different operas with a large discount. //www.arena.it
NETHERLANDS
Summer Festival, July 20, 24–25, Rotterdam. The Summer Festival in Rotterdam is a combination of Caribbean carnival with local Dutch traditions. The carnival queen will be chosen on the first day of the festival, July 20. To qualify for this title, one must not only be an eloquent beauty in a luxurious costume but also know the history and traditions of the Rotterdam Summer Carnival. After two rounds of competition, the audience and jury will evaluate the candidates' dancing abilities, and in the third round, the throne contenders must show off their carnival costumes in all their glory.
On Friday, July 24, brass bands will battle at the 'Bavaria' stage for the title of 'best ensemble of festival-2009,' and on Saturday the main event of any carnival will take place – a street parade, which promises participants a real Caribbean heat. Two stages with live programming will keep guests entertained until dawn: one will be located on Coolsingel Boulevard, the other on Churchill Square. //www.zomercarnaval.nl
NORWAY
Riddu Riddu Festival, July 15–19, Kåfjord. Every year, more than two hundred artists and about three thousand guests come to northern Norway to immerse themselves in the musical culture of indigenous peoples. Here you can listen to Sami yoiks performed by Mari Boine, perhaps the most famous Norwegian singer working in this ancient genre. For the first time, Canadian folk singer Buffy Sainte-Marie will come to the festival, while the Russian ensemble 'Namgar,' performing Buryat and Mongolian music, has been a welcome guest in Kåfjord for several years. Also among the participants is Tanya Tagaq, known to the broad public thanks to her successful collaboration with Björk.
The program, in addition to song performances, also includes competitions for young performers of traditional northern music, an exhibition by young artist Anders Sunna, folk craft workshops, yoik singing courses, scientific seminars, a fair, as well as interesting programs for small children and teenagers who have come to relax with their parents. //www.riddu.no
FRANCE
July in France will be filled with cultural events, which it is worth combining with participation in the celebration of Bastille Day, taking place on July 14 in Paris and many other cities.
Music Festival, July 4–31, Carcassonne. In the very center of the fortified city, surrounded by medieval walls, a music festival takes place annually. This year's guests include Depeche Mode, Scorpions, Status Quo, Seal, Mass Hysteria, Lenny Kravitz, and others. A significant portion of the events will be free for listeners. Tickets for paid concerts will be available in advance only until July 3, after which they can be purchased just before the performance. Students, pensioners, and groups of more than 10 people are promised discounts. //www.festivaldecarcassonne.com
International Meeting of Folk Instrument Makers, July 10–14, La Châtre. This curious musical event takes place annually at the ancient Château de Saint-Chartier, near the town of La Châtre. About 130 craftsmen will come to the festival with their instruments, which can be not only heard in concert programs but also purchased. Accordions, bagpipes, flutes, hurdy-gurdies, and other handmade folk instruments will be played at 30 concerts, in dance programs for adults, and in folk dance lessons for children. The special guest of this year's festival is Marc Perrone, a composer and musician famous for performing traditional melodies on the diatonic accordion. //www.saintchartier.org
63rd Avignon Theatre Festival. July 7–29. This year, the main international theatre festival in France will have as guest of honour the Canadian author of Lebanese origin Wajdi Mouawad, known to Russian audiences from his work at the Et Cetera theatre. Mouawad is best known as a theatre director, but he also has other roles: writer and playwright. This year he will present four parts of the quartet 'Le Sang des promesses' at the festival, which will be shown in the Cour d'honneur of the Palais des Papes. Also in Avignon, premieres by authors such as Krzysztof Warlikowski, Joël Jouanneau, Amos Gitai, Christophe Honoré and many others will take place. In addition to the main program, the public can expect music, film screenings, lectures and conversations with contemporary theatre figures. All festival events take place in the historic 'backdrops' of ancient Avignon: monasteries, churches, the fortress of the Palais des Papes, and an old quarry. //www.festival-avignon.com
SWITZERLAND
43rd Jazz Festival, July 3–18, Montreux. In addition to paid concerts (by the way, not only jazz), there will be many free events in the city, including a workshop with B.B. King and a performance by Carlos Santana. The festival program includes Denis Matsuev, Alice Cooper, George Benson, John Fogerty, Seal, Grace Jones, Underworld and others.
For those who find it boring to sit in the hall, evenings on jazz cruise boats may be to their liking (some of them will be dedicated to Latin dance – salsa, flamenco, merengue, tango). The restless can go sailing on Lake Geneva, take an ancient cogwheel railway to the beautiful summit of Rochers-de-Naye, or get on a musical train to Gstaad, a mountain resort town. //www.montreuxjazz.com