AUSTRIA
Danube Island Festival, June 22-24, Vienna. For residents of Vienna, it is easiest to get to the largest open-air event in Europe. They just need to go to the island between the two city bridges. This three-day festival is primarily famous for its concerts. Jazz gives way to hip-hop, and then rock music plays. The most resilient, if they stay on the island until June 25, will also hear the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. The festival will feature Thai, Italian, Indian, Austrian, Greek, and Turkish cuisine. Another reason to celebrate is the start of a new journey by Sepp Reznik, a man who has cycled around the globe three times. //www.donauinselfest.at
Street Dance Festival, June 29 - July 1, Graz. One of the largest hip-hop and breakdance festivals will this time take place in the city of Graz. The scale of the event grows every year, and the illusion that breakdance is a dance of crazy teenagers breaking their necks is gradually being dispelled. Breakdance can be not only "lower" but also "upper," and it is stylistically so diverse that it can easily evoke admiration across generations. Especially when performed professionally. //www.streetdance.at
Vienna Jazz Festival, June 25 - July 12, Vienna. This year the festival will take place at Vienna's 16 best concert venues. Tickets for the most significant performances should be purchased in advance (they have, by the way, been available online for some time). Participants include Roberta Flack, Dionne Warwick, Paul Anka, Juliette Gréco, Sheila Jordan, Gato Barbieri, and many others. Often concerts will run parallel, so jazz fans face a difficult choice. //www.viennajazz.org
BELGIUM
Beer Weekend, June 22-24, Antwerp. The mini-festival with the romantic name Beer Passion is good for several reasons: firstly, you can try 150 types of beer in three days; secondly, if you don't like the local beer, you can also taste Flemish, Walloon, and of course the never-fail Czech or German beers; thirdly, entry to this celebration of life is free, a mug of any beer costs €1.5, and glasses with the festival logo can be bought for €2. The beer drinking is accompanied by performances by brass bands. Organizers claim that last year guests drank 10,000 mugs of beer. //www.beerpassion.com
Cinema in Complete Darkness, June 27 - August 28, Brussels. 14 weeks of darkness in the Arenberg Gallery - this is especially for those who cannot stand the bright daylight. The Ecran Total festival takes place in complete light isolation, which is its main difference from other film festivals, for example, from the larger "European" festival, which will also take place in Brussels from June 29 to July 7. The program includes retrospectives of Terrence Malick, as well as John Huston and the Englishmen Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, who filmed in the mid-20th century. //www.arenberg.be
BULGARIA
Rose Festival, Kazanlak, June 1-3. For over 100 years, Bulgaria has been living up to its name "land of roses" by holding a big celebration in the town of Kazanlak. The folk festivities begin on Friday evening and end only on Monday with the election of the Rose Queen. In the valleys around Kazanlak, many varieties of these flowers indeed grow, but besides aesthetic pleasure, there is also benefit: Bulgarian rose oil is famous worldwide. //www.rose-festival.com
UNITED KINGDOM
Isle of Wight Rock Festival, June 8-10, Newport. At that legendary place where 600,000 hippies gathered in 1970 to hear Jimi Hendrix play for the second-to-last time, the largest rock festival has again been held since 2002. This year's headliners will be Snow Patrol, Muse, and The Rolling Stones. //www.isleofwightfestival.com
African Music Festival, June 16-17, Liverpool. Every summer, lovers of African music gather in Liverpool's Sefton Park. However, this event is not just musical. Rather, it is a festival of African culture, where you can taste national cuisine and watch contemporary African cinema. But, of course, its main attraction is the most authentic reggae that can be found on the planet. //www.africaoye.com
Royal Ascot, June 19-23, Ascot. The June races at Ascot are an annual event combining the traditions of the English court with new trends. Alongside sports competitions, there is a fashion contest. Ladies' hats receive special attention - at Ascot, they can be admired and enjoyed no less than flat racing or steeplechase. //www.royalascot.co.uk
GERMANY
Kiel Week, June 16-24, Kiel. Since 1882, Kiel turns into a festive and noisy city for a week in June. A multi-day open-air with a wide variety of live music, performances by German bands on stages set up in the city, street theater, diverse cuisine, and of course plenty of beer - and that's not all. Amidst the folk festivities, a championship (considered the unofficial world championship) for professionals and amateurs of sailing is held in Kiel. Kiel Week ends with the most beautiful fireworks display in Europe. //www.kieler-woche.de
Ancient Drama Festival, June 15 - July 13, Trier. Trier is known worldwide for the Black Gate (Porta Nigra) – a well-preserved Roman structure. The city also has an amphitheater built around 100 AD. Every summer, these architectural monuments become the stage for a festival of ancient drama, primarily classical. This year's program includes Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex" (June 30), Homer's "Odyssey" (July 8), and Saint-Saëns' opera "Samson and Delilah" (June 15). Only the plot remains from the dramas, but the show on the ancient ruins is famous for its good sound and staging. //www.antikenfestspiele.de
Summer Tollwood, June 14 - July 18, Munich. The second largest after Oktoberfest, Tollwood takes place in winter and summer. First of all, Tollwood is a festival of different cultures. Therefore, in Munich these days you can try dishes of various national cuisines, buy real ethnic items, and of course enjoy performances. Since Tollwood was originally a cabaret festival, this genre is a must in the program. Also available are circus, jazz, pop, rock, ethnic music outdoors and in indoor venues, dance and theater programs. This year's musical headliners are Sonic Youth, George Benson & Al Jarreau, ZZ Top and Foreigner. \/\/www.tollwood.de
DENMARK
Viking Festival, June 29 - July 15, Frederikssund. One of the most spectacular summer events in Denmark is a costume show where participants transform into real Vikings. Festival guests can watch living history, including real Viking competitions, or become part of it. To do so, simply visit the market where Viking wives will sell you real smoked herring and bone products, or come to the banquet famous for its excellent beer. \/\/www.vikingespil.dk
SPAIN
Corpus Christi, June 7, nationwide. One of the most important Catholic holidays, Corpus Christi, falls on June 7 this year. The holiday is divided into two parts: a solemn procession through the streets, during which huge four-meter giant dolls tower over the crowd, and a mass in cathedrals. The streets are strewn with flowers, and the central aisles of the cathedrals are covered with flower carpets.
In every Spanish city, the holiday has its own flavor, and in the Spanish village of Castrillo de Murcia it is celebrated in a truly amazing way. Mattresses are placed on the street with infants lying on them. A man in a red and yellow suit with a whip and a club, portraying the devil, runs and jumps over the babies. It is believed that after this, the children are cleansed of sins and illnesses. The ritual is called El Colacho. \/\/www.sasamon.org
ITALY
Heineken Jammin' Rock Festival, June 14-17, Mestre (Venice). In Mestre, an industrial suburb of Venice, there is a huge park, San Giuliano, which this year will become the venue for the rock festival. During the festival, the park will be divided into several zones: sports (with basketball, volleyball and soccer courts), relaxation (with deck chairs, umbrellas and a well-stocked bar), and of course musical (two stages). This year's headliners are Iron Maiden, The Killers, Pearl Jam, Aerosmith, Smashing Pumpkins, Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance and Slayer. \/\/www.heineken.it
Arts Festival, June 17 - July 22, Ravenna. The famous annual arts festival in Ravenna consists of an extensive music and theater program, exhibitions and film screenings. This year, in addition to jazz concerts and classical music concerts, there will be a performance by Jethro Tull. Among the theater performances, the premiere of Fanny and Alexander at the Teatro Rasi, located in an ancient church building, is of interest. \/\/www.ravennafestival.org
FINLAND
Samba Carnival, June 8-9, Helsinki. The hottest carnival in Finland on June 8 might go unnoticed – the action that day will be in a club. But on June 9, Helsinki will be immersed in the sounds of samba: more than a thousand professional dancers and musicians will take part in the noisy parade. \/\/www.samba.fi
FRANCE
Mad Festival of Street Circus and Theater, June 1-9, Châlons-en-Champagne. In the capital of the Champagne-Ardenne region, a street festival called Furies will take place, not without reason. The most original companies from all over the world come here to show new programs far from classical circus. Acrobats, horses, clowns, musicians, trainers – all as in a regular circus, but they do things that are completely unusual and unexpected. Street theater here is also far from a square performance: it can be not only funny, but also scary, mesmerizing, and even dangerous. \/\/www.festival-furies.com
24 Hours of Le Mans, June 16-17, Le Mans. The 75th edition of the most famous and revered endurance car race in the world will take place near Le Mans. First held in 1923, these competitions forced major car manufacturers to invest huge sums in developing cars that could bring victory. The race takes place on a closed circuit about 14 km long. Spectators gather behind the track barrier to watch the most prestigious event in the automotive world over 24 hours. \/\/www.lemans.org
Festival in Memory of Joan of Arc, June 23-24, Reims. The annual festival in memory of Joan of Arc is a two-day event featuring costume parades, historical reenactments, and recreations of medieval realities. During the day, musicians will perform on the streets, and in the evening, fireworks and light shows will light up the sky over Reims. On Sunday, a solemn mass will be held at Reims Cathedral. \/\/www.reims-fetes.com
CZECH REPUBLIC
International Film Festival in Karlovy Vary, June 29 - July 7. One of the largest film festivals in Europe will be held for the 42nd time this year. In addition to films by Lynch, Ozon, Spielberg and other cult directors, you can see several Russian films included in the competition program: "Free Floating" by Boris Khlebnikov, "Simple Things" by Alexei Popogrebsky, and "Euphoria" by Ivan Vyrypaev. \/\/www.iffkv.cz
SWEDEN
Swedish National Day, all cities. On June 6, all of Sweden celebrates its national holiday, which is accompanied not only by chaotic folk festivities but also by organized parades and processions. In some cities, folklore festivals are held on this day.
Stockholm Marathon, June 9, Stockholm. Distance – 42 km 195 meters. 17,000 runners from all over the world run a double loop in the city center, while hundreds of people watch them. The number of people wishing to take part in the competition exceeded the allowed number back in February. You need to know about this event at least so as not to be frightened when you see a multi-thousand crowd approaching you in Stockholm on June 9. On the same day, registration for the 2008 marathon will open. //www.stockholmmarathon.se
SWITZERLAND
Festival of Theater, Opera and Dance, June 16 - July 8, Zurich. The famous Zurich Festival is a significant cultural event dedicated to classical music. It features concerts, ballet and opera productions by the world's best directors. This year's premieres will be 'The Macropulos Case' to music by Czech composer Leoš Janáček and 'Tiefland' to music by Oegine Dalberg. //www.zuercher-festspiele.ch
Nyuta KUKUSHKINA.
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