Photo Stpatricksday.ie
AUSTRIA
Jazz festival, March 24 - April 2, Kitzbühel. More than 20 concerts will take place as part of the jazz festival in the small Austrian ski town of Kitzbühel at the end of March. This year, bands from Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and Great Britain will come to perform jazz, blues, swing and even gospel. The festival will open on March 24 with a performance by Munich Allstars, on March 25 Albert C. Humphrey and his gospel group Voices of Gospel will perform, on March 28 - Black Dub, on April 2 - Santiago Blue. Concerts will be held in the city's jazz clubs and restaurants. The detailed festival program can be found on the festival's official website. //www.jazzfestival-kitzbuehel.at
BELGIUM
Caribbean Festival, March 18, Antwerp. The Caribbean Festival in Belgium takes place twice a year - in March and August. The August festival is held outdoors, while the March one takes place in the Sportpaleis sports palace. Dance lovers especially try to get to the "hottest" Belgian festival - they are guaranteed live performance of traditional Caribbean music, and the giant dance floor can hold a crowd. This year the Caribbean mood will be created by the Cuban group Los Van Van - the "kings of salsa", Kassav - a group from the Antilles playing music in the "zouk" style (a peculiar synthesis of carnival rhythms and modern musical techniques), and Puerto Rican Elvis Crespo, who gained popularity since he started working in the merengue-pop style. //www.antilliaansefeesten.be
24th Fantastic Film Festival, March 10-25, Brussels. Probably it would be more correct to call this festival the "annual horror film showcase", for they form the basis of the screenings. In this year's competition program, viewers will be able to see, for example, new films by Richard Jobson "Woman in Winter", "Minotaur" directed by Jonathan English, "What Is It?" by Crispin Glover, as well as psychological thrillers by Japanese directors Takashi Miike and Yudai Yamaguchi. The basis of retrospective screenings will be horror films of the 70s, including several films by José Mojica Marins, known by the nickname "Coffin Joe". In parallel with the festival, there will be body art exhibitions (March 11), a fashion show that fully matches the spirit of the festival (March 12), and on the closing day of the festival there will be a vampire ball. //www.bifff.org
GREAT BRITAIN
St Patrick's Day, March 12, London. It so happens that in London the holiday in honor of the patron saint of Ireland is held on the Sunday closest to March 17. The festivities open at noon with a parade that will go from Hyde Park to Whitehall. Then the action is localized mainly on Trafalgar Square, where a festival of ancient and modern Irish music and dance will begin. In Leicester Square, a real Ceili Mor will take place, prepared by the Irish community, where everyone can try to dance in the "ceili" style. Irish food can be tasted (and bought) at the fair in the Covent Garden area. On this day it is customary to drink only Guinness and dress in all green. Around St. Patrick's Day, from March 11 to 18, London will host an Irish arts festival, with thematic exhibitions, films and concerts. //www.londonstpatricksday.org.uk
Irish Culture Festival, March 4-19, Manchester. For a whole two weeks, the color green will reign in Manchester - the city will study Irish culture and live by Irish traditions. Numerous music and dance evenings, a presentation of Irish comedy in the city squares, special children's parties and many other interesting events will be held as part of the festival. Manchester has a fairly solid experience of immersion in Irish culture: the festival will be held for the 11th time this year. Perhaps the most massive and spectacular will be Riverdance on March 10-12, the street parade on March 12, the procession and fair on March 17 on St. Patrick's Day, and the final of the Irish rock festival, which will take place on March 18. //www.manchesteririshfestival.co.uk
International Comedy Festival, March 9-25, Glasgow. This festival has existed recently, but its popularity is very high. Comedy performances of all genres, styles and directions will be presented in Glasgow this year: from the classic high comedy of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" to the notoriously scandalous brutal musical "Jerry Springer: The Opera"; from the Marx Brothers comedy "A Day at the Races" (1937) to the immensely popular "Shrek". Viewers can calmly choose what seems funny to them - whether it be performances by street comedians, political satirists or masters of musical improvisation. //www.glasgowcomedyfestival.com //www.gicf.cqdweb.co.uk
GERMANY
Spring fair Hamburg Dom, March 17 - April 17, Hamburg. Hamburg Dom, or Dommarkt, is a real "city within a city". The 500-year history of the fair is no less fascinating than the fair itself - with its old rides, amusements and all sorts of treats. It takes place three times a year in Hamburg in the Heiligengeistfeld area and each time attracts about 3 million people - children and adults who do not want to part with childhood. In addition to tasty and useful things in the kiosks, visitors can expect horse rides, roller coasters, a Ferris wheel, a historic carousel, a medieval fortress, a "witches' abode" and an evening fireworks on Fridays. //www.hamburger-dom.de
Festival of contemporary music MaerzMusik, March 16-26, Berlin. "This is a contrasting dialogue between various movements and styles of contemporary experimental music, a kind of intercultural space" - that's how the organizers position MaerzMusik. About 30 new music projects, including premieres, will be presented at the festival this year - orchestral, chamber, solo concerts, musical performances. One of the special themes of this year's festival: "Japan and the West: exploring the interpenetration of musical cultures." An appearance by Japanese pianist Aki Takahashi is expected, as well as a performance of Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho's opera "Love from Afar" (conductor - Kent Nagano). //www.maerzmusik.de
GREECE
Pilgrimage to Tinos on Annunciation, March 25, Tinos. The island of Tinos is famous for its amazing Cycladic architecture, dovecotes, crystal-clear water and an art gallery - it is not for nothing that it is called the "island of artists." For Greeks, Tinos is sacred; they come here to make a pilgrimage and venerate the Mother of God of Tinos. Her veneration can be compared to the veneration of the Vladimir or Kazan icons of the Mother of God in Russia. The miracle on Tinos occurred on January 30, 1822: after a sign sent in a dream to a nun of the Kechrovouni monastery, an ancient miracle-working icon of the Virgin was found there. The nun is venerated in Greece as Saint Pelagia of Tinos. The discovery of the miracle-working icon at the very moment when the island was liberated from the Turks was perceived as a visible sign of the patronage of the Queen of Heaven. //www.gnto.gr
8th Documentary Film Festival, March 10-19, Thessaloniki. Interest in documentary cinema around the world has grown significantly recently, so the festival in Thessaloniki is popular not only among professionals: an artistically processed "slice of real life" increasingly attracts viewers tired of soap operas and intrusive special effects of feature films. "Images of the 21st Century" is the theme chosen for this year's festival. //www.filmfestival.gr
DENMARK
17th NatFilm International Film Festival, March 24 - April 8, Odense, Aarhus, Aalborg. NatFilm International Film Festival is the largest in Denmark. It is interesting primarily because it allows audiences to get acquainted with "local" film novelties - there are more than half of them. This year the festival will screen the film "Soap" by Pernille Fischer Christensen, which has already received the Grand Prix at the 56th Berlin International Film Festival. Foreign films participating in the competition program at NatFilm are mainly from Asia and America. The festival takes place in different Danish cities - this year it will be held in Odense, Aarhus, and Aalborg. //www.natfilm.dk
IRELAND
St. Patrick's Festival, March 15-19, Dublin and other Irish cities. The main event of March in Ireland will, of course, be the festival in honor of its patron saint, St. Patrick. Hundreds of drummers will take part in the opening of the festival on the night of March 15; musical and circus shows are expected, and during the day there will be a symposium devoted to the cultural traditions and origins of the holiday, and an exhibition "40 Shades of Green" will open. On March 16, the traditional Irish fair will begin and folk music concerts will take place. On March 17, St. Patrick's Day, at noon there will be a grand costume parade, followed by theatrical performances, performances by music and dance groups, and a fair with rides, where the largest Ferris wheel in Europe will operate. In the following days of the festival, Dublin will host pyrotechnic music shows, an exciting game "Treasure Hunt" (March 18), boat races, and street theater performances. Festival participants should be prepared for green to be the primary color on these holiday days, so don't be surprised by green beer, green bagels, or mint milkshakes, also green. //www.stpatricksday.ie
SPAIN
Las Fallas Festival, until March 19, Valencia. The origin of the traditional Valencian festival Las Fallas is most likely connected with the celebration of the spring equinox, during which wooden lamps were taken out of houses and burned. Gradually, the burned pieces of wood turned into dolls. The skill of making them was perfected over centuries. Now these dolls ("ninots") from two to twenty meters high are made in special workshops long before the holiday and depict celebrities. In the first days of the festival, a kind of competition takes place: the jury selects the best doll, which will remain untouched on the day of burning and then end up in the Valencian Museum of Ninots Indultats. On the last day of the festival, March 19, Valencians burn their creations: at 10 p.m., children's "ninots" are burned, at twelve o'clock the big dolls perish in the fire - in general, the city turns into one big bonfire. It should be noted that recently "ninots" are also filled with pyrotechnic devices, so when burned there is a terrible roar. Everything ends with folk festivities with the selection of a queen, musicians, and the invariable "mascletà" (pyrotechnic show). //www.fallas.com
Flamenco Festival, until March 11, Jerez de la Frontera. The Flamenco Festival, which annually brings together stars of world magnitude, has become a bright spring event in the aristocratic city of Jerez de la Frontera, famous for its sherry and Arabian horses. The main venue of the festival is the Villamarta Theatre, where the best singers (cante), guitarists (guitarra), and dancers (baile) compete. This year, such famous artists and groups in the world of flamenco as Israel Galván, David Morales, as well as the ballets of Sara Baras and Aída Gómez will take part in the festival. //www.festivaldejerez.es
ITALY
Celebrations in honor of Saint Benedict, March 20-21, Norcia. The day of veneration of Saint Benedict of Nursia is lavishly celebrated by modern residents of the city of Norcia (in the 5th century - Nursia), where this saint was born. Saint Benedict is called the "father of Western monasticism." The rule he created, prescribing prayer, work, and study, became the norm of monastic life for all of Europe. The celebrations in honor of Saint Benedict will open on the night of March 20-21 with a torchlight procession. On the morning of March 21, a medieval festival will begin in Norcia with costumed processions, real knightly duels, and crossbow shooting competitions.
Marathon, March 23-26, Rome. The "Rome City Marathon" itself will take place on March 26 - more than 10,000 people will take part in the 42-kilometer race. This sporting event looks organic and majestic in the heart of the ancient city: the sports route passes by the Colosseum and St. Peter's Basilica. Anticipating the spectacle, Romans begin celebrating the approach of the Marathon as early as March 23: live music concerts, fairs, and street performances fuel sporting and non-sporting interest in this event. //www.maratonadiroma.it
Giotto Jazz Festival, March 4 - April 4, Florence. This festival got its strange name (incidentally, a rather rare event in Italy) because the Teatro Giotto became its main concert venue. Festival concerts this year will take place on weekends. At the beginning of the festival, Italian jazz ensembles will perform: on March 4, Paolo Fresu Devil Quartet; on March 10, Gori-Onorati 1900; on March 18, Enrico Rava & Dado Moroni. At the festival finale (March 31), the famous Mike Stern Quartet will perform. //www.teatrogiotto.it
THE NETHERLANDS
Stille Omgang Celebration, March 18, Amsterdam. Every year, a procession walks in complete silence along Amsterdam's Holy Way (an ancient pilgrims' street) in memory of the so-called "miracle of the host," which occurred in 1345. According to legend, this host (prosphora) did not burn in the fire after the last rites of a dying citizen. The dying man was very weak. When the host came back up with vomit, the servant gathered everything and threw it into the fire. The next morning it was discovered that the host had not burned in the fire. This happened on Kalverstraat. The rumor of the miracle quickly spread throughout the city: pilgrims flocked to this street, and many received healing from ailments there. //www.stille-omgang.nl
FINLAND
Musica nova Festival, March 3-11, Helsinki. According to the festival organizers, Musica nova is "an all-encompassing portrait of contemporary music - across continents and cultures." This year, three composers from the USA have been invited to the festival: Augusta Read Thomas, Steven Stucky, and John Zorn. The festival lineup also includes Korean Unsuk Chin and Argentine Alejandro Viano. On March 4, the festival will feature a "Russian marathon," featuring music by Andrei Frolov, Dmitri Kourliandski, Leonid Desyatnikov, Yuri Krasavin, and other contemporary Russian composers. The festival will also include a children's opera ball and a presentation of Michel van der Aa's multimedia opera "One." New jazz music will be represented by the Umo Jazz Orchestra. //www.musicanova.fi
FRANCE
Jazz Festival, March 15 - April 1, Grenoble. The International Jazz Festival, which enjoys authority in music circles and steady popularity with the public, will be held in Grenoble for the 34th time. During the festival, not only clubs but also city museums and theaters turn into concert venues. The festival program is as always rich and varied: among the participants are the Stefano Di Battista Quartet, saxophonist Christophe Monniot, world-famous guitarist John McLaughlin, the Indian group Shakti, the Richard Galliano New York Trio, Gary Burton, the Joachim Kuhn Trio, and many other performers. //www.jazzgrenoble.com
Festival of Imagination, through April 9, Paris. The fundamental principle of the Festival of Imagination, which will take place at the Paris Palace of Cultures of the World, is the "spirit of freedom" - freedom of creative perception and self-expression, freedom of intellect, freedom of feelings. It is precisely this kind of freedom that is needed to perceive a foreign, incomprehensible culture. Some are attracted to this festival by mere "geographical" exoticism (Syrian choral music, puppet theater from Sado Island, dance music from Cape Verde, folk music of the Hmong people), while others are drawn by a deep interest in understanding the variability of cultural space and the problem of isolation and interpenetration of cultures. //www.mcm.asso.fr
SWITZERLAND
Carnival, March 3-5, Zurich. The Zurich Carnival is famous for the fact that during its celebration there is practically no division between participants and the gawking crowd: carnival costume and makeup are mandatory for everyone here. Funny competitions in "discordant" singing (Guggenmusik) are the main feature of this carnival. They can be observed throughout all three days of the holiday. On March 4, a children's carnival will take place, along with numerous street concerts. The main carnival day (March 5) will begin with a grand jazz concert featuring John Service & the Swinging Spirits of New Orleans, followed by a costumed parade on the streets of Zurich (starting at 14:30), which will smoothly flow into a wild "carnival night." //www.zurichcarneval.ch
Caprices Festival, March 3-12, Crans-Montana. This festival, completely unusual for a ski resort, will take place in Crans-Montana in the first half of March. Let us recall that a capriccio is a "brilliant virtuoso instrumental piece of free form, often with whimsical changes of episodes and moods." This year, audiences are entitled to expect precisely brilliant virtuoso concerts, as the program features performances by musicians such as Syd Matters (March 4), Amadou et Mariam and Robert Plant (March 10), and Ricardo Villalobos (March 11). //www.capricesfestival.ch