This is our guide to help you make the most of your year and have a year of amazing experiences in London and exploring Europe.
We have developed a calendar of cornerstone London events we think are well worth experiencing and some of the most interesting UK and European events and festivals worth leaving London for.
Highlights in London during January include the New Year's Day Parade, Burns Night and Chinese New Year Celebrations.
UK Highlights include Haxey Hood (a medieval rugby like game played between pubs), Whittlesea Strawbear Festival (Probably the best straw bear festival in the world if that means anything) and the awe-inspiring Up Helly AA (A viking like fire festival in the remote Shetland Islands, Scotland that has to be seen to be believed)
European Highlights include Hotschrennan (A piglet race in the snow) and Della Befana (A witch runs around the medieval village of Urbania, Italy delivering gifts to children in a unique Christmas celebration)
JANUARY 2020 |
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1 Switzerland: Hotschrennen Piglet Race
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Festa Nationale Della Befana (Urbania, Italy)
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5 Festa Nationale Della Befana (Urbania, Italy)
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17 Whittlesea Strawbear Festival, Peterborough |
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26 Australia Day @TheChurch
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28 Up Helly AA, Shetland Islands, Scotland
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February should be known as Fun February as there is a lot of unique and quirky things to do.
London Highlights include the Clowns Church Service in honour of Grimaldi, and watching the Superbowl in the a Pub, dressing as a sheep and joining the world's friendliest people Kiwi's on the their annual circle line pub crawl to celebrate Waitangi Day, Shrove Tuesday is celebrated across London with pancake races and the month finishes with in style with the world's most underrated sport of "Wife Carrying" which is well worth the trip to Dorking, Surrey and mixed in with a walk up to the Viewpoint of Box Hill to see the panoramic Views and finished off with some wine tasting at Denbies Winery.
UK Highlights include the Jorvik Viking Festival in York and the Royal Shrovetide Football in Ashbourne Derbshire a tradition since the 12th century.
European Highlights include Carnival which has a lot of amazing traditions across Europe the two we have mentioned below are Ivrea carnival based in Italy also known as Battle of the Oranges (Easily the best orange fight in the world) and Cologne Carnival (The world's biggest fancy dress party) and mixed in with a torch lit Ghost parade in the medieval village of Blankenheim on the Saturday. Click here for information on other European carnival events such as Vencie, Nice, Barcelona etc.
FEBRUARY 2020 |
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14 Valentine's Day |
15 Jorvik Viking Festival, York starts
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23 Ivrea Carnival, Ivrea, Italy Jorvik Viking Festival, York Ends
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25 Royal Shrovetide, Ashbourne, Derbyshire
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29 Followed by hike up Box Hill and wine tasting at Denbies Winery
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London Highlights include the London Comic Con, celebrating St Patrick's Day in Trafalgar Square on Sunday 15th (celebrate it again on the 17th in one of London's many Irish pubs) and then make a choice between watching the Cambridge vs Oxford Goat Race (book well in advance) or Cambridge vs Oxford Boat Race on the same day.
UK Highlights Include Crufts Dog Show in Birmingham (a day trip to Birmingham for a day is a must for dog lovers) and the Cheltenham Racing Festival.
European Highlights are the annual Las Fallas Festival in Valencia and St Patrick's Day in Dublin.
MARCH 2020 |
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15 St Patrick's Day : Trafalgar Square
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18 Las Fallas, Valencia
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29 Oxford vs Cambridge
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London Highlights are a day of wine tasting at the Vintage Wine Tasting Festival (Tickets need to be booked well in advance) as well as the London Marathon (which is more fun than it sounds with a carnival like atmosphere at the finishing line)
UK Highlights are the Grand National the UK's most famous horse race.
European Highlights are Snowbombing (A music festival in the snow in Austria) and Kings Day in Amsterdam (The Netherlands party in a sea of orange), Walpurgis Night in Helsinki and Seville Fair (A good excuse to see one of Spain's must visit cities)
*** Book your holidays in Advance for the 4 day Easter break
APRIL 2020 |
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3 Budapest Spring Festival Starts
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10 Good Friday |
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London Highlights include the Chelsea Flower Show, Midnight Madness and the London Sevens.
UK Highlights are the unique and frightening Cheese Rolling in Cooper's Hill Gloucestershire (Well worth mixing in with a day/weekend exploring the nearby Cotswolds)
European Highlights include the Seville Fair, Rhine in Flames Festival in Bonn, Germany and the Monaco Grand Prix.
For Information on UK Music Festivals (including London) and European Music Festivals click on the links here.
**** There are two long weekends in May so to take advantage book your trips away well in advance.
MAY 2020 |
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5 Cheltenham Jazz Festival Starts
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London has many Highlights some of these being Polo in the Park, Access to the Open Squares Gardens, Trooping the Colour, Pride in London (A huge fun celebration in the city) and Wimbledon.
UK Highlights include the Royal Ascot Racing Carnival Stonehenge Summer Solstice and Glastonbury.
European Highlights include the Calcio Storico in Florence, Italy
For Information on UK Music Festivals (including London) and European Music Festivals click on the links here.
JUNE 2020 |
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12 Love Box Music Festival Starts
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19 Pinkpop Festival Netherlands Starts
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London Highlights include Wimbledon, Hampton Court Flower Show, Euro 2020 Finals played at Wembley Stadium, Wimbledon, Hyper Japan, Lambeth Country Show and for fans of the movie Dirty Dancing Secret Cinema.
UK Highlights include Henley Regatta and British Grand Prix.
European Highlights include Pamplona (Running of the Bulls), Fiesta of Near Death Experiences and Galway Racing Festival.
For Information on UK Music Festivals (Including London) and European Music Festivals click on the links here.
JULY 2020 |
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2 Cricket: T20: Middlesex vs Surrey @Lords |
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7 Hampton Court Flower Show Starts
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8 Euro 2020 Semi Final @ Wembley
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14 Pamplona: Running of the Bulls Ends
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London Highlights include London Craft Beer Festival, Ride London, South West Four and Notting Hill Carnival.
UK Highlights include the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Edinburgh International Festival.
European Highlights include Galway Racing Festival, Palio Di Siena, Rose of Tralee, Tomatina, Cipotegato
For Information on UK Music Festivals (including London) and European Music Festivals click on the links here.
*** Book well in advance to save money and take advantage of the August Bank Holiday
AUGUST 2020 |
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23 Pukklepop, Belgium Festival ends
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27 Cipotegato Festival Starts, Tarazona Spain
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31 Bank Holiday Monday |
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London Highlights include the Open House London Weekend
UK Highlights include Braemar Highland games (Scotland) and Egremont Crab Fair and Gurning World Championship.
European Highlights include Oktoberfest, Stuttgart Beer Festival and Galway International Oyster Festival.
For Information on UK Music Festivals (Including London) and European Music Festivals click on the links here.
SEPTEMBER 2020 |
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16 Reeperbahn Festival Hamburg Germany Starts
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18 Egremont Crab Fair and Gurning Championships, Cumbria
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19 Egremont Crab Fair and Gurning Championships, Cumbria
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25 Stuttgart Beer Festival Starts Galway International Oyster Festival
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London Highlights include Discover Dogs and Regents Street Motor Show
UK Highlights include the World Conker Championships
European Highlights include Oktoberfest, Stuttgart Beer Festival and on the same weekend in Paris Nuit Blanche and the prestigious Prix de L'Arc de Tromphe Horse Race.
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London Highlights include Guy Fawkes Bonfire Night and the start of Winter Wonderland and the Christmas at Kew Gardens exhibition.
UK Highlights include Lewes Bonfire Night and Tar Barrels in Devon
European Highlights include Rabechilbi in Richterswil, Switzerland (A turnip lantern parade that is better than it sounds) and the Santa Claus World Championships also in Switzerland.
NOVEMBER 2020 |
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1 Wexford Opera Festival, Ireland Ends
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5 Tar Barrels, Otter St Mary, Devon
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14 Zurich: Rabechilbi Turnip Lantern Parade
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20 Winter Wonderland likely begins
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London Highlights include Winter Wonderland, Xmas @ Kew Gardens, Peter Pan Cup, Boxing Day Sales, Miss World 2020, World Dart Championships, numerous Pantomimes and much more.
UK Highlights include Hogmanay in Edinburgh (Arguably the best New Years Celebration in the world)
European Highlights include Xmas Markets (various locations across Europe), St Nicholas Eve (Prague) and Escalade in Geneva, Switzerland
DECEMBER 2020 |
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Updated: 9:13am on 7th January 2020
Keywords:
aussies in london
kiwis in london
americans in london
latinos in london
things to do in london
escaping london
events in london
itinerary tips for london
Written by: Jeremy Cogdon
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