7 Best Festivals in Europe That You Must Attend in 2024

Europe is very famously known as the cultural powerhouse of the Western world. With its many languages, people, and a long and rich history, the continent is the dream place to be for globetrotters. Places such as Paris, Italy, Prague, and Vienna have long been centres of art, music, theatre, and dance. It is no real wonder that festivals in Europe are the world’s largest! Everything from folk art to metal music and modern art to natural beauty is the focus of celebrations in the various European music festivals. With a promise to be bigger and better in the coming year, these festivals are sure to blow your minds! Make sure to visit them all. Be it food, music, nature or something entirely different that is your calling, Europe has something for everyone.

Top Festivals In Europe In 2024

It is a great idea to include these 7 famous festivals for your Euro trip itinerary. Here is a list of festivals in Europe that are literally the best kind of celebration you’ll ever encounter across the continent. You must attend these European festivals at least once in your life

• The Carnival Of Venice
• St. Patrick’s Day
• Maslenitsa
• Carnava
• Cannes Film Festival
• Glastonbury Festival
• Edinburgh Festival Fringe

1. The Carnival Of Venice

If you are looking for festivals featuring elaborate masks, the Carnival of Venice is one of the best festivals in Europe to be a part of. Even though the festival has its deep roots that stem from millennia back, the new and modern version began to take form only in 1979 as an effort to revive the dying culture of the great city. The events that are available during this festival are a water parade, some competitions that are inspired by old Venetian traditions, a grand ball with masks and dancing, and a fashion contest for best mask design.

2. St. Patrick’s Day

The Day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of the Catholic nation of Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day has old roots. It is celebrated on 17th March every year as it marks the arrival of Christianity into Ireland and is considered one of the best spring festivals in Europe. Over time, it has evolved into a celebration of Irish culture. Marked most distinctly by the colour green of the shamrock, it includes parades and other revelries, particularly in Dublin where the Irish Volunteers march. One of the most popular, it is also often called the festival of alcohol as the Lentil prohibitions on alcohol end on this day.

3. Maslenitsa

Maslenitsa festival is one of the most famous cultural events in Europe that involves carnivals surrounding religion from the Slavic traditions of Eastern Europe. This festival in Europe is celebrated eight weeks before Eastern Easter and it is one of the oldest festivals to take place in Europe in March. This festival is famously known as Crepe week.

4. Carnava

Celebrated in the southern regions of the Netherlands, this is one of the largest festivals in Europe, which is marked by its theme of role reversals. The Motley Storm, or the D’n Optocht, is the most visible face of one of the largest festivals in Europe in March, with these parades full of colourful floats. There is also a lot of traditional dance and music at various events of the festivals, with Carnaval being one of the foremost dance festivals in Europe.

5. Cannes Film Festival

Cannes is a small village in France and the site of one of the largest festivals here. A complete by-invitation-only event, Cannes is the world’s premier film festival and witnesses the screening of almost all genres of the most brilliant movies of the year for a select audience. Taking place at the amazing Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, the festival has caught the film world’s attention in the form of the Venice Film Festival that had developed a fascist streak. Each year, the festival also honours the best film with the famous Palm d’Or, which is often regarded as a more prestigious recognition than the Oscars. Due to the nature to its elegant and famous stars, it is considered one of the best festivals in Europe which millions of people flock to.

6. Glastonbury Festival

Europe is known for its musical festivals but the Glastonbury Festival has a special place. Held in Somerset, England, since the 1970s, the festival is a major part of the British culture. Major pop artists perform at the venue and give a lot of cheer to the crowd. The festival sees as much as 175,000 people in attendance and is the world’s largest greenfield festival. Beyonce, Dave Grohl, U2, Coldplay and almost all other pop stars have performed at the festival, and it is truly one of the most popular music festivals in Europe.

7. Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Simply called the Fringe, it is among the most important August festivals in Europe. It is also the world’s largest art festival, and in 2017, it was held over 25 days and had 53,232 performances during 3398 shows spread over 300 venues across the Scottish city. Most of the events, which cover theatre, dance, cabaret, opera, music, and exhibitions, are not judged, so anyone can participate. The comedy shows during the festival have a higher profile due to the Edinburgh Comedy Awards that are given to the best shows. The Edinburgh festival is set to be the biggest festivals in Europe.

Having read through all of the amazing festivals in Europe, it’s now time to pack your bags and start on this amazing journey! Book your trip with Pickyourtrail, where we have experts who will give you the Europe Tour Packages for you to explore Europe.