Stockholm Taste of Stockholm (smakapastockholm.se)
Held in the Kungsträdgården, Taste of Stockholm sees the city’s restaurants take part in serving more than 200 different dishes. Finishing on Sweden’s National Day, the festival has grown to offer visitors a taste of Swedish culture and entertainment, as well as Swedish food.
10-18
Berga (Barcelona)
La Patum (catalunyaturisme. com)
A mixture of medieval religious plays and ancient pagan celebrations, La Patum sees several folk characters, including els Turcs i Cavallets (Turks and Cavaliers), Maces and Plens (angels and devils) els Nans Vells and els Gegants (dwarves and giants), dance to the ‘patum’ of El Tabal (the drum) which heralds the festival.
10
Turin
La Balôn (balon.it) Officially founded in 1856, the Balôn is a gigantic flea and antique market held in Turin’s Mercato dell’Abbigliamento. It is held every second Sunday of the month and sells dresses, glasswork, carpets, paintings, books, toys, furniture – you name it, it’s there.
8-10
Oslo
Sommerfest (osloarr.no)
On average 400,000 people descend on Norway’s capital for the annual Sommerfest. Based around the seafront and the city centre, the whole vibe is laid-back and food oriented.
13-23
London Swan Lake at the Royal Albert Hall (royalalberthall.com)
What better way to soak up culture in the UK capital than with a performance of the romantic ballet, Swan Lake? The Royal Albert Hall is transformed into a magical lake for this spectacular production featuring dancers from the English National Ballet and New York City Ballet. Tchaikovsky’s score will be performed by the Orchestra of English National Ballet.
14-16
Sonar (sonar.es)
A weekend of advanced music and multimedia art, Sonar attracts some of the world’s most innovative and creative artists. Now in its 14th year, Sonar presents an eclectic mix of concerts, conferences, discussions, exhibitions and installations.
21-24
Brussels Fête de la Musique (fetedelamusique.be)
This music festival plays host to over 500 free concerts with the theme ‘unusual places’. Events, both in the city and around Wallonia, ensure there is something for everybody, including a Children’s Music Festival. The summer solstice on 21 June sees the opening with the Cérémonie des Octave de la Musique.
11-27
Budapest
Danube Carnival and Duna Arts Festival (dunaart.hu)
The Chain Bridge is the oldest bridge connecting Buda and Pest, and the symbol of the capital city. The festival sees boat races, music and storytelling all take place along and around it during the day, while by night floating candles transform the river and a firework display brings the celebrations to a close. Meanwhile, all over the city are performances of dance and music celebrating Hungarian artistic achievements
21-23
Barcelona
Sonar (sonar.es)
A weekend of advanced music and multimedia art, Sonar attracts some of the world’s most innovative and creative artists. Now in its 14th year, Sonar presents an eclectic mix of concerts, conferences, discussions, exhibitions and installations
25-27
St Petersburg
Festival of Festivals (filmfest.ru)
The 15th International Film Festival celebrates outstanding recent work in international and Russian cinema. The festival programme is held during the long bright summer evenings known as ‘White Nights’ and includes over 100 film screenings as well as the Golden Gryphon Awards ceremony
