Now in its 25th year, this twice-yearly festival stages a series of classical concerts throughout the city. This autumn’s programme will feature performances from luminaries such as the Mozart Orchestra and the Orchestre des Champs-Elysée as well as appearances by Alter Ego (pictured), Sonia Turchetta and the Alternberg Trio.
Catch the final week of this remarkable exhibition at the Groeninge Museum. Looking at Flemish painters from the 15th and 16th century, the show examines the ways in which they incorporated the discoveries from the New World into their work. It’s a must for anyone with even a passing interest in Belgian history.
Explore-at-Bristol, the hands-on science centre, brings perennial children’s favourites Alice In Wonderland and Alice Through The Looking Glass to life with a series of 60 interactive illusions. Join the Queen of Hearts for a game of croquet, take tea with the Mad Hatter and enter the looking glass house to see life from the perspective of the dormouse.
The world’s biggest public festival, Oktoberfest pulls in around six million committed beer drinkers every year. This year, there’ll be 14 huge beer tents, each with its own distinct atmosphere, as well as a spectacular funfair, costumed parades and plenty of live music.
This week-long homage to the archipelago staple dovetails with the end of Finland’s fishing season. The fair, which dates back to the 18th century, sees boats converge on Helsinki’s harbour, where locals gather to snap up fish flavoured with everything from garlic and cayenne to lemon and rowanberry.
Founded in 1974, the Flanders International Film Festival is Belgium’s most prominent film event. Pulling in over 100,000 visitors, it routinely features around 150 films, 90 shorts and a series of seminars. This year, the festival’s focus will shift to the importance of music in films.
Over 110 galleries and dealers will be touting their wares at Battersea Park’s Affordable Art Fair. Buyers can browse sculpture, paintings and prints without the prohibitive price tag that usually comes with this sort of work – everything here is under €4,500 (£3,000).
For one night only, 300 of Copenhagen’s cultural institutions will throw their doors open to the viewing public. As well as the usual roll-call of churches, galleries, museums and the zoo, visitors will also be able to see hitherto hidden venues, such as the Copenhagen Stock Exchange.
Five years ago, pastry chefs Magnus Johansson and Tony Olsson brought Sweden’s first chocolate festival to Stockholm after being inspired by a similar event they saw in Paris. The event, at the Nordiska Museet, has steadily gathered momentum and now features exhibitions, demonstrations and opportunities to taste cakes, puddings and pralines.
25-27
Frankfurt
German Jazz Festival
Frankfurt 2007
(www.hr-online.de)
One of the longest running jazz festivals in Europe, and arguably the most well respected, it takes place outside the Hessicher Rundfunk Studio and is broadcast all over Germany. This year’s line-up includes the up-and-coming slide guitarist Derek Trucks and his Songlines band, as well as Hilmar Jensson’s TYFT (pictured) from Iceland featuring Jim Black on drums.
