Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

In the diary

Text Jennifer Cartmell, Tabitha Lasley

Wrap up warm to experience the illuminated delights of Berlin, or head indoors for ballet, jazz and opera

14-25 OCTOBER

Berlin
Festival of Lights
Berlin turns into the city of lights this month, with more than 50 illuminations across the capital. More than one million spectators are expected to fill the streets to enjoy the displays – from soft golden lights to electric blue dazzlers – that will shine brightly from all the city’s major landmarks and squares. www.festival-of-lights.de

1-4 OCTOBER

Copenhagen
Blues Festival
You can see 60 concerts during this festival’s six-day run. Some 20 concert halls across the city will ring with the sound of jazz and blues from the likes of Storm & the Hurricanes, the Jonas Vincent Quartet and Eddy ‘The Chief’ Clearwater. www.copenhagenbluesfestival.dk

 

1-12 OCTOBER

Manchester
Manchester Food & Drink Festival
Conceived as the UK’s foodie renaissance was kicking off, this festival is now in its 11th year. Highlights include the Chorlton Mushroom Hunt (4 October), a tour of the Northern Quarter (9 October) and the city’s first whisky festival (10 October). www.foodanddrinkfestival.com

2-23 OCTOBER

London
Rigoletto
When the ENO transposed Rigoletto’s action from a Renaissance court to 1950s New York, an instant classic was created. With gangland wrangling standing in for courtly intrigue, the production has never been off the repertoire at the London Coliseum. www.eno.org

 

3 OCTOBER

Geneva
Swiss Classic British Car Meeting
More than 10,000 automobile enthusiasts will flock to Morges near Geneva to see over 1,200 classic cars and bikes. Petrol heads of a certain vintage should keep an eye out for Austins, Bentleys and Jaguars, just a few of the vehicles on display. www.british-cars.ch

3-15 OCTOBER

Oslo
Giselle
Staged at Oslo’s grand, glacial Opera House just in time for Halloween, Giselle tells the chilling tale of a peasant girl who goes mad and dies after being jilted. In turn, her lover is haunted by a group of vengeful female spirits. Can Giselle’s love save him? www.operaen.no

 

10 OCTOBER

Stockholm
Galileo’s Telescope
Held to mark the 400th anniversary of Galileo aiming his telescope skywards, Nobel Museet’s exhibition recalls an experiment that changed the way the world was seen. It also features one of the telescopes. www.nobelmuseum.se

15-17 OCTOBER

Madrid
Optica Festival
Some 200 artists and 20 galleries are involved in this festival that focuses on contemporary audiovisual art, staging workshops and installations. It’s less staid than your average arts festival – parties account for a big chunk of the programme. www.opticafestival.com

 

15-25 OCTOBER

Lisbon
Doclisboa
Pulling together some of the best documentaries from last season, this year’s Doclisboa focuses on football, the Balkans and extraordinary love stories captured in non-fiction films. Look out for a master class by Jonas Mekas (of John and Yoko’s Bed-In fame). www.doclisboa.org

23 OCTOBER-15 NOVEMBER

Moscow
Varekai
Picking up where the myth of Icarus left off, Cirque du Soleil’s Varekai tells the story of a young man who crash-lands in a magical forest at the top of a volcano and has to learn to fly again. Expect big-top derring-do and lots of big-budget gloss. www.cirquedusoleil.com

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