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Global Calendar: The Top 5 Events This April
From a delicious foodie festival in Toronto to astounding folk rituals in Kerala – here’s where to go this month
Cartagena de Indias International Film Festival
Cartagena, Colombia
1-6 April 2025
An enchanting Caribbean city in the country that gave us magical realism, Cartagena is a fitting backdrop for a festival that highlights the art of filmmaking in general – and Colombian cinema in particular.
Founded in 1960, the Cartagena de Indias International Film Festival is the oldest and most prestigious event of its kind in Latin America. It does this status justice by shining a spotlight on films from an exhaustive array of genres and countries of origin while placing special emphasis on the growth and development of the Colombian film and TV industry. The awards are a particular highlight, especially in the short film category, which offers a unique opportunity for regional makers of short cinema to access Academy Award nominations. Other popular programmes include showings of African and indigenous cinema, as well as the Cine en los Barrios series that brings screenings to Cartagena’s vibrant neighbourhoods and surrounding towns.
Snowbombing
Mayrhofen, Austria
7-12 April 2025
A snow sports event, a music festival or an excuse to cosy up at an Austrian spa? Yes, yes and yes.
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Dubbed “the world’s greatest show on snow”, this icy extravaganza in the Austrian Alps has it all. Spend the days carving up Mayrhofen’s 142 kilometres of pristine slopes and terrain park, then dance the night away to headlining musical acts at open-air street concerts, state-of-the-art club nights and speakeasy-style underground DJ sets. Get swept off your feet in Chairlift Speed Dating, go paragliding over the mountaintops, join an Alpine yoga (“snowga”) session, or toss your hat in the ring at the annual Snowlympics and compete in sledge racing, sumo wrestling, snowball fights and tug-of-war battles. Sounds exhausting? When you need a breather, retreat to the serenity of a sauna at one of Mayrhofen’s celebrated spas.
Toronto Food & Drink Fest
Toronto, Canada
11-13 April 2025
Home to one of Canada’s most innovative culinary scenes – and certainly its most diverse – Toronto tops many a globetrotting foodie’s bucket list, and April is prime time to go.
The Toronto Food & Drink Fest, billed as the country’s largest festival of its kind, is a three-day dining spectacular for flavour aficionados. Street-eat enthusiasts can sample the best of the city’s legendary food trucks. Cocktail connoisseurs can learn to sling drinks like the masters in mixology classes. Wine lovers can savour local vintages as they chat with the winemakers who created them. And epicures of all stripes won’t want to miss the Chef’s Stage, where Toronto’s best culinary talents show off their chops – and share a handy tip or two. When the sun goes down, anyone who hasn’t had their fill can head to the Delicious Vibes dance floor and bust out their two-step skills to high-energy country tunes.
Splashy Fen
Underberg, South Africa
17-21 April 2025
Join the pilgrimage of dedicated South African music lovers to beautiful Underberg for the country’s longest-running outdoor music festival.
Dating back to 1990, when one tractor-powered generator was running the entire festival, Splashy Fen takes its name from its picturesque farm location in the foothills of the majestic Drakensberg mountains. As such, the festival is all about the outdoor experience – rife with breathtaking vistas, natural amphitheatres, a winding river and a strong camping element. The musical emphasis here is on home-grown talent from across South Africa, with tunes spanning a wide range of genres that include indie, blues, rock, techno and traditional African music. Eco-focused and family-friendly, the festival even provides fully supervised entertainment for the little ones, from puppet shows to story time and craft activities.
Theyyam
Kerala, India
Various Dates
Drums are beating. Torches are blazing. The crowd draws nearer. A man dressed in elaborate garb begins a trance-like dance – and becomes a god.
A form of both folk art and worship, theyyam is an ancient ritual that’s been observed across northern Kerala and parts of Karnataka for millennia; some say it predates Hinduism. Each theyyam ritual is different and distinct, according to the deities and traditions of the temple where it takes place, but most are held at night (some even last from dawn until dusk) and commonly feature a male performer – usually from a lower caste – wearing colourful face paintings and an intricate costume with an ornate headdress called a mudi. As the performer follows the traditional dance steps of his particular theyyam, he enters a state of entrancement, at which point it is believed that the deity being represented physically enters the body of the performer. Devotees come from all around to witness these theyyams, believing they can receive blessings from the divine and become closer to the gods through the ritual. These sacred practices are observed on auspicious dates from October to April, with many occurring in the coming month. Travellers looking to experience theyyam should consult a local calendar such as this one.
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