10 Unmissable Late Summer Events

The longest day of the year has passed and the nights are getting cooler, but festival season isn’t quite over yet. Squeeze the last bit of warm-weather fun out of summer with our eclectic roundup of the 10 best events around the world.

Rave The Planet 
Berlin, Germany
17 August 2024

Discussions about whether a rave can be a political demonstration are as old as the Love Parade. From 1989 to 2003, the street rave grew from a small handful of club kids to 1.5 million attendees dancing in the streets of Berlin, all in the name of love and peace. Since 2020, Rave The Planet tries to recapture the magic and has been successful in its aim to have Berlin techno culture recognised as part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. In August, the new parade hits the streets for the second time, once again combining party, culture and political demonstration.

Tango BA
Buenos Aires, Argentina
21 August – 1 September 2024

This annual tango extravaganza offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in Argentina’s UNESCO-certified Intangible Cultural Heritage. The country dances to the 4/4 beat of the famous dance year-round, but for 12 days at the end of the mild southern hemisphere winter, the capital comes alive with concerts, dance shows, a film programme, art exhibitions, competitions (including the Tango World Cup) and spectacular dance parties known as milongas.

Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race
Istanbul, Turkey
25 August  2024

The Bosphorus, which separates the European and Asian parts of Istanbul, is one of the busiest waterways in the world. Yet once a year, all traffic passing through the strait comes to a standstill, as thousands of participants brave the waters to swim between the continents. What sounds like an unfathomable achievement is in fact a rather manageable 6.5-kilometre stretch – by far the shortest cross-continental swim in the world. This relatively short distance opens the race up to amateurs, which is part of its charm, along with the urban scenery and spectacular mass start.

Historical Venice Regatta
Venice, Italy
29 August – 1 September 2024

On the first Sunday of September, Venetians gather along the Grand Canal to prove that the city’s famous gondolas are more than just a tourist attraction. The more eye-catching part of the regatta is a reenactment of historic events, featuring spectacular gondolas and volunteers in period costumes. The larger portion, however, is dedicated to races in different categories, all powered in the unique Venetian standing style. The big day is preceded by the blessing of the gondolini on the previous Thursday.

Fool in Love Festival
Inglewood, California, USA
31 August 2024

No matter your age, this brand new music festival is sure to hit you in the feels. Hosted at Hollywood Park, the new entertainment precinct near LAX airport, the nostalgia-themed lineup sees everyone from Lionel Richie and Diana Ross to Chaka Khan and Gladys Knight playing, making for a unique opportunity to see dozens of legendary artists – some of whom rarely set foot on a stage anymore. The only question that remains is how they will squeeze them all into a one-day festival.

Omagari Hanabi Fireworks Festival
Daisen, Japan
31 August 2024

If you’re in Japan during the summer, you’ll be spoiled for choice when it comes to fireworks festivals. Setting the sky ablaze on a hot August night is a storied tradition, usually accompanied by music, storytelling, food, drinks and a lively festival atmosphere. At the Omagari Hanabi Fireworks Festival in Daisen, Akita Prefecture, you are likely to see some of the best displays the country has to offer. Here, top pyrotechnicians wow judges and audiences as part of Japan’s most prestigious national fireworks competition.

Kwita Izina Gorilla Naming Ceremony
Kinigi, Rwanda
1 September 2024

There’s a lot to celebrate at Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. The sprawling rainforest habitat is home to a growing population of endangered mountain gorillas, whose numbers are steadily increasing thanks to dedicated tracking and conservation efforts. The park’s annual naming ceremony contributes to both. Each year, locals, visitors, celebrities and foreign dignitaries gather to honour the Rwandan tradition of naming children born into the community as part of a public ceremony – only this time, it’s the baby gorillas being christened.

Foliage Festivals
New England, USA
13-29 September 2024

As summer blends into autumn, changing leaves transform large swaths of North America into a colourful road trip paradise, where the journey becomes the destination. A variety of festivals and attractions serve as highlights along the way: giant corn mazes, pumpkin patches, harvest fairs and the beginnings of countless Halloween festivals dot the entire eastern coast of the US. The Big E, a multi-state fair representing all six New England states, serves as a one-stop shop with an agricultural expo, amusements for all ages, regional and international food, as well as live music on several stages.

[Photo courtesy of The Big E]

Festes de la Mercè
Barcelona, Spain
20-24 September 2024

As tourism season comes to an end, the Catalonian city celebrates itself and its patron saint during this massive city-wide festival. The heart of the programme ranges from traditional performances, like building human towers in public squares and a parade of giant puppets through the city centre, to more surprising customs like the correfoc fire run, which sees participants dressed as devils setting off fireworks in the streets. In recent years, the omnipresent music and dancing that was always essential to the festival has spread from local squares to the city’s big venues, so you can also catch international artists playing on massive stages, all for free.

[Photo credit: Dbascones via Wikimedia Commons]

Rioja Wine Harvest Festival
Logroño, Spain
20-26 September 2024

Wine harvest festivals are always special events, reflecting the traditions of a wine-growing region and offering insights into viticulture. In the La Rioja region, known for its eponymous red wine, the week-long celebrations include official ceremonies, parades, street parties and, of course, wine and food tastings. In Logroño, the regional capital, you can witness the traditional grape treading, which involves old-fashioned bare-footed stomping in a wooden vat, resulting in the first pitcher extracted from the annual harvest.