Rock in Rio in Brazil is South America’s largest music festival with over 700,000 attendees. This celebration of rock, electronic and alternative music runs September 2-4 and 8-11, 2022 at Olympic Park. Headliners include Justin Bieber and Demi Lovato.  The Lisbon-based edition of the festival (June 18-19 and 25-26) features Foo Fighters, The National and Liam Gallagher.

Lyon, France’s Festival of Lights began December 8, 1852 when residents placed candles in colored votives on their window sills to celebrate the installation of the Virgin Mary on the Fourvière Hill.  Now, starting around December 8, 2022 for four nights, Lyon showcases an impressive and eclectic lineup of intimate installations, spectacular projection mapping and everything in between illuminating buildings, streets, squares and parks.

Sziget in Budapest, Hungary is a massive musical and cultural event running August 10-15, 2022 and includes over 1,000 performances across 60 stages. While primarily a music festival, art and culture also play a significant role with a circus, theater and museum onsite. Artists come from all over the world to showcase their talents.

Diwali – Festival of Lights runs October 24-28, 2022. This Hindu festival is celebrated in India, as well as around the world. Celebrants offer prayers to Lakshmi –the goddess of prosperity and the clay lamps (deepa) that Indians light outside their homes symbolize the inner light that protects from spiritual darkness. The Festival of Lights is a joyous occasion and is also one of the biggest shopping seasons of the year in India.

Fuji Rock Festival in Japan is among the country’s largest outdoor festivals, running August 21-23, 2022.  Escape the Tokyo heat at the Naeba Ski Resort-based festival where you travel the mountains by cable car. Enjoy over 200 national and international bands, along with hot springs, nature walks, woodlands, clear rivers and sparkling lakes. It is also famous for the quality of the food, its cleanliness, and the audience itself.

La Tomatina in Buñol, Spain is the world’s largest food fight held on the last Wednesday of August (August 31, 2022). Thousands of tourists and locals gather to throw tomatoes at each other and paint the streets red. La Tomatina Buñol has inspired similar celebrations in Colorado, Nevada, Colombia, Costa Rica, India and China.