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China's famous Ice Town sees annual sculpture festival scaled back

While Ice and Snow World and the Snow Sculpture Exhibition, two of the most famous festival sites, are open, all mass gatherings have been cancelled.

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Bulgarian villagers chase away evil with bonfire feast and dancing

Every year on the night of January 13, villagers in Bulgaria gather in a festival to scare away evil and bring good health and bountiful crops.

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Russia's premier Ice Sculpting competition gets underway in Perm

Sculptors will spend five days perfecting their frozen creations before judges choose the winners.

United Kingdom

UK live music industry calls for help to save summer festival season

Because of the uncertainty caused by COVID-19, UK festival organisers say they need government insurance support to save summer events such as Glastonbury.

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Russians enjoy winter weather at snowman festival

Dozens of Russian families enjoyed winter weather in Kazan on Sunday while competing at a snowman festival.

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Madrid market's makeover after street festival moves due to COVID-19

Shopfronts in a traditional Madrid market got a makeover as part of a reimagined street art festival in the Spanish capital.

Green News

‘Hungry for solutions’: Climate festival fills gap left by COP26

Across two days, over 100 speakers will be giving talks and panels featuring solutions to the climate crisis.

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Watch: Mexican balloon festival goes online due to COVID-19 pandemic

The annual event usually attracts half a million visitors - this year it was reduced to 400.

Egypt

Film about Bosnia takes top prize at El Gouna Film Festival

The nine-day event is the first film festival in the Middle East to take place amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Coronavirus forces Halloween events to be scaled back in the US

Halloween is normally big business In the US. But the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has put pay to a lot of events.

Cult

World Press Cartoon awards face down censorship

Resistance to censorship was a central theme of the World Press Cartoon awards in Portugal and the subsequent ongoing exhibition. The ceremony also managed to sucessfully navigate COVID-imposed restrictions.

Destinations

Six unusual European festivals to add to your bucket list

These unusual European festivals will have you rolling after cheese in England, walking with donkeys in Portugal, and playing air guitar in Finland.

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Landmarks and buildings lit up as Berlin's Festival of Lights begins

Under the motto "together we shine," the historic centre of Berlin was lit up on Friday evening with installations on monuments and historical buildings throughout the city.

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London holds first-ever mural festival despite coronavirus crisis

Over 150 artists from around the world will paint more than 60 large murals across the UK capital.

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Celebrations for the traditional Shoton Festival begin in Lhasa

A traditional "sunning of the Buddha" ceremony marked the start of the festival Wednesday in the capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, with a huge Thangka painting bearing the image of the Buddha being displayed on hillsides near the Drepung Monastery.

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Watch: In Japan, ancestors are given a send-off by boat

The ceremony is held on the last day of the Bon Buddhist festival.

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Buddhist festival held without spectators in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's annual Esala Perahera festival is held in the inland city of Kandy.

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Chinese beer lovers leave face masks behind as festival opens

Revellers were eating and drinking together, watching shows and fireworks and sampling the more than 1,500 types of beer available.

Austria

100th Salzburg festival goes ahead despite coronavirus pandemic

Spectators have to wear a mask until they are seated, and there are no intermissions or catering.

Mongolia

COVID-19: Mongolia's traditional Naadam festival goes ahead online

Mongolia's Naadam sporting festival goes ahead behind closed doors but a select audience, including politicians, caused some resentment on the streets