Festivals are an organisational nightmare, but a fan’s annual dream and across the globe there are more festivals than you can shake a stick at. So for the avid traveller - or plain old festival addict - I have come up with what you should be checking out during the first week of April.
New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival
Festivals Around The World
When: Last weekend of April and first weekend of May
Where: Fair Grounds, New Orleans
What: Get your funky boots on, because this little festival is everything a jazz kitten could want from a weekend in New Orleans.
Originally set up as a tribute to the great Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong, the event is not to be missed if you’re anything like The Mighty Boosh’s Howard Moon! Bring On The trumpets!
Queen’s Day
When: Last Sunday In April.
Where: Amsterdam, Netherlands.
What: Now don’t be fooled by the name of this little gathering, because it’s niot the tea and scones fest you’d probably imagine from something celebrating royalty. I mean, let’s face it, when have Amsterdam ever done things by halves?
In actual fact, the city comes to life in a full-on knees up with a madhouse celebration of Queen Beatrix which includes, as you’d expect, street parties, live music, dance and of course, lots of beer.
The canals, streets and bars overflow with hoards of people, who probably don’t even know what the hell they’re partying for, other than the fact they should have booked the Monday day off work.
Walpurgisnacht (Witches Night)
When: 30 April
Where: Brocken, Harz Mountains, Germany
What: Now I know our Witches night is a couple of months away now, but in Germany, witches and warlocks galore come out at might night for this mountaintop gathering.
Okay, so traditionally, this is the place where witches would land their broomsticks after a busy nigh flying around and causing havoc, causing terror amongst the superstitious villagers. And it seems that these fables have continued into modern times now, but rather than fearing the witchy-poos, they now party with them.
FemaleFirst - Ruth Harrison