Festivals
WHS within which a culturally significant festival is or has in recent times been regularly held.
Connected Sites
| Site | Rationale | Link |
| Ancient Nara | Nara's Todaiji Temple for Omizutori festival | |
| Assisi | The Calendimaggio of Assisi is a festival that is celebrated every first Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday after May 1st of every year, to welcome the arrival of spring. The two Parties into which the city is divided, the Nobilissima Parte de Sopra and the Magnifica Parte de Sotto, challenge each other to win the palio, through the holding of processions in medieval costumes, re-enactments of medieval life in the city's alleys and musical performances. The Town Hall square (Piazza del Comune) is the centre of the event. | |
| Australian Convict Sites | Sydney Festival (Hyde Park Barracks) | |
| Avignon | Festival d'Avignon | |
| Baalbek | Baalbeck International Festival | |
| Baekje Historic Areas | Baekje Cultural Festival | |
| Belfries | Every three years, the Kattenstoet ('Festival of the Cats') is organised in Ypres. "The parade commemorates an Ypres tradition from the Middle Ages in which cats were allegedly thrown from the belfry tower of the Cloth Hall to the town square below." Nowadays, "a jester tosses plush children's-toy cats from the Cloth Hall belfry down to the crowd, which awaits with outstretched arms to catch one." | |
| Berat and Gjirokastra | The Gjirokastër National Folklore Festival is an artistic festival taking place every five years at Gjirokastër Castle in Gjirokastër. The festival was first held in 1968 and is regarded as the most important event in Albanian culture. The festival showcases Albanian traditional music, dress and dance from Albania, the diaspora, and Albanian inhabited lands throughout the Balkans and Southern Italy. | |
| Byblos | Byblos International Festival | |
| Carthage | The International Carthage Festival (music, theater) is held every other year in the Roman theater (July-August). | |
| Churches and Convents of Goa | Goa Carnival (introduced by the Portuguese) | |
| City of Bath | "The City [of Bath] hosts annual festivals including the celebrated Bath festival (of music) and the Mozart Festival". (Great Spas of Europe Nomination File, p. 442) | |
| Coffee Cultural Landscape | Carnival of Riosucio (ICOMOS AB Ev) (Nomination file, p. 50) – "Amongst the main festivals, some are related directly to coffee: the National Coffee festivals that take place in Calarcá; the Fiesta del Canasto, in Filandia; and the Fiestas de La Cosecha, in Pereira." (Nomination file, p. 50) | |
| Costiera Amalfitana | Ravello Festival | |
| Cuzco | Inti Raymi (Sacsahuyaman) - Jun 24 | |
| Dougga/Thugga | "Once a year, in the spring, the Aïn-El-Hammam cisterns and the area around the Severus Alexander arch come alive with a colourful crowd, on the occasion of «Lella Mokhola’s» «zarda». This is well-established ceremony of a religious and sacred nature amongst the inhabitants of Dougga and its surrounding region." (see link) | |
| Edinburgh | Edinburgh Festival: Theatre, Music, Opera, Dance and Visual Arts. Many events take place inside inscribed buildings. Also Military Tattoo in the Castle. (Aug-Sep each year) | |
| Elephanta Caves | Two-day Elephanta Festival of classical dance and heritage art forms | |
| Fertö/Neusiedlersee | Rust International Guitar Festival | |
| Florence | Operas for the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino are also held at the Teatro della Pergola | |
| Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa Dolmen | Festivals are held yearly at all three Dolmen Sites."Ganghwa Dolmen Cultural Festival is the most famous of Ganghwa Island's festivals. It celebrates the island's dolmens, which have been designated as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. The Dolmen Festival includes several performances, such as the reenactment of a traditional Korean funeral ceremony and a demonstration of how the dolmens were constructed." - english.visitkorea.or.kr | |
| Goias | Procession of the Fogar | |
| Great Spa Towns of Europe | Baden bei Wien hosts several festivals, e.g. "the traditional Festival of Operetta (existing for more than 120 years), the colourful Festival of Roses, and the biggest pan-European Fotofestival: LaGacilly-Baden-Photo." Františkovy Lázně hosts "the International Strauss Festival which is visited by tens of thousands of visitors." Karlovy Vary has "the International Film Festival, one of the oldest film festivals in the world". "The City [of Bath] hosts annual festivals including the celebrated Bath festival (of music) and the Mozart Festival". (Nomination File, p. 89, 127, 148, 442) | |
| Gyeongju | Silla Cultural Festival - Events: National Classical Music concert at the Anapji Pond. The serene Kyerim Glade is the setting for a poem composition contest."Every year since 1962 a Silla Cultural Festival has been held in October to celebrate and honour the dynasty's history and culture. It is one of the major festivals of Korea. It features athletic events, folk games, music, dance, literary contests and Buddhist religious ceremonies." - wiki & eng.buddhapia.com | |
| Hahoe and Yangdong | Andong Mask Dance Festival (Held annually in the Fall) | |
| Hwaseong Fortress | Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Festival - "Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Festival is a landmark festivity held in the Suwon region every October in celebration of Suwon Citizen's Day. A range of events including the Reenactment of the Royal Parade of King Jeongjo the Great, Jangyongyeong Guards Ceremony, Citizens� Parade, and other traditional performances are held." - english.visitkorea.or.kr | |
| Kandy | Esala Perehera | |
| Litomysl Castle | Smetana opera Festival | |
| Luang Prabang | Pii Mai (Laos New Year) | |
| Macao | A-Ma Temple - "The temple is used especially during Chinese Spring Festival." - AB Document | |
| Mozu-Furuichi Kofun | "A number of the nominated kofun are designated as Ryobo (mausolea of kings) and are managed by the Imperial Household Agency. These are highly revered within contemporary Japanese society, and are the focus of rituals of worship and festivals." (AB ev) | |
| Namhansanseong | Namhansanseong Cultural Festival (October) | |
| Nice | Nice Carnival | |
| Ohrid Region | Ohrid Summer Festival | |
| Okinoshima Island | "Grand Festival and the Miare Festival (a revival of medieval tradition), during which the three goddesses re-join at Hetsu-miya." (AB ev) | |
| Old City of Acre | Acre Theatre Festival | |
| Olinda | Carnival | |
| Orange | Chorégies d'Orange, oldest festival in France | |
| Osun-Osogbo | Oshun - end of 2nd quarter of each year | |
| Pearling | In earlier days the beach which connected the oyster beds to the main land was used as a location for special festivals in which the women folk of the pearling community and their children celebrated as the dhows left and returned to the shore. ... The grand festivals were called Rakbah on the day they left to sea and Quffal on the day they returned. | |
| Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal | Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod | |
| Provins | La fête de la moisson | |
| Puebla | Cinco de Mayo, a festival commemorating the May 5, 1862 defeat of a French expeditionary army by Mexican general Ignacio Zaragoza. It was after this battle that the name of the city was changed to "Heroica Puebla de Zaragoza". The forts where the battle took place are a major tourist attraction of the city and the site of an annual month-long carnival marking the anniversary of the battle (wiki) | |
| Quebrada de Humahuaca | Pachamama ritual and Carnival | |
| Royal Joseon Tombs | Danjong Culture Festival | |
| Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysala | "Channakeshava Temple ... more than 100,000 visitors are present at the complex during the annual fourteen-day religious festival of Belur." | |
| Salvador de Bahia | Mardi Gras | |
| Salzburg | Salzburger Festspiele | |
| Santiniketan | "The largest and most notable fair is the Poush Mela held at Santiniketan for three days from 7 Poush.[33] Devendranath Tagore with twenty followers accepted the Brahmo creed from Ram Chandra Vidyabagish on 21 December 1843 (7 Poush 1250 according to the Bengali calendar). This was the basis of Poush Utsav (the Festival of Poush) at Santiniketan" (wiki) | |
| Site of Xanadu | Kublai Khan held special feasts for the Mongolian tribes lasting three days (the Jāma-yan) + Nadaam festival (AB ev) | |
| Spissky Hrad and Levoca | Levoca - Indian Summer Festival | |
| Sydney Opera House | Sydney Festival | |
| Taos Pueblo | Jan. 1, Turtle Dance - Jan. 6, Deer or Buffalo Dance - May 3, Santa Cruz Feast Day - June 13, San Antonio Feast Day - June 24, San Juan Feast Day July 12,13,14, - 28th Annual Taos Pueblo Pow-Wow - July 25, Santiago Feast Day - July 26, Santa Ana Feast Day - Sept. 29, San Geronimo Eve Vespers - Sept. 30, San Geronimo Day, Traditional Pole Climbing - Dec. 24, Procession of the Virgin Mary - Dec. 25, Deer or Matachines Dance (Official Taos Website - Events) | |
| Timgad | Timgad International Festival of Music. Held from 1967 - 1986 and 1998 to present. Was originally held in Timgad's Roman Amphitheatre but UNESCO complained about damage to the structure and, since 2010, it has been held in a purpose built faux Roman amphitheatre just beyond the inscribed boundary | |
| Tlacotalpan | Candelaria (Bull running) -30 Jan -9 Feb | |
| Tr’ondëk-Klondike | "The Moosehide Gathering (every 2 years) is the signature event of the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in, held at Moosehide Village in July, and is open to the public. Over a four-day period, over 2,000 participants are ferried by boat to experience traditional games, crafts, talks, performances, feasts, dances, and potlatches. Visitors learn about the ongoing culture and strength of the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in and their First Nations neighbours." - Nomination File [Moosehide Gathering - Indigenous Yukon webpage] *Guests are invited to camp for free at Moosehide Village. Regular boat transportation is available for free from Dawson | |
| Upper Middle Rhine Valley | Koblenzer Karneval | |
| Val d'Orcia | Monticchiello is known for its so-called "poor" theater (teatro povero) in which all the inhabitants are authors/actors that takes place in the summer, outdoors every year for over 50 years. (Nomination file, p. 104) - The Barbarossa festival is celebrated on the third Sunday of June in San Quirico d'Orcia. The festival recalls the meeting in 1155, between Frederick of Swabia called Barbarossa and the papal envoys to discuss the imperial coronation by the Pope in Rome. | |
| Val di Noto | "The Piazza del Duomo [in Catania] is a focal point for the annual Festival of Saint Agatha, a three-day event that begins on February 3 with a procession known as "della luminaria", from the church of Sant'Agata alla Fornace to the Cathedral here. This is followed by an evening outdoor concert and fireworks." (Wikipedia) | |
| Valletta | Maltese Carnival | |
| Venice and its Lagoon | Venice Carnival | |
| Vienna | Wiener Festwochen, Viennale | |
| Wachau Cultural Landscape | Donaufestival, Wachau Film Festival |
Suggestions?
Do you know of another WHS we could connect to Festivals?
A connection should:
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