BUSAN SEA FESTIVAL
The Busan Sea Festival has begun on August 1 every year at various beaches in Busan.
BUSAN SEA FESTIVAL
August 1 to 8, Busan, South Korea
Since 1996, the Busan Sea Festival has begun on August 1 every year at various beaches in Busan, including Haeundae and Gwangalli. The event combines several events and festivals, such as a rock music festival, a beach dance festival and a number of water sports. The theme of the festival changes every year though the opening ceremony always features Korean celebrities and the Busan Municipal Art Troupe, who come together to hold a large-scale concert along with a brilliant fireworks showcase lighting up the night sky over Haeundae.
TEEJ FESTIVAL
August 17 to 18, Jaipur, India
The Teej festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm and devotion by women of all ages all over India and the major celebrations take place in the cultural city of Jaipur, the capital of India’s Rajasthan state. The festival is to celebrate the day Goddess Parvati was united with Lord Shiva. Women dress up in their finest clothes and jewellery, get their hands decorated with henna, accompanied by the singing of special Teej festival songs. Swings are fixed to branches of large trees, and the women of all ages take turns to joyfully swing on them.
HONG KONG FOOD EXPO
August 13 to 17, Hong Kong
The annual Hong Kong Food Expo at Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre celebrates and promotes the local food industry to both trade and consumers. There’s more on offer than ever for all visitors. Make sure you don't miss out on the wide range of international cuisines, from health food to alcoholic beverages. There will be a series of sharing sessions by food experts and cooking demonstrations by well-known celebrity chefs. The five-day event is packed with a varied programme of entertainment, demonstrations, food sampling and kitchen tips.
SHOTON FESTIVAL
August 15 to 19, Lhasa, Tibet
Shoton Festival in Lhasa is a grand celebration of Tibetan Buddhism. The main part of the celebration activities are centred on the western part of the city of Lhasa on the grounds of the former summer palace Norbulingka of the Dalai Lama, and huge tapestries of Buddha are unfurled down the sides of the area’s mountains. Before the 17th century, Shoton was a purely religious affair and a time when monks went into retreat to meditate and locals would offer sour milk or yoghurt as alms (“sho” means “yoghurt” and “ton” means “banquet” in Tibetan). The main activities include Tibetan operas and gala parties, as well as yak racing, traditional dance, and horsemanship display.
SANLUCAR DE BARRAMEDA HORSE RACES
August 12 to 14 and August 26 to 28, Sanlucar de Barrameda, Spain
Sanlucar de Barrameda hosts some of the oldest horse races in Europe and the first regulated horse races in Spain. The horse racing dates back to 1845 and takes place along a 1,800-metre stretch of beach at the mouth of the Rio Guadalquivir. The Andalusians breed some of the best bloodstock in the world and many big names in the racing world participate. Families can sit on the beach with only an orange mesh construction fence separating them from the horses. A party that concludes the last round of races is open to the public.
SEAFOOD FESTIVAL
August 6 to 9, Mandal, Norway
Munch as much seafood as you please for a modest fee at Mandal’s annual Seafood Festival. Mandal, Norway's most southern town, sets up a half-mile-long table on the cobbled streets, laden with fresh mussels, shrimp, crayfish, crab and other delights. Expect music, art, (very) late shopping, cookery demonstrations, games, prawn-peeling competitions, a fun-fair and lots of fish and seafood to try.
