World festivals in February
3 February-10 March: Taiwan Lantern Festival, Taiwan
Tainan will be hosting Taiwan's famous Lantern Festival in 2024. The city has been selected due to it celebrating its 400th anniversary with the festival considered to be Tainan's first major event in many years. Which is why it's been included in our 2024 Editors' Hot List.
The event marks the end of the Lunar New Year, and sees thousands of glowing lanterns being released in to the night sky across the country on the 24 February.
Every year has a specific theme. In 2024, the theme 'Glorious Tainan' will focus on the city's ancient history. Lanterns will be displayed throughout the city and designated areas during the festival period.
4-11 February: Sapporo Snow Festival, Japan
Sapporo's Snow Festival is one of the biggest of its kind. It has been running for over 70 years, and every year, millions descend on Hokkaido's capital to admire the winter wonderlands set up in Odori Park, Susukino, and dotted across the city.
It was first held in 1950 with snowball fights, snow sculptures and a carnival. Despite its simplicity, more than 50,000 people showed up, encouraging the festival to become an annual event.
There's a real international feel to the festival: ice sculptors from around the globe attend to compete in the International Snow Sculpture Contest. It's fascinating to watch the frozen masterpieces being constructed right in front of your eyes.
5-14 February: Oruro Carnival, Bolivia
Witness a cavalcade of parades, folk dancing and live performances at Carnaval de Oruro, Bolivia's world-renowned carnival.
The festivities began as a religious festival in the 1700s. Today, the celebrations still have a religious element thanks to the country's largely Catholic population. Oruro begins before Lent with a ritual dedicated to the Virgin of Candelaria. It's so powerful, in fact, that it's one of UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
9-17 February: Rio Carnival, Brazil
Is there a more famous, electric and colourful carnival in the world? We'd argue not, and go as far to say that Rio de Janeiro's pre-Lent celebrations can't be challenged.
Summing up Brazil's party spirit in a nutshell, you can expect exuberant parades, gloriously loud music and a rainbow of colours in the form of costumes, decorations and feathers. There's even a purpose-built Sambadrome, where Samba Schools perform and compete, but even a stadium can't contain the excitement.
13 February: Mardi Gras, New Orleans, USA
Mardi Gras festivities take place on Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday in the Christian calendar. Fat Tuesday is typically the feasting before the 'fasting' of Lent begins.
In New Orleans, Louisiana, Mardi Gras celebrations usually go on for two weeks before Fat Tuesday even arrives, culminating in a series of neon-coloured parades through the city. The carnival-esque party has become synonymous with New Orleans, and is a must-see if you're visiting the United States.
16 February-3 March: Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is the largest and oldest Pride festival in the southern hemisphere, with amazing exhibitions, drag performances, the Mardi Gras Fair, and much more.
The Mardi Gras parade is the pinnacle of the celebrations, when tens-of-thousands of participants take to Oxford Road to march along with enormous floats that represent ‘every corner of the community’.
The first Mardi Gras march took place in 1978, and became a major civil rights milestone for not only the country, but the world.