For three weeks, the city of Edinburgh welcomes an explosion of creative energy from around the globe. Artists and performers take to hundreds of stages all over the city to present theatre, comedy, dance, physical theatre, circus, cabaret, children's shows, musicals, opera, music, spoken word, exhibitions and more.

We are already counting down the days until the total solar eclipse of August 12, 2026, with hundreds of thousands of people expected to travel to prime viewing locations across Greenland, Iceland, and Spain for the highly anticipated celestial event. But unlike last year's solar eclipse that moved across North America, much of this eclipse's path of totality stretches over the open sea—meaning there's no better place to experience the phenomenon than from the deck of a ship.

Cruise lines are seizing the opportunity, designing itineraries that put travelers directly beneath the moon’s shadow alongside eclipse cartographers, astronauts, and other special guest lecturers. Another major benefit to booking a floating hotel: ships can reposition in case of cloudy skies, so there's no need to worry about fickle weather obscuring your view.

Madeira Wine Festival: A Taste of the Island’s Harvest

The Madeira Wine Festival is one of the island’s most immersive travel experiences, held during the late-summer harvest and spanning from Funchal’s lively waterfront to the surrounding vineyards. Visitors can enjoy open-air tastings, live music, and local cuisine while discovering Madeira’s centuries-old winemaking traditions against a stunning Atlantic backdrop.

What makes it truly special is the blend of polished and authentic experiences—one moment you’re sipping aged wines by the sea, the next you’re in the countryside joining traditional grape harvesting or foot-stomping rituals. It’s a vibrant, hands-on way to experience Madeira’s culture, flavors, and sense of place.

SAVE VENICE GALA 2027

There is a particular quality to Venetian light in October. The summer crowds have thinned, the water sits low and glassy in the side canals, and the city returns — briefly — to something closer to itself. It is my favorite time to be there, and it is when Save Venice has chosen to gather.

Save Venice has been quietly extraordinary since 1971. The organization has funded the restoration of more than 500 works — paintings, mosaics, sculptures, entire buildings — in a city that is, by any honest accounting, still losing ground to the water. Their biennial gala in Venice is the centerpiece of that effort: three days built around private access to restorations in progress, scholarship from the people doing the work, and evenings in palazzi that are not otherwise open.

I mention this because the distinction matters. This is not a costume party with a charitable footnote. The dinners are magnificent — genuinely, unrepeatably so — but the reason to go is the daylight hours, standing in a church with a conservator who can tell you exactly what four centuries of salt air does to pigment.

Attendance is tied to Save Venice membership, and the weekend traditionally moves between historic venues across the city, with black-tie evenings and daytime programming built around active conservation sites.

Planning with Bella Adventures

Venice fills quickly around gala weekends, and the properties worth staying in — the ones on the water, with the right rooms — book out well over a year ahead. I'd want to be working on this by early 2027 at the latest.

What I can arrange: accommodations at Venice's finest hotels with upgrades, welcome amenities, and early check-in where available through my relationships; private water transfers; a curated day or two on either side of the gala — the Ghetto synagogues, a morning in Torcello, dinner somewhere without a tourist menu.

If Venice in October 2027 is calling, let's talk early.

*This is a Going For Good organization event.

Dutch Design Week: Where the Future of Design Comes to Life

Dutch Design Week transforms Eindhoven each October into a city-wide showcase of creativity, where over nine days, exhibitions, installations, and events take over industrial spaces, museums, and streets alike. It’s one of the world’s leading design festivals, bringing together thousands of designers to explore bold ideas—from sustainable materials to future living concepts—while inviting visitors to experience innovation up close.

For travelers, it offers an inspiring mix of culture and exploration, as you move between more than a hundred venues discovering emerging talent, interactive exhibits, and thought-provoking design. Whether you’re wandering through cutting-edge installations or attending talks and workshops, Dutch Design Week is a chance to see how design is shaping the future—all set within a vibrant, creative European city.

Strasbourg Christmas Market: Europe’s Most Magical Holiday Tradition

The Strasbourg Christmas Market feels like stepping into a real-life winter fairytale, where centuries-old tradition meets storybook charm. Known as the “Capital of Christmas,” this iconic market dates back to 1570 and transforms the historic city center into a glowing wonderland filled with over 300 wooden chalets, twinkling lights, and the scent of mulled wine in the air. Set among Strasbourg’s half-timbered houses and cathedral squares, it’s one of Europe’s most beloved holiday experiences, blending French and German influences into a truly magical atmosphere.

For travelers, the experience goes far beyond shopping—it’s a full immersion into Alsatian holiday traditions. As you wander through different market squares, you’ll discover artisanal gifts, seasonal treats, and festive décor, all connected by beautifully lit streets and crowned by a towering Christmas tree at Place Kléber. Whether visiting for a quick getaway or building a full Alsace holiday itinerary, Strasbourg offers one of Europe’s most enchanting ways to experience the spirit of the season.

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay - A New Year's Celebration

Enjoy four spectacular days of events to ring in 2027 at the ‘Home of Hogmanay’!

Celebrations kick off on December 29, 2026 with the annual Torchlight Procession which sets the city streets ablaze with a river of fire. On December 30, the Night Afore Concert sees Princes Street Gardens ignite for a raucous night of high-energy tunes to start your Hogmanay musical lineup with a bang.  

Ring in 2027 at the legendary Street Party, returning to light-up Edinburgh’s skies, at one of the world’s greatest New Year celebrations! Expect a feast of live music, DJs, street theatre, Pipes & Drums and so much more throughout the city center. Look forward to a night of anthems, energy and of course the world-famous Midnight Moment Fireworks, all set beneath the spectacular backdrop of Edinburgh Castle.  

The world's largest folk, roots and world music festival in Glasgow

Celtic Connections is a world-renowned festival which showcases Celtic music and connections to cultures across the world. Each year, the festival takes place in Glasgow, a UNESCO City of Music, and features concerts, ceilidhs, workshops, book launches, talks, tours and more. 

Born in 1994, the first festival offered 66 events at one venue. Today, Celtic Connections has expanded with traditional, folk, world and roots music showcased in venues across the city.  

The 2026 edition featured over 300 events at 25 venues across Glasgow. Artists and participants spanned more than 35 countries with a range of genres including acoustic, indie, traditional, Americana, jazz, folk, world. 

Celtic Connections is the perfect opportunity to experience first-hand the city’s vibrant music scene and cultural attractions through hundreds of events in locations across Glasgow. 

Movies That Matter Festival

Movies that Matter screens and promotes films that draws our attention to human rights and situations in which these are at stake. The foundation's peak activity is the annual Movies that Matter Festival, taking place in The Hague every March. The Movies that Matter Festival is the Netherlands' main platform for engaged cinema, with over ninety documentaries, fiction and short films of inspired filmmakers being screened every year.

Through its International Support Program, it offers grants to support human rights film festivals and to help circulate and exhibit human rights films in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America.

*This is a Going For Good organization event

Highland Games - The legendary competitions featuring a mix of sports, culture and community

Celtic Connections is a world-renowned festival which showcases Celtic music and connections to cultures across the world. Each year, the festival takes place in Glasgow, a UNESCO City of Music, and features concerts, ceilidhs, workshops, book launches, talks, tours and more. 

Born in 1994, the first festival offered 66 events at one venue. Today, Celtic Connections has expanded with traditional, folk, world and roots music showcased in venues across the city.  

The 2026 edition featured over 300 events at 25 venues across Glasgow. Artists and participants spanned more than 35 countries with a range of genres including acoustic, indie, traditional, Americana, jazz, folk, world. 

Celtic Connections is the perfect opportunity to experience first-hand the city’s vibrant music scene and cultural attractions through hundreds of events in locations across Glasgow. 

The largest arts festival in the Nordic region, presenting classical music, theatre, dance and contemporary performance across Bergen’s historic venues. Framed by fjords and mountains, it feels intrinsically tied to place. Perfect for the culturally engaged traveler!

Good to pair with: Oslo–Bergen rail journeys

Discover the 104th Arena di Verona Opera Festival 2027

The 104th Arena di Verona Opera Festival in 2027 features five major opera productions, a historic return of full-length ballet after 34 years, and star galas running from June to August 2027 at the ancient Roman amphitheater in Italy

Hats at the ready! Royal Ascot will return in 2027 to present five days of world-class racing, style, and pageantry, and you can secure your place now. The stage is set for another act as the finest thoroughbreds, the boldest millinery and the most exquisite hospitality come together once again next year, and you're invited to be a part of it all.

Renowned for A-list artists performing against the gorgeous backdrop of Lake Geneva, this festival that turns 60 this year has grown to become the most talked about summer jazz festival in Europe.