Events abroad
World-class festivals, matches and conferences, with the visa your passport needs to get there.
Dates come from each event's official site and are re-checked every week. Entry rules are for your passports; check the official page before you book.
The 61st International Art Exhibition, In Minor Keys, curated by Koyo Kouoh, in its final weeks.
The Formula 1 race at the Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo.
The yearly UN climate talks, with negotiators, observers, business and civil society from nearly every country.
One of the largest technology conferences, bringing founders, investors and tech companies to Lisbon.
Education trade show and teacher conference at Dubai World Trade Centre's Sheikh Saeed Halls.
Nov 12 – Nov 18, 2026
New Haven, United States
World final of the school academic competition, hosted at Yale University for qualifying teams.
World final of the iGEM synthetic biology competition, with an expo, at Paris Convention Centre.
Africa's telecoms and digital economy gathering at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
Nov 18 – Nov 20, 2026
Singapore, Singapore
Global fintech gathering for policymakers, banks and startups at Singapore EXPO.
A founder-focused startup and venture capital event with thousands of investor meetings in Helsinki.
The night-time Formula 1 race on a street circuit along the Las Vegas Strip.
The Formula 1 night race at the Lusail circuit near Doha.
The world's largest radiology congress, with research sessions and a large imaging-tech exhibit at McCormick Place.
Nov 30 – Dec 4, 2026Las Vegas, United States Tickets from USD 2,499
Amazon Web Services' annual cloud and AI conference across Las Vegas venues.
Ghana's official December homecoming season: 150+ concerts, festivals and heritage events, mostly in Accra.
The Americas edition of the Art Basel fair, showing modern and contemporary work from galleries worldwide.
Dec 4 – Dec 6, 2026
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
The season-closing Formula 1 race weekend at Yas Marina Circuit.
All-night gospel music concert hosted by House on the Rock at Tafawa Balewa Square.
A large global technology trade show, split between Dubai World Trade Centre and Expo City Dubai.
Dec 7 – Dec 13, 2026
Redemption City (Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State), Nigeria
Annual December congress of the Redeemed Christian Church of God at Redemption City.
UN conference on clean water and sanitation, co-hosted by the UAE and Senegal at ADNEC.
Large startup and investor event in Dubai, held alongside GITEX Global.
Dec 8 – Dec 13, 2026Canaanland, Ota, Nigeria
Annual December convocation of Living Faith Church Worldwide at its Canaanland headquarters.
The UN's open forum on internet policy, held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre.
Edinburgh's New Year celebration with a torchlight procession, concerts and a street party.
Benin's state-run Vodun heritage festival in Ouidah, drawing Afro-descendants home to the old slave-trade port.
The consumer technology trade show run by the Consumer Technology Association in Las Vegas.
Carnival season of parades and balls in New Orleans, ending on Fat Tuesday.
Jan 7 – Jan 9, 2027
Kolkata, India
India's government-run convention for the Indian diaspora, held every two years.
The first tennis Grand Slam of the year at Melbourne Park.
Large education technology show for teachers, school leaders and edtech firms at ExCeL London.
Annual high school Model United Nations conference at the World Forum, run by the THIMUN Foundation.
Jan 25 – Jan 28, 2027Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Healthcare trade show and congress at Dubai Exhibition Centre and Dubai World Trade Centre.
Web Summit's Middle East tech conference for startups, investors and founders in Doha.
Large snow and ice sculptures across Odori Park, Susukino and Tsudome.
Colombia's biggest carnival, with four days of parades, music and dance.
The top samba schools parade at the Sambadrome over three nights of Rio's carnival.
The main annual meeting of African mining investors, companies and governments at the CTICC.
Feb 8 – Feb 9, 2027
Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago
Two days of J'Ouvert and masquerade bands through Port of Spain before Ash Wednesday.
Two-day summit for African tech founders, investors and corporates at Sarit Expo Centre.
Sydney's LGBTQ+ festival, with Fair Day and the Oxford Street parade on 6 March.
The NFL championship game at SoFi Stadium, with a halftime show by Jay-Z.
The GSMA's mobile and connectivity industry event at Fira Gran Via.
Energy conference and expo at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, with side forums on gas and power.
A mass-participation road cycling race around the Cape Peninsula.
University-level Model United Nations conference run by Harvard students, held in a different city each year.
Major food and beverage trade show across Dubai World Trade Centre and Dubai Exhibition Centre.
Austin festival and conference covering tech, business, film and music.
Major global travel industry trade show at Messe Berlin, open to trade visitors.
The Formula 1 night race in Saudi Arabia, second round of the 2027 season.
Mar 19 – Sep 26, 2027
Yokohama, Japan
A six-month BIE-recognised horticultural expo at Kamiseya in Yokohama.
A three-day African music festival held in Stone Town, Zanzibar.
The 30th Pan-African Film and Television Festival, the continent's largest film festival.
Asia-Pacific international higher education conference and exhibition at MITEC.
Asia's edition of the international modern and contemporary art fair.
A race week in Cape Town ending with a 56 km ultra and a half marathon.
Apr 4, 2027
Kingston, Jamaica
Jamaica's carnival road march through Kingston, after a week of fetes.
Broadcast, media and entertainment technology show at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The world's leading industrial technology fair, covering automation, energy and manufacturing.
Travel and tourism trade show where African and global travel businesses meet buyers.
Apr 9 – Apr 11, 2027Suzuka, Japan
The Formula 1 race at the Suzuka circuit in Mie Prefecture.
Apr 9 – Apr 11, 2027
Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR China
The rugby sevens tournament at Kai Tak Stadium, opening the SVNS season.
The 131st Boston Marathon on Patriots' Day, the oldest annual marathon and a World Marathon Major.
A one-off two-day edition of the London Marathon, with men's elite races Saturday and women's Sunday.
Africa's largest technology and startup exhibition, covering AI, fintech, digital cities and more.
Asian edition of the fintech and payments conference.
World championship for FIRST youth robotics programmes at George R. Brown Convention Center.
Apr 30 – May 2, 2027
Itu (São Paulo), Brazil
The Brazilian edition of the Belgian electronic music festival, held at Parque Maeda near São Paulo.
Annual summit of African private-sector leaders, investors and policymakers.
Travel and tourism trade show at Dubai World Trade Centre.
May 8 – May 14, 2027Los Angeles, United States
World's largest pre-college science fair, for finalists chosen at affiliated fairs.
Two semi-finals and the grand final of Europe's song contest at Arena Burgas.
A BIE Specialised Expo themed on sport and music, with over 130 countries exhibiting near Belgrade airport.
The French Open tennis Grand Slam on clay at Stade Roland-Garros.
London edition of SXSW, mixing tech, business, music and film talks in Shoreditch.
Web Summit's North American technology conference at the Vancouver Convention Centre.
Light installations, music and talks across Sydney Harbour each evening.
Citywide week of tech events, talks and meetups across Toronto.
Computing and AI hardware trade show across Taipei's Nangang and World Trade Center venues.
Major international education conference and expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
The 25th edition of the multi-genre music festival at Parc del Forum.
The largest cancer research meeting, drawing oncologists from over 160 countries to McCormick Place.
The Formula 1 race on the street circuit of Monte Carlo.
Europe's club football final, played at Atlético de Madrid's Estadio Metropolitano.
Week of tech talks and an expo at Olympia London, with fringe events across the city.
Private equity and private capital conference at the InterContinental Hotel Berlin.
Large fintech and payments conference for banks, fintechs and regulators.
Jun 9 – Jun 11, 2027
Portimão, Portugal Tickets from USD 394.99
Three-day Afrobeats, amapiano and dancehall beach festival at Praia da Rocha in the Algarve.
The roughly 90 km ultramarathon between Durban and Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal.
Biennial aerospace trade show at Paris-Le Bourget, with public days at the weekend.
South America's largest tech conference, held at Riocentro.
Europe's large startup and technology show at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles.
Africa's top national-team football tournament, co-hosted for the first time by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Kenya: Online authorisation required
Jun 21 – Jun 26, 2027
Guadalajara, Mexico
The four-yearly world congress of dermatology, held at Expo Guadalajara.
Jun 23 – Jun 27, 2027
Pilton, Somerset, United Kingdom Tickets from GBP 408
The UK's largest greenfield music and performing arts festival, returning after the 2026 fallow year.
GSMA's Asian mobile and connectivity show at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre.
Jun 24 – Jul 25, 2027Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Brasília, Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Recife, Fortaleza, Porto Alegre, Brazil
The 32-team women's football world cup across eight Brazilian cities, opening and closing at the Maracanã.
The 28th edition of Essaouira's festival of Gnaoua and world music.
The grass-court Grand Slam tennis tournament at the All England Club in south-west London.
Jul 2 – Jul 4, 2027Silverstone, United Kingdom
The Formula 1 race at Silverstone in Northamptonshire.
The three-week cycling race starts in Edinburgh, crosses Britain and France, and ends in Paris.
France: Visa not requiredHillsong's annual church conference at its Hills Campus, with Encounter and adult programmes.
Jul 12 – Jul 15, 2027
Geneva, Switzerland
The International AIDS Society's HIV science conference, at Palexpo with an online component.
Catholic Church's global youth gathering with the Pope, hosted by the Archdiocese of Seoul.
The 80th Fringe, an open-access arts festival with thousands of shows across Edinburgh.
A five-day music and arts festival on an island in the Danube.
The world's biggest video game event, with trade and public days in Cologne.
The European Society of Cardiology's yearly congress, the world's biggest cardiology meeting.
Europe's largest Caribbean street carnival over the August bank holiday weekend in west London.
Consumer electronics and home appliance show at Messe Berlin.
Europe's main international higher education conference, at FIL Lisbon.
The global track and field championships, returning to Beijing with an evening session on every day.
Middle East edition of the fintech and payments conference.
Europe's main oncology congress, held at Fira Barcelona Gran Via with online sessions.
Munich's beer festival on the Theresienwiese, with tents, parades and fairground rides.
Salesforce's annual conference on business software and AI.
European championship of vocational skills for young professionals at Messe Düsseldorf.
One of the World Marathon Majors on a flat course past the Brandenburg Gate, known for record times.
Sep 27 – Oct 1, 2027
Poznań, Poland
The world's largest yearly space congress, run by the International Astronautical Federation at Poznań International Fair.
A summit for young leaders from over 190 countries, held at Tokyo International Forum.
Oct 1 – Nov 13, 2027
Perth, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Newcastle, Townsville, Australia
The men's rugby union world championship across seven Australian cities, opening in Perth with the final in Sydney.
Oct 2 – Nov 21, 2027
Johannesburg, Cape Town, Harare, Windhoek Tickets from ZAR 158
The 50-over men's cricket world cup across 12 venues in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, final in Johannesburg.
South Africa: Visa not required Oct 8 – Oct 10, 2027Singapore, Singapore
The Formula 1 night race on the Marina Bay street circuit.
One of the six World Marathon Majors, run on a flat course through Chicago.
Fintech and payments conference bringing together banks, fintechs and investors.
Afreximbank's continental trade fair where African buyers, sellers and investors meet to strike deals.
The UN climate talks come to Addis Ababa, the second COP in Africa this decade.
Biennial aerospace and defence trade show at Dubai World Central.
