9 Magical Winter Festivals That Should Be On Your Bucket List

The Sherp is spellbound by these festivals and what they offer, have a look at his list of favourite winter events that truly capture the feel of the season

1. SnowGlobe

When : December 29 to 31
Where : California

2014 was a massive year for electronic music, as music festivals around the world were dominated by electronic sounds, and dance music artistes stole the headlines. The SnowGlobe festival held in California was staged around New Year’s Eve and provided one of the most amazing spectacles amid the freezing temperatures.

(Image Courtesy: SnowGlobe Facebook)

2. Sneeuwbal

When: January 31
Where: Utrecht, Netherlands

Sneeuwbal is pretty much a prime winter festival of tech-house & deep house + great stages, brilliant pizza, skiing and the works, all held in a quaint city centre.

(Image Courtesy : Sneeuwbal/Facebook)

3. Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

When: January to February
Where: Heilongjiang, Harbin,China

Every year during the months of January and February, China hosts the wonderful Harbin Ice and Snow Festival, that often rakes in a turnout of 800,000 people – making it the best time to visit the country. The festival takes place in the province of Heilongjiang, Harbin – where unused land is turned into a temporary city made of ice that includes towering ice sculptures of birds, animals, characters and even an amusement park and an ice slide!

(Image Courtesy : instagram.com/timandglo)

4. Kobe Luminarie

When: December
Where: Kobe, Japan

Every December, Japan is the place to visit if visually inspiring celebrations are your thing. The clear air and crispy weather makes it the perfect setting for light festivals, which are a dime a dozen in the country during this time. Out of which, Kobe Luminarie is quite spectacular. As some of you may know, the city of Kobe ( known for its world class beef and being the birthplace of Kobe Bryant) was hit with a terrible earthquake way back in 1995. Because of it’s proximity to the epicentre of the earthquake, it underwent the most devastation to its infrastructure and people’s lives.The earthquake left the city without electricity and was incidentally dark all the time. To lift spirits of the people and bring back some hope to the city, a light festival named Kobe Luminarie was put on with the lights being donated by the Italian government.

(Image Courtesy : Kobe – mari)

5. Winter Illuminations Festival

When: December
Where: Nabana no Sato, Japan

Let me just tell you this, the Winter Illuminations at Nabana no Sato are beyond breathtaking. This five-month festival (from November to March) features the most lovely displays of light at a botanical garden in Nagashima. During the five months, the park is transformed into a visual paradise with millions of sparkling LED lights cast over the massive gardens and water-bodies. Every year comes with a theme and this year’s is ‘nature’. The festival organizers assure us that there will be so much more this year, from an experimental ‘sunrise’ light show as well as rainbows across the sky. What is really captivating are the tunnels of light, which visitors can walk through. The experience is magical. Have a look!

(Image courtesy : Giovanni88Ant)

(Image Courtesy: josephpauldavis/instagram)

6. The Hornbill Festival

When: December
Where: Nagaland, India

For those of you who didn’t know, The Hornbill Festival is Nagaland’s biggest state-sponsored cultural festival, aimed at promoting inter-tribe interaction as well as the rich cultural heritage of the state. Hosted during the first week/ten days of December, the festival also features a exciting bunch of contemporary activities like the Hornbill Rock Festival in Kohima, the biggest and most popular event at the fest. Adventure car rallies, chilli eating contests and other interesting events are also part and parcel of this fest.

(Image Courtesy: instagram.com/prabhakar_d )

7. Quebec Winter Carnival

When: January 30 to February 15
Where: Quebec, Canada
During the winter season, Quebec is the perfect place to host a winter festival for families. The Quebec Winter Carnival is like a frozen paradise/amusement park with dogsled rides, parades, ice canoe-ing carnival-y food, slides and what not!

(Image Courtesy : wakeandwander.com)

8. Jaisalmer Desert Festival

When: February 1
Where: Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India

Celebrating the vast culture of Rajasthan and it’s people, the Jaisalmer Desert Festival is the perfect destination for tourist eager to learn more about the desert city!

9. Up Helly Aa

When: January
Where: Shetland, Scotland

There are thousands of existing cultural festivals that are a depiction of the old world and the new, and the Up Helly Aa fire festival is no different. For the Scots, burning barrels of tar mark the end of the season of Yule, known to most people as Christmas season. Although the Lerwick tradition of ‘tar barrelling’ was banned back in 1884, the tradition of burning torches and holding processions, is pretty much what Up Helly Aa is all about.

(Image Courtesy : Getty)