July: London Olympics
The
best of British cyclists compete for their chance to shine in the 2012 London
Olympics.
The eyes of the world will be on the
UK on July 27 for the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, when
Britain will show the world what it’s made of. The question is: how will they
beat the epic performance in Beijing? The spectacle will be commandeered by
Danny Boyle of Slumdog Millionaire and Trainspotting fame, so
it’s likely to be a good show. If you can’t stretch to tickets for the ceremony
(visit www.cosport.com to find out how to buy
them) then head to one of many points in London – from Trafalgar Square to Hyde
Park – where the event will be beamed onto big screens. Visit www.london2012.com.
August: The Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Performance
artists are made and broken at the renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
The cabaret, comedy, kids’ show, dance
and physical theatre of the Edinburgh Fringe, once a mere appendage to the
official festival that focuses on classical music, opera, theatre and dance, is
now probably bigger than the real thing. August, more than any other time of
year, is the most electric time to discover this city, which is bursting with
creativity. Comedy is the order of the day, with a comedic who’s who (and
who-isn’t-quite-yet) represented, with audiences ranging from tens to tens of
thousands. Simply Britain’s best summer event. Visit www.edfringe.com.
September:
Burning man, Nevada
Festival
goers at Nevada’s Burning Man are asked to become part of the entertainment.
Once a year, tens of thousands of
participants gather in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert to create Black Rock City, a
temporary tented metropolis and mecca for weirdness. Think pole-dancing
workshops, cares made to look like spiders, bizarre performance art, extreme
goths and sheer anarchy. It’s all about “radical self-expression” and communal
participation: not watching the acts, but being the act. And forget corporate
sponsorship: Burning Man wants to be everything that the mainstream festivals
are not. Burning Man 2012 runs from August 27 to September 3. Visit www.burningman.com.
October:
Halloween in NYC
Ghouls, goths, vampires, witches,
zombies: a visual phantasmagoria awaits in New York for Halloween. This is the
city that takes spook season more seriously than anywhere else, with a massive
parade that takes over huge swathes of Lower Manhattan. Each year, the costumes
get even more creative, with members of the gay community ramping up the color
and conceptual element and bringing a Mardi Gras-esque flavor. Expect dancing,
singing, circus acts as well as floats, puppets and pageantry. This is the last
time to go crazy in the streets before the winter chill sets in. Bizarrely
brilliant.
November:
The Melbourne Cup
2011’s
Melbourne Cup
Now in its 152nd year, this
is the race that captivates and unites our nation. If you’re tired of choosing
a horse based on the jockey’s colors, consider researching the history of the
trainer and jockey (as well as the horse) and the mood of the horse in the
paddock (ears back = not good). If you can’t get into Flemington, the country
town races at Ararat, Benalla, Bendigo, Geelong, Kyneton, Sale and Seymour are
just as fun. Expect plenty of alcohol consumption and attention-seeking
dressing, because the country doesn’t like to be out done by the big smoke.
Visit www.melbournecup.com.
December:
Nye in Sydney
When it comes to the all-time best New
Year’s Eve ever, there is no place like home. The natural beauty of Sydney Harbor
and the bridge conspire with the creativity of the pyrotechnic displays, the
internationalism of the crowd and the balmy weather to make Sydney simply the
best place in the world to see in the New Year. With hundreds of thousands congregating
at key vantage points on the north and south sides of the harbor, the key is
arriving early. The real early birds are settled down on their picnic blankets
at lady Macquarie’s Chair by dawn on New Year’s Eve, with all the good spots
usually gone by midmorning. Check for vantage points and parties at www.newyearseve.com.au.
