South America Festivals

Argentina

There's plenty to keep you busy in Argentina, no matter what time of year you visit, from Bariloche's huge snow festival in the winter, to South America's largest arts festival in May.

As you'd expect from one of the world's great cities, Buenos Aires is a hotspot for art and culture of all kinds. It's all showcased in the yearly ArteBA festival...

Argentina is one of the world's leading wine producers, and the annual Mendoza Vendimia festival celebrates everything that's fantastic about Argentinian wine.

We offer Passover programmes in Argentina, Brazil and Peru, but there's no reason you can't combine them all, so why not enjoy a Passover with a difference in 2020?

Buenos Aires is the birthplace of the tango, and every year the Buenos Aires Tango Festival celebrates that history with week-long events and competitions.

Like many countries in South America, Argentina has a rich German heritage, among many other nationalities, and this is celebrated each year at the huge Oktoberfest festival in Villa General Belgrano...

The annual Chubut Eisteddfod is the largest celebration of Welsh culture outside of Wales and reflects the pride in their heritage of the inhabitants of Welsh Patagonia...

The annual Gay Pride week in Buenos Aires usually takes place in November, and it's the biggest Gay Pride celebration in South America...

Brazil

Carnival is an obvious high point of the year in Brazil, but did you know that New Year's Eve in Rio is an even bigger party? Or that in the north-east Bumba Meu Boi and the Sao Joao festivals are a chance to see the real Brazil?

New Year's Eve is a VERY big deal in Rio - in fact it's a bigger party than the annual Rio Carnival. Glamorous masked balls, beach parties, street music, a colossal firework display... it's a once in a lifetime experience!

Salvador Carnival in Brazil is a popular alternative to the more famous Rio Carnival. It might not have the spectacular parades but for atmosphere and music, it's possibly actually better than Rio...

The annual Sao Joao festival takes place throughout northern Brazil, but especially in the town of Caruaru and in the north it's even bigger than Carnival...

If you missed out on the Rio Carnival, why not join millions of Brazilians instead at the huge Amazon festival of Bumba Meu Boi? It might not be that well-known but it's one of the biggest annual events in South America...

The Sao Paulo Grand Prix is the only Formula 1 race held in South America, and thousands of crazy Brazilian fans pack the Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo every year.

Colombia

Colombia's festivals might not be as well-known as those of Brazil or Peru, but the Barranquilla Carnival is every bit as much fun as Rio or Salvador, and they also do a good line in modern music festivals.

Move over Rio! If you want a completely authentic but completely wild week, then the Barranquilla Carnival is the place for you...

Colombia produces some of the most beautiful flowers on the planet, and they're very proud of it! So every year for the last 57 years, Medellin has hosted one of the world's biggest flower festivals...

Peru

From traditional Inca festivals like Inti Raymi, to culinary events such as the annual Mistura or South America's largest film festival, 2020 is an action-packed year in Peru...

Puno's annual Virgen de la Candelaria festival is one of Peru's largest indigenous celebrations, with thousands of dancers and revellers taking to the streets.

Holy Week in Ayacucho is a very big deal, with huge parades, concerts, candelit processions, and flower tapestries carpeting the streets...

The annual Caballo de Paso festival takes place in Lima, Peru, and is a celebration of the famous Peruvian paso horses which are famed throughout the world.

Inti Raymi was the major festival of the Inca Empire and falls on the Winter Solstice, celebrating the return of the Sun to the lands of the Inca...

Peru's annual Fiestas Patrias celebrations to mark Peru's independence from Spain take place on the 28th and 29th of July and many Peruvians head to the coast for a long holiday weekend...

Every year in Lima, Peru, the Señor de los Milagros procession fills the streets with thousands of people in one of the world's largest Catholic festivals.