The Top Global Luxury Must-Visit Festivals

Wellies filled with the murky mud of yesterday’s downpour and soggy, saggy tents impeding a restful night’s sleep; festivals can be physically demanding. But, festivals also allow us to escape the mundanity of day-to-day life, to delve into the mind’s dressing up box and pull out past memories as well as produce new memoirs for the future. Though, nowadays, a long-hot summer spent crammed between fellow festival goers and queuing up to use day-old toilets might not sound like your ideal way to occupy your time.

Festivals have come a long way since the sweaty and smelly Woodstock and Glastonbury, here, we’ll show you hand-picked festivals that will satisfy your craving and placate your personality. Introducing the top must-visit luxury festivals in the world, courtesy of long-haul travel experts, Travelbag. For more, view this festival map to plot where in the world you can visit for the festival of a lifetime.

Franschhoek Cap Classique and Champagne Festival, South Africa

Setting the scene with the iconic Huguenot Monument as the backdrop to this annual soirée, Franschhoek Cap Classique and Champagne Festival is elegant and sophisticated. Awaiting you nestled in this picturesque environment is an opportunity to submerge yourself in wines from the finest wineries and hand-picked champagnes complemented by a smorgasbord of gastronomic delights.

Taking place under the winter sun, Franschhoek – one of the world’s premier culinary destinations – hosts the “Magic of Bubbles” with well-known MCC producers participating in this popular festival. As a highlight on Cape Town’s social calendar, it comes as no surprise that this lavish gathering has a dress code of “dressed to impress” and Franschhoek Cap Classique and Champagne Festival certainly doesn’t disappoint.

Creole Festival, Seychelles

There aren’t many places on earth that can rival the unspoilt beauty of the Seychelles; the allure of this island nation attracts thousands of visitors each year. A little over 1,000 miles from the Tanzanian coast, the Seychelles boasts some of the best beaches and sea life around.

The Seychelles is made up of 115 islands, its main island being Mahé. It’s here – and Praslin and La Digue – that you will get to experience an exotic and bucket-list-worthy festival: Creole Festival. This six-day foodie event is brimming with colour and culture; there are performances, musical shows, art galleries and an offering of local delicacies that fills the sky with an aroma to remember. Awaken your senses on the last week of October celebrating Creole and the Seychelles.

Dubai International Film Festival, Dubai

Created to raise the profile of Arab cinema around the world, the Dubai Film Market (DFM) is a unique platform, supporting over 300 films since its conception in 2007. Giving a platform for artists and creatives and bringing a cinematic experience to Dubai each year, this is the leading film festival in the Middle East with over 50,000 annual visitors.

Dubai, the superlative city in the Arabian Peninsula, is a vibrant and cosmopolitan metropolis. As part of your visit explore the giant city scrapers, magnificent mountains and arid desert.

Hawaii Food and Wine Festival, Hawaii

Take a breath of the fresh and floral Hawaiian air as you’re surrounded by natural beauty and stunning views. The six islands that make up Hawaii will leave a mark on your heart, with its tropical climate, unsurpassed beaches and friendly and relaxed atmosphere.

For a taste of the real Hawaii, visit in October and indulge yourself in its food and wine festival, taking place over three weekends and three islands in the tenth month of the year. This food festival offers a stage to local culinary colleges and offers grants for some to learn from global masters with a schedule of over 150 world-renowned master chefs and well-known personalities, as well as local and global wine and spirit producers. Hawaii invites you to ‘taste our love for the land’ in this delicious festival of food.

Montreal International Jazz Festival, Canada

Smooth and sultry jazz takes the stage at the world’s largest jazz festival, taking place in Montreal. This exciting 10-day event sees more than 3,000 artists from over 30 counties descending on Canada’s bi-lingual city, performing from noon to night and filling the air with the stirring sounds of jazz. This music festival has seen 650 concerts and nearly two million music lovers coming together annually to celebrate the hot, high vigour jazz as well as the cool, low energy. Pay a visit to Montreal and join in with the true heartbeat of jazz music.

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, USA

Known for being something of a celebrity hangout, Coachella has become the festival to see and be seen with countless sponsored before and after parties, making Coachella one of the most well-known festivals on our list. Held in the anhydrous desert of Palm Springs, Coachella is more than just a celebrity hang out. Placing a huge importance on art and culture, Coachella showcases popular and mainstream artists as well as up and coming performers establishing that the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is not like any other music festival you will visit.