AUSTRIA
MUSIC: The cream of society gathers for a yearly rendezvous in Mozart's hometown of Salzburg for a month of cultural highlights ranging from operas to plays and concerts, starring some of the world's biggest names.
The Salzburg Festival running to 30 August plays host to some 190 performances, including audience's favourite Everyman. Also on the programme -- Italian maestro Riccardo Muti, conductors Simon Rattle and Daniel Barenboim, German violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, Latvian mezzo Elina Garanca and Mexican tenor Rolando Villazon, as well as Russian superstar soprano Anna Netrebko.
www.salzburgerfestspiele.at
Salzburg Festival: Roméo et Juliette: Juliette, Nino Machaidze
ART: Sleeping Beauties, many from Puerto Rico's Museo de Arte de Ponce, on show at Vienna's Lower Belvedere museum until 3 October. The exhibit, including Frederic Leighton's Flaming June and several paintings by Edward Burne-Jones, pays homage to the works of pre-Raphaelites in the late 19th century. Includes works by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Holman Hunt and Sir John Everett Millais.
www.belvedere.at
FESTIVAL/AFRICA: Vienna celebrates its 6th Africa Days from 30 July to 15 August on the Donauinsel. The programme includes concerts, African drum demonstrations, a fashion show, a bazaar with food stalls and handicrafts, and paint workshops and story-telling for youngsters.
www.afrika-tage.at
BELGIUM
FASHION: From a city that has thrown out some of Europe's top designers, the costume and lace museum focuses on fashion and women's lib with an exhibition titled Sixties! that runs until 31 December.
www.brucity.be
BOZAR expo: GEO-graphics, George Osodi, Ogony Boy, 2007
ART: A focus on Africa with a difference at the Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels, with Geo-graphics, offering 220 traditional works counterposed with the continent's urban scene and contemporary art. Until 26 September.
www.bozar.be
BRITAIN
COMEDY/THEATRE/MUSIC/DANCE/LITERATURE: Edinburgh's annual month of festivals takes place throughout August, when the city comes alive with thousands of performances in a huge variety of venues, as well as on the streets.
The main festivals are:
Edinburgh Festival Fringe (comedy, theatre) 6-30 August; Edinburgh International Festival (theatre, classical music, dance) 13 August -5 September; Edinburgh International Book Festival (literature) 14-30 August Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival (jazz and blues music) 30 July – 8 August.
www.edinburghfestivals.co.uk/
FESTIVAL: Notting Hill Carnival, London's annual fiesta of Caribbean culture and the largest party of its kind in Europe, takes to the streets with colourful floats, sound systems and food stalls. Over a million people are expected to attend. Takes place on 29 and 30 August.
www.thenottinghillcarnival.com/
Notting Hill Carnival
www.handelhouse.org/hendrixinbritain/
EXHIBITION: Tate Britain in London hosts Romantics, a major new nine-room exhibition of the works of British Romantic artists featuring works by figures including JMW Turner, John Constable and William Blake. From 9 August.
www.tate.org.uk/britain/exhibitions/romantics
Henry Wallis - Chatterton, 1856
DENMARK
FOOD: Copenhagen, one of world cuisine's emerging scenes, hosts the Nordic countries' largest culinary fest. Events include discovering Scandinavian and world cuisine, beer and wine tastings, ecological food and cooking for kids. 20 to 29 August.
www.copenhagencooking.dk
FINLAND
LIFESTYLE/SPORT: At the Sauna World Championships, contestants from around the world are challenged to stay in saunas as long as possible, with organisers promising temperatures up to 110 degrees Celsius. 5 to 7 August
www.saunaheinola.com/
FRANCE
FESTIVAL/PHOTOGRAPHY: Arles holds its annual photography festival from 3 July to 19 September, with sixty exhibitions on a wide variety of themes -- Argentina, rock, prisons and photo techniques.
www.rencontres-arles.com
MUSIC: Paris festival Rock en Seine held 27-29 August in the suburbs at Saint Cloud promises headline bands such as Roxy Music, Massive Attack, Cypress Hill and Arcade Fire.
www.rockenseine.com
GERMANY
MUSEUMS: More than 100 museums and exhibition spaces throw open their doors for Berlin's 27th Long Night of the Museums. The twice-annual moonlight event includes special tours, readings, concerts and plays in addition to the chance for late-night peeks at permanent collections. This year's motto is Science 2010. 28 August.
www.berlin.de/kultur-und-tickets/events/lange_nacht_der_museen/
ART: Cologne's Museum Ludwig puts on a major retrospective of Pop Art master Roy Lichtenstein, tearful blondes and all. The Art as Motif exhibition showcases nearly 100 works by the US painter, who coopted comic book style for the museum crowd.
www.museenkoeln.de/museum-ludwig
DANCE: The Amazing Boys of Dance, who combine classical ballet choreography with boy-group sizzle, put on a two-week run at Munich's Prinzregenten Theatre. The Rock the Ballet show goes for grace and sex appeal, to the tunes of Lenny Kravitz, U2, Prince, Michael Jackson und Queen. 2 to 15 August.
www.rock-the-ballet.de
Berlin: Lange Nacht der Museen (Long Night of the Museums)
SPAIN
MUSIC: Europe's leading reggae festival "Rototom Sunsplash" comes to Spain for the first time from 21 to 28 August at Benicassim on the east coast after 16 years in Italy.
www.rototomsunsplash.com
ART: Madrid's Prado has "Turner and the Masters" showcasing his works alongside those of great European masters who were his inspiration, such as Rembrandt, Rubens, Veronese, Canaletto and Watteau. Until 19 September.
www.museodelprado.es
Rototom Sunsplash Festival
SWEDEN
FESTIVAL: Medieval week on the Baltic Sea island of Gotland in an authentic Middle Age environment. Markets, concerts, theatre, lectures and a jousting tournament. From 8 to 15 August.
www.medeltidsveckan.se/eng/index.pab
SWITZERLAND
FILM: Locarno's annual film festival held in the open air on one of the world's biggest screens sees a score of feature films vying for its Golden Leopard. From 4 to 15 August.
www.pardo.ch
Bellissima by Luchino Visconti, screenplay by Suso Cecchi d'Amico, Francesco Rosi, Luchino Visconti
AFP / Expatica
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Pop art in Cologne, the Edinburgh festivals, rock in Paris, Africa Days in Vienna and the Notting Hill Carnival in London. Following is the best of what's on in Europe in August.
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