In Cyprus the resort of Larnaca always does its best to make use of the great weather it benefits from. Outdoor activities are the norm here from dance festivals to concerts and theatre performances. If it can take place outdoors, then in Larnaca it always does.

Continue reading... Life in the Open Air in Larnaca

Barely a day goes by in Larnaca without some kind of cultural, artistic or sporting event taking place, even during the quieter months of the holiday season. We have already reported on the classical music concerts being performed by the island's Symphony Orchestra and the visit by one of China's best-known international dance troupes, both were in early October.

Continue reading... October Culture in Larnaca

The sun is already shining on Mallorca and the island hasn't even got to its main event of the year yet. Just like all Spanish towns, Palma's biggest festive event took place, not on 25th December, but on 6th January.

Continue reading... New Year Arts in Mallorca

The island of Mallorca and its capital Palma , like many places in Spain, prepare for a traditional Christmas and New Year that centres around four main events. Christmas Eve is important with concerts and Midnight Masses held in many churches, including the famous Seu Cathedral in Palma itself. Christmas Day is a time for relaxation and spending time with family. New Years Eve sees another excuse for celebration, with parties and fireworks displays illuminating the island's skies and then finally the celebration of the Epiphany on January 6th sees children receiving gifts in much the same way as UK children do on Christmas Day.

Continue reading... Mallorca Beyond New Year

A spectacular kite flying day took place in San Antonio, Ibiza on the 25th January 2009. This traditional event is part of the town's month-long fiesta programme and sees hundreds of kites, of all shapes and sizes, take to the air from the town's beaches.

Continue reading... Ibiza Kite Flying Day

On Cyprus the event calendars for the resorts of Paphos and Larnaca are never quiet for long and looking back through the end of the year to January 2010 and beyond that seems to ring true. These holiday destinations in the Eastern Mediterranean always have plenty going on in terms of music concerts, theatre performances, local traditions and sporting events.

Continue reading... End Of Year Events On Cyprus

Ibiza is one of those holiday islands that enjoys a bit of a break from September onwards. The busy summer crowds have subsided and the vast sandy beaches are more easily admired. The tourists who take their holidays in September, having waited until the school-age children have returned home, have been able to enjoy a more peaceful time on the island. Once October arrives everything eases back to a slower pace, the international nightclubs that Ibiza is famous for have had their end of season parties and the islands is given back to the locals for a few months.

Continue reading... Christmas on Ibiza

During January Tenerife hosts the Festival de Musica de Canarias, a celebration of classical music that first started in 1985.

Continue reading... Music Festival in Tenerife

When we report on big music concerts in some of the resorts we fly to, it's often the older stars that are performing. Earlier this year Rod Stewart performed in Tenerife and Alice Cooper played a concert this summer in Cyprus.

Continue reading... Tom Jones Performs Concert in Malta

There is plenty of activity to interest the tourist visiting Cyprus at this time of year. The first thing travellers to Larnaca will notice will be the improved airport facilities that were opened to the public on 10th November. Phase One of the new developments were unveiled by the company who assumed control of the airport back in 2006.

Continue reading... Cyprus During November

You are never too far away from a classical music performance in the town of Palma de Mallorca. The cultural roots of this town are deep in Mallorca and all forms of music are frequently represented on the event calendar. From the annual Chopin Piano Festival in Valldemossa to the outdoor summer concerts at the towering Bellver Castle in Palma, Mallorca has more than its share of inspirational venues too.

Continue reading... Mallorca Gets Classical

Visitors to Mallorca during the peak months of the summer more often than not stay in their resorts for the duration of their stay. But for those coming to the island during December there are plenty of reasons to take a trip into the capital Palma, to experience the sights and sounds as the Mallorcan Christmas approaches. In terms of music there are many different Christmas concerts, during the early part of the month there was also a varied choice of concerts in different musical styles, that provided something for everyone.

Continue reading... Music Variety in Mallorca During December

The normally quiet town of La Oratova on Tenerife opened its doors to the La Semana de Juventud y Cultura or Youth and Culture Week that concluded on 23rd October.

Continue reading... Tenerife Youth Culture Week

Whilst many European holiday resorts go through a quite spell before the start of the festive holiday period in mid December, Tenerife still has plenty of activities and events to interest visitors during November and early December.

Continue reading... Forthcoming Events on Tenerife

As a holiday island that relies on tourism for much of its commercial activity, the authorities in Mallorca have a responsibility to their business community to provide a continuing stream of events and attractions that help bring visitors to the island all year round. Mallorca has slowly developed a tried and tested seasonal shift that sees the springtime favouring the activities of cyclists and athletes, who come to the island for warm weather training. Then the long summer panders to the millions of sun and beach lovers who enjoy the island's many perfect resorts. Autumn sees a switch to sailing and also culture that brings art and music festivals to the island. At the end of the year Christmas provides a perfect bridge to the golfing season that takes over in the New Year.

Continue reading... Mallorca's Seasonal Shift

The Canaries version of the WOMAD Festival took place from 12th to 15th November in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Continue reading... WOMAD Festival in Gran Canaria

The small island of Gozo, which sits off the North Western corner of Malta, hosted its annual Festival Mediterranea at the end of October and beginning of November.

Continue reading... Festival Mediterranea on Gozo

New Years Eve celebrations seem to be getting bigger and bigger every year. London now stages a major public fireworks display, centred on the London Eye on the Thames, while TV news broadcasts always show the New Year being welcomed in different parts of the world. These reports usually show fireworks displays in Edinburgh, Paris, Sydney, Copacabana beach, Hong Kong and or the million or so revelers who converge on Times Square in New York. The New York celebrations are interesting as they first started in 1904 to commemorate the opening of the New York Times' new offices, when 200,000 people came to enjoy an all-day party put on by the newspaper. It is now estimated that 1 billion people worldwide watch the Times Square celebrations.

Continue reading... New Years Eve on the Algarve

Imagine the traditional Christmas scene and snowy forests or icy lakes may spring to mind. Well the festive season on Portugal's Algarve coast is highly unlikely to feature either of those, benefitting as it does from mild, dry weather right through the months of November, December and January. Of course you may be unlucky enough to catch a stray band of rain or be subjected to one of the onshore Atlantic breezes but largely the weather will be mild and sunny.

Continue reading... Christmas on The Algarve

The Mallorca Festival of Music has now concluded, its two final concerts were held in October and November.

Continue reading... Mallorca Festival of Music

The town of Sa Pobla is one of the larger towns in Northern Mallorca, but being situated around 20 miles to the north of Palma and set inland it doesn't receive much attention from tourists visiting the island. This is a town populated largely by native Mallorcans, without the abundance of holiday homes that are a feature of some of the more picturesque parts of the island. The main industry around Sa Pobla is agriculture and the flat countryside around the town is a patchwork of well cultivated fields growing all kinds of produce.

Continue reading... Sa Pobla Autumn Fair

During October the St Peters Singers, a fifty strong chamber choir from Leeds, England performed a number of concerts during a short tour of the island of Mallorca.

Continue reading... St Peters Singers in Palma

One of the more esoteric events on Tenerife this Autumn was the Tenerife Tattoo Fest, which took place for the second time this year on the 7th and 8th November.

Continue reading... Tenerife Tattoo Fest

During the summer months the resort of Alcudia on the northern coast of Mallorca transforms into a buzzing beach location, fringed with a huge selection of luxury hotels, bars, restaurants, cafes and one of the best sandy beaches on the island. Once the peak months of the summer are gone, everything starts to move at a slightly slower pace, although the resort doesn't quite return to the peaceful, quiet rural zone it once was before tourism discovered it.

Continue reading... Alcudia Fair in October

Mallorca's three month long Jazz Voyeur Festival continues at the Conservatori venue in Palma with four interesting concerts during November.

Continue reading... International Jazz in Palma Mallorca

A new season of concerts by the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra starts in November.

Continue reading... Tenerife Symphony Orchestra Starts New Season

Music and the island of Mallorca seem to be very closely linked and the pretty port of Soller hosted its own series of concerts during September and October this year.

Continue reading... Port de Soller Festival on Mallorca

The holiday scene in Rhodes may be slightly quieter during September and a music festival follows the trend.

Continue reading... Music in Rhodes - A Classical Festival

The Canary Islands International Jazz Festival was in full swing this year kicking off with a series of great performances where the beach at Telde on Gran Canaria and Puerto de la Cruz on the north coast of Tenerife both played host for opening night concerts.

Continue reading... Gran Canaria and Tenerife Open Jazz Festival

Mallorca has a fine reputation as a summer beach holiday destination however there is a lot more to this amazing island than just fine beaches and holiday resorts.

Continue reading... Felanitx Festival in Mallorca

The night clubs are well known but dancing of a different type took centre stage on Ibiza during August.

Continue reading... Dance and Celebrate on Ibiza

September saw the promotion of the Kypria Festival, with events in all the major towns of Cyprus during the month.

Continue reading... Kypria Festival on Cyprus

In a move that appears to be bucking the trend experienced in other parts of Europe, the Greek Islands are seeing improved tourist figures for the first four months of the year.

Continue reading... Greeks Islands Proving Popular

Preveza is steeped in ancient history having been founded in 290BC and, due to its strategic position, the site of many conflicts and battles over the ages. One of the earliest confrontations was the Battle of Actium between Augustus and the forces of Anthony and Cleopatra. It has been under Roman, Byzantine and Bulgarian rule and then Venetian until the Ottomans took over in 1499. It remained mainly under Ottoman control until captured by the Greeks in 1912, where it has remained except for brief invasions by Italy and Germany during World War II.

Continue reading... Choral Competition in Preveza

Just 35 miles south of Monastir and within easy reach of the airport, the important Roman town of El Jem hosts an annual music festival celebrating symphony music. The concerts are certain to be high quality but it is the setting that brings people to this special event.

Continue reading... El Jem Celebrates Symphony Music

Visitors flying into Sanford Airport ahead of their annual holiday in Florida can look forward to a full events programme in August and music fans are particularly lucky.

Continue reading... August for Music in Orlando

Art and Culture lovers are well catered for in Cyprus with plenty of events being promoted all over the island to showcase music, dance, theatre and other forms. Typically the major towns of Limassol and Nicosia are home to most of the promotions with venues like the Municipal Theatre, the Medieval Castle and the Athletics Stadium, all in Limassol, being ideally suited for different sized events. The big summer concert this year at the stadium in Limassol features American rock musician Alice Cooper who comes to the island as the last date on the first European leg of his "Theater Of Death" tour. Cooper then moves onto the States and Australia in August and September, before coming to the UK in November and December.

Continue reading... Concerts and Ballet in Cyprus

Over four days in July the Moto Club Faro holds its annual Bike Meet on the Concentration Showground right next to Faro airport.

Continue reading... Bike Meet in Faro during July

The towering Bellver Castle, situated in the woods high above the city of Palma in Mallorca, is home to an annual music festival during July.

Continue reading... Music Towers above Palma

The annual summer festival in Chania, Crete showcases all kinds of traditional Cretan theatre and music, but international bands will rock the festival into life on 11th July, when rock band Scorpians headline an outdoor concert in the town.

Continue reading... Summer Festival Rocks into life in Crete

Set aside your bias about Corfu strictly being a mass market package holiday destination because in reality, this beloved Greek island has many beautiful beaches and cultural attractions for all kinds of holidaymakers in search a of a memorable getaway.

Continue reading... Corfu Part 1

Visitors to the island of Lanzarote next weekend will have the opportunity to sample the Festival of Arrecife, a series of musical events taking place at different venues around the city on Friday and Saturday.

Continue reading... Lanzarote Festival in Arrecife

Starting on the 3rd of July 2009, the 18th Canaries Jazz Festival kicks off with performances on Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote. Acts from all over the world are playing during the week long festival and on the second day concerts are taking place on 4 different islands in the group.

Continue reading... Canaries Jazz Festival

The Canary Islands are rightly proud of their residents and one of them, artist Cesar Manrique, has left a distinct impression on many of the islands but particularly on his home of Lanzarote. Manrique was sadly killed in a car accident in 1992 but his life on the islands has left behind many legacies.

Continue reading... Swim in Style on Tenerife

There are now several annual jazz festivals held on the island, and a permanent jazz club has found a home in the Hotel Saratoga, a four star hotel in the centre of Palma with views over the harbour area. The hotel hosts the Blue Jazz Club where artists play in the seventh floor bar every Thursday, Friday and Saturday during the season. The venue is perfect for some summer evening jazz as it offers outdoor areas with spectacular views over the bay and city.

Continue reading... Jazz in Mallorca

The International Pharos Chamber Music Festival in Cyprus first started in 2001 and the 9th incarnation of the concert series kicked off this week in the Pasydy Auditorium in Nicosia and the Royal Manor House of Kouklia, close to Paphos. The series of concerts has gained international recognition for the quality of its performances and anyone on holiday in the area who appreciates classical music could take advantage by attending any of the eight concerts.

Continue reading... Chamber Music Concerts near Paphos

The annual Kataklysmos Fair starts on 5th June in Larnaca, Cyprus with a performance of Greek dancing and music on the seafront stage, followed by a fireworks display. The word "kataklysmos" means flood and the celebration is unique to Cyprus, coinciding with the Greek Pentacost. The celebrations are thought to link back the birth of Aphrodite who emerged from the waves and turned the ground around her into a sea of flowers. The flood is celebrated as something that cleanses mankind and enables new life, and is a event marked in a similar manner in many cultures around the world.

Continue reading... Annual Kataklysmos Fair in Larnaca

The most prominent feature of the small town of Felanitx on the island of Mallorca is certainly an imposing one. Felanitx is a thriving town in the south of the island, 12 miles north east of Palma but perched on the top of a 510m high hill on the outskirts of the town is the stunning Monastery of Sant Salvador.

Continue reading... Majorcan Monastery hosts Concerts

The features that attract people to the Greek island of Rhodes include the weather, the beaches, high quality resorts and a typically warm welcome. These are all things that other locations can claim but very few have the history of Rhodes and a place like Lindos shows that side of Rhodes very well.

Continue reading... Old Rock in Lindos Rhodes

The Rod Stewart concert, on the 16th May, is expected to be the biggest of the 3 main rock and pop events to come to Tenerife over the summer and the organisers have chosen to put on the outdoor concert at the Golf Costa Adeje resort in order to cater for the demand expected. This is easily the biggest concert to come to the island since Sir Elton John played to 20,000 people there in January 2008.

Continue reading... Tenerife Gears up for Musical Summer

The town of Larnanca in Cyprus is famous for all kinds of reasons. It has a large modern airport, is a popular destination for holidaymakers from all over Europe and also hosts a large Summer festival that features all kinds of music, dance and theatrical events. Many international performers are booked for this year's festivities.

Continue reading... Larnaca Prepares for Summer Season

The town of Bodrum in Turkey is well known as a gateway to various coastal holidays resorts that lie within reach of the town. But Bodrum itself is a fascinating town and is well worth a visit, if only for a few days, to see the sights and sounds of real Turkey. Tourism is becoming ever more important for Bodrum but the economic roots of the town lie in fishing, boat building and farming and many historical elements of those trades can still be found.

Continue reading... Bodrum Nights

Having seen the excitement caused by the UK concert series announced by Michael Jackson recently, it's interesting to see other pop stars popular with previous generations still performing at concerts around the world. The Canary Islands have attracted various stars in the past including Elton John and Rod Stewart is the latest to announce a concert date on Tenerife as part of the Canarias Live Sun Festival in May this year. The concert will take place at the Campo de Golf, Costa Adeje in Tenerife.

Continue reading... Canarias Live Sun Festival