Trippin 50: Your 2024 Cultural Calendar

February March April May June July August September October November December

Introduction

Last year, we launched the Trippin 50: a cultural calendar featuring our selection of the top 50 events around the world. We measured them by a series of criteria points – whether the event is making strides in diversity, sustainability or innovation; benefiting its local community or preserving culture.

For our 2024 iteration, we brought it back to our love of travel, leaning into innovation and unique destinations in particular. Which avant-garde events are bringing something new to the fore? Taking place in unknown, or off-grid, locations? Which are the ones happening in places you've never heard of? Our selections include the events that are breathing new life into long-abandoned spaces, too; repurposing forgotten sites like a quarry in northern Italy, or transforming a limestone cave in Vietnam into a rave experience.

The Trippin 50 covers all of the cultural fields: from food to music, art to design and film. Curated by the Trippin team and leading tastemakers across the creative industries, this is your definitive calendar to help you plan your year ahead.

February

Seeyousound International Music Film Festival Trippin 50

Seeyousound International Music Film Festival Turin comes alive with this illustrious 10-day affair championing music-themed cinema.

Desert X This international contemporary art exhibition is held worldwide across multiple locations in the desert. It's where vast, untamed expanses serve as a canvas for ambitious and breathtaking works of art.

Bonanza Set in the deep, verdant green of the Colombian jungle on the banks of the Buritaca river, this “fierce little festival” promises to be an unforgettable rave experience.

July

Nextones

Situated in the Ossola Valley in northern Italy, near the Swiss border, Nextones is both a festival and a project for environmental redevelopment.

Tones on the Stones, the collective spearheading Nextones, converted the Roncino quarry in the small village of Oira into a large stone theatre, surrounded by the valley’s rugged, mountainous landscape.

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March

Listen Festival This five-day event spreads its programme across unconventional spaces in Brussels. This year, it's hosting a rave across three underground tunnels.

CPH:DOX Since its establishment in 2003, CPH:DOX (the Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival) has evolved into one of Europe's largest events of its kind.

Homecoming Hosting a lineup of African and international stars each year, Homecoming is one of the most highly-anticipated events amongst the creative community in Nigeria and its diaspora.

April

Chun You Festival Chun You has become one of southwest China’s most well-loved independent festivals with a lineup of art and music that promotes Chinese artists only.

Organik Festival Nestled in the heart of Taiwan's enchanting east coast, Organik Festival boasts a “secret” location that's nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Design Indaba Located in Cape Town, Design Indaba serves as a catalyst for a brighter future by spotlighting global innovative design and creativity.

NY Art Book Fair Organised by Printed Matter, this annual event in New York City showcases the convergence of art and printed media.

Equation Festival Taking place in a limestone cave in Vietnam, Equation is one of the most picturesque electronic festivals in the region with a programme that emphasises East and Southeast Asian selectors in particular.

Raw Wine Los Angeles This two-day extravaganza offers a close look into the world of organic, biodynamic and low-intervention wines.

Featured event

Waking Life

Set in Crato, Portugal, Waking Life Festival is an intimate rave that unfolds across six days in the warmth of the desert sun.

Taking place during the summer solstice, ravers are treated to long hours of sunlight and a serene setting surrounded by eucalyptus plantations.

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May

UFO Camp This 27-hour friends and family rave takes over a swimming ranch each year in Guanajuato, Mexico.

Sandbox Festival Known as the largest electronic music festival in Egypt, Sandbox is a three-day open-air rave held across the Red Sea Coast in El Gouna.

June

Waking Life Set in Crato, this Portuguese festival is an intimate rave that unfolds across six days in the warmth of the desert sun, surrounded by eucalyptus plantations.

Nature Loves Courage Tucked away behind wild gorges in the Mediterranean, this playful gathering was founded by multidisciplinary artist Abyss X. It's located at a natural setting in the South of Crete, at one of Europe’s closest points to Africa.

Featured event

Desert X

Desert X, an international contemporary art exhibition, is held worldwide across multiple locations in the desert; where vast, untamed expanses serve as a canvas for ambitious and breathtaking works of art.

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July

Creepy Teepee This 1,000-capacity event, located in central Czechia, prioritises collectivity and creative expression while showcasing niche and eclectic artists across the globe.

The Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale At the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale, attendees are able to explore over 230 artworks throughout the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field in Niigata.

Nextones Situated in the Ossola Valley in northern Italy, an abandoned quarry serves as the centrepiece for the festival and environmental project Nextones.

Norbergfestival An abandoned iron mine site of Mimerlaven is transformed into a hub of artistic diversity for three exhilarating days every July.

Lost Music Festival Lost is an art and electronic music festival held in the world's largest plant labyrinth, at Franco Maria Ricci’s Labirinto della Masone in Italy.

Featured event

Honcho Campout

Honcho Campout, set in Artemas, Pennsylvania, is a vibrant celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community, with a special focus on people of colour and transgender experiences. This annual festival is lauded for its inclusive atmosphere and an array of activities that embody community, joy and care.

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September

Beirut Art Fair Beirut Art Fair is a lively display of contemporary art in Lebanon, providing a platform for artists from the Middle East and North Africa to local, diasporic and global visitors.

Lunchmeat Festival Hosted in Prague's picturesque cityscape of Gothic buildings, Lunchmeat Festival is a daring showcase of advanced electronic music and new media art.

Gwangju Biennale This South Korean showcase is Asia’s oldest and most prestigious biennale of contemporary art.

Trippin 50

53100 Held on a secluded mountain top in the heart of Tuscany, this food and music festival combines rich pastas with locally-sourced food, hikes and electronic sounds.

Jianbing Festival A culinary celebration of the world-famous street food snack, hosted in Beijing by local brewery Beiping Machine.

Festival of the Mind A collaboration between Sheffield University academics, expect to experience challenging debates, immersive installations and future-facing exhibitions in various venues across the northern city.

Featured event

Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale

At the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale, attendees are able to explore over 230 artworks throughout the Echigo-Tsumari Art region in Japan’s Niigata prefecture.

This area is characterised by heavy snowfall in winter, and therefore depopulation is an ever-growing issue along with rapid ageing. The triennale helps to combat this by drawing in travellers around the world.

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November

London Korean Film Festival The largest event of its kind outside of Korea, this film festival is set to take over BFI Southbank in November for its 19th edition.

Radical Sounds Latin America A non-profit festival that platforms talent operating across sound, music, art, performance and activism from Latin America and its diaspora.

Bangkok Art Book Fair Bangkok Art Book Fair is an annual event bringing together self-publishing and co-creating communities to share cultural nuance, ideas and artistic practices.

Dharamshala Film Festival In the cool mountain enclave of Dharamshala, this international film festival has emerged as a cinematic disruptor.

Morbido Fest This international festival promotes Mexican filmmakers and the country's long-standing tradition of producing horror and fantasy films.

December

Decompress Fest Powered by Data for Black Lives, this four-day festival made its debut in Miami last year. Its ethos is to celebrate the history and culture of electronic music as Black protest music.

Latineo Curated by the legendary Matias Aguayo, this electronic music festival exclusively showcases Latin American talent across the vibrant party hub of Medellín, Colombia.

Kochi-Muziris Biennale Set in the usually sleepy town of Fort Kochi, Kerala, this biennale is a visual spectacle that invites viewers to dive into the avant-garde.

Wonderfruit This four-day festival stands at the epicentre of the East and Southeast Asian music scene.

Nativeland Launched by The Native, this Lagos-based festival champions West African culture and has grown to become a key player within the Nigerian music scene.

Nyege Nyege Festival For fans of experimental music and diasporic African sounds, this is a renowned festival that needs no introduction. Despite government opposition, this Ugandan festival has continued to thrive.

Featured event

Equation Festival

Taking place in a limestone cave in Vietnam, Equation is one of the most picturesque electronic festivals in the region with a programme that emphasises East and Southeast Asian selectors in particular.

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