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Music Art
28 - 29 AUGUST
Notting Hill Carnival
Notting Hill, London. Free. The carnival‘s location in what is now one of London's swisher areas seems incongruous. and purists claim the weekend has become far too mainstream and sanitised. But Notting Hill remains an enormously exciting multicultural event. The smaller. children's carnival is on the Sunday. while the Monday event kicks off at noon, with processions and sound systems inching their way around a fOur mile circuit. www.mynottinghilI.co.uk/nottinghilltv/carnivali In a nutshell: Multi-cultural sound-system banger
28 - 29 AUGUST
Strathaven Balloon Festival I Hastie Park, Strathaven, Sth Lanarkshire. Free.
lf Ian McEwan‘s Enduring Love didn't put you off hot- air balloons for life then try this colourful festival to see 16 balloons launched into the sky over the course of two days. Flight times depend on the weather (or lack of it) so be warned — 6am is usually the perfect time. If that‘s a tad early there‘s a ‘night glow‘ at dusk on Saturday during which tethered balloons are inflated to the sound of classical music. www.strathavenbalIoonfestival.com
In a nutshell: A family festival with hot air galore
29 AUGUST - 5 SEPTEMBER
Burning Man Festival .0
Black Rock City, Nevada. 8250. (Sold out) It's not so much what there is at this week-long temporary community on the Black Rock Desert. as what there isn‘t. The only things on sale are coffee and ice, and. other than a handful of acoustic music performances at the Center Camp Cafe — and a communal theme coined by the project‘s founder Larry Harvey to encourage people to bond — the focus is on simply escaping the confines of day-to-day life. The festival began life on a small beach in San Francisco. and now attracts more than 25.000 people to the ancient lake-bed known as the playa. www.burningman.com In a nutshell: An exercise in self-sufficiency
31 AUGUST
La Tomatina re
Bufiol, nr Valencia, Spain. 0034 96398 6422 No-one seems quite sure how it started. According to some. a group of friends were trying to shut up a very bad musician, while other versions point to a carnival that developed into a fight near a fruit stall. Now. despite regular bans in the past. the Tornatina is an established draw on the European festival circuit. attracting around 30000 tourists to the small
Galway lntema i
yster Festival
26 THE LIST 1? 26 May 2005)
Theatre Books
Comedy Film Food&Drink
Spanish town of Bunol. A banger announces the start of the hour-long festivrties. in which tomatoes are flung amongst the crowd until they're ankle deep. www.|ahoya.net/tomatina/
In a nutshell: The world's biggest food—fight
9 - 11 SEPTEMBER
UCI Mountain Bike World
Cup Finals 0
Aonach Mor, Fort William. Prices 28.50-233. 01397 705 825. The UK has never before hosted mountain biking's most prestigious competition but.
having held rounds of the cup for the last three years. this time Nevis Range gets the biggie. It's the culmination of six months of worldwide competition. and 450 riders from 35 countries are expected. alongside 20.000 spectators. Competitions include downhill (for the speedsters). cross-country (for the endurance specialists) and four-cross (a head—to head sprint). www.fortwilliamworldcup.co.uk
In a nutshell: They get on their bikes so you don't have to
22 - 25 SEPTEMBER
Galway International Oyster
Festival ~';
Galway City, Galway, Ireland. Entry to Oyster Trail pubs free. In the west of Ireland. native oysters are a relatively plentiful and popular local delicacy. and September marks the start of the season. Fifty years ago. a local hotel~owner persuaded Gurnness to sponsor an event celebrating the fact. Today it's a rnassrve. three-day knees-«up. with almost every put) in Galway City hosting live music and servrng free oysters with every pint. www.galwayoysterfest.com
In an oystershell: Good craic for those of a stout constitution
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Kid-friendly
Cars Camping Outdoors
Given that the British weather, like new Oasis material, disappoints more often than it satisfies, those looking to tan while they celebrate might want to head away from these shores this summer.
I Sonar Even if ‘advanced music and multimedia art' sounds a bit taxing. the thing to bear in mind with Sonar is it's in Barcelona. So in between stretching your ears and eyes you could be enjoying the busy market atomsphere of the Ramblas. or absorbing Gaudi‘s exquisite mosaics in the breezy Parc Giiell 16— I8 June.
I Gnaoua Festival, Morocco Much loved by post-war intellectuals and 19603 pop stars. the Moroccan fishing village of Essouira has a brilliant beach and perfect weather. plus a slight breeze from the sea to stop peer-wally Scots going up in smoke. 23—26 June.
I Festival of San Fermin Never ones to let tradition stand in the way of a good time. the residents of Pamplona moved their festival (dominated by the Running of the Bulls) from October so they could bask in sunshine instead of wallowing in rain. 7— 74 Ju/y.
I Festival lnternacional de Benicassim It's on a beach between Barcelona and Valencia. the weather is top and performances go on till 8am. Remember to take some sun cream or the Spaniards will point at your burnt northern hide. 4--7 August.
I Burning Man Festival A desert in Nevada shouldn‘t. you'd think, have any problems besides overheating during the day and getting nippy at night. It's not quite that simple. as people found during the monsoon storms of 2000. But the sun generally shines strong. Which is lucky. because clothing is optional. 29 August-5 September: