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Events to remember in Europe

26th May 2009 Print
With June just around the corner, here is a taster of the best events taking place - whatever the weather!

Amsterdam

Visit Amsterdam and take part in the Holland Festival, the biggest of its kind in the Netherlands. Between 4 – 28 June 2009 the streets of Amsterdam come to life with genres of music from all over the world, alongside theatre, dance, films and art shows. Last year over 90 performances took place, attended by over 100,000 visitors. For more information visit hollandfestival.nl

Also worth a visit is the Vondelpark Open Air Theatre. Situated by a big fountain, the theatre is the perfect spot to cool off. With something for all ages, from cabaret to drama and from dance to concerts, it is the perfect way to spend a summer afternoon. For more information visit openluchttheater.nl

bmibaby fly from East Midlands, Manchester and Birmingham Airport to Amsterdam and fares for June start from £22.99 one way including taxes and charges.

Paris

From 24 May – 7 June 2009, Stade Roland Garros hosts the French Open. One of the four tennis Grand Slams, the French Open is one of France’s biggest sporting events. Although demand is high for tickets, leftovers can always be bought prior to the matches. See the stars of the future on the smaller courts where the unseeded matches take place. Visit fft.fr/rolandgarros/default_en.asp for more details.

For a more musical event, visit Paris on 21 June 2009, when the Fête de la Musique takes place. The whole of Paris is filled with music from opera to jazz, and folk to rock. All the concerts are free of charge and there is something on offer to suit all musical tastes. The event has become a world renowned social phenomenon and is well worth a visit. Visit fetedelamusique.culture.fr/87_English.html for more details.

bmibaby fly from East Midlands Airport to Paris and fares for June start from £24.99 one way including taxes and charges.

Nice

If you want to retreat from the sunshine then head to the Parc Phoenix in Nice. Here you will find the world’s largest glasshouse which is home to over 2500 plant species in seven different tropical climates. Displays include the Tree Fern Forest to the Thai Garden and Butterfly Jungle. Entry is free for under twelve’s and just €2 for everyone else.

Those looking for a stylish way to pass the time should take a trip to L'Effervescence, the first champagne bar in the Old Town of Nice. The diminutive venue offers 38 different champagnes by the glass, and the owner of L'Effervescence is on hand to offer advice including the most delicious accompaniments to champagne such as smoked salmon. Visit leffervescence-nice.com/index2.htm for more details.

bmibaby fly from East Midlands and Birmingham Airport to Nice and fares for June start from £31.99 one way including taxes and charges.

Edinburgh

For somewhere closer to home, visit Edinburgh between 17- 28 June 2009 for the Edinburgh International Film Festival. The festival has a diverse programme and is a great opportunity to spot up and coming film makers. The festival also includes international premieres, previously including the massive Spielberg block buster ‘ET’. For more information visit edfilmfest.org.uk/

For a slice of traditional Scottish heritage take a day out to explore the National Museum of Scotland, which showcases Scotland’s history. The imaginative displays bring to life the light and dark sides of Scottish life. Look out for Scottish burghs, Concorde and Dolly the Sheep. Entry is free, visit nms.ac.uk for more details.

bmibaby fly from East Midlands, Cardiff and Birmingham Airport to Edinburgh and fares for June start from £18.99 one way including taxes and charges.

Barcelona

For Moto GP enthusiasts the Catalonian course is one of the most popular rounds in the World Championship. Held at the Circuit de Catalunya on 14 June 2009, the event draws crowds of over 100,000 holiday makers and race fans. With the bikes weaving round the course at speeds of up to 185 miles per hour, the atmosphere is always electric. Visit motogp.com for more details.

For music fans Barcelona’s International Festival of Advanced Music and Multimedia, also known as the Sonar Festival is not to be missed. Taking place from 18 – 20 June 2009 music lovers can check out exhibitions of the latest music technology by day, and by night hit the numerous beach parties and clubs. For families there is the SonarKids, a new festival of music and creative experiences for kids and parents, held on Sunday 21 June. For more information visit 2009.sonar.es/en/index.php.

bmibaby fly from Cardiff, Manchester and Birmingham Airport to Barcelona and fares for June start from £31.99 one way including taxes and charges.

Newquay

With the promise of good weather there is no better place to take to the ocean than Newquay. Dubbed the surfing capital of England, Newquay is a great place for anyone to learn to surf, with waves to suit all abilities from the novice to the expert. There are lots of surf schools offering visitors the chance to learn to surf, many offering the guarantee of standing up on the board!

If the sea is still too cold to brave at this time of year, head to the Newquay Waterworld. With two heated pools, there is definitely no need for a wetsuit! As well as a laned pool for swimming there is a tropical fun pool, complete with water cannons, slides, erupting volcanoes, spitting snakes and crocodiles. Newquay Waterworld is a great wet weather option for the whole family, visit newquaywaterworld.co.uk/pools.htm for more details.

bmibaby fly from Manchester and Birmingham Airport to Newquay and fares for June start from £18.99 one way including taxes and charges.

Malaga

Get immersed in Malaga’s most famous export at the Picasso Foundation. The gallery is based in the building where the world famous artist was born and raised. Costing just one Euro to enter, the gallery not only includes a life history of Picasso, but also some of his most famous works of art. The gallery includes a library made entirely from books donated by Picasso’s daughter-in-law and offers a unique chance to browse one-off editions illustrated by the artist himself. Visit for more details.

For traditional Spanish heritage, visit Malaga between 22 – 23 June 2009, when the Feast of St John takes place. This traditional Spanish fiesta climaxes at midnight on 23 June when huge cloth figures, known as ‘juas’ are set on fire. When the flames reach a suitable height, the locals take it in turns to leap over the fire. As with all Spanish festivals, there is an abundance of drinking, dancing and eating until the early hours.

bmibaby fly from East Midlands, Manchester, Cardiff and Birmingham Airport to Malaga and fares for June start from £34.99 one way including taxes and charges.

Palma

Another popular Spanish festival is the Nit de Foc, which takes place in Palma on 23 June 2009. This is one of the biggest festivals in the Majorcan calendar and marks the start of the island’s summer fiesta. The whole of the sky is lit up with extravagant firework displays, and a giant bonfire is held in the Parc de la Mer.

Another site worth visiting whilst in Palma is the majestic La Seu Cathedral. Sitting on the waterfront of Palma the cathedral is a blend of medieval and renaissance architecture. The cathedral’s design was contributed to by legendary Catalan architect Gaudi, adding a unique feel to the buildings structure. La Seu Cathedral was built as a symbol of Majorca’s Christian Conquerors and its huge towers still have an imposing presence over the city. This is a great attraction for spending a day in.

bmibaby fly from East Midlands, Manchester, Cardiff and Birmingham Airport to Palma and fares for June start from £34.99 one way including taxes and charges.

Jersey

If the sun is shining in Jersey then visit the Shell Garden. The world’s largest shell garden includes over a million shells, sculpted into dolphins, mermaids, churches and windmills. The garden is unique, with all the sculptures crafted by hand from locally sourced shells from the beaches of Jersey. For more information visit jerseyshellgarden.com/.

Another day out with a difference in Jersey is the chance to visit ‘the zoo that is not a zoo’. Set up by the famous naturalist Gerald Durrell, Jersey Zoo is the headquarters for the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, a wildlife organisation dedicated to saving animals from extinction. Visitors to the zoo can spend the day in the company of orangutans, gibbons and lemurs. For more information visit durrell.org/Visit-Durrell-In-Jersey/

bmibaby fly from East Midlands, Manchester and Cardiff Airport to Jersey and fares for June start from £24.99 one way including taxes and charges.