Venice Film Festival

Destination: Northern Italy >> 27/08 - 11/09

Arguably the most important film festival of them all, the Venice Film Festival, or, to give it its official name, the 'Mostra Internazionale D'Arte Cinematografica', will be taking place for the 67th time this year as part of the Biennale di Venezia. The first festival was held back in 1932, with 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' having been the very first projection. Since then, it has not only shown some of, what were to become, the greatest films in history, but also awarded them and their actors.

This year, between 1st and 11th September, the Festival, whose ultimate goal is to promote international film as an art, entertainment and an industry, will be showing films from 35 countries, with of course Italy's industry being the best represented. The UK has six entries this year, with two works by Isaac Julien. The USA is also well represented with offerings from the brothers Affleck, Sofia Coppola, Dennis Hopper, Julian Schnabel and the great Martin Scorsese.

There is no shortage of talent either amongst the jurists, with Quentin Tarantino, Danny Elfman and last year's Golden Lion for Best Film award winner from Israel, Samuel Moaz, all playing a role in deciding the best of 2010.

Tickets and passes for the showings are still available both online and at the box offices of the participating cinemas. You can purchase them and find more information on the Festival on the official website.

Burning Man Festival, Nevada

Destination: United States California >> 30/08 - 06/09

Burning Man is an annual gathering of some 25,000 people in Nevada's Black Rock Desert. Named after the effigy burnt on the final night, it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the brave, the avant-garde, the crazy and the curious.

A stark, arid, prehistoric lake-bed is the terrain for a city that is built in less than three weeks. People get creative, making their own themed camps, wacky vehicles and crazy outfits. The whole spectacle looks like a cross between a carnival and Mad Max.

Bring your own installation, be it an adorned bicycle, a costume, an artwork; wear your creativity on your sleeve and abandon yourself to the beauty and mystery of the desert and the friendship of your fellow human beings.

An average day consists of wandering around the streets, popping into the odd free bar, cinema or show. Every few minutes a bizarre vehicle will pass by - such as a Viking long boat on wheels, a flying carpet or a float with a jazz band on it. Few wear normal clothes and it is totally appropriate to put on your brightest party costume for breakfast. Music comes from everywhere, so you could well find yourself dancing down the street at 9am. The final night sees the lighting of the Burning Man himself - along with much of the artwork.

Attending Burning Man is a unique experience. There is no commerce at the site. No one buys or sells anything. You must bring camping supplies, your own food and water, but loos are provided. The temperature by day can soar to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and it can drop to freezing at night, so sometimes surviving takes a real effort. If you can manage it, you're guaranteed the party of your life!

For full details see the website.

Notting Hill Carnival, London

Destination: England >> 29/08 - 30/08

Didn't get a chance to go to Rio this year? Well here's a carnival a little closer to home; the Notting Hill Carnival! London's massive street party spans a whole weekend in late August and is actually the second biggest carnival in the world after Rio and the largest street party in Europe. Held each year since 1966, the carnival celebrates the vibrant Caribbean culture and has become one of the biggest events of the year on the London party calendar. Whether you want to treat your ears to some soca, calypso, samba, reggae, ragga dancehall, dub, 2 step or old-school funk, you'll find it - booming out from the huge static sound systems, of which there are over forty. Follow the procession that winds its way through the streets of Notting Hill and Ladbroke Grove, dance alongside the colourful floats, admire the beautiful costumes, the smiling faces and then finish it all off with a hearty helping of jerk chicken, curried goat and fried plantain. This year's carnival takes place on Sunday 29 and Monday 30 August. For more information, check out the official website.

World Expo 2010, Shanghai, China

Destination: China - Shanghai and the South >> 21/05 - 31/10

Dating back to 1851, when the first 'Great Exhibition', as it was known then, took place in the Crystal Palace, Hyde Park, London, this event, also known as World's Fair and Universal Exhibition, has travelled all over the world to Paris, Melbourne, Seattle, Montreal, Osaka and Lisbon, among others. This year, for the first time in its 159 year history, the spectacle will be held in China, in the city of Shanghai.

As is customary, the main attractions are the National Pavilions, which are created by the participating nations to show off the best of their country's culture. For example, this year, the United Kingdom pavilion, whose national day will be on 8th September, takes the theme of 'Building on the Past, Shaping our Future' and is known as the Seed Cathedral. Its surrounding takes the form of wrapping paper and is a space where visitors can relax outside or enter and take in the seeds which produce wonders of nature and life. Visitors can also travel through the UK's capitals via 'green maps' void of buildings and streets, enjoy a preview of the London 2012 Olympics and try and differentiate a variety of real plants from a collection of made-up futuristic ones.

As well as the 190 countries represented, there are also five themed pavilions each one divided into sections which study themes such as the development of cities, the effects humans have on them and how they might look in the future.

Running right through until October 31st and with each month a different continent celebrating its national pavilion days, there is every reason to head to Shanghai and experience what is the largest Expo in history. There are thousands of events planned over the next few months - for a full schedule and all the information you need on the spectacle, visit the .