Where to go in September 2027
144 events around the world in September 2027, with their dates. Open one to see fares from your city for those days, and we'll alert you when they drop.
North America: 33 events in September
Green turtle nesting at TortugueroTortuguero, Costa RicaUsually early July to mid OctoberThe largest green sea turtle rookery in the Americas, watched by red torchlight on a black-sand beach.
Humpback whales at Marino BallenaUvita, Costa RicaUsually mid July to late OctoberSouthern humpbacks calve in the warm bay beside a sandbar shaped like a whale's tail.
Chiles en nogada seasonPuebla, MexicoUsually early August to late SeptemberThe dish made for an emperor, in the colours of the flag, cooked only while the walnuts are fresh.
D23 ExpoAnaheim, California, United StatesUsually early August to mid SeptemberDisney's fan convention in Anaheim, with film and park previews, shopping and evening shows at Honda Center, held every two years.
Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween PartyLake Buena Vista, Florida, United StatesAugust 6 to October 31, 2027 (expected)A separate-ticket Halloween night at Magic Kingdom with a parade, trick-or-treating and fireworks, on select nights from August to October.
Halloween Horror Nights OrlandoOrlando, Florida, United StatesUsually late August to late OctoberOrlando's after-dark Halloween event: haunted houses, scare zones and live shows on select nights from late August to November.
EPCOT Eat to the Beat Concert SeriesOrlando, Florida, United StatesUsually late August to mid NovemberNightly concerts at EPCOT's America Gardens Theatre during the Food & Wine Festival, by name artists and local acts.
EPCOT International Food & Wine FestivalLake Buena Vista, Florida, United StatesAugust 26 to November 20, 2027 (expected)Eat and drink around the world at EPCOT's global marketplaces from late summer into November.
US Open Tennis ChampionshipsQueens, New York, United StatesAugust 29 to September 12, 2027Two weeks of night matches under lights in the loudest stadium in tennis.
September CelebrationsBelize CitySeptember 1 to 21, 2027Three weeks of parades and street carnival between St George's Caye Day and Independence Day.
Monarch butterfly migration at Point PeleePoint Pelee National Park, Ontario, CanadaUsually early September to early OctoberThousands of monarchs cluster at Canada's southern tip, waiting for a north wind to cross the lake.
Walker CupBandon, Oregon, United StatesUsually early to late SeptemberThe amateur golf match between the United States and Great Britain and Ireland, next at Bandon Dunes in Oregon in 2028.
Dragon ConAtlanta, Georgia, United StatesSeptember 2 to 6, 2027Five days of sci-fi, fantasy, gaming, comics and costumes across downtown Atlanta on Labor Day weekend.
Feria Nacional de ZacatecasZacatecas, Zacatecas, MexicoSeptember 3 to 19, 2027Two and a half weeks of free concerts, bullfights, charreria and food in a silver-mining colonial city at high altitude.
PAX WestSeattle, Washington, United StatesSeptember 3 to 6, 2027The flagship Penny Arcade Expo: a four-day gaming convention in Seattle with an expo hall, panels and tournaments.
West Indian American Day ParadeBrooklyn, New York, United StatesSeptember 6, 2027Labor Day carnival on Brooklyn's Eastern Parkway, the largest Caribbean celebration in North America, with J'Ouvert at dawn.
Virgen de la Caridad del CobreEl Cobre, Santiago de CubaSeptember 7 to 8, 2027Cuba's patron saint draws pilgrims on foot to a hilltop basilica in the copper hills above Santiago.
Pendleton Round-UpPendleton, Oregon, United StatesUsually mid SeptemberA rodeo on grass since 1910, with a tipi village and a night pageant told by the tribes of the Umatilla.
Toronto International Film FestivalToronto, Ontario, CanadaSeptember 9 to 19, 2027 (expected)The film festival where the public votes, and the audience award usually predicts the Oscars.
Elk rut in Rocky Mountain National ParkEstes Park, Colorado, United StatesUsually mid September to mid OctoberBull elk bugle across the meadows at dusk while the aspens turn gold on the slopes above.
Feria Centroamericana de IndependenciaQuetzaltenango, GuatemalaSeptember 12 to 18, 2027 (expected)Xela's highland fair around Independence Day, with torch runners pouring in from every school and village.
Larch season above Moraine LakeBanff National Park, Alberta, CanadaUsually mid September to early OctoberFor about two weeks the alpine larches turn gold above a lake the colour of glacier melt.
Independence lanterns and the torchCartago, Costa RicaSeptember 14 to 15, 2027A torch relayed from Guatemala arrives at nightfall, and every child walks out with a homemade lantern.
El Grito in the ZócaloMexico CitySeptember 15 to 16, 2027At 11 p.m. on September 15 the president rings the bell and a full Zócalo shouts back.
Fat Bear WeekKatmai National Park, Alaska, United StatesUsually late September to early OctoberThe bears are at their fattest, the crowds are gone, and the fall salmon put them back on the river.
IHeartRadio Music FestivalLas Vegas, Nevada, United StatesSeptember 17 to 18, 2027 (expected)Two nights of pop, rap and country headliners at T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip, held every September since 2011.
Festival Nacional de la MejoranaGuararé, Azuero, PanamaUsually mid to late SeptemberPanama's oldest folk festival, built around the five-string mejorana guitar and ox-cart parades.
Fiestas de San JerónimoMasaya, NicaraguaUsually late September to late OctoberNicaragua's longest fiesta, with masked torovenado parades that mock the powerful for weeks.
River of RaptorsChichicaxtle and Cardel, Veracruz, MexicoUsually mid September to late OctoberMillions of hawks funnel through a coastal bottleneck in a single autumn, sometimes 100,000 in one day.
Vermont fall foliageStowe, Vermont, United StatesUsually late September to mid OctoberThe most reliable red maples in America, on back roads with covered bridges and white church steeples.
Monterey Jazz FestivalMonterey, California, United StatesSeptember 24 to 26, 2027The longest-running jazz festival in the world, three days on a fairground under oaks by the Pacific.
Warrens Cranberry FestivalWarrens, Wisconsin, United StatesSeptember 24 to 26, 2027 (expected)Flooded marshes of floating red berries and the world's largest cranberry festival in a town of 400.
Laver CupInglewood, California, United StatesSeptember 24 to 26, 2027Team Europe takes on Team World in three days of men's tennis on a black court, moving to Los Angeles in 2027.
Europe: 25 events in September
SchueberfouerGlacis, Luxembourg CityAugust 20 to September 8, 2027A 680 year old fair with big wheels and fried fish, the one time of year Luxembourg lets its hair down.
Wachau grape harvestWachau valley, AustriaUsually mid September to mid OctoberTerraced vineyards along the Danube turn gold as pickers bring in the riesling.
Réttir sheep round-upSkagafjörður and the northern valleys, IcelandUsually early September to early OctoberFarmers on horseback bring the sheep down from the highlands and sort them by hand in stone pens, then sing.
Venice Film FestivalVenice Lido, Veneto, ItalySeptember 1 to 11, 2027 (expected)The Venice International Film Festival fills the Lido with world premieres for ten days at the turn of summer.
Chatsworth Country FairChatsworth, Derbyshire, United KingdomSeptember 3 to 5, 2027 (expected)A three-day countryside fair in the parkland around Chatsworth House, with military bands, stunt teams and a fine food village.
Braderie de LilleLille, FranceSeptember 4 to 5, 2027Europe's largest flea market: 100 km of stalls, two million visitors and a mountain of mussel shells.
Braemar GatheringBraemar, Aberdeenshire, United KingdomSeptember 4, 2027Cabers, pipe bands and the royal family in a Highland glen on the first Saturday of September.
Crane migration at Matsalu BayMatsalu National Park, EstoniaUsually early September to mid OctoberTwenty thousand cranes and countless geese stage on Estonia's west coast before the flight south.
Regata StoricaGrand Canal, Venice, ItalySeptember 5, 2027A pageant of gilded barges and the fiercest gondola race of the year down the Grand Canal.
Almabtrieb cattle descent in TyrolReith im Alpbachtal and the Zillertal, Tyrol, AustriaUsually early September to early OctoberCows come down from the summer pastures in flower crowns and bells, and the valleys throw a party for them.
Pálava Wine Harvest in MikulovMikulov, South Moravia, CzechiaSeptember 10 to 12, 2027Moravia's wine capital celebrates the harvest with burčák, a royal procession and open cellars.
Spanish Grand PrixMadrid, Community of Madrid, SpainSeptember 10 to 12, 2027Formula 1 in Madrid, on the new MADRING circuit five minutes from the airport, with a deal to stay until at least 2035.
Ryder CupAdare, County Limerick, IrelandSeptember 13 to 19, 2027Europe versus the United States at Adare Manor, Ireland's first Ryder Cup since 2006 and the 100th anniversary of the contest.
Sort Sol starling murmurationsWadden Sea marshes, DenmarkUsually mid September to early NovemberEvery autumn dusk from mid September to early November, up to a million starlings swirl over the marshes of southwest Denmark before dropping into the reeds. Locals call it Sort Sol, the Black Sun.
Common crane migrationHortobagy national park, HungaryUsually mid September to late OctoberTens of thousands of cranes stage on the puszta before their flight south.
White truffle season in IstriaMotovun and the Mirna valley, Istria, CroatiaUsually mid September to late NovemberCroatia's forests yield white truffles to rival Alba's, hunted with dogs at dawn and shaved by noon.
Autumn on the Seceda ridgeVal Gardena, South Tyrol, ItalyUsually late September to late OctoberA grass ridge that ends in a wall of rock teeth, reached by cable car in about twenty minutes.
Festes de la MercèBarcelona, SpainSeptember 17 to 26, 2027 (expected)Human towers, fire running devils and free concerts across the city for Barcelona's patron saint.
OktoberfestMunich, GermanySeptember 18 to October 3, 2027Sixteen days, fourteen tents, six million visitors. Most of it is actually in September.
Red deer rutRichmond and Bushy Park, United KingdomUsually mid September to mid OctoberWild stags bellow and clash antlers in a royal park inside London.
PrinsjesdagBinnenhof, The Hague, NetherlandsSeptember 21, 2027The king rides through The Hague in a golden coach to open parliament, and the city turns out in hats.
Galway International Oyster FestivalGalway, IrelandSeptember 23 to 26, 2027 (expected)The first native oysters of the season, shucked at world championship speed, with Guinness on the side.
Cannstatter VolksfestStuttgart, GermanySeptember 24 to October 10, 2027Germany's second biggest beer festival, with the same tents and lederhosen and half the tourists.
Nottingham Goose FairForest Recreation Ground, Nottingham, United KingdomSeptember 24 to October 3, 2027 (expected)One of Britain's oldest fairs, 700 years and counting, ten days of rides and mushy peas with mint sauce.
Désalpe at CharmeyCharmey, Gruyère, SwitzerlandSeptember 25, 2027The herds of Gruyère parade home through one village in a single morning, cheese and armaillis in tow.
Asia: 43 events in September
Arugam Bay surf seasonArugam Bay, Sri LankaUsually mid May to early SeptemberA long right-hand point break on the dry east coast while the rest of the island is under monsoon.
Con Dao sea turtle nestingCon Dao islands, VietnamUsually early June to mid SeptemberGreen turtles nest on the beaches of a former prison island, and rangers let you watch the hatchlings go.
Redang green turtle nestingChagar Hutang, Redang island, MalaysiaUsually mid May to mid SeptemberOn a protected bay off Terengganu, green turtles nest nightly in the wettest months of the dry season.
Deosai Plains in summerDeosai National Park, Skardu, PakistanUsually mid June to mid SeptemberA 4,000 metre plateau, snow for eight months, wildflowers, marmots and brown bears for three.
Khareef in SalalahDhofar coast, Salalah, OmanUsually late June to late SeptemberThe Indian monsoon brushes one corner of Arabia and turns the desert coast green for three months.
Green turtle nesting at Ras al JinzRas al Jinz, Ash Sharqiyah, OmanUsually early June to late SeptemberThousands of green turtles haul out on one Arabian beach at night, hatchlings scrambling seaward by August.
Tanguar Haor in monsoonTanguar Haor, Sunamganj, BangladeshUsually early July to late SeptemberA wetland the size of a sea that only exists in the rains, explored from the roof of a wooden houseboat.
Hanifaru Bay manta seasonHanifaru Bay, Baa Atoll, MaldivesUsually early July to mid OctoberUp to two hundred manta rays feeding in a bay the size of a football pitch, on the right tide, in season.
The Gathering at MinneriyaMinneriya National Park, Sri LankaUsually mid July to mid OctoberThree hundred wild elephants on a shrinking reservoir, the largest gathering of Asian elephants anywhere.
Kinnaur Kailash YatraKinnaur, Himachal Pradesh, IndiaUsually mid July to late SeptemberA demanding Himalayan pilgrimage to a 79-foot natural rock Shivling, run by the Kinnaur district in July and August.
Nallur Kandaswamy festivalJaffna, Sri LankaUsually early to late AugustTwenty five days of Tamil temple ritual in the north, ending with a chariot day that empties the peninsula.
Machail Mata YatraMachail, Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir, IndiaJuly 25 to September 8, 2027 (expected)A six-week Himalayan pilgrimage to the Machail Mata shrine in the Paddar Valley, with a 1.7 km final walk to the temple.
Nehru Trophy Boat RacePunnamada Lake, Alappuzha, IndiaUsually mid AugustTwenty snake boats, a hundred oars each, sprinting a backwater lake to drum and song.
Yartung horse festivalLo Manthang, Upper Mustang, NepalUsually early August to early SeptemberHorse races, archery and chang in a walled Tibetan city at the end of the monsoon, behind the Himalaya.
Mani Mahesh YatraChamba, Himachal Pradesh, IndiaUsually late August to early SeptemberA Himalayan pilgrimage on foot to Manimahesh Lake at 4,080 meters, held from Janmashtami to Radhashtami.
Bekaa Valley grape harvestKsara and Kefraya, Bekaa Valley, LebanonUsually mid August to early OctoberLebanon's oldest wineries crush the harvest in Roman cellars while the valley turns gold.
Manimahesh YatraBharmour, Himachal Pradesh, IndiaUsually late August to early SeptemberA Himalayan pilgrimage to a sacred lake at about 4,080 meters, trekked or flown in by helicopter from Bharmour.
Sun Moon Lake Swimming CarnivalSun Moon Lake, Nantou, TaiwanUsually mid SeptemberTwenty thousand swimmers cross Taiwan's alpine lake in one morning, the only day swimming is allowed.
Mid-Autumn Festival on Hang Ma streetOld Quarter, Hanoi, VietnamAugust 25 to September 15, 2027Hanoi's Old Quarter becomes a wall of paper lanterns and star lamps for the children's moon festival.
Velankanni FestivalVelankanni, Tamil Nadu, IndiaAugust 29 to September 8, 2027An 11-day Catholic pilgrimage feast at the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health, ending on September 8 with the car processions.
Owara Kaze no BonYatsuo, Toyama, JapanSeptember 1 to 3, 2027Three nights of near-silent dance through a lantern-lit hill town, to a single mournful fiddle.
Petra Desert MarathonPetra, Wadi Musa, JordanUsually early SeptemberA marathon that starts among the tombs and runs out into the red desert beyond.
Ladakh FestivalLeh, Ladakh, IndiaUsually early to mid SeptemberPolo, archery, mask dances and village processions in Leh's last warm week before the passes close.
Bryde's whales of the upper GulfBang Tabun, Phetchaburi, ThailandUsually early September to late NovemberTwo hours from Bangkok, whales lunge-feed with mouths agape as anchovies boil at the surface.
Teej at PashupatinathPashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu, NepalSeptember 2 to 5, 2027 (expected)A river of women in red saris singing and dancing outside Nepal's holiest temple, fasting for a day.
Ramdevra MelaRamdevra, Rajasthan, IndiaSeptember 2 to 10, 2027 (expected)A late-summer fair at Baba Ramdev's shrine in the Thar Desert, drawing lakhs of devotees around Ramdev Jayanti.
Onam and the AthachamayamTripunithura, Kochi, IndiaSeptember 3 to 12, 2027Kerala's harvest festival opens with a royal pageant and ends with 26 dishes on a banana leaf.
Tarnetar MelaTarnetar, Surendranagar, Gujarat, IndiaSeptember 4 to 6, 2027 (expected)A village fair where Saurashtra's herders come in embroidered umbrellas to dance, and to find a match.
Ganesh Chaturthi in MumbaiMumbai, Maharashtra, IndiaSeptember 4 to 14, 2027Ten days of neighbourhood pandals, then the whole city walks its elephant god into the sea at Chowpatty.
Kinchakuda Red Spider LiliesKinchakuda, Hidaka, Saitama, JapanUsually mid September to early OctoberFive million red spider lilies under a riverside grove, two weeks a year, an hour from Tokyo.
Thimphu TshechuThimphu, BhutanUsually early to mid OctoberThe capital's three day festival of sacred cham dances, with the whole city in its best silk gho and kira.
Mu Cang Chai golden terracesMu Cang Chai, Yen Bai, VietnamUsually early September to early OctoberHmong rice terraces on 1,000-metre slopes turn gold for three weeks before the harvest.
Peñafrancia FestivalNaga City, Camarines Sur, PhilippinesSeptember 10 to 18, 2027 (expected)A tiny image of the Virgin sails home down a river on a barge rowed by thousands of men.
Indra JatraKathmandu Durbar Square, NepalSeptember 14 to 21, 2027Eight days when the living goddess rides out, the great Bhairab mask pours beer, and the old city dances.
Qiantang River Tidal BoreYanguan, Haining, Zhejiang, ChinaSeptember 15 to 20, 2027 (expected)The largest tidal bore on earth, a wall of water up to nine metres, watched from an ancient seawall.
Busan International Film FestivalBusan Cinema Center, Centum City, South KoreaUsually mid to late SeptemberAsia's most important film festival, with an open-air screen under a roof the size of a football pitch.
Kanas Lake AutumnKanas Nature Reserve, Altay, Xinjiang, ChinaUsually mid September to mid OctoberSiberian larch and birch turn gold around a turquoise glacial lake at the meeting point of four countries.
Ziro Festival of MusicZiro Valley, Arunachal Pradesh, IndiaUsually late SeptemberIndia's gentlest music festival, in an Apatani rice valley with bamboo stages and no plastic.
Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda FestivalInle Lake, Shan State, MyanmarUsually late September to mid OctoberFour golden Buddha images tour the lake villages on a royal barge rowed by hundreds of leg-rowing fishermen.
Pchum BenPhnom Penh, CambodiaSeptember 17 to October 1, 2027 (expected)For fifteen days Cambodians feed their ancestors, throwing rice balls at dawn in pagodas across the country.
Kishiwada Danjiri MatsuriKishiwada, Osaka, JapanSeptember 18 to 19, 2027 (expected)Four-tonne wooden floats taken round street corners at a sprint, with a man dancing on the roof.
Saudi National Day in RiyadhRiyadh, Saudi ArabiaSeptember 21 to 24, 2027Air shows, fireworks and a whole city in green on 23 September.
Andong Mask Dance FestivalAndong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South KoreaSeptember 24 to October 3, 2027 (expected)Korea's masked satire, performed for ten days in the town that kept it alive, beside a 600-year-old village.
South America: 15 events in September
Lençóis Maranhenses full lagoonsBarreirinhas and Santo Amaro, Maranhão, BrazilUsually early June to late SeptemberThousands of rain-fed turquoise lagoons appear between white dunes, then vanish again by October.
Humpback whales at Puerto LópezPuerto López and Isla de la Plata, Manabí, EcuadorUsually mid June to late SeptemberBreaching humpbacks an hour off a sleepy fishing town, with blue-footed boobies on the island for dessert.
Ski season at Cerro CatedralCerro Catedral, Bariloche, ArgentinaUsually mid June to late SeptemberSouth America's largest ski resort in peak season, with chocolate and lake views waiting at the bottom.
Humpback whales on the Pacific ChocóBahía Solano and Nuquí, Chocó, ColombiaUsually early July to mid OctoberHumpbacks calve within sight of jungle beaches on Colombia's wildest coast; you often watch from the sand.
Jaguar season at Porto JofrePorto Jofre, northern Pantanal, Mato Grosso, BrazilUsually early July to mid OctoberJaguars sunbathe on riverbanks in the dry season, and boats find them almost every day.
Ipê bloom in BrasíliaBrasília, Federal District, BrazilUsually mid July to late SeptemberIn the driest weeks of the year, leafless ipê trees erupt in yellow and pink against Niemeyer's white curves.
Southern right whales at Praia do RosaPraia do Rosa and Imbituba, Santa Catarina, BrazilUsually mid July to early NovemberRight whales nurse their calves so close to the beach you can watch from a surf town's headland.
Desierto florido of the AtacamaLlanos de Challe and Vallenar, Atacama region, ChileUsually mid August to late OctoberSome springs the driest desert on earth turns pink and purple with flowers, and it never lasts long.
Fiesta del YamorOtavalo, Imbabura, EcuadorUsually early to mid SeptemberOtavalo drinks a chicha of seven corns for two weeks of harvest festival at the foot of Imbabura.
Caño Cristales in full colourLa Macarena, Meta, ColombiaUsually early September to late NovemberThe river of five colours turns crimson when an aquatic plant blooms, for only a few months a year.
Fiesta de la Virgen de GuadalupeSucre, BoliviaSeptember 5 to 15, 2027 (expected)Bolivia's white capital fills with folk dance troupes for its patron Virgin, in perfect spring weather.
Festival Internacional de la PrimaveraTrujillo, La Libertad, PeruUsually mid to late SeptemberPeru's spring capital greets the season with a flower-float parade, marinera dancers and Paso horses.
Magellanic penguins return to Punta TomboPunta Tombo, Chubut, ArgentinaUsually mid September to late MarchHalf a million penguins walk back to the same burrows on a Patagonian beach, and you walk among them.
Fiestas Patrias in SantiagoParque O'Higgins, Santiago, ChileSeptember 17 to 20, 2027 (expected)Chile's national week: fondas full of cueca, empanadas and terremoto punch, and a flag on every building.
Fiestas de San PachoQuibdó, Chocó, ColombiaSeptember 20 to October 4, 2027 (expected)Afro-Colombian Quibdó parties for St Francis for two weeks: chirimía brass, satire and a river procession.
Africa: 15 events in September
Loggerhead turtle nestingBoa Vista, Cape VerdeUsually mid June to early OctoberOne of the world's largest loggerhead nesting beaches, with turtles hauling out every night in high summer.
The Great Migration river crossingsMasai Mara, KenyaUsually mid July to late SeptemberA million wildebeest crossing the Mara River, with everything that hunts them waiting.
Humpback whales off LoangoLoango National Park, GabonUsually mid July to late SeptemberHumpbacks breach off a beach where elephants and hippos walk the sand, in one of Africa's emptiest parks.
Namaqualand spring flowersNamaqua National Park, Springbok, South AfricaUsually early August to late SeptemberA semi-desert turns into carpets of orange daisies for a few weeks, and only if the winter rains came.
Maralal International Camel DerbyMaralal, Samburu, KenyaUsually early AugustAmateurs and Samburu herders race camels through a dusty northern town for a weekend of chaos and goodwill.
Umhlanga Reed DanceLudzidzini Royal Village, Lobamba, EswatiniUsually late AugustTens of thousands of young women present cut reeds to the Queen Mother in one of Africa's largest ceremonies.
Kwita IzinaKinigi, Volcanoes National Park, RwandaUsually early to mid SeptemberRwanda names the year's baby mountain gorillas in a ceremony at the foot of the Virunga volcanoes.
Carmine bee-eater coloniesSouth Luangwa National Park, ZambiaUsually late August to mid NovemberThousands of crimson bee-eaters nest in the Luangwa riverbanks, exploding into the air at any passing raptor.
Imilchil Marriage FestivalImilchil, High Atlas, MoroccoUsually early to late SeptemberA High Atlas moussem where Ait Haddidou families come to trade livestock and arrange marriages.
Nyege Nyege FestivalJinja, source of the Nile, UgandaUsually early to mid SeptemberFour days of underground East African electronic music on the banks of the Nile.
Père Laval pilgrimageSainte-Croix, Port Louis, MauritiusSeptember 8 to 9, 2027On the night of 8 September, Mauritians of every faith walk to the tomb of a French missionary.
TanjazzPalais des Institutions Italiennes, Tangier, MoroccoUsually late SeptemberFour nights of jazz in the gardens of a palace above the Strait, in the city that drew the Beats.
Whale sharks off Nosy BeNosy Be, MadagascarUsually mid September to mid DecemberWhale sharks feed on the surface off Madagascar's holiday island from September to December.
Hermanus Whale FestivalHermanus, South AfricaUsually early OctoberThe best land-based whale watching in the world, with southern rights breaching metres from the cliff path.
Meskel in Addis AbabaMeskel Square, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaSeptember 27, 2027A giant pyre of branches and yellow daisies is lit at dusk in front of a hundred thousand chanting people.
Oceania: 13 events in September
Southern right whales at Head of BightHead of Bight, Nullarbor, South AustraliaUsually early June to late OctoberDozens of whales calve beneath towering limestone cliffs at the edge of the Nullarbor.
Ski season in QueenstownThe Remarkables and Coronet Peak, Queenstown, New ZealandUsually mid June to early OctoberNorthern-summer skiing on Southern Alps ridgelines above a lake, with the season firmest in July and August.
Swimming with humpbacks in Vava'uVava'u, TongaUsually early July to late OctoberOne of the few places on earth where you can legally slip into the water beside a mother humpback and calf.
Humpback whales in Hervey BayHervey Bay, Queensland, AustraliaUsually mid July to late OctoberHumpbacks pause in a sheltered bay to rest and play, and approach the boats out of curiosity.
Shinju MatsuriBroome, Western AustraliaAugust 27 to September 12, 2027A pearling town's festival of the pearl: lanterns, dragon boats and a full moon rising over the mudflats.
Teuila FestivalApia, Upolu, SamoaUsually early to mid SeptemberA week of fire knife dancing, longboat racing and choir contests named for Samoa's national flower.
Kings Park FestivalKings Park, Perth, AustraliaSeptember 1 to 30, 2027 (expected)Western Australia's wildflower season, with thousands of native species blooming in a park above the city.
Whitebait season on the West CoastHaast and Hokitika, West Coast, New ZealandSeptember 1 to November 14, 2027Tiny translucent fish run up the rivers and the whole coast stands in the water with a net.
Birdsville RacesBirdsville, Queensland, AustraliaSeptember 3 to 4, 2027Outback horse racing on dirt at the edge of the Simpson Desert, with the town's population up 50-fold.
FloriadeCommonwealth Park, Canberra, AustraliaSeptember 11 to October 10, 2027 (expected)A million bulbs planted in patterns along a lake, the biggest spring flower show in the Southern Hemisphere.
Tesselaar Tulip FestivalSilvan, Victoria, AustraliaSeptember 11 to October 10, 2027 (expected)Over a million spring flowers on a Dutch-founded farm in the Dandenong Ranges, with a new themed weekend every few days.
Toowoomba Carnival of FlowersToowoomba, Queensland, AustraliaSeptember 17 to October 4, 2027 (expected)Three spring weekends of flower displays, a street parade and garden tours in Queensland's Garden City, free in the main parks.
Alexandra Blossom FestivalAlexandra, Central Otago, New ZealandUsually late SeptemberNew Zealand's oldest blossom festival, in the apricot and cherry orchards of a dry inland valley.