Explore the best things to do in the region and around the world this season, from cultural celebrations to sporting events, art exhibitions and more
Eid Al Adha
🗓 July 9 - 12, 2022 📍Worldwide
Eid Al Adha is celebrated all over the world as it marks the culmination of the season of Hajj, the sacred pilgrimage that millions of Muslims make to the holy city of Makkah – considered one of the most important religious observances in Islam. It is also known as the Festival of the Sacrifice as it commemorates the tale of Prophet Abraham’s willingness to give the life of his son, Ishmael, as an act of obedience to God, who then provided a ram instead as an offering before the sacrifice could be made. Traditionally a time to gather friends and family, the occasion is marked throughout the region with spectacular fireworks displays and a range of festivities for all ages across public spaces.
Istanbul Jazz Festival
🗓 Until July 7, 2022 📍Istanbul, Turkey
The Istanbul Jazz Festival has returned for its 29th edition this year, bringing over 200 artists from Turkey and around the world to perform as part of the internationally acclaimed music event. Among the musicians performing this year are multi-Grammy-Award-winning Dianne Reeves, French clarinettist Yom, Melody Gardot and John McLaughlin. Leading local artists include Teoman, one of Turkey's leading rock musicians, while other local and regional artists also feature on the programme. Turkish singer and musician Kalben, Israeli rock band Boom Pam and Israeli composer and musician, Kutiman, will also be performing at this year's event.
To book your hotel in Istanbul, visit rotana.com
Wimbledon
🗓 Until July 10, 2022 📍London, England
The oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world, Wimbledon has been keeping tennis fans entertained since it returned for yet another exciting season on June 27, 2022. With games taking place until July 10, the two-week-long Grand Slam tournament of the world’s top tennis talent remains a magnet to the world’s who’s who, including British royalty and Hollywood superstars. Off the court, the event is famed for its traditions, such as strawberries and cream, as well as its all-white player outfits and perfectly manicured lawns. This year, Novak Djokovic and Simona Halep will be defending their titles for the grand prize.
Stories of Paper at Louvre Abu Dhabi
🗓 Until July 24, 2022 📍Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Celebrating one of humanity’s most humble yet profound inventions, Louvre Abu Dhabi's current showcase, Stories of Paper, chronicles the development of the material from the first century through to the present day. Examining the rich artistic legacy of the fragile material that not only became indispensable for record-keeping and trade but has proved essential to cultural interaction and intellectual exchange for two millennia, the exhibition will showcase key works from the past and present.
Among the many discoveries, one of the highlights includes the Labyrinth, a colossal maze made from sinuous ribbons of corrugated cardboard by Italian conceptual artist Michelangelo Pistoletto. Also part of the showcase visitors will find traditional paper clothing, a reconstruction of a room from a Korean paper house and masterworks by Antonio Pisanello and Pablo Picasso, which sit alongside paper-based artworks by Hassan Sharif, Abdullah Al Saadi and Mohammed Kazem, pioneers of Emirati conceptual art.
To book your hotel in Abu Dhabi, visit rotana.com
Exit Festival
🗓 July 7 – July 10, 2022📍Novi Sad, Serbia
With music festivals springing back to life this summer, Exit Festival in Serbia is all set to draw the crowds with an all-star line-up. The diverse collection of artists includes Calvin Harris, James Arthur, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds and Iggy Azalea. Organisers of the event are hopeful that this year's event will be bigger than ever, following the four-day festival which took place in front of just 15,000 fans last summer, a year in which music festivals faced some of their toughest challenges of recent history as the pandemic closed down arts industries and travel worldwide. This year’s event is set to unite artists and audiences once again at Petrovaradin Fortress under the theme themed 'Together. Always'.
Pamplona Fiesta
🗓 July 6 - 14, 2022 📍Pamplona, Spain
Held every year in the city of Pamplona, this weeklong celebration regularly sees more than one million people from around the world participate in the festivities. Known internationally as the festival of the Running of the Bulls, the Pamplona Fiesta involves many other traditional events, such as folk dances, stone lifting and firework displays, which makes it a great time to travel to Spain. Visitors can choose from navigating their way through raging bulls averaging 1300 pounds in weight in crowded and narrow alleys of the city or taking in the action from the sidelines.
Tour de France
🗓 July 1 - 24, 2022 📍Starts in Copenhagen, Denmark and ends in Paris, France
The biggest cycling race in the world will see the finest athletes in the sport compete for the coveted yellow jersey. In this multistage race, cyclists must battle the 21-stage course in just a little more than three weeks, covering a total distance of 3,540 kilometres from Copenhagen to Paris. This year marks the 109th edition of the event, which was first staged in the year 1903. Last year, the top prize went to Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogačar, who currently rides for the UAE Team Emirates. Pogačar also won the 2020 edition of Tour de France, winning three different jerseys during each tour, an unseen feat in nearly four decades.
