WORLDWIDE EVENTS IN 2022
Start planning now to attend the sporting and cultural events of 2022.
The coronavirus pandemic largely kept travelers at home for what feels like an interminably long time, but there is now light at the end of the tunnel. As vaccination programs continue to progress, we hope our horizons will broaden significantly in 2022. With that in mind, we take a spin through a selection of global sporting and cultural events that will inspire you to plan a trip or two. Those keen to travel early in the year should take a look at the Up Helly Aa fire festival, which takes place annually on the last Tuesday of January ( Jan. 25, 2022) in Lerwick, in the Shetland Islands off the north coast of Scotland. Hundreds of locals dress up in Viking costumes and march through the streets carrying flaming torches, while others drag a replica Viking galley to be ceremonially burned. All around, parties in houses and halls celebrate Shetland history and tradition, with visitors welcome to join in what remains a community event.
At the other end of the scale in terms of size, Beijing will host the Winter Olympic Games Feb. 4–20, 2022. Fans of skiing, snowboarding and more will be able to see the biggest stars in winter sports compete while also getting to know the historic Chinese capital and the Great Wall of China, sections of which lie just a few hours’ drive from Beijing.
Those who would rather get in some winter sun in warmer climes might prefer to book a flight to
Rio de Janeiro, where the annual carnival will return Feb. 25–March 5 following a year off in 2021. While carnival events take place in many Latin American countries, Rio’s simply can’t be beat in terms of size or energy, with 90,000 spectators packed into a specially built stadium known as the Sambadrome and hundreds of thousands more celebrating throughout the streets of the city. Book a week in a nearby beach town, such as Búzios or Paraty, to relax and rejuvenate after the chaos.
Those craving moments of shared joy after pandemic isolation will also love Songkran celebrations in Bangkok, Thailand, April 13–17, 2022. The festival marks the Buddhist New Year; and while many do pray and take part in religious activities, the whole city also turns into a gigantic water fight for three days. Grab a bucket or water gun and get involved in cleansing everything and everyone you see. Once the excitement is over, why not take a trip north to the jungles of Chiang Mai or go scuba diving off the beaches of Ko Samet or Pranburi?
Heading into the summer months, culture vul
tures will enjoy the White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia, in June. Programmed during a period when the sun almost never sets over the city, which lies only around 500 miles from the Arctic Circle, the arts festival showcases ballet, opera and music from Russian performers as well as international guests. Time your visit for the end of the festival and enjoy the Scarlet Sails celebration, encompassing concerts, fireworks and a huge water show. Round off your trip with a luxury sleeper train ride to Moscow to explore the Russian capital before flying home.
Around the same time, sports fans have an opportunity to take in two great European events, starting with the Wimbledon tennis championships in London June 27–July 10, 2022. Watch the world’s top players while you chow down on traditional strawberries and cream, then take some daytrips around London and the surrounding area. Wimbledon overlaps with the famous Tour de France cycling race, touring the country July 1–25, 2022. The exact route is still to be confirmed, but each year the race passes through the Pyrenees mountain range in the south and the Alps in the east before ending up in Paris. Simply choose the stage which passes through the area that appeals to you most and show up to cheer on the riders from the side of the road.
To celebrate animals rather than humans, head to South Africa in late September for the Hermanus Whale Watching Festival near Cape Town. Since 1971 the annual event has celebrated the return of southern right whales to South African waters from their feeding grounds in Antarctica, attracting about 100,000 visitors in recent years. September, when whale calves are born in the area, proves one of the best months for whale watching, and there are plenty of talks and events to keep visitors entertained. Tack on a trip to the Addo Elephant National Park farther east and try to spot the elephants, lions and hyenas which call the area home. Then drive back through the stunning scenery of the Garden Route National Park.
As winter rolls back around in the Northern Hemisphere, escape to Guatemala to celebrate All Saints Day, Nov. 1. While Mexico’s Día de los Muertos parades are more famous, the giant kite festival in Sumpango, Guatemala, offers a more unique experience. Each year local community groups construct massive kites, some of which can measure up to 55 feet in diameter, and show them off at the event. All Saints Day is an occasion to celebrate the lives of deceased loved ones, and the kites are said to represent a way for the living to communicate with the dead. After the festival, spend a few days in the beautiful colonial city of Antigua, Guatemala, and then head to Lake Atitlán and Semuc Champey.
Later that month the world’s biggest soccer event takes place in Qatar. The Middle Eastern country will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup Nov. 21–Dec. 18, becoming the first edition not to be held in May, June or July, due to Qatar’s sweltering summer temperatures. Even with the scheduling change, officials engineered air-conditioning systems for the stadiums, a development which adds to the sense the 2022 tournament will be a unique event in World Cup history.
If you have time, it’s worth hopping over the border into neighboring Abu Dhabi for an altogether different kind of competition: the world’s largest camel beauty pageant.
The Al Dhafra Festival runs mid-december into January, and breeders show off their best-looking camels as well as the fastest and best at producing milk. Visitors can enjoy camel races, beauty pageants and a plethora of local food and crafts. What better way to close out the year than with a World Cup and a camel beauty pageant, returning home for Christmas and the start of 2023, when we all hope the pandemic will be completely contained all around the world.