This week in new getaway inspiration
Showtime in Niagara
For Canadian Music Week, Niagara Falls will be hosting its third annual Music Live series (June 9 to 11), with more than 50 performances at 20 different venues, including the Niagara Brewing Company and Marriott on the Falls. Highlights include a ticketed concert by Big Wreck ($44, at fallsconventions.com), alongside more intimate free shows by Canadian and international artists. Also back is Niagara’s free fireworks series, running from Friday to Oct. 10. The sparks can be seen directly over the falls nightly at 10 p.m.
Art on the streets
Canada’s longest festival kicked off in Atlantic Canada on Thursday. Starting in Saint John and ending in Shediac on Aug. 27, Festival Inspire will travel to six cities throughout New Brunswick, as well as Charlottetown, P.E.I. The focal point will be the creation of large-scale murals by local and international artists, including Dutch illustrator Eelco, whose work has appeared in National Geographic and on buildings across Europe. Other events include costumed disco bike ride rallies, film screenings and live music.
Curbing overtourism
Starting in June, day trippers to Venice will need to pre-book their visit and pay an entry fee of up to 10 pounds ($13.50 Canadian). The forthcoming booking system comes in response to the pressures of overtourism on Venice’s fragile infrastructure and resources. Up to 30 million people visit the floating city per year, many for as little as one day. For now, the booking system is voluntary — with incentives like the ability to jump lines at attractions — but will be mandatory come January.
Opening soon
The $450-million (U.S.) Hong Kong Palace Museum is set to open its doors this July. Housing around 900 treasures from Beijing’s Palace Museum, it will showcase ancient calligraphy, decorative objects and rare books, including some never before seen by the public. Permanent exhibitions will include 18thcentury portraits of emperors and empresses, and ceramics from the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644), alongside items on loan from the Musée du Louvre in Paris. It’s located in the 40-hectare West Kowloon Cultural District, neighbouring M+, the new museum of visual culture.