Global events worth travelling for this year

It’s showtime in Rio

More than 10,000 athletes from 206 countries will gear up this year for the much-talked about Summer Rio Olympics. In the 17-day long event, from August 5 to 21, 42 sports will be contested, which includes two new additions—golf, which returns after 112 years and rugby, which returns after 92 years. The events will take place across 32 competition venues in Deodora, Maracana, Copacabana and Barra. If you haven’t bought a ticket yet, you have another chance. The last batch of tickets go on sale in February. More details on www.rio2016.com/en

Celebrate the bard’s legacy

Four centuries after his death on April 23, 1616, the world will observe the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare. The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C. sent the First Folio—the first printed collection of Shakespeare’s plays that was published seven years after his demise—on a tour to all 50 states. Britain’s cultural institutions will celebrate the poet’s life and works with exhibitions, screenings, performances and conferences. Open air theatre Shakespeare’s Globe in London will be in the centre of this celebration with The Complete Walk—a two-day event on the banks of River Thames that will have 37 screens along a 2.5-mile route between Westminster and Tower Bridge.

In New Zealand, Auckland will be host to a full-scale temporary pop-up of the Shakespearean Globe Theatre. The replica will appear at 38 Grey’s Avenue off Mayoral Drive, which will have a capacity for a 900-strong audience.

A world of film

One of the world’s leading film festivals, the Berlinale has been celebrated annually since 1978. The festival that shows about 400 films per year across different genres, length and formats, and plays host to more than 20,000 professional visitors from across 128 countries including more than 3,700 journalists. In its 66th year, Coen brother’s Hail, Caesar! will be the opening film. This year, the festival will also see Indian film SAIRAT by Nagrant Manjule and New Zealand’s Born to Dance by Tammy Davis, which have been selected to compete in the Generation 14Plus section. What separates Berlinale from its Venice and Cannes counterpart is that it is open to fans. The festival will be held from February 11 to 21. The complete line-up of the movies will be released later this month on the official website.

The year of Roald Dahl

If you’ve spent your childhood tucked under the covers reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory past your bedtime, head to Cardiff where the world of Roald Dahl will come alive. 2016 marks the centenary of the Welsh-born author known for children books such as Matilda and Fantastic Mr Fox. The highlight of the celebration is City of Unexpected scheduled for September this year. A city-wide celebration of Roald Dahl’s creation, it will bring a mix of theatre, art and performances across Cardiff.

A celebration of music

Iceland Airwaves made its debut in 1999 and since then has grown into one of the world’s most popular and influential music events. An annual music festival held in Iceland’s coastal capital of Reykjavik, the event features bands from across the music spectrum, both international and the country’s favourites. The 2015 line-up saw 120 new additions, and this year, it’s expected to be bigger and better. The festival will take place from November 2 to 6, and the line-up will announced later this year on its official website.