Chelsea Flower Show
United Kingdom

The most famous flower show in the world, this spectacular five-day spring fling attracts visitors from all continents as well as members of the British royal family. Staged by the Royal Horticultural Society in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, London, the show brings together leading florists who create dramatic displays of rare plants. 21–25 May rhs.org.uk

Royal Ascot
United Kingdom

The finest thoroughbreds compete for millions of pounds in prize money at this eminent, 300-year-old race meeting in Berkshire. If you plan to base yourself in the Royal Enclosure, a space once exclusively reserved for the guests of King George III, strict dress codes apply: ladies should leave the fascinators, halter necks, and spaghetti straps at home and opt for modest glamour, while gentlemen are expected to wear a black or grey morning suit. 18–22 June ascot.co.uk

Nice Jazz Festival
France

Louis Armstrong, Herbie Hancock, Ray Charles, and Ella Fitzgerald are just some of the legends who have performed at this renowned jazz festival. Staged annually since 1948, it’s the perfect excuse to head down to the French Riviera during the height of Europe’s summer. 16–20 July nicejazzfestival.fr/en

Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction
France

Three days of food and wine festivities culminate in this world-famous auction, where grand cru wines go under the hammer to raise funds for charity. The auction, which is hosted by non-profit organisation Domaine des Hospices de Beaune and carried out by Christie’s, is held at Hôtel-Dieu, a 15th-century former hospice. The wines offered are derived from vineyards donated to the Domaine over hundreds of years by Burgundy’s most famous estates. 16-18 November beaune-tourism.com

When you’re not running the family empire, you’re sipping Pimms with the Windsors, dabbling in philanthropy, and waxing lyrical about post-modernism

Longines Masters
Hong Kong

The biggest names in showjumping descend on the Fragrant Harbour for the Asian leg of the tri-continental Longines Masters Series, also held annually in Los Angeles and Paris. The prestigious event spans three days at AsiaWorld-Expo and features nail-biting equestrian competition, gastronomy, fashion, art, and music. 15–17 February longinesmasters.com/en/season/hong-kong

Met Gala
USA

A-listers from fashion, film and society don cutting-edge couture to raise funds for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. A ticket to the event will set you back a cool US$30,000—provided that Vogue tastemaker Anna Wintour approves of your presence. The theme of last year's ball, "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination," saw pop star Rihanna transform into a promiscuous pope and actress Blake Lively wear a dress that took over 600 hours to embroider. This year's theme is "Camp: Notes on Fashion." 6 May metmuseum.org

Monaco Grand Prix
Monaco

The highlight of the Formula One calendar, this exceptionally glamorous motor race is also one of the most dangerous. The narrow circuit, which weaves through the casino-spangled city of Monte Carlo on the French Riviera, features an infamous hairpin bend and provides almost no opportunities for overtaking. 23–26 May monaco-grand-prix.com

Venice Biennale
Italy

The City of Canals transforms into a floating gallery for the 58th edition of this iconic international visual art exhibition. Curated by Ralph Rugoff from London’s Hayward Gallery, this year’s biennale, May You Live in Interesting Times, references the advent of fake news, alternative realities, and the corrosion of the political discourse in contemporary society. 11 May to 24 November labiennale.org

Los Angeles Design Festival
USA

Los Angeles might be the home of cinema but it has also long been a hub for design, having incubated numerous luminaries in the fields of architecture and interiors, including Frank Lloyd Wright, Rudolph Schindler, and Charles and Ray Eames, over the course of the 20th century. This citywide festival celebrates LA as a global design centre, with exhibitions, workshops, and talks on architecture, costumes, graphic and industrial design, and more. The city’s creative elite is out in full force, so prepare yourself for some pretty imaginative parties, too. 20–23 June ladesignfestival.org

Wimbledon
United Kingdom

The world’s oldest tennis tournament—and the only grand slam still played on grass—returns to the courts at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. See the stars of tennis battle it out for the sport’s most prestigious trophy while rubbing shoulders with members of the royal family. Be sure to gorge on strawberries and cream, a Wimbledon tradition that helps make this tournament uniquely, blissfully British. 1–14 July wimbledon.com

A new year means a whole new raft of school holidays to plan (insert rolling eyes emoji). Here are some family-friendly events sure to stimulate, educate, and entertain the under 10s without boring the over 40s

Snow Polo World Cup
Switzerland

While polo originated in Persia some 2,600 years ago, snow polo was first played in St Moritz in 1985. Since then the Snow Polo World Cup, played on a frozen lake in the magnificent alpine town, has become the pre-eminent winter polo tournament in the world. While admission to the polo is free, there are plenty of VIP and invitation-only events for those who prefer their sport with a side of glamour. Ultimately, though, the focus will be on the intrepid players as they battle it out for the coveted Cartier Trophy. 25–27 January snowpolo-stmoritz.com

The Lantern Festival
Taiwan

Held this year in Dapeng Bay in the northern city of Pingtung, the lantern festival promises magical light displays, a theme park-style lantern village, and performances by dance troupes. Some 12,000 local volunteers have been engaged to bring to life an event that promises to spread Taiwanese culture and folk history to the world. 19 February to 3 March taiwan.net.tw/2019taiwanlantern

Latitude Festival
United Kingdom

Thousands of music lovers flock every year to the picturesque Suffolk countryside, where the Latitude Festival pops up for one long weekend. Although it’s ostensibly a music festival, there are plenty of other attractions to keep you and your family entertained, with food, comedy, visual art, dance, and theatre all being showcased in different tents around the sprawling site. 18–21 July latitudefestival.com

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
USA

The Rio Grande valley in New Mexico provides the backdrop for this otherworldly mass ascension of hot air balloons. More than 500 multicoloured giants float into the sky, which is said to be at its bluest at this time of year. 5-13 October balloonfiesta.com

The Marriage of Figaro
Australia

Get your kids off their iPads and into the opera house with Opera Australia’s rendition of Mozart’s classic comedy. At the iconic Sydney Opera House, this fast-paced stage extravaganza is witty, melodic, and full of love triangles. It will be spring in Sydney, so the family can enjoy the warm weather and jump on a ferry to Manly or Watson’s Bay for a seafood dinner afterwards. 18 October to 2 November sydneyoperahouse.com

Between running your tech startup, finishing your MBA and changing the world, this year is all about competing, getting ahead and playing harder than your rivals—or friends

Iditarod Trail Invitational
Alaska

One of the most challenging experiences on the planet, this 30-day trek requires participants to brave extreme physical, environmental and mental challenges as they progress along the historic Iditarod Trail on bicycle, foot, or ski. Set in the inhospitable Alaskan wilderness, the race is a test of willpower and determination as much as fitness. 24 February iditarodtrailinvitational.com

South by Southwest
USA

Whether you’re the next Steven Spielberg, Mark Zuckerberg, or Lady Gaga, South by Southwest is the place to be. This annual conference in Austin, Texas features hundreds of talks, forums, and events that allow attendees to discover what’s next in the worlds of technology, music, film, and broader pop culture. Kevin Systrom, co-founder and CEO of Instagram, will no doubt touch on many of those topics in his keynote address. 8-17 March sxsw.com

Burning Man
USA

About 70,000 dreamers and radicals migrate to Nevada’s Black Rock Desert to create a temporary metropolis dedicated to community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance. Leave the wallet at home as the gathering (it’s not a “festival” as such, as there are no scheduled events) is famously cashless and encourages participants to embrace the spirit of “gifting.” 25 August to 2 September burningman.org

Rugby World Cup
Japan

Held in Asia for the first time, the pinnacle of men’s rugby union, contested every four years, will play out across 12 cities in Japan, beginning in Tokyo. The tournament will see 400,000 visitors descend on the Land of the Rising Sun to watch 19 national teams fight it out for the Webb Ellis Cup. 20 September to 2 November rugbyworldcup.com

Web Summit
Portugal

Often hailed as the best technology conference in the world, Web Summit brings together people from across the tech community, ranging from CEOs of Fortune 500 companies to hopeful entrepreneurs who are just getting their startup off the ground. But it’s not all business—the conference’s Night Summit events introduce attendees to the best of Lisbon’s music, art, food, and drink. 14-19 November websummit.com

Summit LA
USA

Los Angeles is sometimes described as the city of dreams—and it doesn’t get much dreamier than Summit LA. Branded as the world’s “preeminent ideas festival,” Summit LA attracts leaders from all industries and inspires them to think big through events ranging from serious forums about the future of tech to “goat yoga” classes (yes, that’s yoga with real-life goats). 8-11 November la19.summit.co

As far as your #lifegoals go, social media supremacy is as crucial as being accepted into an Ivy League school. These events will give you the best material for Instagram dominance

Coachella
USA

Music, sun, palm trees, and the internet’s most photogenic KOLs: Coachella is a right of passage for any self-respecting millennial. This year’s festival, held as usual at the Empire Polo Club in California’s Colorado Desert, features Childish Gambino, Kanye West, and Justin Timberlake as headline acts. Camping, costumes, and Snapchat encouraged. 12–14 and 19–21 April coachella.com

Fuji Rock Festival
Japan

Japan’s biggest outdoor music festival presents the hottest names in music at Naeba Ski Resort, a 90-minute train ride from Tokyo. Last year’s lineup included performances by Kendrick Lamar, N.E.R.D, and MGMT; acts for 2019 have yet to be announced. Take a break from the party and head to the nearby hot springs for some authentic Japanese rejuvenation. 26–28 July fujirock-eng.com

Rio Carnival
Brazil

This pre-Lent extravaganza sees more than a million revellers flock to the streets of Rio de Janeiro for a week of feathers, floats, and fanfare. The highlight is the legendary Samba Parade, which sees 12 of the top Brazilian samba schools compete for the title of champion. The Magic Ball held at the Copacabana Palace Hotel is also considered a must, provided you can get a ticket. 1–9 March riocarnaval.org

Le Bal des Débutantes
France

This invitation-only debutante ball brings together the daughters of aristocrats, film stars, and business moguls for a night of glamour, dinner, and dancing in Paris. The young women, who are dressed by haute couture houses, make their media debuts in an effort to raise money for two charities: the Seleni Institute, a New York-based organisation that supports the mental health of new mothers, and Enfants d’Asie, which promotes female education in Southeast Asia. Past participants include Olivia Taittinger, scion of the eponymous champagne house, and Ava Phillippe, the daughter of actress Reese Witherspoon and actor Ryan Phillippe. November lebal.paris

Wonderfruit
Thailand

This four-day festival in the beachside city of Pattaya features live music and DJs, farm-to-table dining, art installations, wellbeing activities, and spectacular sunsets. Wonderfruit is underpinned by a strong ethos of social and environmental responsibility, so go easy on the hedonism. Camp on site or stay at a nearby hotel. 13-16 December wonderfruit.co