When to Go

Where to Go in August

601 places at their best in August, plus 10 festivals and seasons worth timing a trip around.

Festivals and Seasons in August

Must-See
Festivals & Seasons · Sing-sing

Goroka and Mount Hagen Shows

Highland tribes meet in feathers and body paint.

Guide Coming Soon
Worth a Detour
Festivals & Seasons · Art

Burning Man

Nevada
Late August to Labor Day

A temporary city of art in Nevada's Black Rock Desert. Tickets are hard to get, and you bring everything you need.

Full Guide
Worth a Detour
Festivals & Seasons · Carnival

Crop Over

A sugar-harvest festival turned into a big carnival, in summer.

Guide Coming Soon
Worth a Detour
Festivals & Seasons · Comedy

Edinburgh Fringe

Scotland

The world's largest arts festival, taking over the city each August.

Guide Coming Soon
Worth a Detour
Festivals & Seasons · Festivals

Umhlanga Reed Dance

A huge reed dance, late summer.

Guide Coming Soon
If You're Nearby
Festivals & Seasons · Elephants

Esala Perahera

A great parade of elephants and dancers in Kandy.

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If You're Nearby
Festivals & Seasons · Food fight

La Tomatina

Valencia

A town-wide tomato fight in Buñol, in August.

Guide Coming Soon
If You're Nearby
Festivals & Seasons · Horse races

Palio di Siena

Tuscany

A wild bareback horse race around Siena's main square, every July and August.

Guide Coming Soon
If You're Nearby
Festivals & Seasons · Summer

Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

South Dakota
Early August

Half a million bikers roar into a tiny Black Hills town every August, for the world's largest motorcycle rally.

Full Guide
If You're Nearby
Festivals & Seasons · Music

Sziget Festival

A huge August music festival on a Danube island.

Guide Coming Soon

At Their Best in August

Ranked by how worth the trip they are. Filter by kind of place, or switch between tiers.