Multi faith | Public Holidays |Sports | Events | Festivals

   
Submit an Event:  Express-VA welcomes calendar submissions and provides this as a free service to readers and event managers.

January 2010

1 Jan 2010                 New Year’s Day (Secular)

5 Jan 2010                 Birthday of Guru Har Gobind (Sikh); according to the Nanakshahi Calendar

17 Jan 2010               World Religion Day; as per their website ‘…to foster the establishment of interfaith understanding and harmony by emphasizing the common denominators underlying all religions’

18 - 31 Jan 2010       Australian Open (Rod Laver/Vodafone arena, Melbourne,Australia); the first Grand Slam tennis tournament for 2010

21 - 31 Jan 2010       Sundance Film Festival (Park City,Utah, USA); the largest independent cinema festival in the US; established 1985

22 Jan 2010               Dubai Marathon (Dubai, UAE), an annual event with great prizes if you are up for the physical challenge

26 Jan 2010               Australia Day; more on the history

29 Jan 2010               Creek Relay (Dubai), 35km (8 stages) relay fun-run day at the Dubai Creek

TBC Jan 2010             Wellbeing Show (Dubai, UAE); at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, all things good for mind, body and spirit

TBC Jan - Feb 2010   Muscat Festival (Muscat, Sultanate of Oman); an art festival showcasing Omani, and Arabic culture all over Muscat

February 2010

8 Feb 2010                 Parinirvana, Nirvana Day (Buddhist); this Mahayana Buddhist festival marks the death of Gautama Buddha at Kushinagara, India, at the age of 80

10 - 19 Feb 2010    Dubai Jazz Festival (Dubai, UAE); forms part of the Dubai Summer Festival

11 - 21 Feb 2010       Berlin International Film Festival (Berlin, Germany); established 1951

12 Feb 2010              Maha Shivaratri, Night of Shiva (Hindu); Hindu festival to worship Lord Shiva

12 Feb 2010               Wadi Bih Relay Run (Dibba, UAE) 72km (5 persons per team) ends and starts at Dibba up Wadi Khab Shamsi

12 - 16 Feb 2010       Rio de Janeiro Carnival (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil); carnival festivities inRio date back to 1723

14 Feb 2010               St Valentine’s Day (Secular, Christian)

14 – 16 Feb 2010      Chinese New Year; 14 February 2010 marks the beginning of the first lunar month of Chinese year 4707–4708, the year of the Tiger

19 Feb 2010               Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon  (RAK, UAE); half marathon and relay, excellent price money

25Feb - 28Mar 2010 Hong Kong Art Festival (Hong Kong,China); considered to be one of the most important cultural events inSoutheast Asia

26Feb - 21Mar 2010 NZ International Arts Festival (Wellington, New Zealand); the foremost cultural event in New Zealand, visual and performing arts and entertainment

14 - 27 Feb 2010       Dubai Tennis Championships (DubaiTennis Stadium, Aviation Club,Dubai, UAE)

26 Feb 2010          Mawlid al-Nabi, Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday (Muslim); public holiday in the UAE; the Islamic Calendar is based on lunar observation (local sightings of various phases of the moon), thus given date is an approximation

TBC Feb 2010            Mercure Challenge Race (Jebel Hafeet, Al Ain, UAE); fitness challenge run/cycle

March 2010

1 Mar 2010                Hola Mohalla, Sikh New Year (Sikh); the first day of the lunar new year festival, but the actual beginning of the month is 14 March, Nanakshahi Calendar

1 - 31 Mar 2010        Borealis Winter Festival (Alta, Norway); this annual winter festival celebrates the Northern Lights with live music, theatre and markets

6 Mar 2010                Cape Argus Pick ‘n Pay Mountain Bike Challenge (South Africa); Boschendal vineyards, Malan's Quarry, Berg River, see route description

6 Mar 2010                Bonita Ironman New Zealand (Taupo, New Zealand); the worlds oldest international Ironman; 2010 is the 24^th edition of the most international race on the Ironman qualifying calendar

13 Mar 2010              Abu Dhabi International Triathlon (Abu Dhabi, UAE); choice of long or short distances; prize money of $250,000 – not to be missed

13 - 21 Mar 2010      Great New Zealand Trek (New Zealand); ever wanted to trek the entire NZ (it can be done), this year it is stage 3, from the top of the Coromandel going south towards Thames

14 Mar 2010              Mothering Sunday, Mother’s Day (Christian, Secular); time to say thank you to Mums and female carers everywhere

14 Mar2010               Cape Argus Pick ‘n Pay Cycle Tour (South Africa); Sea Point, Camps Bay,Hout Bay, Simonstown, Muizenberg,

17 Mar 2010              St Patrick’s Day (Christian)

19 Mar 2010              Mina Mile (Dubai, UAE); annual swim event at Mina Seyahi Hotel by Super Sports

20 Mar 2010              Equinoctial Earth Day; United Nations celebrates it  around 20 March each year, US celebrates it around 22 April, equinox can have two meanings in astronomy

21 - 28 Mar 2010      Absa Cape Epic (South Africa); Knysna to Grabouw, considered to be the most challenging mountain bike race in Africa and one of the biggest mountain bike races in the World; see the epic route

22 Mar 2010              World Water Day

27 Mar 2010              Dubai Road Runners 10km (Dubai, UAE); 10km run only

27 Mar 2010              Dubai Road Runners Race (Dubai, UAE); 10km

27 Mar 2010              Dubai World Cup (Dubai, UAE); the biggest, annual horse race event in the United Arab Emirates

30 Mar 2010              Sangha Day (Buddhist); a celebration of friendship, Buddists come together to celebrate their worldwide community, the Sangha. ;  NOTE  - cities around the world celebrateSangha Day at different dates thorughout the year

TBC Mar 2010            Coral Beach Tennis Tournament (Sharjah, UAE); local tennis tournament, all categories

April 2010

1 - 8 Apr 2010           KKNK, Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees (Oudtshoorn, South Africa); established in 1994/5; second biggets festival in South Africa; an annual cultural celebration of the arts; get a taste of Afrikaans culture and tradition

2 – 4 Apr 2010           Easter weekend (Christian); Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday

2 Apr 2010                 Abu Dhabi Striders Cross Country (Abu Dhabi, UAE); Mafraq Hotel Cross Country Event 2.5 - 5 - 10km

3 Apr 2010                 Two Oceans Marathon (Cape Town, South Africa); classified as the world’s most beautiful marathon, all along the edges and cliffs of Chapman's Peak road, and the Twelve Apostles for company

23 Apr 2010               St Georges Day (Christian)

23 Apr 2010               Mirdif Milers 10mile (Dubai, UAE); 10 mile running race by the most unique running club in Duba

24Apr - 8May 2010   San Francisco International Film Festival (San Francisco, USA); established 1957

25 Apr 2010               London Marathon (London, UK); rated as the world’s number one marathon, due to its great atmosphere and its superior organisation

25 Apr 2010          ANZAC Day; remains one of Australia and New Zealand's most important national holidays

30 Apr 2010               Makha Bucha (Buddhist); considered to be the second most important Buddhist festival

30Apr - 23May 2010 Kunsten Festival des Arts (Brussels,Belgium); an annual art festival that embraces theatre, music, dance, film, visual arts

TBC Apr - May 2010  Bank Windhoek Arts Festival / Triennale (Windhoek,Namibia); established in 2002; the biggest Namibian arts festival celebrating theatre, dance, music and visual art

May 2010

1 May 2010                May Day (Secular)

1 May 2010                Super Sports Aquathlon Series 2009/10 (UAE) in partnership with the Dubai Tri Club invite all interested runners and swimmers from across the UAE to participate in this 3^rd unique series of races

4 - 7 May 2010          Arabian Travel Market (Dubai, UAE); travel and tourism exhibition

12 - 23 May 2010      Cannes Film Festival (Cannes,France); established 1939

18May - 6Jun 2010   French Open (Roland Garros, Paris, France); the second Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year

21 May 2010              Buddha Day or Wesak  (Buddhist); celebrating the birth of Lord Buddha on the eighth day of the fourth month in the Chinese lunar calendar (or 27/28May10)

28May - 13Jun 2010 Bath Fringe Festival (Bath, UK); cabaret, street theatre, indoor theatre, circus arts, dance, film and digital arts

30 May 2010              Comrades Marathon (South Africa); one year you run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg and the other way round the next (89.5km), also known as the ‘ultimate human race’

28 May 2010              MSF Vertical Marathon (Dubai); 52 floors, 1334 stairs, 265 meters up  Emirates Towers

TBC May 2010            UAE National Tennis Championships (Dubai, UAE); national open tennis tournament, all categories

June 2010

1 Jun 2010                 Clean Air Day; part of Environment Week

2 - 6 Jun 2010           Copenhagen Distortion (Copenhagen, Denmark); celebrating its 11th anniversary in 2010; a five-day music and arts celebration of Copenhagen’s urban identity, its club culture and alternative nightlife

5 Jun 2010                 World Environment Day; forms part of Environment Week; 2010’s host will be Pittsburgh (North America), the theme: "Biodiversity: Connecting with Nature"

Discontinued              Marato de l'Espectacle (Barcelona, Spain); No more MARATO's, 2009 saw the last of the MARATO's, visit the site to view 25 years of this amazing, eccentric and experimental showcase of the performing arts in front of live audiences

8 Jun 2010                 World Ocean Day

11 Jun 2010              Corpus Christi (Christian)

12 - 20 Jun 2010      Eigse Carlow Arts Festival (Carlow, Ireland); one of Ireland’s largest arts festivals; ten days of dancing, comedy, drumming, music, art, poetry, crafts and workshops

16 - 27 Jun 2010      Edinburgh International Film Festival (Edinburgh, UK); established 1947

16Jun - 10Jul 2010  Festival de Marseille (Marseille,France); a three-week summer, multi-art festival

18Jun - 8Jul 2010     City of London Festival (London, UK);since 1962, an annual multi-art festival in London’s Square Mile as well as other dazzling public spaces

20 Jun 2010              Father’s Day (Secular); time to say thank you to Dads and male carers everywhere

20Jun - 4Jul 2010     National Arts Festival Grahamstown (Grahamstown, South Africa); established 1974; the biggest arts festival in South Africa, and a cultural celebration of the arts on the African continent

20 - 26 Jun 2010      Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival (Cannes, France); celebrating its 57^th anniversary in 2010; the ultimate event in the world of advertising, nominating the world’s best commercials

21Jun - 4Jul 2010    Wimbledon (London, England); the third Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year

July 2010

7/8 Jul 2010              Lailat al-Meiraj, Ascension of the Prophet (Muslim); public holiday in the UAE; the Islamic Calendar is based on lunar observation (local sightings of various phases of the moon), thus given date is an approximation

9Jul - 25Nov 2010    New Zealand International Film Festivals (major cities, New Zealand); established 1970

13 Jul 2010                Ratha Yatra (Hindu); Hindu festival to worship Lord Krishna;  NOTE  - cities around the world celebrate Ratha Yatra at different dates throughout the year

22 Jul - 1 Aug 2010  Durban International Film Festival (Durban, South Africa); established 1979

23Jul - 8Aug 2010    Melbourne International Film Festival (Melbourne, Australia); established 1952

25 Jul 2010                Asalha Puja Day (Buddhist); also called Dhamma Day, celebrates the first teaching of Gautama Buddha; the middle way, the noble eight-fold path and the four noble truths

TBC Jul - Aug 2010    Darwin Fringe Festival (Darwin, Australia); a multi-art festival created by Darwin’s vibrant artists’ community

Discontinued              Klippenberg Arts and Craft Festival (Karibib, Namibia); this Namibian multi-art festival first kicked off at the Klippenberg Country Club in 2002

August 2010

6 - 30 Aug 2010        Edinburgh Fringe Festival (Edinburg, Scotland, UK); claims to be the largest arts festival in the world, covering international authors, films, talks, visual arts, music, comedy, dance, crafts, opera, and theatre

11 Aug 2010              Ramadan begins (Muslim); the Islamic calendar is based on lunar observation (local sightings of various phases of the moon), thus given date is an approximation

26 Aug - 6Sep 2010  Montreal World Film Festival (Montreal, Canada); established 1977

30Aug - 12Sep 2010 US Open (Flushing Meadows, New York, USA); the last Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year

TBC Aug 2010            JW’s Fitness Challenge (JW Marriott Hotel, Dubai, UAE); annual X-training fitness challenge in Dubai

September 2010

1 - 11 Sep 2010         Venice International Film Festival (Venice, Italy); established 1932, celebrating its 67^th anniversary in 2010; at the Venice Biennale since 1895 one of the most prestigious cultural institutions in the world

2 Sep 2010                 Khrisna Janmashtami (Hindu); Hindu festival to celebrate LordKrishna’s birthday, the eighth avatar(incarnation) of Vishnu

3 - 12 Sep 2010         Windhoek International Film Festival (Windhoek, Namibia); established 2001

9 - 18 Sep 2010         Toronto International Film Festival (Toronto, Canada); established 1976

10 Sep 2010              Eid al-Fitr, Ramadan ends (Muslim); public holiday in the UAE; the Islamic Calendar is based on lunar observation (local sightings of various phases of the moon), thus given date is an approximation

11 Sep 2010              Ganesh Chaturthi (Hindu); Hindu festival to celebrate the birth of Lord Ganesh, the elephant-headed God

17 - 25 Sep 2010      San Sebastian International Film Festival (San Sebastian, Spain); established 1953

18, 19 Sep 2010        real, Berlin Marathon (Berlin,Germany); rated as the world’s number two marathon, the Berlin Marathon is celebrating its 37^th anniversary in 2010

18Sep - 3Oct 2010    München Oktoberfest (Munich,Germany); annual beer festival, celebrating its 177^th anniversary in 2010

TBC 19 Sep 2010       Talisman Herald Karoo to Coast Mountain Bike Challenge (South Africa); Uniondale to Knysna via the Prince Alfred's Pass; one of the top ten mountain bike races in South Africa, see the map & profile

21 Sept 2010             International Day of Peace (Secular)

24Sep - 10Oct 2010  New York Film Festival (New York,USA); established 1962

28Sept -2Oct 2010   Aardklop Nasionale Kunstefees (Potchefstroom, South Africa); celebrating its 12th anniversary in 2010, a lekker (nice), local art festival

October 2010

13 - 17 Oct 2010       Durga Puja Festival (Hindu); religious festival in honour of the Hindu goddess Durga

13 - 28 Oct 2010       London Film Festival (London, UK); established 1956

14 - 17 Oct 2010       MTB Cape to Cape Western Australia (WA, Australia); mountain bike race from Cape Leeuwin to Cape Naturaliste, through the Margaret River

17 - 21 Oct 2010       GITEX (Dubai, UAE); annual exhibition re IT business solutions, telecommunications and consumer electronics

November 2010

1 Nov 2010                All Saints Day (Christian)

5 Nov 2010                Diwali, Deepawali, (Sikh, Hindu); the most important date in the Hindu Calendar, also called ‘the Festival of Lights’

7 Nov 2010                New York Marathon (New York,USA); rated as the world’s number three marathon, but it claims to be the world’s favourite marathon

10 - 20 Nov 2010      Cairo International Film Festival (Cairo, Egypt); established 1976

12 - 14 Nov 2010      Hajj (Muslim); the annual holy pilgrimage to Mecca (Makkah); the Hajj is the fifth and final pillar of Islam

14 - 16 Nov 2010      Eid al-Adha, Festival of Sacrifice (Muslim); public holiday in the UAE; the Islamic Calendar is based on lunar observation (local sightings of various phases of the moon), thus given date is an approximation

22Nov – 2Dec 2010  International Film Festival of India (Goa, India); established 1952

22 -25 Nov 2010       The Big 5 Show (Dubai, UAE); Middle East International Building & Construction exhibition features a wide range of building and construction products and materials

30 Nov 2010              St Andrew’s Day (Christian)

TBC Nov 2010            Fitness First (Dubai, UAE); X-training fitness challenge (Dubai, UAE); an annual event hosted by Fitness First Ibn Battuta Mall

December 2010

2 Dec 2010           United Arab Emirates National Day; public holiday in the UAE

6 Dec 2010                 Beirut Marathon (Beirut, Lebanon); a great event for all Lebanese and keen runners in the Middle East

7 Dec 2010                 Muharram (Al –Hijra), Islamic New Year (Muslim); public holiday in the UAE; the Islamic calendar is based on lunar observation (local sightings of various phases of the moon), thus given date is an approximation

10 Dec 2010         Human Rights Day

18 Dec 2010              Muharram (Al –Hijra), Islamic New Year (Muslim); public holiday in the UAE; the Islamic Calendar is based on lunar observation (local sightings of various phases of the moon), thus given date is an approximation

25 Dec 2010              Christmas Day (Christian)

26 Dec 2010              Boxing Day (Secular)

TBC Dec 2010            Havana Jazz Festival (Havana,Cuba); established 1978; date changed from Feb to Dec for 2010

TBC Dec 2010            Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge (Abu Dhabi, UAE); an annual fitness (team) challenge over six days

TBC Dec 2010            Dubai International Film Festival (Dubai, UAE); celebrating its 6th anniversary in 2010