Bob Marley’s 70th birthday
When? 1-6 February
Where? Jamaica
What’s happening?
The annual birthday celebrations for Jamaica’s off-beat ambassador will pack an extra punch this year as islanders and visitors come together to commemorate the music legend. In the first week of February, at venues across the island, there will be live performances and exhibitions, and the town of Negril will host the 23rd annual Bob Marley Birthday Bash: a five-day festival featuring international reggae acts, tribute shows, art and food. The Bob Marley Museum in Kingston – the singer’s former home – which closed its doors in October 2014 for renovation, will reopen in time to hold its own special Earthstrong celebration on Marley’s birthday, 6 February. More details for this event will be released nearer the time.
• bobmarley.com
800 years of the Magna Carta
When? Throughout 2015
Where? Across England
What’s happening?
The Magna Carta – a charter of rights and liberties enshrining the notion that not even the king was above the common law of the land – is a pivotal piece of writing; and with the historic text due to reach 800 years of age on 19 June 2015, it’s having an epic anniversary. Events are planned across England but there is particular focus on the 10 “Magna Carta towns”, including Oxford, Hereford, Durham and Salisbury. These are locations where significant events in the development of the charter took place, or where copies the original text can still be seen. As well as hundreds of exhibitions and activities in and around these towns – including a six-month show at the British Library where two of the original manuscripts will be on display – there will be six new tourism trails through all the sites of Magna Carta significance.
• magnacarta800th.com
Frank Sinatra’s 100th birthday
When? 12 December
Where? Las Vegas (baby!)
What’s happening?
The centenary birthday bash of the crooner synonymous with Sin City is going to be celebrated in style next December. But many of the details are still whispers on the Vegas grapevine. There have been a few hints that the hotel facades on the Strip will be illuminated with images of Sinatra, while reports also say singer Steve Lawrence will be putting on a tribute show at Wynn Las Vegas, with the support of the resort’s chief executive, Steve Wynn. In the meantime, there’s not been a better time to book a trip to the glitzy city, where there is a host of ways to explore Sinatra’s world. In January, the Venetian hotel will launch a grand theatrical production honouring the singer’s life, called Frank. The man. The music. Meanwhile in Palm Springs in February, the Modernism Week architecture festival will include a walking tour of Frank Sinatra’s neighbourhood ($35), taking visitors around the glamorous homes of the 1920s “Movie Colony” area.
50 years of The Sound of Music
When? Throughout 2015
Where? Salzburg, Austria
What’s happening?
There’s nothing stopping you running to your local hilltop for a singsong (which we’re sure some diehard fans will do) but the more discerning can drop by for some of the special events dedicated to the classic musical taking place in Salzburg. Villa Trapp – home of the von Trapp family in the film and now a hotel – will be hosting a special exhibition, called Image, Reality, and the Third Reich, looking at the musical and the way it relates to the real-life experience of the von Trapps. On 17 October there will be a grand gala event at the Felsenreitschule theatre (also used in the film) that will see performances of selections from the musical, as well as surprise appearances from people whose lives have been shaped by it. Meanwhile, on 26 June, international choir groups will celebrate the film with The Sound of Music Choir festival, at the city’s Mozarteum university.
• salzburg.info
50 years since Winston Churchill’s death and 75 since he became prime minister
When? Throughout 2015
Where? Southern England
What’s happening?
Winston Churchill’s England will be celebrated in 2015 with special events in several locations associated with the wartime leader. From February to June, Blenhiem Palace – Churchill’s birthplace – will reopen with a newly refreshed, permanent exhibition charting the man’s life. In June the palace will see the opening of a commemorative garden, designed by acclaimed landscape architect Kim Wilkie, on the spot where Churchill proposed to his wife, and a new Walk in Churchill’s Footsteps trail around the estate. On 23 January the Science Museum in London will launch a new exhibition, Churchill: Science in War and Peace, looking at the wartime innovations made under Churchill’s direction. There is still plenty of time to see a special exhibition at Churchill’s family home, Chartwell, Kent, which launched in November, runs until late February, and features never-before-seen historic objects, including the flag that flew over Washington the day he died.
150 years since the first Matterhorn ascent
When? July 2015
Where? Zermatt, Switzerland
What’s happening?
This summer will mark 150 years since the first alpine climbers ascended the iconic jagged spike of rock said to have inspired the triangular shape of Toblerone chocolate bars. Historic and cultural events will take place in the Matterhorn’s surroundings, such as open-air theatre on the mountainside from July-August telling the story of the first ascent. For those taking the opportunity to climb the mountain themselves, next year will also see the reopening of the Hörnlihütte, or Hörnli hut, the historic lodge that has been the gateway to the Matterhorn for climbers since 1880. The lodge is currently being renovated, preserving the century-old original features, as well as modernising the building to be more eco-friendly.
125 years since the death of Vincent van Gogh
When? July 2015
Where? The Netherlands, Belgium and France
What’s happening?
He’s one of the most renowned artists of the 19th century, and the Dutch post-impressionist is due to be celebrated throughout 2015 with a series of ambitious new exhibitions and projects. In September, Amsterdam’s must-see Van Gogh Museum will open a comparative exhibition of the work of van Gogh and Edvard Munch, bringing together work by the two masters. In the Belgian city of Mons (European Capital of Culture 2015), the house where van Gogh once lived will be open to the public and from January to May around 70 of his paintings and drawings will be on display in the BAM fine arts museum. This November also saw the completion of the van Gogh cycle route through the artist’s birthplace of Noord Brabant, which includes a spectacular glow-in-the-dark bicycle path segment inspired by his painting The Starry Night.
• vangogheurope.eu
150th birthday of WB Yeats
When? Throughout 2015
Where? Ireland
What’s happening?
In Ireland, the year has been dedicated to the poet WB Yeats, with locations such as Sligo, Galway and Dublin becoming focal points during the programme of events, which includes big and small celebrations of his work. Hargadon’s pub in Sligo, for example, will host a reading of a Yeats poem every day in 2015 at 1pm during the week and 6pm on Sundays. There will also be performances of Yeats’s plays, including productions by the Blue Raincoat Theatre company, who will be using some of Sligo’s most beautiful outdoor locations as their stage. And this year, Yeats day, which falls on 13 June, will blossom into a four-day festival of poetry, music, art and crafts.
• yeats2015.com
50th anniversary of Singapore independence
When? Throughout 2015
Where? Singapore
What’s happening?
Singapore will be buzzing in 2015 thanks to a series of projects linked to the anniversary of its independence (from Malaysia) that will transform its urban landscape. The National Museum will be revamped to create a modern, immersive experience for visitors to learn about the nation’s post-independence story, while even more exciting is the opening of a new National Gallery for the display of visual arts from south-east Asia. A pedestrian bridge crossing from Merlion Park to Marina Promenade will open in spring, linking a Jubilee Walk that will lead visitors through historic locations. But the real party will take place on 9 August, when the National Day Parade takes place, undoubtedly with more fervour – and fireworks – than ever before.
1,000 years since the first mention of Leipzig
When? Throughout 2015
Where? Leipzig, Germany
What’s happening?
Leipzig has been enjoying a renaissance in recent years, frequently tipped as the “new Berlin” thanks to its thriving cultural scene. Now the city can keep its place in the limelight with a year-long celebration marking 1,000 years since its first recorded mention. The festival is all-encompassing: Leipzig will be hosting events ranging from the Hockey World Cup to a 1,000-voice choir performing an open-air concert. On 31 Maythe Lipsia’s Lions street theatre festival will see five moving sculptures parade through the streets before meeting in the city centre; this will kick off four days of themed activities and events in the Marktplatz. The celebrations will conclude on 20 December in Augustusplatz, where the public will be invited to tuck into a grand birthday cake – featuring 1,000 candles.
• leipzig2015.de
