With pleasant weather, fiery leaves, and a medley of events and festivals around the world, there are awe-inspiring destinations to visit in October. From festooning the streets with lights to filling the skies with hot air balloons, we have rounded up the most incredible festivals in the world in October.
Discover the Most Celebrated Festivals in October
1. Oktoberfest, Germany
Date: Sat, 20 Sept, 2025 – Sun, 5 Oct, 2025
Are you a hardcore beer lover? Test your appetite at the world’s largest beer festival, Oktoberfest, which draws over seven million people every year. Hosted by Munich and Bavaria for 16 to 18 days, the festival has a heap of food, like different types of cheese and meat. Revelers can dive into a lot of entertainment options, including amusement parks, games, and rides. This exotic merrymaking was started back in 1810 at the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig I) with a horse race and has been creating milestones every year. There is no need to stress that it is one of the festivals that you must explore before 30.
2. Millet Festival, Ghana
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Date: Thu, 23 Oct, 2025
The Millet Festival is a vibrant celebration of the harvest, deeply rooted in the traditions of Ghanaian communities. Unlike staged cultural shows, this festival offers an authentic glimpse into local life, where families and neighbours gather to honour the millet crop that sustains them. Visitors can experience traditional music, dancing, storytelling, and rituals that express gratitude for abundance and blessings for the year ahead. Held in an intimate community setting, the Millet Festival is not just about agriculture but also about unity, heritage, and the joy of sharing culture with outsiders in its truest form.
3. Diwali, India
Date: Sat, 18 Oct, 2025 – Thu, 23 Oct, 2025
India is a potpourri of cultures. Each state bursts with a myriad of festivals and events representing their traditions. One of the most epic festivals in India is celebrated in October: Diwali (or Deepavali), which is the festival of diyas. It marks the legendary triumph of good over evil and light over darkness and one of the top festivals in the world. . It is the day when the Hindu deity Lord Rama returned home after 14 years of exile, defeating the demon Raavan, and the locals welcomed Him by decorating the place with an array of diyas. The entire country is embellished with lights and fireworks. People worship their gods, deck up in their finest attire, and distribute sweets. There are many incredible places to visit during Diwali during 2025.
4. Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, USA
Date: Sat, 4 Oct, 2025 – Sun, 12 Oct, 2025
Hit New Mexico and celebrate one of October’s most exciting and magical festivals. Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta creates a kaleidoscopic sky with hundreds of vibrant hot air balloons floating among the clouds from the Balloon Fiesta Park. Pack your picnic bag as you are here for non-stop action, from family-friendly adventures to mouth-watering food, accompanied by other events and entertainment on the go. Not to forget, you can step into one of these balloons and enjoy the panorama.
5. Austin City Limits Music Festival
Date: Fri, 3 Oct, 2025 – Sun, 12 Oct, 2025
This festival occurs over two weekends at Austin’s Zilker Park and is a must-attend for music lovers. Join live performances by brilliant local and international artists, groove to sensational tunes, indulge in unlimited food and drinks, and of course, let your little ones make the most of the exclusive, fun activities. That’s not all; keep the excitement going with exciting after-parties that add to your cherished festival moments.
6. Jinju Lantern Festival, South Korea
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Date: Sat, 4 Oct, 2025 – Sun, 19 Oct, 2025
Also known as the Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival, this spectacular event lights up the Namgang River and the historic Jinjuseong Fortress with thousands of colourful lanterns. Visitors can enjoy cultural performances, food stalls serving local delicacies, and hands-on activities like lantern making and lantern sailing. The highlight comes after sunset, when the illuminated lanterns reflect across the river, creating a magical atmosphere. Arrive in the late afternoon to explore the grounds and stay after dark to experience the festival at its most breathtaking.
7. Takayama Matsuri, Japan
Date: Thu, 9 Oct, 2025 – Fri, 10 Oct, 2025
An annual festival, the Takayama Matsuri, included in the list of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage, is celebrated to mark a good harvest in autumn. During these two days, you can join the big festival parade where the people carry the portable shrine. Admire the ornate yatai floats, see traditional puppet performances, and watch as lanterns light up the streets after sunset.”
8. MassKara Festival, Philippines
Date: Wed, 1 Oct, 2025 – Sun, 19 Oct, 2025
One of the biggest festivals in the country, the MassKara Festival offers its guests the warmest hospitality and welcome. Indulge in food, drinks, and parties — and dance the night away. Enjoy a carnival-like celebration where the people are masked up and grace you with stunning performances. The festival gets a level up with the exhilarating dance competition. It was started in the 1980s to lift the moods of locals when a worse famine hit them.
9. Thimphu Festival, Bhutan
Date: Thu, 2 Oct, 2025 – Sat, 4 Oct, 2025
The Thimphu Festival, or Tshechu, is one of the most important cultural events in Bhutan, held in the heart of its capital city. The celebration begins with days of rituals and prayers to the deities, preparing the ground for a vibrant display of devotion and artistry. Over three days, the streets and courtyards come alive with monks and lay performers dressed in elaborate costumes and masks, dancing to retell Bhutanese myths and spiritual stories. Locals believe watching these sacred dances brings blessings and protection from misfortune. Beyond the religious significance, the festival is also a lively social gathering, with Bhutanese families in their finest traditional dress mingling with visitors.
10. Berlin Festival of Lights
Date: Wed, 8 Oct, 2025 – Wed, 15 Oct, 2025
See one of the world’s most legendary destinations, Berlin, transform into an unmatched spectacle of lights during this ten-day festival. As it is all set to celebrate its 21stedition in 2025, you can look forward to an enchanting experience with the display of breathtaking light and video art at over 50 iconic spots across the city.
11. Festival Kreol, Seychelles
Date: Fri, 3 Oct, 2025 – Fri, 31 Oct, 2025
Traveling by the Seychelles calendar? Tick off the most important date of the 40th Festival Kreol. A holiday on the island is itself an incredible getaway. Plus, you get to tuck into a wide-ranging dish meal at an annual celebration by the gorgeous seashore. Yes, this is a gala of music, dance, art, crafts, and more. It’s time to live it up as you enjoy street performances, fashion shows, and other concerts.
12. Polar Circle Marathon
Date: Sat, 25 Oct, 2025 – Sun, 26 Oct, 2025
Know what it’s like to participate in the planet’s coolest marathon! It occurs in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, and lets you join some hardcore runners who are all set to race across the country’s super icy landscape with an average temperature of -10°C in October.
13. Andong MaskDance Festival, South Korea
Date: Fri, 26 Sep, 2025 – Sun, 5 Oct, 2025
The Andong International MaskDance Festival & Competition is one of Korea’s most famous cultural celebrations. Centered in the historic city of Andong, it preserves and showcases the traditional mask dance-drama known as Hahoe Byeolsingut Talnori. Visitors can expect dynamic performances with vibrant masks and elaborate costumes, along with cultural exchanges, parades, and local food markets. The festival blends heritage with festivity, offering an unforgettable chance to see Korean tradition come alive on stage and in the streets.
14. Festival of Lights, Laos
Date:Mon, 20 Oct, 2025
Locally called Boun Ork Phansa, this festival is observed upon the culmination of Buddhist Lent, which lasts about three months when Buddhist monks retreat to monasteries for intensive meditation. It is celebrated all over Laos, especially in Luang Prabang, with traditional music, candlelight parades, etc.
15. Montmarte Grape Harvest Festival
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Date: Wednesday, October 8 to Sunday, October 12, 2025.
Oenophiles look forward to this wine festival, also known as Fête des Vendanges, which is annually held at the historic Montmartre Vineyard in northern Paris. This 92nd edition will be a five-day event during which you can savour authentic French wine and food, buy one-off souvenirs, enjoy picnics, join vibrant parades, and watch exceptional fireworks shows, among other things. This event has been one of the staples in the Parisian events calendar since the 1930s and welcomes over 500,000 visitors every year.
16. Soriano nel Cimino Chestnut Festival
Date: Fri, 3 Oct, 2025 – Sun, 19 Oct, 2025
The world is familiar with the grape festivals in France and Switzerland, as well as the tomato festival in Spain. However, in October, the small Italian town of Soriano nel Cimino invites you to participate in the medieval Chestnut Festival, known as “Sagra Delle Castagne.” Because of the town and its residents’ vintage charm, you get the impression that you have travelled back in time to the Italian medieval period. The town is adorned by flag-draped medieval walls and gates, and people are dressed in charmingly vintage attire. You would have the distinct impression that you were strolling through an Italian medieval street or alleyway. A variety of mouthwatering Italian foods are served during the celebrations, along with activities like archery, chestnut roasting, and historical re-enactment.
17. The October Golden Eagle Festival Mongolia
Date: Sat, 4 Oct, 2025 – Sun, 7 Oct, 2025
Witness a traditional hunting festival in the serenely rugged terrains of Western Mongolia. Eagle hunting holds great cultural significance in Mongolia, and eagle hunters celebrate their heritage and compete in challenges involving golden eagles that have been specially trained, showcasing the abilities of both the birds and their trainers during this festival. The October Eagle Festival is the longest-running Eagle Festival, featuring ceremonial parades, cultural displays, lavish feasts, and, of course, the opportunity to witness hunters in their full regalia, mounted on horseback with their trained golden eagles perched on their arms – A wonderful way to see the authentic Mongol tradition kept alive for years.
18. Halloween
Date: Fri, 31 Oct, 2025
If there is one festival that captures the essence of spookiness and the charm of autumn, it is the Halloween festival. Over the years, what began as a day to honour the dead has evolved into a festival full of spooks, horror, and the supernatural. The event is known for its eerie atmosphere, even though the kids enjoy dressing up as gory characters like vampires and zombies or comic book characters. In Western countries, Halloween is celebrated magnificently, with glowing pumpkin-carved Jack-O-lanterns adorning front porches and an evening dedicated to trick-or-treating. It’s an extraordinary festival worth witnessing.
19. Abu Simbel Sun Festival
Date: Wed, 22 Oct, 2025
For those seeking to immerse themselves in the rich cultural heritage of Egypt, the Abu Simbel Sun Festival at the temple of Ramses II is a truly unforgettable and awe-inspiring event. The great pharaoh Ramses II’s birthday and coronation day fall on the same day of this festival. The celebration occurs twice a year, in February and October, when the sun’s rays dramatically align to illuminate the inner sanctum of the Ramses II temple, producing a celestial phenomenon. Locals from across Egypt, as well as intrigued globetrotters, flock to Abu Simbel to see this otherworldly sight, which many consider to be evidence of the ancient Egyptians’ skill in architecture and astronomy.
20. Navratri and Dussera in India
Date: Mon, 22 Sep, 2025 – Wed, 1 Oct, 2025 (Navratri), Thu, 2 Oct, 2025 (Dussehra )
About 20 days before Diwali, Navratri is when the festive flair starts in India as the whole country celebrates the penchant of the Goddess through prayers and fasting for 9 nights. A highlight of the Navratri festivities is the energetic Garba dance, which captivates audiences with its mesmerizing movements and rhythms performed to the pulsating beats of the dhol. Crowds of people, dressed in their finest traditional attire, synchronize their steps in a joyous display of unity. On the 10th day after Navratri, Dussehra is celebrated to symbolize the culmination of Navratri and signifies the triumph of good over evil. Across the nation, the day is marked by the burning of an effigy depicting the death of Ravana by Lord Rama. The Durga Puja in Kolkata is particularly famous at this time as one of the most extravagant festivals held in India.
Conclusion
Festivals are wonderful ways to come together, share the same message, and explore the local culture. You must explore these festivals in October to go on a celebration spree. Check out the best holiday packages with Rayna Tours.
I am visiting Portugal in October and would definitely visit the International Sand Sculpture Festival.
That’s so cool! Do let us know your experiences at the festival.
This list of festivals to celebrate in October is really good. It is an informational article.
We are glad that you think so. We hope you get the chance to attend one of these festivals.
I had never heard about Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Thanks for including it here.
You are welcome. Hundreds of colorful hot air balloons floating in the air is a sight to behold.
I have been to India during Diwali, and I would say it is the most beautiful festival. I love how the entire place glitters with lights and crackers during this time.
Yes, indeed. Diwali is truly the festival of lights. Moreover, you get to gorge on some delicious food, which makes it all the more interesting.
Oktoberfest in Germany seems like such an interesting festival. I would love to visit the country during this time.
If you are a beer lover, Oktoberfest is something you should not miss. The beer is delicious and the vibe is another level as well.