16 Best Festivals in March Around the World in 2025
Music, food, and nature – these are just a few of the best festivals in March around the world. Plan your trip around the March celebrations to really make it one to remember!
Festivals are not just for summer. March brings an end to winter and moderate temperatures, making it a perfect time to travel. So spice up your March routine by checking out one or two of these unique festivals!
1. St Patrick’s Day Festival, Ireland
14th – 17th March 2025
Pack your best green fashion for the St. Patrick’s Day Festival in Dublin. This five-day event celebrates Irish culture, music, food, and entertainment.
Wrap up the party on St. Paddy’s Day with a massive street carnival on 17th March. You’ll find parades, vendors, live music stages, and fun on O’Connell Street and across the centre of Dublin.
You will find festivities all over Ireland, not just in the capital city. So regardless of where you land, you can raise a glass to honour Ireland’s patron saint.
2. SXSW Festival, USA
7th – 15th March 2025
South by Southwest is a renowned festival in Austin, Texas, each March. This media festival features a plethora of film, music, and comedy events.
But that’s not all. SXSW also hosts tech panels, speakers, and exhibitions. So you have a good chance of rubbing elbows with the rich, famous, and entrepreneurial.
Of course, Austin is also famous for its outstanding food and drink. Everything’s bigger in Texas – and that includes BBQ beef and margaritas!
I had a brilliant time at SXSW, in fact it’s one of the most memorable festivals Ive ever been to!
3. Narvik Winter Festival, Norway
14 – 23rd March 2025
In the land of the midnight sun and lightless winter, Norwegians pride themselves on creating infrastructure in this arctic terrain.
Dating back to World War II, the Narvik Winter Festival celebrates the Ofoten iron-ore railroad that provided prosperity and materials to the country.
Narvik Winter Festival hosts over 200 music, culture, art, theatre, and dance programs for 50,000 annual visitors. So pack your warmest flannel shirts, black clothes, and hats and enjoy the kiddies running around in their whimsical costumes.
4. Food and Fun Festival, Iceland
12 – 16th March 2025
Iceland’s Food and Fun Festival brings chefs from Iceland, mainland Europe, and the Americas together for a one-week competition. Chefs work with local restaurants to whip up gourmet cuisine at affordable prices.
This festival is not sprawled out in the streets of Reykjavik like other food festivals. Instead, all events, tastings, and demonstrations occur in established or pop-up restaurants around town.
You will find cutting-edge culinary experiments, unusual and unique wines and spirits, and locally sourced ingredients.
At the same time, the Food and Fun Festival showcases Iceland’s stunning landscape and year-round outdoor adventures. You should definitely incorporate a road trip there while you’re in the country.
5. Holi Festival, India & Nepal
13 – 14th March 2025
Many people recognise the Holi Festival for its vibrant colour displays and message of unity. Each year, Indians come together and wash away their differences for the day. Men and women intermingle, observing the mantra, ‘follow no norms and have as much fun as you want’.
Holi is not only one of the most important festivals in March, but also one of the top festivals in India.
The festival begins as a mellow morning and escalates into a colour-bomb party by mid-afternoon. There are many traditions throughout the day, which tourists are invited to join in on.
6. Mendoza Grape Harvest Festival, Argentina
26th February to 29th March
Dating back to 1936, the annual Mendoza Grape Harvest Festival celebrates the region’s vineyards and winemakers. The harvest occurs all over the Mendoza province.
You can find events like ‘Blessing of the Harvest’, parades, theatre, fireworks, and live music in the downtown area. More than 40,000 revellers attend the Grape Harvest Festival each year to join in with the activities and taste wines influenced by growers worldwide.
7. Pasifika Festival, New Zealand
8th – 9th March 2025
Celebrated in New Zealand, this festival showcases Pacific Island cultures. The Pasifika Festival typically takes place in Auckland where you can see contemporary art, music, dance, and cuisine from various Pacific communities.
You’ll be able to witness and gain a deeper understanding about cultures like Samoan, Tongan, Fijian, and Maori, among others. It’s generally a free event as their aim to is to make it a community celebration accessible to all.
8. Spring Equinox Festival, Chichen Itza, Mexico
20th March 2024
The ancient Mayan civilisations in Mexico kept meticulous records of stellar phenomena, particularly solstices and equinoxes. The pyramid of Kukulcán, a serpent deity, was built to align with the light and shadows of the equinox twice a year.
As the sun sets on the equinox, the shadows resemble a snake and ask Kukulcán for an abundant upcoming harvest season. It’s a beautiful moment and thousands of people from all over the world gather to witness it together.
9. Starkbierzeit Festival, Germany
14th March 2025
Love Oktoberfest but cannot wait until autumn?
Check out Munich, Germany’s Starkbierzeit, Strong Beer Festival in March each year to tide you over. The 21-day Starkbierzeit recalls centuries ago when residents depended on strong beers to help them make it through weeks of fasting during Lent. Local breweries like Paulaner am Nockherberg serve up beers with an alcohol content of at least 7.5%.
Events occur all over Munich in breweries, beer halls, and restaurants, most notably Löwenbräukeller or the Nockherberg Paulaner brewery.
10. Kakku Pagoda Festival, Shan State, Myanmar
TBC
Ready for something a bit more spiritual?
The Kakku Pagoda Festival occurs each March to celebrate the end of the harvest season for the Pa-Oh people.
The area around the pagodas transforms into pop-up shops offering locally handcrafted goods like children’s toys and textiles and locally grown produce. A portion of the revenues is donated to the temple.
This event is immersed in local culture, religion, and art, paying homage to this archaeological site with food and traditional dance performances. Locals bring food offerings to the monks and pay tribute to the faith.
11. Gudi Padwa/Ugadi
30th March 2025
Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra and Ugadi in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are New Year festivals celebrated in various regions of India. These festivals, usually occurring in late March or early April, are again about the coming of spring.
People often decorate their homes with colourful rangoli, hoist a special ‘Gudi’ flag as a symbol of victory and prosperity, and prepare a variety of festive dishes. All the community comes together to enjoy, alongside religious ceremonies, and, of course, delicious food.
12. Las Fallas Festival
1st to 19th March 2025
Is there anything more mesmerising than standing around a fire, watching the flames flicker and engulf what they’re fed? Now imagine that on an epic level, like in Valencia, Spain, at Las Fallas Festival.
Artists spend a year building 20-foot statues, knowing that their artwork’s inevitable and intended end is to be set alight in front of thousands of festivalgoers in the name of celebration. I went to this a few years ago and was genuinely amazed at the artistry that goes into each Ninot (statue). It was kinda sad to see them all alight!
13. Nowruz, Iran
20th March 2025
Otherwise known as the Persian New Year, Nowruz is a celebration that marks the first day of spring and the renewal of nature. Although it’s predominantly celebrated in Iran, other countries celebrate Nowruz like Afghanistan and parts of Central Asia and Europe.
The celebrations often include elaborate table settings called ‘Haft-Seen’, fire-jumping rituals, and a range of foods. Nowruz – like many of the others on the March festival list – honours the changing of the season and ideas of rebirth and renewal.
14. Calle Ocho Festival
9th March 2025
Held in Miami, Florida, the Calle Ocho Festival is a one-day event in March that celebrates Cuban culture and the broader Latin American community. The festival is part of the annual Carnaval Miami and has street parades, live music stages, and food stalls offering everything from Cuban sandwiches to arepas.
You’ll find international Latin music stars who performing live, which explains the large crowds. Pitbull actually made his debut there too!
As you might expect, the energy at this international event in March is high! Whether you’re a fan of salsa dancing or simply looking to enjoy some delicious Latin American cuisine, the Calle Ocho Festival has a lot going on.
15. Ides of March, Rome, Italy
15th March (Annually)
Commemorated especially in Rome, Ides of March marks the assassination of Julius Caesar. The assassination happened in 44 B.C., but this March festival remains popular to this day.
It’s not a festival in the same way the others in March are, but there are lots of things going on and events around Rome that you could kind of call it one. There’s reenactments, guided tours focused on Caesar’s assassination, and lots more to do with the history of that date.
16. Melbourne Food and Wine Festival
21st – 30th March 2025
Amazing city, amazing food, amazing wine and just overall an amazing time. The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival takes place every year around March time, and brings a wide variety of street food stalls to feast at.
It attracts renowned chefs from Melbourne and further afield, who do cooking demos, wine tastings and more. If you’re a foodie or just love your wine, this is a pretty good March festival to get on your list.