11 Best Festivals in Autumn Around the World

Here are the best festivals in autumn for your annual world festival calendar. Number 9 would be the autumn festival of choice for me!

Autumn is here, and it is time to pack your backpacks for your next adventure – one of the many great autumn festivals.

Fall festivals

From Halloween to Thanksgiving, to diverse festivals of lights and lantern festivals too, there’s a lot to cover this season.

Here are the top festivals in autumn for your seasonal bucket list…

Best festivals in autumn

Just because summer’s over doesn’t mean the festivals are. These are the best autumn festivals for you to look forward to.


1. Boun Awk Phansa, Laos & Thailand

28th October 2023

Marking the end of a three-month-long Buddhist Lent period, Boun Awk Phansa is a time of celebrations with lights and lanterns. During the Buddhist Lent, happening during the rainy season, monks hide themselves to meditate. 

On the Full Moon day of the eleventh lunar month, the monks come out of their meditations. To mark this occasion, people would offer gifts, set out boats with incense and candles in the Mekong River. It’s a belief that focuses on honouring the ‘river spirit’. 

autumn festivals

People would also light paper lanterns at night, which creates a mesmerising ethereal glow. There are fireworks and decorated wats too as part of celebrating this festival in autumn.

As part of this autumn festival, other celebrations are also happening in Thailand. They range from the Naga Fireball Festival to the Wax Castle Festival. You can enjoy these occasions while visiting Thailand to be a part of Boun Awk Phansa this October. 


2. Nuit Blanche, Paris, France

Moved from October to June from now on

Now, get ready to immerse yourself in an after-dark celebration of art with Nuit Blanche. If you’re visiting Paris in October, add this autumn fest to your bucket list. Here, you can be a part of a wonderful journey, where you can explore different facets of contemporary art. You can enjoy various installations and concerts that happen as part of Nuit Blanche. 

Festivals in autumn

First organised in 2002, Nuit Blanche takes place in the heart of Paris. As part of this event, you can learn more about different artworks done by several international artists. While you’re at Nuit Blanche you can also book yourself in for cabarets, shows, and dinner cruises too.

Other than that, there are numerous museums and exhibitions you can add to your visit. The best way to explore the event to the fullest is by walking around the streets. You can roam around in a zig-zag pattern as the start and end don’t matter in this avant-garde world of art. Renting a bicycle and riding through the streets of Paris can also add a unique touch to the entire experience.


3. Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, New Mexico

7th – 15th October 2023

It’s time to fly high this autumn by becoming a part of this incredible balloon fiesta. Started in 1972, Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is a one-of-a-kind event, which stands as the largest annual international event in the US. Over one million people travel to Albuquerque to be a part of this exciting event.

Albuquerque balloon festival