Temperatures are dropping, semesters are ending, and schedules are opening up as we get closer and closer to full-on, stay inside, cozy-up-with-a-whiskey wintertime. That means summer is miles away and even the last fall fests are starting to fade into the rearview. Which leaves us craving a party. The beloved chaos that is Mardi Gras in New Orleans or a big, fascinating festival like Envision in Costa Rica.
Whether you’re keeping it domestic or heading out of the country thanks to a Cyber Monday deal, we’ve compiled all the best festivals this winter. This list is specifically aimed at the traveler who is trying to escape the winter chill, but if you’re all about living it up while wearing snow gear, fear not — we have something for you too.
Here’s where you need to spend winter 2019-20!
Festivals In The United States
Art Basel Miami, Florida — December 1-4
Visiting a museum and hanging around a bunch of contemporary art is a rewarding experience, but doing so across the various galleries of Miami where you can walk the streets of Miami Beach between stops is straight-up fun. This is why Art Basel needs to be on your to-do list this winter (even if you can’t get into the coolest parties). Art Basel brings together over 200 of the world’s leading international art galleries to show off their collection of paintings, installations, photography, film, digital art, and video, meaning there is a little bit of something for everyone.
Tickets to Art Basel Miami can be found here.
Rakastella, Miami Florida — December 7th
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Itching for a wild road trip? Gather up your closest friends, pack your illest outfit, and drive towards Miami for this year’s Rakastella — a beach party at the Virginia Key shores. For 16 hours, you’ll be treated to a non-stop party soundtracked by DJs and electronic pioneers like German house innovator Motor City Drum Ensemble, Danny Daz, and Ben UFO.
In addition to partying beachside, visitors of Rakastella will also be treated to a number of immersive art installations and cutting edge visual experiences.
Tickets to Rakastella are available now, pick them up here.
4xFar Festival, Coachella California — January 18-19
If you’re looking for a warmer place to adventure this winter, consider heading to the Coachella Valley for the new 4xFar Festival. 4xFar is one part eclectic music line-up, one part outdoor adventure playground.
When you’re not jamming out to the sounds of Mark Ronson, Anderson .Paak and Q-Tip, you’ll be out fly-fishing, taking part in workshops aimed at outdoor photography and wilderness survival, mountain biking, bouldering, or indulging in spirit and wine tastings.
Tickets are available now, pick them up here!
X Games Aspen, Colorado — January 22-26
Next year’s winter X Games are returning to Aspen Colorado and setting up shop at the base of Buttermilk Mountain in late January of 2020. Now on its 23rd year in operation, X Games is bigger than ever as extreme sports junkies, streetwear fashionistas, and hip-hop and EDM heads all flock to a festival that caters to those looking to turn up.
This year they’ve pulled Grammy-nominated producer and electronic music giant Alesso, and on the hip hop end, they’ve managed to score Rae Sremmurd for January’s festival.
Tickets are still available, pick them up here!
Mardi Gras, New Orleans — February 25
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Mardi Gras needs no introduction if you want to hit the streets for a citywide party of shots, decadent foods and yes, beads, look no further than the great state of Louisiana. From the makeup to the floats to the live music, Mardi Gras is always a good time and acts as the perfect preview for the unhinged parties to come as temperatures begin to rise.
You don’t need tickets to Mardi Gras, just hit New Orleans and look for the madness — it’s everywhere!
Going Abroad
Your Paradise Fiji, Mamanuca Islands — December 6-12
Make like a bird and travel south this winter, to the South Pacific to be exact. Why spend winter shoveling snow, driving in the rain, and drinking hot chocolate while wrapped in a Snuggy when you could be chilling with sea turtles, wading in warm translucent tropical waters, and dancing on the shores of Fiji’s Mamanuca Islands at Your Paradise Fiji?
This year’s Your Paradise Fiji features Fool’s Gold label head A-Trak, global house pioneer Gorgon City, and even a bit of hip-hop by way of Getter’s alter ego, Terror Reid.
Pick up tickets to Your Paradise Fiji here.
Day Zero, Tulum Mexico — January 10
Winter? Nah, fam, Mexico. That’s what you need. Why sip hot chocolate and wear scarves when you can be half-naked deep in the jungles of Tulum grooving to some of the world’s best selectors? Day Zero Festival first began as a sunset to sunrise single day party celebrating the ending of the Mayan Calendar in 2012 and has since morphed into a traveling festival that seeks to combine the grandeur of ancient holy sites with the communal aspects of electronic music.
On the heels of the festival’s debut at Masada, Israel, where 15,000 attendees witnessed the sunrise over the Dead Sea while dancing to the sounds of Damian Lazarus, Day Zero will return to its home of Tulum for its seventh year. We couldn’t think of a better way to start off the new year than dancing in a jungle.
Tickets are available here.
Holy Ship! Wrecked, Dominican Republic — January 22-26
It’s not the boat this time around — Holy Ship! is hitting dry land.
If spending your winter in the Dominican Republic at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Punta Cana for an all-inclusive four-night resort party soundtracked by Diplo, A-Trak, Jai Wolf, and Claude VonStroke sounds better than hot cocoa and scarves, then Holy Ship! Wrecked is for you.
Book your all-inclusive suite here.
Rio Carnival, Rio De Janeiro Brazil — February 21-29
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If you’ve done the whole Mardi Gras thing in New Orleans and thought, “Yes, but bigger,” then Carnival is the festival for you. Every year, about two million people from around the world hit the streets of Rio De Janeiro for one of the most extravagant parades in the world — turning the streets into a city-wide festival of samba music, dancing, and spectacle.
Whether you hit up the various street parties and clubs during Carnival or are seeking the official Samba parade experience in the Sambodromo, spending late February in Brazil is a guaranteed good (and fucking wild) time.
For tickets to the official parade, click here.
EDITOR’S PICK: Envision Festival, Costa Rica — Februrary 17-24
Envision Festival is the blessed utopian dream we all carry with us on some level — head into the jungle, dance amongst the creepers and vines, surf by day, party by night, eat vegan chocolate and do yoga in between. And… how could that not sound intriguing? It’s a chance to fully let loose but, more than that, a chance to engage with a community of people who are choosing to center their lives around nature, music, and — sorry for being so earnest here — love.
This year’s Envision is the festival’s 10th year and Rufus du Sol is set to headline with Tipper, Nahko, Emacipator, and the great Chali 2na all taking the stage. Go for the music, stay for the yoga, the surf, the body art, the guided meditations, and the new friends. Because Envision is definitely a wild party, but at its heart lies a genuine sense of community.
For tickets to Envision visit the site here.
