As long winters are finally coming to an end, plenty of countries around the world are gearing up to welcome the warmer days with a cheerful range of spring festivals. Rooted in age-old traditions, spring festivals are typically celebrated with colourful parades and seasonal rituals, all of which symbolise a new beginning for a greater year. For Malaysians who don’t often experience the change in seasons – we do, after all, have only the hot days and rainy monsoons – witnessing these spring festivals and how they’re celebrated across different cultures is an eye-opening experience.
This is why we’ve gathered some of the most iconic spring festivals that are worth travelling around the world for in 2026. Whether you’re into a vibrant celebration of colours or want to feast on the beauty this season brings with a stroll through the botanical gardens, these spring festivals will absolutely scratch that travel itch for you.
Why travel for spring festivals?
While many travellers may think that spring festivals are all about the beautiful scenery, the truth is far from this. So, let’s talk about why you should travel for spring festivals and how it could be the best decision of your travels this year.
You get to enjoy the best weather conditions
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Coming from Malaysia, we’re all accustomed to the year-round heat and humid days. As such, experiencing the cool spring weather, which brings a balance of cool breezes and warm sunlight, can be a refreshing take on your travel experiences. These milder temperatures and longer daylight hours make exploring a new city a much more comfortable experience, especially if you’re taking in the sights on foot. In comparison with winters where your luggage is packed to the brim with thick clothes for warmth, travelling for spring festivals also means you save on baggage space and weight that could be better used for souvenirs instead.
You’re travelling when no one else is
Unlike peak summer holiday seasons, travelling during spring festivals is a great idea because it falls under the shoulder season. This means you won’t only enjoy flights and hotels at more affordable prices, but chances are that you’ll even get to explore your dream destination without the hordes of tourist crowds. Just imagine not having to queue at the restaurant you’ve always wanted to try or being able to walk through the typically busy streets without having to bump into someone for the hundredth time, and you’ll see why travelling for spring festivals is the perfect choice of a holiday experience.
You only get to experience these spring festivals once a year
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As spring festivals are often held to welcome the change of seasons following a dreary winter, you’ll be experiencing a celebration that happens only once a year. This makes your travels even more purposeful, as missing this event could mean you’ll have to wait another year. On some occasions, the fleeting theme for the year may not return, and you’d potentially have missed it completely. Furthermore, the joy from the locals who are looking forward to a brand-new beginning also shines through in spring festivals, resulting in these festivals as ones to remember.
Spring festivals offer a deeper look into cultural immersion
We often say that the best way to travel is to explore and experience life just as the locals do. And what better way to experience this than to be a part of the spring festivals enjoyed by the locals? With these celebrations deeply connected to a destination’s culture, spring festivals are the best time to see and experience the customs and rituals reserved exclusively for this season of the year.
If you’re lucky, you may even enjoy festive foods that are especially prepared with fresh ingredients or catches of the season. This is especially fun for travellers seeking deeper cultural immersion in place of a standard holiday, as being part of the spring festival will truly help you connect with your dream destination.
5 of the most iconic spring festivals worth travelling for in 2026
Given that spring festivals are becoming increasingly popular, we recommend booking early if you’re keen to be a part of the action. But with good vibes in the air and the cities coming to life, here are 5 of the most iconic spring festivals worth travelling for in 2026!
India: Enjoy the vibrant colours of the Holi Festival
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Hosted over two days, Holi is a major Hindu festival celebrated across India. There is especially more focus on this festival in northern cities such as Mathura and Vrindavan, but you can also find locals in Jaipur, Delhi, and Mumbai joining in the fun on the 3rd and 4th of March.
Lovingly addressed as the Festival of Colours, Love, and Spring, this vibrant festival celebrates a variety of wins for the nation. This includes the divine love of the deities Radha and Krishna, and the triumph of good over evil as shown through the victory of the deity Vishnu over the Daitya king, Hiranyakashipu. Holi also marks the arrival of spring in India following the winter months, making it a spring festival that shouldn’t be missed. The celebration typically begins with a bonfire known as the Holika Dahan on the first night before transforming into a vibrant Rangwali Holi party on the streets the next day.
This is where the colourful celebration of Holi takes centre stage, as locals and tourists alike engage in throwing coloured powders and water at each other. Of course, these are all done in good fun and to celebrate all things great about Holi as well as the arrival of spring. While watching the locals play from the safety of your hotel room may sound great, we highly recommend getting on the streets to try the celebration for yourself.
Just be sure to pack clothes that you don’t mind getting colours on, as the coloured powders (or gulal as the locals call it) can leave a strong stain. It does, however, make for a great souvenir and a reminder that you too were once a part of this colourful spring festival.
Thailand: Have a splashing good time celebrating Songkran
If you thought New Year’s Day celebrations were all about loud countdowns and flashy fireworks, then the Songkran Festival will have you rethinking the welcoming of a brand-new year. Hosted on the 13th of April annually to welcome the Thai New Year, Songkran Festival – or simply known as Songkran – is a festival that involves splashing water at everyone and anyone you meet. From friends to family and even strangers on the street, this celebration symbolises the act of purification and brings forth a fresh start for the coming year.
Over time, this cultural event has evolved into a festival where music and parades are to be expected, especially in major tourist cities such as Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phuket. As getting splashed is to be fully expected, we recommend leaving your expensive electronics at home or keeping them in waterproof cases to avoid water damage. Dressing in preparation for getting wet will also help you get more immersed in the splashing fun times, though modesty should always be respected, especially in religious areas.
For convenient access to the heart of the action, booking a stay in central locations such as Dusit Thani Bangkok can be helpful. This is because you can always return to your room for a break and still watch the fun unfold right beneath your room, or change into something more comfortable in case you’ve gotten too drenched.
On the flip side, travellers who want to experience a calmer Songkran may opt to visit temples where devotees partake in more traditional cultural activities. This includes the bathing Buddha ritual, where one pours water over Buddha statues while praying for peace and prosperity and building sand pagodas at temples as a part of cultivating Buddhist merits.
The Netherlands: See the sea of tulips come alive from the waters
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Following a grey winter season where the days are short and rainy, there’s perhaps nothing more inviting than the Netherlands in spring. With the sun shining once again and flowers blooming almost everywhere you turn, spring festivals in the Netherlands hit different, and the iconic Keukenhof is here to prove it. Open for just one season a year, this majestic flower garden located in the town of Lisse is where every visitor dreams of being at least once in their European voyage.
Home to nearly 7 million flower bulbs that are planted annually, the Keukenhof botanical garden spans across 32 hectares of land. Aside from the iconic tulips of every colour imaginable, you’d also find blooms such as hyacinths, lilies, and more that are meticulously grown to create images following a yearly theme.
But if visiting the Garden of Europe isn’t enough to satisfy your hunger for a beautiful spring festival, then why not explore the country and more from the waters? Departing from the lively capital city of Amsterdam, Avalon’s 10-day voyage, The Netherlands in Bloom, will take you through some of the most breathtaking sights across the nation.
With stopovers in lesser-visited cities such as Hoorn, Maastricht, and beyond, the journey aboard the dual-deck Avalon Panorama offers uninterrupted views right from the comforts of your Panorama Suites. On-ground excursions that will take you through guided tours across tulip fields, Dutch flower farms, and historic town centres are also included, allowing you complete immersion into the life and times of the Dutch as the spring season rolls by. Now that’s a spring festival worth celebrating – both on land and on water.
Switzerland: Welcome spring with a bang at the Sechseläuten Festival
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Looking for a more unique spring festival to travel to? Then the Sechseläuten Festival in Zurich, Switzerland, is a must-see. Held on the third Monday of April each year, the Sechseläuten Festival is an age-old tradition that has been kept alive since the early 20th century. Visiting guests can expect a festival filled with music ensembles, guild members in historical costumes, horses, flower parades, and most importantly, a large snowman effigy known as the Böögg.
Typically made of cotton wool and donning a hat and scarf, what makes the Böögg unique is that its head is packed with firecrackers. Following the parade to Sechseläutenplatz in Zurich, the Böögg is then set on fire, with locals and tourists awaiting the final bang. According to the locals, the speed at which the explosion happens will predict how the summer is set to be. While it’s mostly a fun tradition as opposed to a scientific forecast, many believe that a quicker Böögg burn will mean a better summer ahead.
After the Böögg explosion, most festival guests will rush over to roast a Bratwurst or Cervelat – with the latter being Switzerland’s national sausage – over the remaining bonfire. This fun sight is something we recommend trying for yourself, as you can easily purchase these sausages from any nearby markets before attending the major parade. Of course, you’ll find plenty of stalls selling a classic bite of Swiss Bratwurst near the main area, though we think the former idea is more iconic of this unique spring festival.
Spain: Experience the never-ending party of Las Fallas in València
Photo by Tucked away in the city of València in Spain is a spring festival with party vibes that lasts for a week in the middle of March. Known as Las Fallas, this annual festival that features colourful, giant sculptures is often considered one of Spain’s most significant cultural events and even became a UNESCO World Heritage recognised event as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2016.
Occasionally reaching over 30 feet tall, these satirical sculptures are traditionally made with combustible materials such as papier-mâché, cardboard, and wood. This is done in preparation for the final night of the festival, where the sculptures are set on fire – a symbolic event that welcomes spring by burning away the old to make way for the new. Known as “La Cremà” to the locals, this evening is seen as the climax of this iconic spring festival and will be held on the 19th of March this year.
What makes Las Fallas an even more astounding spring festival is the fact that most of the monuments are painstakingly handmade even to this day. Given the sheer size and detailed work needed to complete a sculpture, a craftsman may need up to a year to create every monument. This means that beyond just a festival that celebrates the arrival of spring with parades and fireworks, Las Fallas is also a signature event that showcases the age-old workmanship of the locals in Valencia and definitely earns a spot in our list of spring festivals worth travelling for.