There is potentially no more exciting conversation to start than one that tries to answer the question, ‘Where should I travel to next?’ When it comes to how to decide though, the jury is out. You could reach for the closest model globe, give it a spin, close your eyes and point. You might be led by airfare sales and specials, and let unbeatable deals take you to far off places you’d never thought of seeing previously. Perhaps you take inspiration from social media and your favourite travel bloggers. Another option, and one that pretty much guarantees you’re always experiencing the new and unexplored, is to let world events sway you into booking those flights.
Not only is 2020 ushering in a new decade, but it also brings a veritable smorgasbord of world-wide events that are all worth travelling to and for. From openings of previously off-limited landmarks, to epic sporting events and once-off nature phenomenon; there is a lot to see in 2020. And the pursuit of these encounters could see you travel to the likes of Beijing, Cairo, Uluru, Argentina, and more. So, to get you thinking about where you might travel to in 2020, here are some of the world’s top upcoming goings-on to have on your holiday radar.
To Follow in the Footsteps of Emperors
Where To Go?
Beijing, China
What For?
The opening of the Qianlong Garden.
What Is It?
The Qianlong Garden is a section of the iconic Forbidden City, originally built in the late 18th century as a private retreat for the then Emperor, who had just abdicated. It covers almost two whole acres, with courtyards, pavilions and rock gardens, and has remained untouched and off limits to the general public ever since the forced abdication of Puyi, China’s last emperor, in 1924. The restoration work on the Garden has been led by the World Monuments Fund and began on the first building in 2001. A new Visitors Centre is also being added to the Garden.
When To Go?
The exact opening date of the Visitors Centre (which will mark the opening of the wider garden) is yet to be announced, so watch this space. The Qianlong Garden isn’t the only thing happen in the Forbidden City in 2020 though. A raft of never-before-seen artefacts, relics and artwork (including the piece dubbed China’s Mona Lisa) are being moved onto public display.
To Explore the World… From One Location
Where To Go?
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
What For?
The Expo 2020.
What Is It?
Happening every five years, the World Expo is a massive coming together of countries and cultures from all over the globe. It doubles as both a celebration and a platform for sharing, learning and collaborating for the future. Expo Dubai 2020 will be the first of its kind to ever be hosted in the region, and the UAE is going all-out to deliver an event for the history books. The Expo 2020 site has been specially constructed and occupies an area of more than four square kilometres. The theme for this Expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future,’ and there are three sub-themes, ‘Opportunity’, ‘Mobility’, and ‘Sustainability’. Each sub-theme is represented in its own district of the main site, through galleries, art installations, interactive exhibits and performance spaces. All countries participating in Expo 2020 (there are more than 120 and include the nations from Australia and New Zealand, to Cape Verde, Tunisia and Saint Kitts and Nevis) have their own pavilion for visitors to explore.
When To Go?
Book your flights to Dubai for October 20 onwards. The Expo runs for 173 days or six months, finishing up April 10, 2021.
To Watch Your Home Team Take Out Gold
Where To Go?
Tokyo, Japan
What For?
The 2020 Summer Olympics.
What Is It?
The Olympics need little to no introduction. This ancient quadrennial event is arguably one of the most well-known in the world. Athletes spend lifetimes training in the hopes of securing Olympic gold, and countries put years into their pitch to be a host city. Tokyo 2020 will be the first time softball, karate, skateboarding, surfing and sport climbing will be contested. Plus a number of new events, including 3×3 basketball and freestyle BMX, have been added to existing sports. Tickets for most of the Olympics events have already been snapped up, so it’s worth adding your name to any lottery draws and keeping your fingers crossed. Even if you can’t secure tickets to your favourite events, Olympic fever is set to grip Tokyo and wider Japan in 2020. Head over if you want to soak up the revelry and atmosphere.
When To Go?
July 24 to 9 August 2020. The 2020 Paralympic Games immediately follow, happening between 25 July to 6 September 2020.
To See the Moon Pass Between the Earth and Sun
Where To Go?
Argentina and Chile
What For?
Be wowed at the total solar eclipse.
What Is It?
This will be last solar eclipse of 2020, and the second total solar eclipse visible in South America in just 18 months. A total solar eclipse is usually incredible rare and occurs when the moon passes through the space between the Sun and the Earth. This path momentarily blocks the Sun from the view of those on Earth. The total eclipse will be visible in Chile and Argentina however a partial solar eclipse will also be able to be seen from Brazil and Uruguay.
When To Go?
14 December 2020.
To Watch A Once-in-a-Decade Performance
Where To Go?
Oberammergau, Germany
What For?
To see the performance of the Passion Play.
What Is It?
The Oberammergau Passion Play is a Bavarian tradition that dates back to 1634 when the first performance of the same passion play took place. A passion play is usually the dramatic retelling of the Passion of Jesus Christ, including his trial, suffering and death. It is also often called an Easter pageant. The Oberammergau Passion Play is an open-air depiction, happening on purpose-built stages in the village, and is based on four manuscripts first written in the 15th and 16th centuries. The origin of the play’s performance comes from the village’s residents making a vow to God, to perform it every 10 years if He would spare the village from the plague; the death rate at the time of the collective promise was rapidly rising. So, the Oberammergau Passion Play is now performed only in years ending in a zero.
When To Go?
Performances take place in Oberammergau between 16 May and 4 October 2020.
To Be Ahead of the Football Fans
Where To Go?
Doha, Qatar
What For?
Get in before the crowds descend for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
What Is It?
Okay, so discovering Doha may not be on the same time crunch or timeline as some of the other events in this round-up, but those wanting to see the Qatar capital city without hordes of crowds should plan their flights sometime within the next two years. Why? Doha is the host city for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, one of the world’s biggest sporting events – and one that lures international visitors to the Cup’s given location by the thousands. Previous host cities have reported incredible boosts in tourism numbers – especially international travellers – over the course of the year that the Cup took place. Avoiding the crowds isn’t the only reason to go to Doha though. The brand-new National Museum Qatar opened in March 2019 after more than two years of delays. A host of swanky hotels and resorts have also just opened in this desert destination, as has a new planetarium in the Katara Cultural Village and a smattering of world-class restaurants.
When To Go?
Anytime in 2020 or 2021. Historically speaking, visitor numbers to the host city increase dramatically in few the months leading up to and immediately following the Cup.
To See The Illuminated Red Centre
Where To Go?
Uluru, Northern Territory Australia
What For?
Field of Lights.
What Is It?
An acclaimed art installation from artist Bruce Munro. Field of Light sees the base of Uluru illuminate with more than 50,000 solar-powered stems once the sun sets. A blanket of these glowing orbs slowly change colour over the course of the night, and the entire exhibition spans an area more than four football fields in size. The reiteration of Field of Light at Uluru is called Tili Wiru Tjuta Nyakutjaku, which roughly translates to mean ‘looking at lots of beautiful lights.’ The upcoming display of Field of Light Uluru will be its second season. Previous locations include the Eden Project in Cornwall, Discovery Green in Houston, and St Andrews Square in Edinburgh. Field of Light Uluru holds a specially significant place in the exhibition’s history however, as the massive monolith was the source of inspiration for the work’s initial concept.
When To Go?
On now until 31 December 2020.
To Peer at Pharoahs and Marvel at Mummies
Where To Go?
Cairo, Egypt
What For?
The opening of the new Grand Egyptian Museum.
What Is It?
It is no secret that the current Egyptian Museum is bursting at the seams with ancient treasures, artefacts and antiquities. Reports of crates, filled with priceless relics, piling up in random corridors and galleries have long filtered back from travellers returning from a visit to Cairo. And it isn’t entirely untrue. The Egyptian Museum as it stands in 2019 is brimming with a collection of more than 120,000 pieces – and only a small amount are on display. That is set to change in 2020 though, thanks to the imminent opening of The Grand Egyptian Museum. It is intended to be the largest museum of its kind in the world. The new museum’s location is a hop, skip and a jump from the Pyramids and Sphinx in Giza, and some of the treasures set to be housed inside include those chronicling Ramses II, Thutmose III, Amenhotep III, and the Boy King, Tutankhamun.
When To Go?
The exact opening date is still to be confirmed, however the latest reports say it should be early 2020.
To Get Artsy in a World Creative Capital
Where To Go?
London, England
What For?
Design Biennale 2020.
What Is It?
2020 marks the third instalment of the Design Biennale, an event that sees designers, curators and creative institutions from all over the world reconvene in one location. More than 50 countries are set to attend the Design Biennale 2020, and the theme of the year’s event is ‘Resonance’. The Artistic Director of London Design Biennale 2020 is Es Devlin OBE, the creative mind behind extraordinary installations Please Feed The Lions and The Singing Tree, as well as the design force for touring stage sculptures used by Beyonce, U2, Adele and Kanye West. It all happens at Somerset House across a three-week exhibition period.
When To Go?
8 September to 27 September 2020.
To Mix Art and History Underground
Where To Go?
Bordeaux, France
What For?
The opening of Les Bassins de Lumieres (The Ponds of Lights).
What Is It?
Those with a head for history and the arts will want to hone in on the site of a former underground bunker in Bordeaux, which is being overhauled into a permanent exhibition space. The bunker’s build is an ideal blank canvas for digital art installations, projected onto the walls and even the water in the bunker’s basin. In its past life, the 1943 bunker was a submarine base used by the Germans in World War II to house its fleet. Upon opening, the bunker will be the largest digital art space of its kind in the world.
When To Go?
The current open date is scheduled for 17 April 2020.
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Hero image: Field of Light Uluru. Credit: Romain Pontida | CC BY-SA 2.0
