Dive into the uk’s rich history and contemporary culture

October - November
October: Belfast International Arts Festival
Belfast International Arts Festival, celebrated each year in Autumn, celebrates contemporary arts - dance, music, theatre, visual arts, film and music - with an international outlook and artist base. It brings the world's best and most innovative artists to Belfast every year from across the globe.
31 October: Halloween
Halloween or Hallowe'en (short for All Hallows' evening) is a celebration observed in many countries around the world. Many say that Halloween traditions were influenced by Celtic harvest festivals but there are many 'modern' activities to mark it in the UK.
For example, guising (trick-or-treating), pumpkin carving, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing and telling or watching scary stories. If you live in rented accommodation, don't be surprised if small groups of children turn up at your door in monster or ghost costumes looking for sweets. Adults in the UK also tend to enjoy Halloween as an excuse to throw fancy-dress (costume) parties.
October/November: Diwali
Diwali, or Deepavali, is one of the major religious festivals for Hindus, Jains and Sikhs around the world. It celebrates the victory of light over darkness and is celebrated in many homes all over the UK, and is also marked in several UK cities. For example, Diwali in Leicester hosts an extravagant street party where thousands of decorative Diwali lights shine brightly along the city's Golden Mile. There is also traditional food, music, dancing and fireworks and it is one of the biggest Diwali celebrations outside of India.
November: Outburst Queer Arts Festival
Outburst Queer Arts Festival is an annual explosion of queer art and performance in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Now in its second decade, it showcases great local and international work by LGBT+ people of all backgrounds and creates a platform for all their stories and creative ideas.
5 November: Bonfire night
Bonfire night, often referred to as Guy Fawkes' night, originally marked the anniversary of Guy Fawkes - an English conspirator in the 17th-century Gunpowder Plot, who unsuccessfully tried to blow up Westminster Palace.
All across the UK, you will find bonfire nights from villages, to towns to big cities. Wrap up warm and head out to one of the many organised bonfire night events across the UK to enjoy the fire - most likely from a bit of a distance - and a spectacular firework display or two, or three on your way home.