Have a ball in Austria
February 4: The Vienna Opera Ball – Vienna, Austria
Replete with Hollywood celebrities, Austrian debutantes and European society, this ball is arguably the most elite event in Vienna’s social calendar. The night kicks off with dozens of debutantes clad in gleaming white gowns and sparkling diamanté tiaras waltzing with partners, and continues with exceptional performances by the Vienna State Opera Orchestra and Vienna State Ballet – all among the watchful eyes of elegantly dressed cultural icons and the soft clink of champagne flutes.
Let it snow
February 5-18: Sapporo Snow Festival – Sapporo, Japan
What began in 1950 with just six snow sculptures has snowballed into a winter wonderland of epic proportions, attracting millions of visitors with as many as 400 eye-catching ice and snow sculptures – often lit to magical effect at night – along Odori Park’s 12 blocks. Always meticulously created, and sometimes enormous, the monuments depict life-sized animals, iconic landmarks, manga characters and even labyrinths. The festival spreads beyond the Odori site to Susukino, where the Queen of Ice is crowned, and Tsudome with plenty of winter fun in the form of snow tubing activities and ski jumping performances.
Keep calm and style on
February 19-23: London Fashion Week – London, England
Situated in its new Soho-based Brewer Street venue since the previous SS16 fashion week, LFW’s central location makes it easy for attendees to bounce from shows to shops with ease. London-runway stalwarts such as Burberry, Christopher Kane and Erdem will surely draw the world’s top editors and stylists for the AW16/17 edition, but there’s also much ado to be made over Alexander McQueen’s return to London from Paris, a new show from Mulberry after a two-year hiatus and a funky footwear presentation from Charlotte Olympia in her first fully fledged show.
Silver screen salute
February 28: Academy Awards – Los Angeles, California, USA
Walk down the ultimate red carpet at Hollywood’s Dolby Theater, rubbing shoulders with actors anxiously awaiting the opening of an envelope signalling their entrée into the privileged club of Oscar winners. From the moment a white-gloved usher opens the limousine door and you take your seat in a theatre with an electric atmosphere, to watching host Chris Rock open the night on stage and being the first to see the golden statuettes get doled out – Will Leonardo DiCaprio finally bring his home? And the award for Best Picture goes to…? – this 88th-annual ceremony is one best watched in person.