Jazz, opera and donkey races - here are some cultural reasons to hop on a plane this year
Whether you're interested in art or sport, theatre or food, we can put together travel packages to international festivals where members can see a fresh part of the world while indulging their interests.
Here are five of our favourite forthcoming events, but call your lifestyle manager to find out more about the festivals and celebrations across the globe, and how we can get you into them.
The Arena di Verona 2010 Opera Festival
Friday 18 June to Sunday 29 August
Verona's annual opera festival will convert even those who have never sat through an act into ardent devotees of the aria. It's held in the city's spectacular 2,000 year-old Roman amphitheatre, and performances take place at dusk beneath the starlit sky. Candles are handed out to every member of the audience before the show starts, then lit at sundown, adding to the spectacle and romance.
This year the festival will stage productions of Verdi's Aida and Il Trovatore, Puccini's Madame Butterfly and Turandot, and Bizet's Carmen, and we can book tickets as well as arrange packages to the city. Our lifestyle managers can also arrange a night at the Verona opera as part of a tour of the Veneto region, with stops at Venice, Padua and Vicenza. Call us to discuss.
Montreux Jazz Festival
Friday 2 to Saturday 17 July
Held on the shores of Lake Geneva, the Montreux Jazz Festival began in the 1960s, drawing legendary artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Zappa and Nina Simone to the foot of the Swiss Alps. Jazz is still central to the event, but over the decades its roster of artists has steadily become more eclectic - you're as likely to see hip-hop collective the Wu Tang Clan or British rockers Muse as you are jazz fusion pianist Chick Corea.
The 2010 line-up has yet to be confirmed, but call your lifestyle manager and we'll send over details as soon as they're available.
Lamu Festival
December
Lamu is Kenya's oldest town, a thousand-year-old port on an Indian Ocean isle with no motorised transport, whose labyrinthine streets seem to have changed little since the 14th century.
But during its Maulidi festival, held to mark the Prophet Mohammed's birth, this drowsy port is filled with revellers performing traditional dances and songs while drums pound out exuberant rhythms in its squares. Sailing contests, swimming competitions and mock sword fights are also held, and the festival culminates in a prestigious donkey race, for which local jockeys train year round.
We can put together Lamu packages for members, including transport, accommodation, restaurant bookings and bespoke guides on what to see and do on this singular island. Call us to discuss.
New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival
23 April to 2 May
The Big Easy is the birthplace of jazz, and its annual festival draws thousands of people to Louisiana for a fortnight of sultry parties at the centre of Bayou country. The official festival takes place over two weekends, but bars and clubs throughout the city will stage their own concerts alongside the main event.
The festival is famed for its devotion to jazz and blues, but it offers a diverse selection of artists - Pearl Jam, Simon & Garfunkel and Aretha Franklin are among the hundreds of performers taking part this year. Call us to book tickets, discuss VIP options and to find out more about visiting New Orleans.
Haze Nightclub
Year round
Members rarely need a reason to visit Las Vegas. The City of Sin is a pulsing, feverish hub that's home to every conceivable method of entertainment, from its famed casinos and shows to grand hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants.
But on the off chance that you've exhausted all of its pleasures, 2010 brings a fresh delight to the Nevada desert. The Haze Nightclub is part of the ARIA resort and casino in the new CityCenter - a vast entertainment and retail complex of shops, spas, restaurants and hotels.
Haze opened last December and quickly established itself as the hottest spot on the Strip. This shimmering celeb hangout has lined up a galaxy of superstar DJs and performers for the months ahead, and we can arrange VIP access for members. Call us to find out more, book a room at the ARIA or any other hotel in Las Vegas or for assistance in booking the complete package.
