Experiencing a Career in Art and Culture - Unmissable Events Worth Marking on Your Cultural To-Do List This Year
2025: A Year of Cultural Immersion and Global Exploration
In the year 2025, the world of art, design, and culture is abuzz with an array of captivating events that promise to immerse travelers in local experiences like never before.
The 20th-anniversary edition of Modernism Week, taking place from February 13-23 in Palm Springs, California, showcases mid-century modern architecture, art, interior, and landscape design. This event features more than 260 dealers from some 20 countries, and notable residences such as the Albert Frey-designed West House and The Goldberg residence will open their doors to the public.
The festival's theme, "Designing Future Society for Our Lives," seeks to shed light on viable solutions to pressing challenges, transforming the event into a 'people's living lab.'
As we move through the year, the acclaimed furniture fair Salone del Mobile and Fuorisalone coincide with the event, offering a perfect blend of design and contemporary art.
In April, Milan Design Week takes place in Milan, Italy, showcasing the best in design through exclusive showroom openings, public installations, panel talks, and parties.
The 19th edition of Venice's Biennale Architettura, titled Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective, takes place from May 10 to November 23, 2025, in Venice, Italy. This prestigious event engages with questions similar to the ones at the core of Osaka's forthcoming Expo and focuses on the built environment and the disciplines that shape it.
The Biennale Architettura 2025 will also feature Biennale College Architettura, a coinciding exhibition dedicated to the work of students, graduate students, and emerging practitioners under 30.
Art Basel 2025, taking place from June 19 to June 22, 2025, in Basel, Switzerland, will reunite over 200 pioneering galleries from five continents for a total of more than 4,000 spotlighted artists. The fair will also host Liste Art Fair Basel, an event supporting younger galleries and creatives.
Photo Basel, charting the latest innovations in photographic art, will also take place concurrently with Art Basel 2025 from June 17 to June 22, 2025, in Basel, Switzerland.
The 6th Kochi-Muziris Biennale, curated by Nikhil Chopra, focalizes on the process of artmaking as the liminal place where magic happens. This biennale, developed in collaboration with HH Art Spaces, takes place from December 12, 2025, to March 31, 2026, in Kochi, India.
The Setouchi Triennale takes place on 11 islands of the Seto Inland Sea, Japan from April 18-November 9, 2025.
The 36th São Paulo Biennial will rely on contributions by 64 international and local artists to explore what it means to be human across a variety of disciplines. Highlights include Caterina Mosca and Valerio Castelli's curatorial project MoscaPartners reviving the inner cloister of Palazzo Litta and Alcova, Valentina Ciuffi and Joseph Grima's nomadic showcase of cutting-edge design.
The top cultural events and trends highlighted for 2025 in travel focus primarily on immersive local and cultural experiences, with festivals playing a leading role. Key points from the Travel Trends 2025 insights include:
- Festivals dominate cultural travel activities in 2025, accounting for approximately 73.1% of cultural travel market share due to their vibrant and engaging nature. Examples include major events like Tomorrowland in Brussels, one of Europe's most iconic music festivals attracting global travelers.
- There is a strong surge in interest in lesser-known, culturally rich destinations such as Uzbekistan, Albania, Qatar, and culturally significant travel tied to events like Jane Austen’s 250th birthday celebrations in England and cultural heritage in Assam, India. Cities like London and Osaka are popular hubs for cultural and food experiences.
- Immersive cultural stays are a top trend, with travelers seeking authentic, local experiences such as homestays, engagement with local traditions, music, art, and cuisine. This reflects a broader shift toward travel as a means for personal development and spiritual enrichment rather than conventional tourism hotspots.
- Domestic cultural travel remains strong, holding a 61.8% market share due to convenience and affordability, while international cultural travel grows more slowly but remains significant for exploring global cultural landmarks.
- Social media platforms, notably TikTok, influence travel trends by popularizing personalized and immersive cultural experiences, slow travel, and budget-conscious challenges, which shape new ways travelers engage with cultural events and destinations.
In summary, the top cultural events emphasized in 2025 travel trends are largely festivals (like Tomorrowland), culturally immersive experiences, and visits to emerging and culturally significant destinations worldwide, driven by a demand for authenticity and local connection.
In 2025, the colorful and engaging art scene will captivate travelers as they visit major festivals like Tomorrowland, blending travel and lifestyle choices. The 20th-anniversary Modernism Week in Palm Springs showcases various art forms, including furniture, interior design, and landscaping. Furthermore, the trend of immersive cultural stays encourages travelers to explore local traditions, art, and cuisine in lesser-known yet culturally rich destinations, such as Uzbekistan or Qatar.
