Brighton Festival

Date: May 5-27.

Location: Various venues, Brighton, East Sussex.

Description: England's newest city also holds the country's biggest mixed arts festival.

Contact: 01273 700747.

Website: www.whatsonwhen.com

Paris Jazz Festival

Date: May 1 - July 31.

Location: Parc Floral de Paris, Esplanade du Château de Vicennes, Paris 75012, France.

Description: Free jazz concerts every weekend in Parc Floral throughout May and June.

Contact: 00 33 (0) 1 55 94 20 20.

Website: www.whatsonwhen.com

Seattle International Children's Festival

Date: May 14-19.

Location: Seattle Center, 305 Harrison Street, Seattle 98109.

Description: The largest performing arts festival for children in North America.

Contact: 001 206 684 7346

Website: www.whatsonwhen.com

Sennin Gyoretsu (Procession of 1000 Warriors)

Date: May 18.
Location: Toshogu Shrine, Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.
Description: An annual re-enactment of the burial of Japan's first Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu. Over 1,000 people parade the streets.
Website: www.whatsonwhen.com