My Festival Hunt Started Last November
Honestly? Got super overwhelmed at first. Just opened Google Maps one lazy Sunday and started zooming out randomly while drinking coffee. Typed “art festival 2025” like a total noob. Big mistake. Got flooded with sketchy tourist sites and ancient 2023 lists. Closed that tab real fast.
Took out an old notebook – yes, actual paper – and wrote down places friends mentioned. Tokyo, Berlin, Lisbon, Mexico City. Googled each city name plus “2025 art events” separately. Still messy, but better. Bookmarked 12 festivals that sounded legit.
The Real Headache Began
Checked dates first. Disaster waiting to happen:
- Portugal’s thing changed dates THREE TIMES on their awful website
- Berlin event required pre-registration just to see ticket prices
- Japan’s site crashed when I tried booking Monday morning (their time)
Called my credit card company crying about “suspicious international charges” after Japan finally went through. Almost bit my nails off.
Making Dumb Spreadsheets
Made a color-coded mess in Excel:
- RED for “need vaccine proof?” (yes for Mexico)
- YELLOW for “crazy expensive?” (Berlin galleries cost limbs)
- GREEN for “can I afford flights?” (nope for Australia)
Crossed off anything needing more than one connecting flight. My back can’t handle that garbage anymore.
Booking Nightmares
Tried using apps for hotels. Big regrets:
- Lisbon place advertised ocean view… showed brick wall
- Tokyo capsule hotel cancelled booking because “foreigner not allowed”
- Mexico Airbnb host asked for wedding photos?? Deleted that app forever
Ended up calling old-school travel agents. Paid extra but got real beds and working showers.
The Final Survivors
After all that madness, only four made the cut:
- Lisbon Street Art Fest (May 8-12) – easy flights + cheap Pastéis
- Tokyo Digital Garden (July 3-9) – booked 6 months ahead like a psycho
- Oaxaca Folk Art Fair (Nov 1-6) – dia de muertos bonus!
Berlin got dumped. Sorry not sorry. Eight-hour lines for “immersive experiences”? My knees screamed NO.
What I’d Do Differently
Next time? Hire some college kid to research for me. Worth every penny. And always pack extra phone chargers. Nearly missed Mexico’s opening ceremony because my dumb power adapter fried. Lesson learned.
