The Art And Culture Events To Look Out For In 2020

There’s plenty to do in 2020. Explore architecture from all over the world, rediscover a 1960s pop culture icon and visit a former military base that’s now a Nordic art island.

Discover art with an eco twist on Vallisaari island in the Finnish archipelago

See some of the world’s greatest architects create buildings in a desert

The World Expo has been the platform for some of the greatest innovations of our time: the telephone, the X-ray machine and the humanoid robot, to name a few. The 2020 edition is special, as it’s the first to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region. Look out for Es Devlin’s futuristic Poem Pavilion – the first UK pavilion by a female designer – which will feature artificial intelligence-generated poetry in English, Arabic, Chinese and French. The huge pavilions by architects Santiago Calatrava (with a design modelled on birds’ wings) and BIG (featuring an arched underside with a hidden courtyard) also look set to be impressive, and don’t miss the Dutch pavilion with its own microclimate.

Discover a different side to an American icon

Visit London’s Tate Modern to see a host of lesser-known works by Andy Warhol, including ‘Boy With Flowers’ (1955-1957)

Combine cycling and contemporary art in Copenhagen

Sun, sea and art – what more could you want in spring? Copenhagen is a cultural hotspot at all times of the year, but for art enthusiasts, mid-May is the time to visit. It’s when around 60 exhibition sites host Copenhagen Art Week, with shows, performances and art tours from local talents as well as big international names. Rent a bike and discover the city’s art scene the Copenhagen way.

Experience contemporary art in the Danish capital’s streets as well as in its galleries at Copenhagen Art Week

Let Venice change how you think about buildings

With its canals in place of streets, Venice has some of the most unusual urban design in the world. It’s a fitting location for an architecture biennale that explores innovative new ideas for how we build our cities. The 2020 biennale is the 17th edition, and the theme this year is looking at how we can live together better, an appropriate choice for our divisive times. Expect the unexpected – the 2018 event featured a wall made from soap bubbles, saw the V&A showcase pieces of Brutalist London estate Robin Hood Gardens and had a ‘Cruising Pavilion’ with a focus on psychosexual geography.

This year’s Venice Biennale looks at how we can live together better

Take to the sea for a new art biennial – on an island

Former Helsinki military base Vallisaari island is the stage for a brand-new biennial that promises to put the Finnish capital on the art map. In keeping with the city’s eco-friendly ideals (Helsinki aims to be carbon-neutral by 2035, and has many other ambitious climate goals), the biennial, The Same Sea, “places emphasis on the biosphere as one interconnected entity”. It will feature 35 leading artists who’ve created new commissions and site-specific works for the island’s cobbled paths, gunpowder cellars and historical buildings. The biennial is held between 12 June and 27 September, when the city is at its most beautiful, so take advantage of the long Finnish summer nights to explore the island and surrounding archipelago.

Around 35 leading artists will take part in a new art biennial on Vallisaari island

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.