January’s underway and, though the weather is so far not really bitingly cold, the though of standing around at some outdoor festival or another isn’t exactly appealing. Sad to report then that indoor festivals of any note are not exactly thick on the ground in the first month of the year and that you’ll have to content yourself with the few outdoor music festivals which are about.

Mind you, the organisers of the two festivals we’re listing for you have got the right idea when it comes to striking the right note with the name of their festival. The Burn the Ice Festival, down in Kulmbach in Bavaria suggests what many of us would like to do with the season. As to whether their line ups of various genres of heavy metal will be quite as in keeping with your mood is another question.

Visit Koblenz in February, however, and you’re certain to have your spirits lifted at the Skarneval Koblenz ska festival. Two-tone music is enjoying a cult boom in Germany as indicated by festivals like this. The line-up here includes Twisted, The Clerks and the Skangaroos. The event takes place on Carnival Sunday and, God knows, is a welcome chance to evade all the alaafing (or is that allouing) that one is otherwise subject to in Koblenz at this time of year.

Of course, February is also the month of the Berlinale International Film Festival in Berlin. In its 58th year, as well as including the usual rounds of film biz smoozing and first screenings of new films, and the handing out of awards, this year’s Berlinale will also feature a retrospective of the work of French filmmaker Luis Buñuel.

Am I wrong in thinking that the evening of photographic slides detailing this intrepid traveller’s trip down the Amazon or that intrepid traveller’s bike ride in the Andes is a peculiarly German affair? Whatever the particular truth of the matter, Germans certainly love the slideshow format. The 10th Thüringer DiaFestival, featuring loads of photos of the travels of the intrepid, should be a well attended event then.

The weather’s getting warmer in April and it’s about time to think about venturing outdoors for a live music event. Thank goodness for the Kaff Rock Festival then.Taking place in Ensdorf down in Bavaria, the festival is in its sixth year and attracts a line up of punky, hard rock bands. The line up for the 2008 edition of the festival has yet to be announced. Keep an eye on the festival website for details.

Berlin’s Carnival of the Cultures, which takes to the streets of Kreuzberg every May, has been on the go for donkeys. So too has the Africa Festival in Würzburg which is celebrating ist twentieth anniversary this year. Featuring four days of music, cinema and culture from Africa – and also a full kids’ programme – the festival is an enterprising affair which it is well worth visiting.

As the summer tails off, so too do the large scale rock music festivals. But the advancing autumnal season is also the time of year for folk festivals of various colours. Take for example, Burgfolk 2008, which takes place near Mülheim. Featuring a wide line up of folk bands – this year there are some forty on the programme – the festival takes place in the impressive setting of Schloß Broich, a truly ancient castle.

If castles and the medieval are your thing, then you need to check out September’s Mediaval Festival in Selb, Bavaria. It’s the first time the festival will be taking place and, what with its exciting programme of music, tournaments, handicrafts and markets, it looks set to be a firm favourite on any festivals calendar.

January

26 January

Ostfildern near Stuttgart

http://www.burningwinter.de/

5 bands – essentials, twisted, the clerks, the blue babies, skangaroos

in Circus Maximus

Carneval Sunday, a chance to do something else.

3 February,

http://www.skarneval-koblenz.de/

Berlinale International Film Festival

7 – 17 February

Berlin

http://www.berlinale.de/en/HomePage.html

21 – 24 February

Saalfeld, Thüringen

http://www.weltsichten.de/weltneu/event.htm

Kaff Rock Festival

25 – 26 April

Ensdorf, Bavaria

http://www.kaff-rock.de/

9 – 11 May,

Weilheim an der Teck

Baden-Württemburg

A youthish, music festival which this year features bands such as X2 and the Beatsteaks.

38th International Dixieland Festival Dresden

9-13 May

The Big Easy on the Elbe with five days of Dixieland and early jazz music.

http://www.dixieland-dresden.de/

20th International Africa Festival

22 – 25 May

Würzburg

http://www.africafestival.org/main/

Carnival of Cultures Berlin

9 -12 May

Four days of ‘multi-kulti’ partying on the streets of Kreuzberg.

http://www.karneval-berlin.de/

6 – 8 June

Nürburgring, Eifel

http://www.rock-am-ring.com/

Magic Bike Rüdesheim am Rhein

22 –25 May

The air hums with the sound of Harley engines and stinks of motorbike exhaust. Motorbike magic for all ages.

http://www.magic-bike-ruedesheim.de/

Folk im Schlosshof 2008

12 – 14 June

Bad Rappenau Bonfeld

http://www.folk-im-schlosshof.de/

Fusion Festival

26 – 29 June

Smaller than Rock am Ring and just as charming as MELT – worth it.

http://www.fusion-festival.de

4 – 6 July

Hagenwerder, Sachsen

A welcome new edition to the eastern German pop festivals calendar.

http://www.lapampafestival.de/

Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival

14 July – 2 September

http://www.shmf.de

Fantasy Filmfest

10 August – 10 September

A month of horror, science fiction and the like in Munich, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Nürnberg, Bochum, Cologne, Berlin and Hamburg.

www.fantasyfilmfest.com

MELT! - Ferropolis Stadt aus Eisen,

18 – 20 July

Gräfenhainichen, Sachsen Anhalt

Excellent for its band line up but also for after hours dj sets. Just great.

www.meltfestival.de

Richard Wagner Festival (Bayreuther Festspiele)

25 July - 28 August

Bayreuth, Bavaria

The annual bash for fans of Wagner featuring performances of his marathon operas.

http://www.bayreuther-festspiele.de/Anfangsseite/deutsch.htm

2 August

Rödelheim, Hessen

African culture celebrated for the third year in a row in Rödeleheim.

(Gauklerfest)

25 – 27 July

Three days of wacky street performances in the old part of Koblenz.

http://www.gauklerfest-koblenz.de/

International Berlin Beer Festival

1 – 3 August

Featuring the Berlin Beer Mile, the festival introduces new guest beers each year.

www.bierfestival-berlin.de

Rhine in Flames Koblenz

9 August

The best Rhine in Flames event. A procession of boats down the Rhine concluded with a magnificent firework display.

(Ringfest Köln)

13 -18 August

www.ringfestkoeln.de

Burgfolk 2008

16th August

Mülheim an der Ruhr, Schloß Broich

http://www.muelheim-ruhr.de/cms/festival1.html

Dresden City Festival

(Dresdener Stadtfest)

15 – 17 August

One of eastern Germany’s most attractive city’s celebrates itself in three days of live music, street markets and food galore.

Mosel Wine Festival - Bernkastel-Kues

(Weinfest der Mittelmosel)

4 – 8 September

Over 5000 vintners turn up here annually to let you sample their wares. Crisp, clean white wine-tasting in the setting of one of the Mosel’s loveliest towns.

Stöffchefest – Römerberg, Frankfurt

7 – 8 September

A headache-inducing celebration of local applewine production.

http://www.frankfurt.de/sixcms/detail.php?id=3800&_ffmpar[_id_inhalt]=2095175

14th International Film Festival Oldenburg

12 – 16 September

A non-competitive film festival.

http://www.filmfest-oldenburg.de/

19-21 September

Selb, Bavaria

http://www.festival-mediaval.com/en/index.htm

Kite Festival - Neuenrade, Sauerland

29 - 30 September

http://www.lsv-werdohl.de/drachenfest.htm

A festival of kite flying on a blustery hillside in the Sauerland.

22 September - 7 October

www.oktoberfest.de

The biggest, most well-known beer festival in Germany.

3 October – 26 November

http://www.jazzmeile.org/index.html

16 – 25 November

A festival of independent films from America and Asia.

30 November - 23 December

Nürnberg Christmas Market

30 November – 23 December

http://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/english/index.php?navi=1&rid=2