luxury calendar: how to have a brilliant april

The Dandelion Chandelier Luxury Event Calendar is a curated list of the best events in the world of luxury in April 2019. Whether your passion is Travel; Food and Drink; Planes, Yachts and Autos; Fitness and Sports; Fashion and Design; Entertainment; or The Arts, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know to have a brilliant month.

luxury calendar: how to have a brilliant april

Thanks to T.S. Eliot, April gets a bad rap. But actually, to paraphrase Lewis Carroll’s walrus, it’s the season of many things: of flying kites and dancing nights, of conferences and kings.

Specifically, this month will see the Masters; marathons in Boston and London; Coachella; the NFL Draft; the return of Game of Thrones, Les Voiles de Saint Barth; and the chic Salone del Mobile Milano.

So while it may bring spring showers, with a badass attitude and the right boots, one can definitely spend the month of April in style.

the best events in the world of luxury in april

travel

April’s travel calendar is bringing the heat this month. In Europe, Norway will see two significant hotel openings, including the Amerikalinjen in Oslo. On the West Coast, California gets its first Edition hotel with the arrival of the West Hollywood Edition. Meanwhile, the Nobu Los Cabos opens, marking the hotel group’s first Mexican hotel.  In Asia, the ultra luxe Capella Bangkok has laid its claim to a gorgeous spot along the Chao Phraya River. Finally, in Dubai the long-anticipated Mandarin Oriental Jumeirah finally opens on a coveted beachfront.

food and drink

Dig in to April at the World Gourmet Summit in Singapore to get a taste of the world’s lesser-known cuisines. Then head down south for some  good tunes and great food at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.  Or, if you are up something truly unique, stop by the British Asparagus Festival to learn about the history of this spear-shaped veggie. When you’re ready to wash it all down, check out the finest vintages the Golden State has to offer at the California Wine Festival. Or if beer is more your style, you can try any number of the latest in craft brews at New York City’s Craft Beer Festival.

planes, yachts and autos

April kicks off the start of the air show season with multiple events around the world. Among the most luxurious is the Qatar Air Show in Doha.  The start of sailing season brings big names in yacht shows and lots of nautical races: Les Voiles de Saint Barth and Antigua Sailing Week. For car lovers, there are auctions and races this month.

fitness and sports

From the conclusion of March Madness at the NCAA Men’s Division I Championship Game to one of the big six marathons taking place (including the Boston Marathon), April is on. In British horse racing, there’s the Grand National. In golf, there’s the Masters Tournament in Augusta. In tennis, it’s the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters. Runners take to the streets in Boston, Paris and London for annual marathons through the hearts of the cities.

fashion and design

Start the month in Hong Kong at the Sotheby’s NIGOLDENEYE Vol. 1 sale, where you’ll find all things hypebeast from before hypebeast was even a thing.  Next, head to London for the V&A’s Mary Quant exhibit to celebrate the woman behind the mod look of the 60’s.  Then, stop in South Africa for the annual Condé Nast International Luxury Conference.  Finally, close out April in Milan for a double dose of design with the annual Milan Design Week and concurrent Salone del Mobile Milano.

Entertainment

This month will see a potential end to the current Marvel era with Avengers: Endgame hitting the theaters. On the small screen, Game of Thrones returns for its last and final season. The stage will feature not one, but two different versions of Aurther Miller’s All My Sons – one in New York and one in London. Plus Glenda Jackson as King Lear on Broadway.

Coachella returns to the desert with Childish Gambino, Tame Impala and Ariana Grande headlining.  Finally, learn more about the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes in the podcast The Dropout.

the arts

Top picks this month include the epic celebration of Merce Cunningham’s 100th birthday: there will be three performances of Night of 100 Solos: A Centennial Event in three different cities on the same day. In New York, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center will celebrate George Crumb with American Icon: George Crumb at 90. Meanwhile, France hosts its annual spring music festival, Le Printemps de Bourges in Bourges. In visual arts, Madrid’s Reina Sofia highlights the late Japanese artist Tetsuya Ishida’s work. And New York City will see the opening of its latest cultural events space, The Shed at Hudson Yards.

what else is going on?

spring festivals

The month brings joyful and absolutely odd rituals, not the least of which is the annual Sechseläuten festival in Zurich, Switzerland. A snowman (called the Böögg) is set aflame to banish winter (spring is deemed to have officially arrived when his head explodes) – April 8.

For over 25 years, the seaside resort of Berck-sur-Mer on the Opal Coast of Pas de Calais, France, has hosted a kite festival on the beach – the Rencontres Internationales de Cerfs-Volants, or International Kite Festival – will take place this year on April 6 – 14. And Walpurgis Night marks the beginning of spring in several European countries.  The tradition descends from a pagan festival meant to banish evil spirits on the eve of May Day; the night is spent dancing around bonfires and maypoles, and some people dress in costume – April 30.

religious festivals

The historical and religious Sikh and Hindu festival Vaisakhi marks the New Year and is also a spring harvest festival, this year it will be celebrated on April 14. In England, April 23 is St. George’s Day – since the 13th century it’s been a national day of feasting to celebrate the patron saint of England, who is famously associated with the legend of St. George and the Dragon.

global gatherings

But April’s not all spring fever and religious observances. Three global gatherings this month will see leaders and influencers putting their heads together to wrestle with geopolitical and other challenges. Tina Brown’s 10th annual Women in the World Summit, which convenes power women and the men who support them, will take place April 10 – 12 at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City. TED2019: Bigger than us will draw tech and media moguls to Vancouver, Canada from April 15 – 19.  And the annual Milken Institute Global Conference is a must-attend for the financial elite in Beverly Hills – April 28 – May 1

holidays

In addition, it’s April Fools’ Day on the 1st this year, but don’t goof off too long because taxes are due in America on April 15th.  Easter this year falls on the same day as Queen Elizabeth’s actual birthday, April 21st. Do note, though, that the Queen’s birthday isn’t formally celebrated until June. Finally, Earth Day is April 22nd.

That’s it. Our luxury calendar, with our top picks for the best events in the world of luxury in April 2019.

What are you most excited about? Let us know if you attend any of these – and send pictures! Wherever April takes you, we hope you make a fresh start at something brilliant.

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see the full list of april 2019 events:

• Travel
• Fashion and Design
• Food & Drink
• Planes, Yachts and Autos
• Fitness and Sports
• Pop Culture
• The Arts

Jillian Tangen is the Head of Research at Dandelion Chandelier. Formerly, she was a Senior Research Analyst at McKinsey & Co and Analyst at Shearman & Sterling. She is an avid fan of Nordic design, having owned an independent lifestyle store and sales agency focused on emerging Scandinavian design. Jillian lives in NYC and is married with three young children. She loves cross country skiing, the New York Rangers, reading, travel and discovering new brands.

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