SEPTEMBER

Sep 15-Oct14

Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival

Chinatown, Singapore. Free. www.chinatownfestivals.sg
The Chinese population in Singapore celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with street parades, dragon dances, multi-cultural performances and spectacular fireworks displays. The opening ceremony takes place at New Bridge and Eu Tong Sen roads on Sep 16. Check the website for the entire schedule.

Sep 28-Oct 6

Beijing Design Week

Gasometer-D-Park, Beijing, China. Free. www.bjdw.org/en
After its successful debut last year, China’s premier design festival is back promising a week-long celebration of contemporary art, architecture and design through seminars, talks, summits and exhibitions. In collaboration with 751 D-Park, the center of Beijing’s hip and happening design community, the theme for the event is “Design Changes Life.” The guest city this year is going to be Milan in an effort to enhance cultural exchange and creative dialogue.

Sep 21-23

Singapore Grand Prix

Singapore. S$58-1,288. www.singaporegp.sg
Twenty-four very fast Formula One cars will take to the city streets of Singapore on the night of Sep 23, but it’s just as easy to get excited about the lineup of entertainment that will be running alongside the actual race weekend—headlined by Katy Perry, Maroon 5 and Jay Chou. Tickets are from S$58 for one day in the walkabout zone to S$1,288 for three days in the grandstands.

Sep 27

Twinkle Rock Festival

Taipei, Taiwan. NT$2,500-3,500. www.twinklerockfestival.com
Closing the curtain of this year’s Twinkle rock concert series is a headline gig by former Oasis member, Noel Gallagher, as part of his High Flying Birds world tour.

Sep 29-Oct 7

Parklife 2012

Brisbane (Sep 29), Sydney (Sep 30), Perth (Oct 1), Melbourne (Oct 6), Adelaide (Oct 7), Australia. Various prices. www.parklife.com.au
For many Aussies, spending long spring evenings in the park goes hand-in-hand with enjoying live music. And that’s where Parklife comes in, kicking off the festival season down under. One of Australia’s largest outdoor music festivals, it started in 2000. This year’s event will travel to five major cities with a lineup packed with dance-oriented acts, including Passion Pit, Justice, Rusko and The Presets.

OCTOBER

Oct 11-27

Melbourne International Arts Festival

Melbourne, Australia. Various prices. www.melbournefestival.com.au
First staged in 1986 as the Spoleto Melbourne Festival,x following the lead of sister festivals in Spoleto (Italy) and Charleston (USA), this is now one of the largest showcases of performing arts in Australia. Commonly referred to as the Melbourne Festival, the 2012 edition will feature 74 shows (up from 52 last year), including 18 world premieres and 33 Australian premieres. Highlights include After Life, a contemporary opera by Michel van der Aa, and Swanlights, a collaboration between Antony and the Johnsons and the New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).

Oct 13-14

Mt. Kinabalu International Climbathon

Kinabalu National Park, Malaysia. RM100-150. www.climbathon.my
If Nichkhun’s recent performance as a long-distance runner hasn’t tempted you, perhaps the prospect of tackling Southeast Asia’s highest peak will. Now in its 26th year, the Climbathon requires participants to run for 21km up and down Mt Kinabalu in Borneo. Prize money for the mountain race, one of the world’s toughest, totals some US$50,000.

Oct 19-21

Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix

Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia. RM21-191. www.malaysiangp.com.my
More fuel for petrol-heads, the Grand Prix motorbike racing caravan arrives at the world-renowned Sepang International Circuit just outside of KL. Expect the world’s best racers jostling for position in the MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 classes.

Oct 22

Jidai Matsuri

Kyoto, Japan. Free. www.yokosojapan.com
One of the three largest annual festivals of Kyoto, the former capital city of Japan, Jidai Matsuri or the Festival of the Ages celebrates the glorious history of the country. Inaugurated in 1895 to mark the 1,100th year of Kyoto, it sees locals of all ages dress up in traditional costumes from different eras to participate in a 4.6-km parade to Heian Shrine. The parade starts at around noon and lasts around two-and-a-half hours.

Oct 23-28, Nov 6-18

The Nutcracker on Ice

S$95-175, 4-person box S$580-700, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, and HK$350-950, HKAPA Lyric Theatre, Hong Kong.
World-famous ice-skating company The Imperial Ice Stars presents its latest production based on the classic Russian tale of a girl whose love brings to life her beloved nutcracker doll. Premiered in South Africa in December 2011, it features the memorable score from Tchaikovsky and a cast of 26 professional skaters from around the world. It glides into Asia at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore (Oct 23-28) and the HKAPA Lyric Theatre in Hong Kong (Nov 6-18).

Oct 26-28

Taiwan LGBT Pride

Parade: free. Parties: presale NT$2,800-3,600/three days, at door NT$900-1,000/one day. www.taiwan-pride.com
Arguably Asia’s LGBT capital (though Bangkok also might feel differently), Taipei celebrates the 10th anniversary of its LGBT Pride Parade this year, with its grandest-ever march on Oct 27. Along with the official movement, HX Production, a local circuit party organiser, is hosting a three-day weekend with three parties at three different clubs (Jump, Att4Fun and Luxy), featuring top gay-event DJs, from Alex Taylor and David S to Louis T and Spectrum K.

NOVEMBER

Nov 1-4

Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival

Hong Kong. Free. www.discoverhongkong.com
Hong Kong’s best known culinary festival is now in its fourth year, bringing together hundreds of restaurants and wine cellars from more than 20 countries at the West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade in Tsim Sha Tsui, all for your sampling pleasure. And the picturesque Victoria Harbour is the backdrop.

Nov 24

Foreshore

Canberra, Australia. A$109.95-249.95. www.foreshorefestival.com.au
The Australian capital of Canberra is not as quiet and dreary as you might think, especially during the Foreshore Festival. Now in its 6th year, Foreshore takes over Commonwealth Park with a line up consisting—no, not jazz bands—some of the world’s biggest electronic acts, like Tiesto, Calvin Harris, Porter Robinson and Bassnectar.