Critic’s View:

Taking place in the iconic Empire Polo Field in Indio, Southern California, Coachella is widely considered to be among the most exciting and dynamic popular music festivals in the world. Attracting visitors from far and wide each year, this desert-based festival features headlining acts plucked from the wishlists of music fans across the globe, and always promises to be a truly unforgettable adventure in the sun-baked and expansive festival site.

What’s On:

With the headline acts just released, Frank Ocean is expected to be the main draw at Coachella 2023.

This year’s festival is also set to feature Calvin Harris, Bad Bunny, BlackPink, Björk, Porter Robinson, and hundreds more coveted performers. Coachella’s organizers take deep pride in showcasing the very best of the global popular music scene. However, it’s not all about the music. The world’s most Instagrammable festival also features amazing hospitality options, incredible dishes from an array of talented street food chefs, all-night discos, mind-expanding esoteria and the chance to soak up the atmosphere at this undeniably iconic event.

After Parties

Due to its relatively remote location, there isn’t much of an afterparty scene at Coachella. However, the music never stops within the festival site, and no matter your taste or style, you’ll find something to enjoy while there.

Should you be sticking around the following weekend, you’ll find plenty of luxurious pool parties and events in the wake of the festival; SHEIN’s all-day event and Coachella-adjacent party Zeuphoria at Zenyara Estates has gained legendary status, and Soho Desert House brings its oasis to the desert for an RSVP event like no other.

Featured Accommodation

If you don’t fancy braving the campsites, there are plenty of beautiful resorts and hotels to check into when visiting Coachella. Our favourites are in the ever-glamorous Palm Springs and nearby Indian Wells, and include:

• Parker Palm Springs
• Ace Hotel and Swim Club
• The Saguaro Palm Springs
• ARRIVE Palm Springs
• Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa, Indian Wells

Availability:

Tickets for Coachella are available through the official channels. With VIP packages, glamping options and an array of levels available, the festival is both accessible and flexible depending on the kind of Coachella experience you’re seeking.

Critic’s View:

The EDM scene in Miami is renowned worldwide, and the sun-soaked beach city attracts countless visitors each year looking to party all night long to beats laid down by the world’s greatest DJs and producers. The Ultra Music Festival – which will be held between March 24th and 26th 2023 is now in its 23rd year, and promises to be bigger, better and wilder than ever before.

Taking its name from a Depeche Mode album, Ultra Music Festival is a gathering of EDM fans from across the country and wider world, looking to throw shapes, see and be seen, and get up-close-and-personal with the biggest EDM stars in a laser-studded spectacular like nothing else on Earth.

What’s On:

2022’s Ultra Music Festival proved that Miami more than retains its crown as the EDM capital of the world. Carl Cox, DJ Snake and David Guetta played unmissable sets, and the beautiful people of Florida’s most iconic music event were out in force having the time of their lives. With 2023’s lineup exceeding any that has gone before, a VIP table at this event is guaranteed to be one that will never be forgotten.

Returning to Bayfront Park in Miami, Ultra Music Festival 2023 boasts a world-beating lineup that’s sending excited ripples through the global EDM community. This year, Swedish House Mafia, Grimes and Zedd will take the headline spots, with electronic music legends including Armin Van Buren, Carl Xox, Testpilot, Claude VonStroke and Eric Prydz pulling in EDM fans from across the country and wider world. Deadmau5 will be performing with his Kaskade collaborators in a set that’s sure to be a festival highlight, too.

After Parties

Visitors coming to Bayfront Park are sure to uncover no shortage of exciting adjacent events and afterparties surrounding Ultra Music Festival 2023, but with a lineup this good, many of the 100,000+ revellers will likely stay on the festival site.

For those looking for the hottest afterparties at Ultra, Skybar at Shore Club South Beach is arguably the most glamorous, attracting the bold and beautiful to the rooftop glamour of this renowned venue. The ULTRA BEACH parties and ULTRA CARRY ON parties will be happening again in 2023, boasting poolside fun and hard beats to keep the festival feeling going through the night.

Featured Accommodation

Bayfront Park is located nearby an array of stunning beach hotels, many of which make the ideal place to stay during the festival. In 2023, Ultra Music Festival is partnering several hotels including Hilton Garden Inn Miami Brickell South and Hotel Indigo, but guests seeking more exclusive accommodation could look into the following luxury hotels:

• Mandarin Oriental, Miami
• Four Seasons Miami
• JW Marriott Marquis
• Chopin Plaza
• YVE Hotel Miami

Availability:

Tickets are currently on sale for Ultra Music Festival 2023 via the usual channels, with several VIP options available.

The Critic’s View:

Famed worldwide for the beauty of its beaches, the amazing hospitality awarded to guests and its chilled-out island vibes, Trinidad and Tobago is a bucket-list destination for the rich and famous everywhere. However, during carnival week, the islands become a hotbed of fun, festivities and exotic activity, providing an unforgettable showcase of colour, music and costumes in an exuberant celebration of island culture.

It’s possibly the only carnival event to rival the all-out extravagance of Rio’s annual festivities, and those who have visited both will often report that Trinidad and Tobago is the carnival that takes the crown. It’s not hard to see why – while Rio de Janeiro has the opulence and phenomenal arena shows, Trinidad and Tobago revels in a more organic, somewhat more riotous and laissez-faire sense of fun. The costumes, music and parades are all present and correct, and the sense of freedom and liberated partying on the islands really cannot be beaten.

What’s On:

Trinidad and Tobago Carnival 2023 will technically be held on the Monday and Tuesday prior to Ash Wednesday on the island of Trinidad. However, the festivities traditionally spill over to several days before and after the official carnival dates, and in 2023, this means the party will be thumping between 15th and 22nd of February… if not both earlier and later.

Visitors can expect fetes, limbo competitions, calypso parties, Soca performances, steel pan music and the iconic street parades, alongside incredible food and drinks options and a handful of exclusive gala events too.

After Parties

The majority of the events will be hosted in the streets of Port of Spain, Trinidad. However, those seeking festivities off the beaten track will discover parties in San Fernando, Mayaro, Chaguanas, Arima and on the island of Tobago, too.

Visitors looking to really get into the festival spirit shouldn’t miss J’ouvert – a carnival-specific party which involves a colourful riot of paint, powder, chocolate and mud – or the crowning of the King and Queen at Dimanche Gras. Ticketed parties and afterparties can be uncovered at the Naparima Bowl Amphitheatre in San Fernando, and NAPA in Port of Spain holds the carnival’s most unmissable club nights during the festival week.

Featured Accommodation

The beautiful island of Trinidad boasts no shortage of glamorous beach resorts and spa hotels, which offer the perfect place to unwind after partying all night on the sand. Check out the following for the most opulent island getaways:

• Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain
• The BRIX Autograph Collection
• Novotel St Quentin and Melia Paris La Defense
• Maison ELLE
• Ritz Paris

Availability:

Tickets for Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe aren’t difficult to obtain, and many concierge services offer an array of packages for the event. VIP packages and exclusive seating are available nearer the date.

The Critic’s View:

Pulsing beats. Eye-popping costumes. An atmosphere of utter liberation, fun and festivities – Rio De Janeiro Carnival 2023 is sure to live up to its reputation of being the greatest show on Earth. Attracting tens of thousands of visitors each year, the carnival has grown exponentially to become one of the quintessential must-see parties, packed to the brim with exciting events, live music and an all-round celebration of Brazilian artistry party culture.

Last year’s Rio Carnival proved that nothing could suppress the party spirit. Despite the festivities being postponed until April due to a COVID-19 outbreak, the outrageous costumes, vibrant colours and unmissable musical performances came out in force. With additional safety and sanitation procedures in place for 2023’s events, the next Rio Carnival is sure to be a stunning return to form.

What’s On:

While pretty much the entirety of this iconic city comes alive during carnival week, it’s at the awe-inspiring Sambadrome where the party truly reaches its zenith.

The 2023 festival promises performances from some of the world’s greatest parade troupes, which will dance their way through the night into the early hours. Indeed, the headlining acts – which next year include Mangueira and Viradouro – kick off at 4:15 in the morning, meaning Rio Carnival 2023 will showcase just why this is a city that never sleeps.

After Parties

Afterparties during Rio Carnival pop up everywhere along the beautiful Copacabana Beach and around the Sambadrome, and most concierges would recommend just seeing where the beat takes you – the floats, colours and costumes fill the main streets like nowhere else in the world.

However, elite guests will flock to the Copacabana Palace Hotel, where the annual Magic Ball will take place; a glitzy showbiz party with a red carpet welcome and enviable cocktail menu. The Scala Rio nightclub will host their regular balls – 2023 will see six separate events held at this vast venue – which make a perfectly suitable alternative to the Magic Ball for those unable to book their tickets in time.

Featured Accommodation

Rio De Janeiro is no stranger to hosting the global elite during Carnival, and the luxury hotels which line Copacabana Beach are perfect for celebrating the party season in style. The best options for those seeking timeless elegance matched with festive vibes include:

• Belmond Copacabana Palace
• Hotel Emiliano Rio
• Grand Hyatt Rio De Janeiro
• Fasano Rio De Janeiro
• Fairmont Rio De Janeiro

Availability:

Tickets for the most glamorous events – such as The Magic Ball – are publicly available, but sell out blisteringly quickly. However, there are several ticket package options available for the Sambadrome parades, making this party one of the most accessible luxury calendar events in the world.

The Critic’s View:

Attended by movie star royalty (and actual royalty) from the British film industry, Hollywood and the wider world alike, this year’s 76th BAFTA ceremony – hosted in impeccable style at the Royal Festival Hall, London – is one of the luxury calendar’s most glittering events. The BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) is a world-leading charity which supports filmmakers and artists in their creativity, and the BAFTA awards is an opportunity for the British movie scene to stand proud, celebrate the year’s achievements, and treat its lucky guests to the very utmost in London hospitality.

The BAFTA awards take place a couple of weeks prior to the Oscars, and Hollywood movie stars and directors fly to London to join their British and European counterparts for a truly prestigious ceremony. With a red carpet arrival, opulent champagne and canapes reception and glamorous afterparty at The Grosvenor House Hotel (arguably London’s most iconic luxury events venue), it’s truly an event for the creme de la creme of celebrity society.

2022’s award ceremony was dominated by Dune and The Power of the Dog, with plenty of indie representation as a reminder of the award ceremony’s true spirit. Effortlessly glamorous, quintessentially British and filled with surprising humour and delightful nonchalance, it was an impressive return to form following 2021’s virtual ceremony.

What’s On:

2023’s BAFTA awards will return to the Royal Festival Hall in peerless style, promising a bigger and more all-encompassing event than ever before. With several new categories being awarded – two new Best Director categories and another category for Best Original Music – the ceremony aims to become more diverse and representative.

While none of the nominations nor information regarding hosts have been revealed, there’s little doubt it will be the star-studded celebration we know and love, complete with the full set of luxury hospitality experiences.

After Parties

Other after parties are a fixture of this calendar event, and thanks to being hosted on London’s world-famous South Bank, there are plenty of astonishing parties and soirees to choose from. Aside from the key party at The Grosvenor, guests and their entourages will typically head to one of the many glamorous bars and clubs adjacent to the venue.

2022’s BAFTA awards hot-ticket after party was the bash thrown by British Vogue and Tiffany & Co, which acted as a couture red carpet event in its own right. The event is expected to return in 2023.

2023’s BAFTA awards will also see the return of another popular BAFTA after party held at the equally luxuriant Savoy Hotel in Covent Garden, sure to be attended by the brightest and best stars on the scene.

Featured Accommodation

Central London has no shortage of beautiful hotels to choose from when visiting the BAFTA awards ceremony, but only a select few are partnered with the event itself. These include:

• The Grosvenor
• The Savoy
• ME London Hotel

Availability:

The BAFTAs are an exclusive and invite-only event, restricted to those cordially welcomed by The British Academy. A select number of high-end concierge services may be able to procure tickets to the red carpet event.

The Critic’s View:

While the movie industry events calendar hosts no shortage of glittering awards ceremonies, it’s often argued that the favourite of true cinema aficionados is The Sundance Film Festival, hosted annually in Park City, Utah. Each year, the great and good of the independent, international and mainstream film industry alike head to the spectacular snowy landscapes around Salt Lake City and the exclusive Sundance Resort to celebrate their craft and gain an insight into the next big releases at theatres worldwide.

To spend time at this festival is a clear statement of both success and fine taste, opening the doors of opportunity to network with industry leaders, relax in multitudinous luxury lounges and enjoy some incredible hospitality options alongside many of the world’s biggest stars.

What’s On:

Following the disruptions of the past few years, Sundance 2023 will return to Park City, Utah as a hybrid festival, making the most of the opportunities that digital participation can bring alongside the joyous festival atmosphere so beloved by cinemagoers. According to Festival Director Tabitha Jackson, the combination of online offering and immediacy of live events is set to make this Sundance the most exciting yet.

Festival attendees can expect the usual mix of world-premiere feature films, shorts, episodic works and the brand new ‘New Frontier’ program, alongside the fantastic additional experiences that make the festival such a calendar fixture. Stunning gastronomic encounters, fine wines from nearby producers, talks, debates and keynotes will all come together to produce a festival that’s sure to delight the ardent cinephiles of the world.

After Parties

As for afterparties and exclusive events at Sundance, there’s a plethora of places to escape the cold in Park City during the festival, which attracts up to 50,000 visitors each year. These include intimate spaces such as Audible Speakeasy, which hosts an iconic VIP party, and larger-scale events at Strayer Studios and WarnerMedia Lodge.

An array of talks, premiere parties, discussion groups featuring stars, directors and producers, cocktail parties and awards dinners can also be uncovered with relative ease.

Featured Accommodation

The Sundance Film Festival hosts thousands of visitors each year, and partners with dozens of beautiful hotels in Park City and Salt Lake City to accommodate its guests. These include:

• The Sheraton Park City
• The Caledonian
• Montage Deer Valley
• Waldorf Astoria Park City
• Sundial Lodge at Canyons Village

Availability:

The Sundance Film Festival is often celebrated for its accessibility, with a number of affordable ticket options and price ranges. Visitors can enjoy screenings for as little as $25 and more exclusive ticket packages – which include VIP dinners and access to the awards ceremony itself – are also available.

[header image is A still from “It’s Only Life After All” by Alexandria Bombach, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance film festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Jeremy Cowart]

The Critic’s View:

Endlessly glamorous and undoubtedly one of the most sought-after luxury events tickets of the year, The Golden Globes never fails to dazzle with its effortless air of Hollywood opulence. Attended by the world’s greatest movie stars and industry mavens, it’s Tinseltown’s definition celebration of everything to do with cinema, and an unforgettable night of opulence for all involved.

Hosted each year in the Hilton Beverly Hills, attending the Golden Globes is an opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the most influential individuals on Earth, not least for those seeking a foot in the door of the movie and television industry. However, no matter your reasons for attending, it’s so much more than an awards ceremony – The Golden Globes is surrounded by some of the most glamorous after parties and adjacent events in Hollywood, and never fails to offer fabulous encounters and unforgettable hospitality.

What’s On:

2023’s Golden Globes is set to rectify many of the things that went wrong with 2022’s widely-boycotted event, with the biggest Hollywood names predicted to be honoured (not least Spielberg for his ‘The Fabelmans’) alongside gongs most likely going to Women Talking, Don’t Worry Darling, and the brilliant The Banshees of Inisherin.

Attendees can expect gala dinners, luxury gift bags, all the thrill of the red carpet event and the all-encompassing luxury of the ceremony itself.

After Parties

The most sought-after after-parties are – as you might expect – deeply intertwined with other movie industry events. The Netflix afterparty has gained legendary status in recent years, and HBO’s annual poolside bash matches peerless elegance with an old-school Hollywood sense of fun and frivolity.

Perhaps the hottest new ticket in town is Disney’s roof terrace party, which takes place on the uppermost deck of the Beverly Hilton, closely followed by Amazon Studio’s star-studded bash at the fittingly-titled Stardust Ballroom.

Featured Accommodation

Being situated in the Beverly Hilton, the Golden Globes comes with hotly-contested accommodation options on-site. However, there are a number of adjacent hotels in the neighbourhood to consider. These include:

• Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills
• Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills
• The Peninsula
• Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons
• L’Ermitage

Availability:

The Golden Globes revels in its air of exclusivity, and as such, tickets to those not explicitly invited as part of the awards ceremony aren’t easy to come by. Despite this, there are a limited number of public tickets made available each year priced between $25,000 and $30,000. For this price, guests will be able to take their seats among the Hollywood elite during the awards ceremony, preceded by an exclusive luxury dinner.