Singapore
Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival
11 September – 10 October
Chinatown, Singapore
Celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month. From September to October, Chinatown—the beating heart of Chinese heritage in Singapore—is transformed into an extravaganza of shimmering lights, themed lanterns, street bazaars, and stage shows, all paying homage to a festival that reaches back into the very roots of Chinese culture.
www.yoursingapore.com

Malaysia
Lantern Festival
18 September
Central Market, Kuala Lumpur
A delightful event for visitors of all ages, the central highlight of this fun event will be a lantern procession where children and adults carry lanterns in various shapes and sizes. Don’t miss the chance to savour tasty mooncakes which are baked especially for this occasion. www.tourism.gov.my

Thailand
Asia Fitness Convention
17 – 19 September
Central World Plaza, Bangkok
Discover the latest training philosophies, approaches, nutrition and equipment. The first event in South-East Asia to bring together an all-inclusive selection of international fitness, conditioning experts and equipments under one roof at one time. The event will showcase Jim Stoppani (Muscle and Fitness), Paul Brown (Face-2-Face Retention), Lawrence Biscontini, Joe Friel (Triathlon Bible and Going Long), Nikki Durant (Tripsichord), Larry Shultz (It’s Yoga) and Gandalf, who will be jamming on the house too! www.asia-fitness.com

China
Shanghai Art Fair
8 – 12 September
Shanghai Mart
Aiming to connect foreign and local artists under one roof, the fair boasts an impressive over 1,000 art galleries, organizations and agencies from 30 countries that come together showing original artworks by world-class masters, from Rembrandt to Picasso. The supermarket-style of the Shanghai Art Fair may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there is an excellent choice of international and Chinese art leaning on the traditional side.
www.sartfair.com/2010

Japan
Tokyo Game Show
18 – 19 September
Makuhari Messe, Tokyo
Hi-tech capital Tokyo draws thousands of professionals and fanatics to this megapolitan. The Tokyo Game Show, located outside the capital, will provide a sneak peek for game freaks of upcoming releases from Eastern and Western gaming companies and show off your skills in hands-on activities. tgs.cesa.or.jp/english/

Australia
Melbourne Fringe Festival
22 September – 10 October
Melbourne
The annual madness otherwise known as the Fringe gets a grip on Melbourne once more with its exuberant array of new arts, ideas and spectacles. The fun isn’t restricted to theatres—any unsuspecting space is commandeered by ruthless performers from various genres. www.melbournefringe.com.au

The Netherlands
The International Gamelan Festival Amsterdam
2 – 11 September
Tropentheater, Amsterdam
Presenting musicals and dances from Indonesia, this is a different world premiere altogether and the absolute top cultural event from Java and Bali. Consists of two principal parts: Opera Java and three gamelan presentations from Java dan Bali. The remarkable Indonesian film director Garin Nugroho will direct “Opera Java”, a spectacular music theatre adaptation of his film “Opera Java”. The three gamelan presentations involve both traditional and modern performances, which include new gamelan music inspired by compositions from the American composer Steve Reich. www.iamsterdam.com

Experiencing Zone for Taiwan Excellence & Taiwan International Brands
3 – 5 September
Atrium Mangga Dua Mall, Jakarta
With its slogan “Excellent Lifestyle”, the Taiwan Trade Centre aims to raise the brand awareness of high quality technology products available to Indonesian consumers with its campaign set in ICT mall in Atrium Mangga Dua Mall, Jakarta. The exhibition features 19 of the biggest Taiwanese ICT brands such as ACER, ASUS, and BenQ. Other activities during the exhibition include ICT knowledge sharing, entertainment, quizzes and lucky drawing session. T. 62 021 574 1102, www.taiwanexcellence.com.tw

Grebeg Syawal
10 – 11 September
Keraton Yogyakarta
Grebeg Syawal is a traditional Javanese ceremony to welcome the Muslim Holiday Eid al-Fitr 1 Shawwal 1430 H, and is always crowded by Yogyakartans as well as domestic and foreign tourists for its main attraction: the parade of “Gunungan” or piled up food offerings resembling a mountain miniature, carried by a carnival of the Sultan’s Palace royal soldiers. Taking place in the North Square of Keraton Yogyakarta. T. 62 0274 566 000.

Schouwburg Festival IX 2010
17 September – 3 October
Gedung Kesenian Jakarta
Like last year, the anniversary of Gedung Kesenian Jakarta this year is also celebrated with the Schouwburg Festival, featuring a variety of arts and crafts, both classic and contemporary. The festival involves various countries like USA, Japan, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Russia, Brazil and more.
T. 62 021 380 8283.

Equatorial Culmination Enchantment
21 – 23 September
Equator Monument, Pontianak City, West Kalimantan
Now is a good time to witness the natural phenomenon of the disappearance of objects’ shadows in the afternoon around the top of the equator monument for 5 - 10 minutes. The phenomenon of equatorial culmination marks the beginning of the rainy season in the Western hemisphere and autumn in the Northern hemisphere. Various cultural activities will also be held at this event at the Equator Monument, Pontianak. T. 62 0561 732 340.

World Palace Festival
26 – 27 September
Keraton Surakarta, Surakarta
The majestic cultures of royal and former royal kingdoms from about 20 countries will impress visitors to the World Palace Festival. This festival will feature exhibitions of historical objects, cultural performances, and cultural carnivals as well as gatherings. Participating countries include Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Korea, Japan, Brunei Darussalam, Philippines, India, England, the Netherlands, and around 50 kingdoms from Indonesia. T. 62 0271 643 454.

Indonesia Tourism & Travel Fair
1 – 3 October
Jakarta Convention Center, Jakarta
ITTF (Indonesia Tourism & Travel Fair) is the biggest forum for travel and tourism direct selling in Indonesia, which is sponsored by the Indonesian Government in cooperation with three of the biggest tourism organizations in Indonesia: Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI), Association of Indonesian Tour and Travel Agency (ASITA) and Indonesia Congress and Convention Association (INCCA), as well as supports from Indonesia National Air Carriers Association (INACA) and other organizations. It features more than 300 exhibitors from the tourism industry such as hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, airlines and other transportation companies. ittf2010.com