By Sanjana Ray
2025 is shaping up to be a landmark year for art lovers, with a packed calendar of art festivals and fairs around the world. The second half of the year promises even more excitement, from the Berlin Biennale and Edinburgh Fringe welcoming global audiences, to India preparing for its iconic Serendipity Arts Festival and Kochi-Muziris Biennale. If you’re an art enthusiast planning your next cultural getaway, this curated list is your perfect starting point.
7 exciting art festivals and fairs to visit through the second-half of 2025 — Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art, Edinburgh Fringe, Serendipity Arts Festival & more
1. Serendipity Arts Festival
Where: Panjim, Goa
When: December 12 to 21, 2025
The Serendipity Arts Festival (SAF), one South Asia’s largest multi-disciplinary art events, is returning for its 10th edition this December. The 10-day long event will feature over 40 curators, who will collaborate to display a unique convergence of artistic disciplines, from visual and performing arts to culinary, literature, and interdisciplinary practices. With renowned musicians like Bickram Ghosh and Ranjit Barot to thespians Anuradha Kapur and Lillete Dubey, and others performing on the stage, the highly-anticipated cultural event is scheduled to take place across various venues in the bustling city of Panjim. This year, however, SAF has decided to extend its presence beyond Goa, with activations across 10 cities throughout the year, which includes Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Jaipur, Lucknow, and even Birmingham and Dubai, before concluding at the Sunshine State. It also debuted a mini edition in Birmingham, UK, which took place from May 23 to 26. This showcase, done in collaboration with Birmingham City University, kicked off Serendipity’s 10-year anniversary celebrations.
2. Edinburgh Fringe
Where: Assembly George Square, Gilded Balloon Teviot, Summerhall, and theSpaceUK, Edinburgh
When: August 1 to August 25, 2025
The Edinburgh Fringe, one of the largest art festivals in the world, kickstarted back in 1947 in the Scottish capital. Every year, it takes place across three weeks in August, its itinerary filled with memorable performances from dance troupes, comedians and theatre groups from across the world. The festival’s size reached a peak in 2019, with over 59,600 performances held across 322 different venues. With a mix of ticketed and free gigs, as well as street performances taking place in permanent and pop-up venues this year, the festival is worth travelling to the UK for.
3. Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB)
Where: Fort Kochi, Mattancherry, and Ernakulam, Kochi
When: December 12, 2025 to March 31, 2026
The sixth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, India’s largest art exhibition and the biggest contemporary art festival in Asia, will be curated by Goa-based performance artist Nikhil Chopra and his collective, HH Art Spaces. The mega event, which will include an eclectic mix of performances, drawings, paintings, photography, sculptures and installations around the themes of identity, politics, history and the body, is set to feature 60 artists and artistic practices from the country, and across the world.
4. Frieze London & Frieze Masters
Where: Regent’s Park, London
When: October 15 to October 19, 2025
These two complimentary art fairs are a major draw for art enthusiasts in (or visiting) London. While Frieze London focuses on contemporary art and living artists, showcasing works created primarily after the year 2000, Frieze Masters displays art from antiquity to the 20th century, with a special emphasis on the relationship between old and new. The landmark events bring together artists, galleries, and art forums from across the world. In 2024, this included 270 galleries from 43 countries, 90,000 visitors and 300 international museums. In the past, reputed Indian art.galleries and museums like DAG and Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) have also presented at these displays.
5. Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art
Where: Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart, KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Sophiensæle, and a former courthouse on Lehrter Straße in Berlin-Moabit, Berlin
When: June 14 to September 14, 2025
Curated by India-born Zasha Colah, and Assistant Curator Valentina Viviani, an Argentinian artist and researcher, the 13th Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art focuses on the concept of ‘fugitivity’, which, in this context, is understood as the “cultural ability of a work of art to set its own laws, in the face of lawful violence”. Simply put, it explores fugitivity and the capacity of art to navigate politically challenging times. Like its earlier editions, this year’s biennale has on display a series of experimental exhibitions and event programmes — which includes about 170 works by more than 60 artists — that are bringing together artists, theorists, and interested audiences from across the world.
6. Shanghai Biennale
Where: Power Station of Art, Shanghai
When: November 8, 2025 to March 31, 2026
The 15th edition of the Shanghai Biennale, curated by Canada-based writer Kitty Scott, has a unique theme — “Does the Flower Hear the Bee?” — that explores the communication and intelligence within the industry, addressing the dynamic between the audience, exhibition and environment. This year, the event is expected to feature artworks by 240 artists from 57 countries, with a special emphasis on the pieces highlighting important ecological concerns. In the past, Indian artists such as Vishal K Dar, Navjot Altaf, and Rabin Mondal, have showcased their work at this prestigious exhibition.
7. Tokyo Gendai
Where: PACIFICO Yokohama
When: September 12 to September 14, 2025
Along with prized artworks from around the globe, the third edition of the Tokyo Gendai will feature a curators’ symposium, a section dedicated to traditional Japanese crafts, and a new award for emerging artists. The international art fair, which brings together the best in contemporary art from Japan and around the world, including works by independent artists, galleries and museums, is accompanied by an extensive VIP Program, as well as a robust lineup of private events across the country, providing a means for deeper connection with the burgeoning art community in the Land of the Rising Sun.