Few destinations deliver a year-round events calendar quite like California. From desert tennis courts and Pacific Coast race tracks to redwood forests and waterfront winter parades, the Golden State continues to reinvent itself as a place worth revisiting in every season.
In 2026, California’s calendar blends iconic annual festivals with once-in-a-generation global moments — including the FIFA World Cup and the debut of NASCAR on the West Coast — giving travellers fresh reasons to return month after month.
Spring: sport, fire and mountain traditions
Spring opens with elite tennis at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells (1–15 March). Hosted at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, the tournament is the world’s largest combined ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 event, offering fans rare access to top players between the Australian and French Opens.
Food lovers are drawn inland on 19 April for the Live Fire Food & Wine Festival in Temecula, where leading chefs cook over open flames amid vineyards and oak trees, paired with local wines, beers and spirits.
In the Sierra Nevada, The Cushing Cross at Palisades Tahoe (2 May) celebrates the end of ski season with its legendary pond-skimming competition — part sport, part costume parade, and a rite of passage for spring skiers.
Summer: global spectacles and coastal culture
Summer 2026 brings California onto the world stage as a host of the FIFA World Cup. SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles will stage eight matches from 12 June, while Levi’s Stadium hosts six matches from 13 June in Northern California. Even without tickets, fans can join the official FIFA Fan Festivals in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose.
Motorsport fans can witness history on 21 June when NASCAR San Diego launches at Naval Base Coronado — the first NASCAR race ever held on a US military base — marking the 250th anniversary of the US Navy.
August slows the tempo with Reggae on the River (14–16 August) in Humboldt County. Set beside the Eel River and surrounded by towering redwoods, the festival blends roots music, culture and nature in one of California’s most atmospheric settings.
Autumn: heritage, railways and cultural storytelling
Autumn turns attention to living heritage. The Redding Rancheria Stillwater Pow Wow (2–4 October) in Redding brings together tribes from across the region for traditional drumming, dancing, crafts and storytelling — a powerful cultural gathering that has welcomed visitors since 1991.
In California’s Gold Country, Railtown 1897 State Historic Park offers cinematic history and seasonal rail journeys. From October through December, visitors can ride vintage trains — including the beloved THE POLAR EXPRESS experience — on tracks once used in more than 200 Hollywood productions.
Winter: surf, harvest and festive warmth
California’s winter defies convention. In late January 2027, the SLO CAL Open at the Pismo Beach Pier showcases world-class surfing against dramatic Central Coast scenery — free to watch and deeply rooted in surf culture.
February celebrates agriculture at the Capay Valley Almond Festival (21–22 February) in Yolo County. Now in its 111th year, the festival highlights a region responsible for around 80% of the world’s almond production.
The festive season closes the year in style at the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade, where illuminated yachts and kayaks glide through the harbour — a uniquely Californian take on winter celebrations, complete with mild temperatures and coastal views.
A destination that never pauses
What sets California apart is not just the scale of its events, but their diversity. Tennis in the desert, football in world-class stadiums, racing on military bases, music in redwood forests, surfing in winter and harvest festivals in rural valleys — each season delivers a different version of the state.
For travellers planning ahead, California isn’t a once-a-year destination. It’s a place that rewards return visits, with every season offering a new story, a new landscape and a new reason to go back.