Thanks to T.S. Eliot, April gets a bad rap. But with the Masters, Documenta (14), the Final Four, the auction of the 59.60-carat “Pink Star” diamond, National Poetry Month, several new Broadway shows, marathons in Boston, Paris and London, and Coachella, we beg to differ. It may bring spring showers, but the jet set will be spending April 2017 in style. Here’s our Dandelion Chandelier list of the most important events in the luxury ecosystem this month. So grab your favorite wellies, trench coat and brolly and let’s go!
The arrival of spring brings joyful rituals, not the least of which is the annual Sechselauten festival in Zurich, Switzerland, in which a snowman is set aflame to banish winter and much merriment ensues – April 21-24. For over 25 years, the seaside resort of Berck-sur-Mer on the Opal Coast of Pas de Calais, France, has hosted a kite festival on the beach – the Rencontres Internationales de Cerfs-Volants, or International Kite Festival – this year it’s being held on April 1-9. The historical and religious Sikh festival Vaisakhi marks the New Year and is also a spring harvest festival – April 13. In England, April 23 is St. George’s Day – since the 13th century it’s been a national day of feasting to celebrate the patron saint of England, who is famously associated with the legend of St. George and the Dragon. And this year, mid-April will see elaborate Easter egg hunts and Easter sacred music performances throughout major cities worldwide.
But April’s not all spring fun and religious observances. Three global gatherings this month will see leaders and influencers putting their heads together to wrestle with geopolitical and other challenges: Tina Brown’s 8th annual Women in the World Summit will convene powerful women and the men who support them at Lincoln Center – April 5-7; the global TED conference will draw tech and media moguls to Vancouver, Canada; this year’s theme is “The Future You,” – April 24-28; the annual Milken Institute Global Conference is a must-attend for the financial elite in Beverly Hills – April 30 – May 3.
Luxury Travel – Top destinations This Month.
–All spring and summer, the 200th anniversary of the death of Jane Austen will be marked across England, with exhibitions, talks, tours and other events, especially in the southern Hampshire region that she called home.
–Visit Morocco, with little to no worries about spring showers; you can tan and windsurf in Essaouira, or ride a camel on the golden sand dunes of Erg Chebbi.
–Brussels is another destination where the grass gets greener and the rain is at a minimum right now; enjoy sightseeing and antique shopping in the Sablon district, or tour top chocolate shops, making a stop to see Belgium’s oldest chocolaterie, Neuhaus.
–Kyoto, Japan celebrates the very brief cherry blossom season in April; visit the Heian Shrine to take in the vibrant red, pink and white gardens mid-month.
–For beautiful rolling landscape scenery, head to the Netherlands, where tulips are at their peak. Amsterdam is wonderful, but lesser-known towns like Delft, Leiden, Utrecht and Groot-Zundert (the birthplace of Van Gogh) are completely charming and will enrich your luxury experience with the Dutch.
–Savannah, Georgia, nicknamed the “hostess city of the South,” is an ideal destination this month (full disclosure: my mother was born and raised there). Head over to Augusta National to follow the golf and enjoy the scenery – and the scene – at the Masters.
–Paris in the springtime. Enough said. Just go.
–Visit the largely uninhabited country of Namibia – head to the Skeleton Coast or to the Namib Desert, where the red sand dunes provide incredible views and dramatic lighting at dawn and dusk.
Luxury Travel – Notable Luxury Resort and Hotel Openings This Month.
–Small-ship luxury line Silversea will add the 596-passenger Silver Muse to its fleet in the Mediterranean; it will have eight restaurants, including one where diners can cook for themselves on heated lava stones.
–The Oetker Collection opens its first property in South America: the Palacio Tangara in the center of Burle Marx Park in Sao Paulo, with 141 rooms, including 59 suites, all with beautiful views overlooking the park; Jean-Georges Vongerichten will oversee the food and drink.
–The 120-room Il Castelfalfi hotel will join sister property Toscana Resort Castelfalfi; guests will have access to a spa, golf course, cooking school and winery on the property.
–The Oberoi opens the luxury property Al Zorah just 25 minutes from the Dubai International Airport, featuring 247 acres of protected forests, a private natural beach front, a championship golf course and kayaking – April 2
–After two years of renovations, the Dorchester Collection (whose other properties include the Plaza Athenee in Paris and the Bel-Air in Los Angeles) is reopening the Hotel Eden in Rome; the property will contain 98 rooms in a three-story mansion house that dates back to 1889 in Rome’s Ludovisi district.
–Miavana Island Sanctuary, Madagascar’s first ultra five-star lodge will open this year—but it will only be accessible via private helicopter. The lodge’s 14 villas will all have direct beach and ocean access, offering visitors up-close interactions with the threatened animals who live on the property’s wildlife sanctuary.
–The Freehand franchise expands from its flagship in Chicago to downtown LA with a new property in the historic Commercial Exchange Building – April 15
–Just in time for spring family vacations, the luxurious 62-room Williamsburg Inn in Colonial Williamsburg will reopen after an extensive makeover (insider’s breakfast tip: order the sugar-dusted made-to-order doughnut holes) – April 23
Auctions and Antiques.
–The Antibes Art & Antiques Fair showcases antiques, design, modern and contemporary art – April 15 – May 2
–Sotheby’s: Finest and Rarest Wines and The Macallan, Hong Kong – April 2, Prints and Multiples, London – April 4, Photographs, New York – April 5, Chinese Art from Two American Private Collections, Hong Kong – April 5, Made In Britain, London – April 5, Important Ceramics by Pablo Picasso, London – April 10, Magnificent Jewels, New York – April 25, Important Mobilier, Sculptures et Objets d’Art, Paris – April 27
–Christie’s: The Pavilion Sale: Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Hong Kong – April 4, Betsy Bloomingdale: A Life in Style, New York – April 5, Photographs Including Property Sold to Benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation, New York – April 6, Post War and Contemporary Art, Amsterdam – April 11, Prints, New York – April 19, Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds Including Oriental Rugs and Carpets, London – April 27
–Phillip’s: The Odyssey of Collecting: Photographs from Joy of Giving Something Foundation – London – April 3, New Now, London – April 6, Evening and Day Editions Including Works from the Piero Crommelynck Collection, New York – April 18, Modern Masters, London – April 26
Luxury Autos and Yachts.
–28th Techno-Classica, a world show for vintage and prestige automobiles in Essen, Germany – April 5-9
–Singapore Yacht Show – April 6
–Les Voiles de Saint Barth 2017 Regatta, St. Barth – April 10
–Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta – April 19
–Top Marques Monaco – April 20-23
–The 29th Annual MYBA Charter Show, Barcelona – April 24
–Newport Boat Show 2017 – April 27-30
–Palma Superyacht Show, Mallorca – April 28
–Hong Kong Gold Coast Boat Show – April 28-May1
–Fyre Festival 2017, Bahamas – April 28-30
Fashion and Beauty.
–French beauty brand Guerlain celebrates the 30th Anniversary of Metetorites by introducing a limited-edition version of the pearls
–The Conde` Nast International Luxury Conference Mindful Luxury will explore the vast reach of modern luxury in Oman – April 5-6
–amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, hosts the seventh annual amfAR Gala São Paulo; Kate Moss hosts, Katie Holmes is a special guest, the honoree is Brazilian artist and photographer Vik Muniz, and Pedro Almodóvar is among the event chairs – April 27
–In honor of the thirtieth anniversary of her death, Dalida at the Palais Galliera is an exhibition of the French singer’s iconic wardrobe, Paris – April 27-Aug 13
–Alber Elbaz teams up with Frederic Malle to launch Superstitious – a blend of Turkish rose, Egyptian jasmine and peach; Bond No. 9 releases their latest scent Nolita; Kai by Gaye launches Star Magnolia; Rodin 3 by Rodin and Eau de Memo from Memo are also expected.
Food and Drink.
–The World’s Best 50 Restaurants 2017 will be held in Melbourne, Australia for the first time. The MasterClass series will run concurrently, with 8 chefs whose restaurants have appeared on the list in the past cooking and sharing tips for home cooks – April 1-7
–The Gelato Festival in Florence will see the debut of 16 new flavors from up-and-coming chefs, and you can see it being made (and of course, sample all of them) – April 21-25
–Gratitude, an upscale Vegan restaurant opens in Beverly Hills this month
Fitness and Sports.
–The NCAA Men’s Final Four, college basketball’s biggest weekend, will be held at the University of Phoenix in Glendale, Arizona – April 1 and 3
–The 158th annual Oxford and Cambridge Boat Raceson the Thames in London – April 2
–The NCAA Frozen Four Men’s Hockey Championship is April 6-8
–40 horses and jockeys will line up at Aintree Racecourse for The 169th Crabbie’s Grand National, Liverpool – April 6-8
–The Masters is in Augusta, Georgia on April 6-9
–Hong Kong Sevens are April 7-9
–The 41st Annual Paris Marathon will see 40,000 runners circle the Arc de Triomphe and cross the finish line at the Bois du Boulogne – April 9
–MLB Opening Day starts with Yankees @ Rays, Giants @ Diamondbacks and Cubs @Cardinals – April 2
–Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters 2017 is an 8-day tennis tournament with participation from the world’s top tennis players – April 15-23
–25,000 “mature” athletes compete in 28 sports at the quadrennial World Masters Games in Auckland, New Zealand; the age limit is generally 30+ but for swimming its 25+ and for baseball, squash and weight-lifting, its 35+; the 10-day event also features entertainment, art shows, food and wine – April 21-30
–The Boston Marathon, the oldest annual marathon in the world, is held every year on Patriots’ Day, the third Monday in April; this year’s race will include over 25,000 runners and over 500,000 spectators – April 21
–The London Marathon begins at Blackheath and Greenwich Park and ends at The Mall, with 50,000 runners expected – April 23
Film.
–Oscar winners Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Alan Arkin team up in Going In Style as lifelong buddies who seek to take matters into their own hands when their pension funds become a corporate casualty – April 7
–Gifted, about a single man raising a child prodigy and starring Chris Evans and Jenny Slate – April 12
–A Quiet Passion, a biopic about Emily Dickinson, written and directed by Terence Davies and starring Cynthia Nixon opens – April 14
–The Lost City of Z, based on the bestseller by David Grann, is the true-life story of UK explorer Percy Fawcett, who led two expeditions into the jungles of Brazil – Charlie Hunnam stars, with Sienna Miller and Robert Pattinson – April 14
–Norman stars Richard Gere as an American deal-maker who manipulates a visiting Israeli politician – April 14
–Robert De Niro’s and Jane Rosenthal’s Tribeca Film Festival, which draws an estimated three million people, including celebrities from the worlds of art, film, and music, takes place in New York – April 19-30
–Slack Bay stars Juliette Binoche and Fabrice Luchini is a romantic murder mystery set in a seaside town in France just before the start of WW1 – April 21
–Unforgettable stars Rosario Dawson and Katherine Heigl in a high-drama break-up flick – April 21
–Casting JonBenet is documentary in which the filmmaker, Kitty Green, in order to reveal deeper truths, interviews actors from the hometown of the slain child who are auditioning to perform in a dramatization of her life – April 28
–The Circle starring Tom Hanks and Emma Watson is an adaptation of Dave Eggers’ 2013 novel about a tech company that turns out to be darker than it appears – April 28
Television.
–The Leftovers begins its third and final season on HBO – April 16
–Veep, the political comedy starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus is back and in its 6th season on HBO – April 16
–The story of Sophia Amoruso, founder of now-defunct fashion empire Nasty Gal, comes to Netflix in Girlboss – April 21
–NBC’s Great News, a new workplace comedy created by Tina Fey, is about an evening newscast and its producer, whose mother lands an internship at the station; Nicole Ritchie plays one of the co-anchors and is said to be hilarious – April 25
–The Handmaid’s Tale, an adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s iconic 1985 novel starring Elisabeth Moss debuts on Hulu – April 26
–Dear White People, based on an Indie film of the same name that satirizes the white establishment as it exists on an Ivy League college campus debuts on Netflix – April 28
Theater.
–A Doll’s House Part 2 arrives for a limited engagement on Broadway at the Golden Theater, starring Laurie Metcalf and Condola Rashad – previews April 1, opening April 27
–The Play that Goes Wrong at the Lyceum Theater – opens April 2
–Tony nominee Phillipa Soo returns to Broadway in AMÉLIE, a new musical based on the Oscar-nominated film, at the Walter Kerr – opening April 3
–Tony-winner Kevin Kline returns to Broadway as a self-regarding actor in Present Laughter, a revival of the Noël Coward comedy, which was first staged on Broadway in 1946. Moritz von Stuelpnagel (“Hand to God”) is directing; opening at the St. James Theater – April 5
–Allison Janney takes the lead role in Six Degrees of Separation at the Barrymore – April 5
–War Paint, a new musical starring Patti Lupone and Christine Ebersol as Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden, opens at the Nederlander Theater – April 6
–The 41st Olivier Awards at the Royal Opera House take place in London – April 9
–Oslo, a drama about how a Norwegian couple secretly helped orchestrate the Oslo Peace Accords in 1993, opens on Broadway at the Vivian Beaumont – April 13
–London’s Vaults, the subterranean venue beneath Waterloo Station, will be transformed into an immersive experience as Alice’s Adventures Underground kicks off – April 15-Sept 10
–The long-awaited musical Groundhog Day, based on the 1993 film, opens on Broadway at the August Wilson Theater on April 17
–The Little Foxes, a Manhattan Theater Club revival of Lillian Hellman’s classic play, starring Laura Linney and Cynthia Nixon as scheming sisters in an aristocratic Southern family (the two trade roles on alternate nights) – opens April 19
–Hello Dolly, starring Bette Midler, opens at the Schubert – April 20
–Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, starring Christian Borle as Willy Wonka, opens at the Lunt-Fontanne – April 23
–Anastasia opens on Broadway – April 24
–London’s National Theatre will stage an adaptation of Luchino Visconti’s 1943 film thriller Obsession (itself an adaptation of the 1930s crime novel The Postman Always Rings Twice) at the Barbican Theatre with two-time Tony nominee Jude Law as the star; Tony- and Olivier-winner Ivo Van Hove directs – opening April 25
–The Chichester Festival Theatre kicks off its season with Alan Bennett’s 1968 comedy about a headmaster who is retiring from a private school and about to appear in the school play; Forty Years On begins performances April 21 prior to an official opening April 26
Popular Music.
–ROZES, the 24-year old singer-songwriter releases her next single, “Canyons,” this month
–The 52nd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards airs live from Las Vegas on CBS, with hosts Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley – April 2
–Snowbombing, the combination winter sports and music festival, kicks off in Mayrhofen, Austria with live acts including Chase & Status and Run the Jewels – there’ll be an igloo rave, an enchanted forest party, and an underground tennis club turned supper club – April 3-8
–2 Chainz, The Chainsmokers, Cold War Kids, Michelle Branch and Pentatonix all release albums – April 7
–German Composer Hans Zimmer kicks off his 2017 tour in LA – April 14
–John Mayer’s The Search for Everything drops April 14
–The 18-year old Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, CA features headliners Radiohead and Kendrick Lamar (Beyoncé’s pregnancy caused her to postpone until next year); the long list of supporting acts includes Travis Scott and Lorde – April 14-16 and April 21-23
–Bruno Mars kicked off his 24K Magic tour in Vegas last month, but the massive show has moved to Europe; if you can get tickets, he’ll be in London – April 18-20
–Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers open their 40th Anniversary tour in Oklahoma City – April 20
–The New Orleans Jazz Festival – April 28-30 and May 4-7
–John Mellencamp releases Sad Clowns & Hillbillies, while Willie Nelson has a new album out called God’s Problem Child – April 28
Literature.
–The Most Beautiful: My Life with Prince is a memoir from the musician’s first wife, Mayte Garcia – April 4
–American War by Omar El Akkad is a debut novel imagining a Second American Civil War breaking out in 2074 – April 4
–What it Means When a Man Falls From the Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah is a debut collection of short stories on relationships between family, friends and lovers – April 4
–Digit@l Girls: Risk takers, Rule Breakers, Disruptors: Fashion’s New Tribe by Marko MacPherson is a look at the social media stars shaping fashion editorial – April 4
–Too Much and Not in the Mood, a debut essay collection by Durga Chew-Bose, touches on art, literature and pop culture – April 11
–Girl on Girl: Art and Photography in the Age of the Female Gaze by Charlotte Jansen spotlights the growing phenomenon of female photographers with female subjects – April
–The Thing About Love by Julie James is a romantic comedy about two FBI agents who are partnered together coincidentally, but happen to have a contentious past – April 18
–Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann, author of The Lost City of Z (opening this month as a feature film, see above), is a true-crime story about a series of crimes in the Osage Nation in the 1920s that led to the formation of the modern FBI (it’s already been sold to Hollywood) – April 18
–Borne: A Novel by award winning writer Jeff VanderMeer is a new science fiction release that has been named one of the most anticipated books of 2017 – April 25
–Start-up is Doree Shafir’s highly anticipated debut novel about Silicon Valley – April 25
–Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout releases Anything Is Possible – April 25
–Caitlyn Jenner’s memoir, The Secrets of My Life, will be released April 25th
Performing Arts.
–American soprano Renee Fleming portrays Marschallin for the last time in her career in the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Der Rosenkavalier – opening April 13
–The Salzburg Easter Music Festival, founded by Herbert von Karajan 50 years ago, marks its Jubilee year with performances of a recreation of Karajan’s vision of Die Walküre from 1967; Lohengrin, a contemporary chamber opera by Salvatore Sciarrino; and one guest concert each from the Vienna Philharmonic and the Berliner Philharmoniker – April 9-16
–The New York City Ballet opens its spring season with Alexei Ratmansky’s works Namouna, a Grand Divertissement and Russian Seasons – April 18
–Le Printemps de Bourges, the annual music festival held in Bourges, France over the course of five days, has proven to be a great venue to spot emerging talent – April 18-23
–At the New York Philharmonic, composer-conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen leads the premiere of Forest by the British composer Tansy Davies – April 27-29
–Carnegie Hall presents a four-concert series called Three Generations, celebrating the achievements of minimalists and post-minimalists, including works by Philip Glass, Julia Wolfe, and Nico Muhly – April 6, 19 and 26
Visual Arts.
–Theaster Gates – sculptor, installation and performance artist and urban interventionist – presents the exhibition The Minor Arts at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC.
–The Tate St. Ives in seaside England partially reopens after an 18-month renovation and expansion – an additional extension will open this fall.
–The Metropolitan Museum of Art will present a major retrospective exhibition of the photographs of Irving Penn (1917-2009) to mark the centennial of the artist’s birth; over 200 prints will be on view including iconic fashion studies of Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn, the artist’s wife; Quechua children in Cuzco, Peru; tribesmen in New Guinea; color flower studies; nudes; portraits of urban laborers; and still lifes – April 20 – July 30
–Age of Empires: Chinese Art of the Han Dynasties at the Metropolitan Museum in NYC includes more than 160 objects, many never before seen in the West – opens April 3
–Launched in 1955, Documenta is one of the most important art exhibitions in the world; it takes place only once every five years, usually in the German city of Kassel. But in 2017, the 14th edition will also be held in the Greek capital of Athens, in partnership with the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens – Curator Adam Szymczyk made the decision to showcase the city’s embrace of refugees and its continuing economic struggles. The event kicks off in the Greek capital on April 8 and moves on to Kassel in June.
–Damien Hirst unveils his first new body of work in many years in Venice at the Pinault Collections’s two locations: the Palazzo Grassi and the Punta della Dogana – April 9
–We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women, 1965-85 at the Brooklyn Museum is the first major museum show to focus on second-wave-feminist art works by women of color – opening April 21
–Works by glass artist Dale Chihuly will be on view at the New York Botanical Garden in his first major garden exhibition in New York in more than ten years. CHIHULY will showcase approximately 20 installations and include drawings and early works, including a new monumental work inspired by his storied 1975 Artpark installation – April 22 – Oct 29
–Louise Lawler: Why Pictures Now is the MOMA’s 40-year survey of the American photographer’s work – “Bird Calls” is a sound piece installed in the museum’s garden – opening April 30
In addition, April Fools’ Day is the 1st, Palm Sunday is the 9th, Good Friday is the 14th, and Easter Sunday is the 16th. Don’t overdo on the chocolate eggs, though: taxes are due in America on April 18th. Queen Elizabeth’s actual birthday is April 21st, even though it is formally celebrated in June. Wherever the month takes you, stay sharp and don’t be fooled. Even if it’s raining, we can choose to shine.
Pingback: What’s the Most Luxurious Way to Celebrate Spring?