Gentse Feesten, an annual art festival, will be held in Ghent, Belgium, from July 17 to July 26. Approximately 1.5 million people attend the festival, including 150,000 to 200,000 visitors each day. The festival takes place across the city and includes live music, street performances, parades, and cultural exhibitions. Heightened security and high congestion are present near festival venues.
Bastille Day is France’s national holiday commemorating the 1789 Storming of the Bastille. Millions of residents and visitors are expected to participate in celebrations throughout France, including military parades, community events, fireworks displays, and public gatherings. The largest military parade will proceed through Paris from the Arc de Triomphe to Place de la Concorde beginning at 10:00 AM. Large crowds, road closures, and heightened security are expected near celebration venues and transportation hubs.
The strike will affect London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway services, disrupting key rail connections between northern and southern England. The Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association initiated the strike due to discrepancies over rest-day payments. A smaller 24-hour strike involving roster clerks will begin at 12:01 AM on July 9, though the main strike will take place the following day. No trains affiliated with the two companies are expected to run after 7:00 PM on July 10.
The Gewerkschaft Deutscher Lokomotivführer (GDL) train drivers’ union will begin a strike at 5:00 PM on July 9 as part of an ongoing wage dispute with KAV Saar. The Saarbahn train and tram services are expected to experience delays, reduced service, and cancellations across rail lines.
The tenth anniversary of the Mad Cool festival will take place at the Iberdrola music space in Madrid, Spain, from July 8-11. The four-day event will run daily from 5:00 PM to 2:00 AM and is expected to attract around 200,000 attendees. Via Lateral de Servico M-45 and Avenida Real de Pinto will likely experience traffic congestion due to the festival. With the event having prominent artists such as Halsey, Twenty-One Pilots, and Foo Fighters, it is likely that heightened security will be implemented.
Ultra Europe 2026 is a three-day EDM/Techno event that will begin at 8:00 PM and run until 2:00 AM each day. The festival roster includes prominent artists such as Martin Garrix, Calvin Harris, and DJ Snake. The event is expected to draw around 150,000 attendees over the three days. Following the festival, island and beach parties on the islands of Brac and Vis will attract the festival crowd. Due to the high-profile event, heightened security is likely to be in place.
Protesters will gather to denounce the NATO Summit occurring in Ankara, Turkey, from July 7 to July 8 . Hundreds of protesters are expected to participate, resulting in localized travel delays in Istanbul’s city center. Clashes with local authorities are likely, as the Turkish government has banned protests, is using enhanced force at protest sites (e.g. tear gas), and has arrested hundreds of protesters.
Saba Saba (“Seven Seven”) Day will be observed in Kenya on July 7, historically coinciding with major anti-government protests. The day commemorates Kenya’s 1990 pro-democracy protests and has been a flashpoint for violent clashes with authorities in recent years, with dozens of casualties reported in 2025. Anticipate roadblocks, traffic disruption, business closures, and possible violent unrest.
A coalition of aviation trade unions has called for a nationwide strike to demand additional investments, labor contract renewals with compliance, and agreements. Major airports and their crews, such as Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport in Rome and Milan Malpensa Airport, will be affected. Travel reservations for July 5 will likely be canceled.
Unionized security and baggage handling staff at Aberdeen International Airport will strike after pay talks with ICTS HBS Security failed. The strike is expected to cause significant operational disruptions, including delays in baggage handling and passenger processing services.