Weekend selection: Sydney's festival kicks off, Essen becomes the European Capital of Culture for 2010, Angola hosts the Africa Cup of Nations, among other events.

Sydney Festival 2010
January 9 - 30
Various locations in Sydney, Australia

January is a great time to be in Australia, summer is in full swing in the land down under and there are many events taking place under the guise of the Sydney Festival. The festival has been running since 1977 and aims to showcase local and international talent while at the same time celebrating Australian culture and the vibrant state of New South Wales. More than 500 artists in the fields of dance, theater, music, visual arts, and cross media platforms will be involved in the 2010 Sydney Festival. Many of the events will be free to the public.

http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/2010/

Essen 2010: European capital of culture
January 9- December 31
Essen (Ruhr), Germany

Essen and the Ruhr region were chosen by the European Union as European Capital of Culture for 2010, along with Istanbul (Turkey) and Pecs (Hungary). The program for the German region, kicking off on January 9, offers more than 300 projects and over 2,500 events - ranging from new museum openings to the Love parade - that will be taking place all over the region to show how Europe's coal and steel region can also be a unique type of cultural and tourism area.

http://www.ruhr2010.de

Soccer: Africa Cup of Nations
January 10-31
Angola

Angola will host the 27th Africa Cup of Nations in 2010, bringing together the best footballers from Africa to compete for their countries.

The African Cup of Nations is the second biggest sport event of the year in Africa after the football World Cup in South Africa between June and July. The 2010 tournament will be held in four of Angola's cities - Luanda, Benguela, Lubango and Cabinda.

http://www.can-angola2010.com