Two years since Covid, several in-person gatherings mark a return in Europe, here is a list

Slowly but surely several events are now happening in person as Europe is coming around to the idea that Covid may be endemic. Here is a list of events which will take place in-person 

Las Luminarias, the Spanish festival made a comeback on Sunday, January 16. It was cancelled last year because of pandemic restrictions.

About 100 horses jumped through bonfires in a purification ceremony. This was the first time that the festival was organised since the start of the Covid pandemic. 

The traditional nighttime celebration takes place in San Bartolome de Pinares every January 16, the eve of Saint Anthony's Day, Spain's patron saint of animals. About 100 horses and their owners took part in the festivities, Reuters witnesses said.

The Paris fashion industry is all set for a comeback after nearly two years during which most brands were forced to retreat online. This year, most fashion houses will be returning to live shows as the menswear week kicks off, followed immediately by haute couture shows.

Around 17 out of the 76 brands of the official Paris menswear calendar, including brands like Dior, Hermes, and Rick Owens will be back on the ramp. 

Several shows of the Milan men's fashion week were carried on despite disruption across Europe due to the surging Omicron variant. 

The men's fashion week, which runs through Tuesday, was hindered as many houses pulled out. Eighteen brands opted for a purely virtual presence, while several other brands presented their collections by appointment.

"We have learned to live with the virus," Pascal Morand, head of France's Federation for Haute Couture and Fashion, told AFP.

The Berlinale, which happens to be Europe's first major film festival of the year, will take place in February as an in-person event, the organisers have confirmed. 

Festival directors Mariette Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian while speaking at a virtual news conference said that they had come up with a plan with state health authorities for its 72nd edition. The plan involved a shorter program, participants to be vaccinated or recovered from Covid. Also, the audiences will be smaller to keep participants safe.

The government of Ireland has now scrapped almost all Covid restrictions. Also, the capacity in indoor and outdoor venues has now returned to full, which implies more in-person events. 

Apart from this, bars and restaurants will no longer need to close at 8pm. However, measures like wearing a mask on public transport and in shops will remain in place for now.