Safety at Big Events Abroad: Crowds, Christmas Markets and Festivals (2026)

In the coming weeks there are big events in many countries: Christmas markets across Europe, the COP31 climate summit in Antalya, Formula 1 races in Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, the ATP Finals in Turin, Loy Krathong in Thailand, the Hornbill Festival in India and New Year's Eve celebrations. Most go ahead without problems, but in a crowd the details matter: knowing the exits, having a meeting point, knowing how to act in a crowd surge or an alert, and knowing who to call if something goes wrong in another country.

This guide explains how to prepare, what to do in a very dense crowd, how to act if there is an attack or an alert, what to do if you lose your group, your phone or your passport, and how Telcomia helps.

Key facts for big events abroad

Before you go: find the exits, agree a meeting point with your group and save your embassy's details.
In a very dense crowd: do not stop or bend down, and if there is still room, move diagonally towards the edges.
If there is an attack: UK police advise 'Run, Hide, Tell': escape if there is a safe route, hide if there is not, and call the emergency number when you are safe.
Emergency numbers: 112 works in every EU country, 911 in the United States and 999 in the United Kingdom.
Consular help: if you lose your passport, have an accident or are arrested, your embassy or consulate is the one to call.

Big events in November and December 2026

Turkey: COP31 climate summit in Antalya, 9 to 20 November, with nearly 100 heads of state and government and about 26,000 security staff.
Italy: ATP Finals tennis in Turin, 15 to 22 November.
United States: Formula 1 Grand Prix in Las Vegas, 19 to 21 November, and the Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York on 26 November, its 100th edition.
Thailand: Loy Krathong, on the full-moon night of 24 November, with festivals across the country from 15 to 29 November, including the Yi Peng lanterns in Chiang Mai.
Europe: Christmas markets from 13 November; see each market's dates in our guide to the 2026 Christmas markets.
Qatar: Formula 1 Grand Prix at Lusail, 27 to 29 November.
India: Hornbill Festival at Kisama, near Kohima (Nagaland), 1 to 10 December; foreign visitors need a special permit, as our Hornbill Festival guide explains.
United Arab Emirates: Formula 1 Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, 3 to 6 December, with the cars on track from 4 to 6 December; read our Abu Dhabi Grand Prix guide first.
Worldwide: New Year's Eve celebrations on 31 December; each city's rules are in our New Year's Eve guide.

The safety page for each destination explains its current situation, with dates and what governments say.

Before you go to a big event

Check the event's official website for bag rules, banned items and entry times: many big events do not allow large bags.
Agree a meeting point with your group in case you get separated, away from the busiest area.
If you go with children, take a photo of them when you arrive and write your phone number on their wrist.
Charge your phone, carry a power bank and download the map of the area.
Save your embassy's details and the emergency phrases for your destination; with a Telcomia eSIM active on your account they stay saved on your phone and open even without a connection.
If you will need data on arrival, install your eSIM at home, on Wi-Fi.

What to do in a very dense crowd or a crowd crush

Crowd safety experts quoted by the magazine Scientific American explain that problems start at around five or six people per square metre, which is hard to judge by eye. A crowd that keeps moving and stopping is a warning sign.

Avoid the densest areas and look behind you from time to time to check that you could leave.
Do not stop or bend down, not even to pick something up.
If there is still room, move diagonally towards the edges; once the crowd is very tight, this works much less well.
If you cannot get out, move calmly with the crowd, without pushing.
If the crowd feels unsafe, leave early: once you are caught in a crowd crush there is very little you can do, so prevention matters most.

What to do if there is an attack or an alert

UK counter-terrorism police advise 'Run, Hide, Tell':

Run: if there is a safe route, escape, leave your belongings behind and insist that others come with you, without letting their hesitation slow you down.
Hide: if you cannot run, hide behind solid walls, lock and barricade the door, move away from it and silence your phone, including vibration.
Tell: when you are safe, call the emergency number and say where you are and what you saw.
Do not film what is happening, and follow police instructions.
Once you are safe, tell your family that you are fine with a short message, and follow official channels, not rumours.
In an emergency, limit non-urgent calls, keep them brief and use text messages for everything else, as the US FCC and FEMA advise.

If you lose your group, your phone or your passport

Your group: go to the meeting point you agreed, to an information point or to the security staff. If you travel as a Telcomia group, ask for their location from the group map.
Your phone: report the theft to the local police.
Your passport: report it to the police and contact your embassy or consulate, which can issue an emergency travel document.

How Telcomia helps

On the Telcomia safety page, choose your nationality and where you are now to see your embassy or consulate, a 24-hour consular emergency line verified against official sources, directions to the embassy, emergency numbers and travel recommendations from your government.

The app adds emergency phrases with audio, to show on screen or play in the local language. With a Telcomia eSIM active on your account, your embassy's details, the risk level, the warnings and the emergency phrases with their pronunciation stay saved on your phone and open even without a connection, and Telcomia alerts you if the risk level rises during your trip.

If you travel as a group, the group map lets you set the meeting point and, with each person's consent, see where every member is. For some destinations, Telcomia also brings official weather warnings and recent earthquakes together on one page.

Questions travellers ask about safety at big events

Is it safe to go to Christmas markets in Europe this year?

Take more care than usual. The United States and the United Kingdom warn of a terrorist threat in some European countries, such as Germany, including at markets and crowded places, so expect a visible police presence. Find the exits, follow police instructions and look after your wallet and phone.

What should I do if I get caught in a crowd crush?

Do not stop or bend down, and move calmly with the crowd without pushing; when there is some room, head diagonally towards the edges.

What does 'Run, Hide, Tell' mean?

It is UK police advice for an attack: escape if you can do so safely, hide if you cannot, and call the emergency number when you are safe.

What number do I call in an emergency at an event abroad?

112 in the EU, 911 in the United States and 999 in the United Kingdom. The Telcomia safety page shows the number for each country.

How do we find each other if the group gets separated at an event?

Go to the meeting point you agreed before going in. If you travel as a Telcomia group, the organiser can ask everyone for their location from the group map, always with each member's consent.

Who helps me if I lose my passport at an event abroad?

Report it to the local police and contact your embassy or consulate: it can issue an emergency travel document. The Telcomia safety page shows its address and emergency line.

The short version

Before a big event, find the exits, agree a meeting point and save your embassy's details. In a very dense crowd, do not stop or bend down, and head for the edges. If there is an attack, run, hide and tell. If you lose your passport, your embassy is the one to call.

Find your embassy →