Updated: 02/20/2019 | February 20th, 2019
Festivals. A place where people looking to have a great time can dance, listen to great music, celebrate, party, have fun, and relax. They happen all over the world for many different reasons. Some celebrate religion, some the new year, some art, some the harvest or the full moon — whatever the reason, every month, somewhere in the world, you’ll find people descending on a location to celebrate and share a common experience.
Now, if you don’t like crowds then these events probably aren’t for you. But if you feel like getting wet, dirty, staying up late, dancing, or just want to enjoy the energy of tens of thousands of people, check out some of these festivals:
1. Up Helly Aa (January)
The Shetland Islands in Scotland were once territories owned and inhabited by Scandinavian Vikings. Dating back to the 1880s, Up Helly Aa is a celebration of that heritage. It’s a huge procession and fire festival that takes place in Lerwick, Scotland in the middle of winter. Men dress up as Vikings and parade around the town carrying torches, with the procession ending in the burning of a traditional Viking longship.
Participants need to have been residents of Shetland for 5 years before they are allowed to take part, and the lead Viking (known as the Guizer Jarl) is chosen years in advance. With limited space for visitors, this is definitely a once and a lifetime festival to attend!
Date: Last Tuesday in January.
Cost: Free!
Fun Fact: The Viking procession can involve up to 1,000 torch-bearing locals, making it quite the spectacle!
More Info: uphellyaa.org
2. Harbin Ice and Snow Festival (January)
The Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival takes place every year in Harbin, China. It’s the largest ice and snow festival in the world, attracting almost 20 million visitors each year.
The festival lasts around 1 month (weather permitting) and attracts artists from all around the world to compete and showcase their works. Every year there is a new theme, with over 200,000 cubic meters of snow and ice used for the festival.
Date: January 5.
Cost: There are usually multiple parks, with admission to each costing between 135-330 RMB per person.
Fun Fact: The festival’s works are known for breaking records, like a recent 48m-tall (157ft) sculpture!
3. Carnival (February)
Carnival is a giant party held right before the Christian holiday of Lent. Originally, Carnival was a food festival because it was the last time people could eat abundantly before Lent. Legend says the word “Carnaval” was derived from the Latin expression ‘carne vale‘ which translates as ‘farewell to the meat’ (which, to me, would be a sad affair.)
Carnival in Brazil is the most famous in the world and attracts the most people with their dancing, parades, and floats, music, and drinking. The biggest Carnival takes place in Rio de Janeiro. In Brazil, social conventions are turned upside down during this event and anything goes. It has a well-earned party reputation.
Date: Begins the Friday before Ash Wednesday (February/March)
Cost: Tickets for the parade in the Sambadrome start at $35 USD.
Fun Fact: During Carnival, over 2 million people are in the streets celebrating every single day!
Tickets/More Info: liesa.globo.com
4. Mardi Gras (February)
Much like Carnival in Brazil, Mardi Gras in New Orleans takes place right before Lent. Parades, music, drinking, costumes — NOLA has it all! Over 1.2 million people visit the city each year to take part in the festivities, three times the population of New Orleans itself!
In fact, Mardi Gras is the most-attended annual event in the entire country! The first Mardi Gras took place in 1699, and the party has been going strong ever since!
Date: Shrove Tuesday/Fat Tuesday
Cost: Free!
Fun Fact: Anyone riding a float in the parade is required by law to wear a mask. This rule was created so that people of different social classes could mingle without any pressure/stigma.
More Info: nola.gov/city/mardi-gras
5. Holi (March)
Holi is a Hindu holiday celebrated on the day after the full moon in early March and glorifies good harvest and fertility of the land. Moreover, Holi also celebrates the triumph of good over evil, at least according to a legend involving the god Krishna.
Holi can last up to 16 days, depending on where in the world you celebrate it. There is music, food, and, of course, throwing paint on each other. For the most traditional Holi experience, visit the temple towns of Mathura and Vrindavan in India. However, you can find Holi celebrations anywhere in the world with a vibrant Indian community.
Date: Begins the day after the full moon in February/March.
Cost: Free! (Though you might spend a few dollars on paint).
Fun Fact: Bhang, a popular drink made from cannabis, is a popular beverage during Holi. Drinkers beware!
More Info: Festivities take place all across India (and all around the world). To see when and where events are taking place near you, check with your hostel/hotel staff.
6. St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin (March)
St. Patrick’s Day may be celebrated all around the world, but nowhere pays homage to the Patron Saint of Ireland better than Dubliners. The holiday is a multi-day festival that’s more than just drinking your weight in Guinness (though that is definitely a key element!).
Dress up in all your green attire, wander the city, watch the parade, and then revel the night away in a cozy bar with some locals. If you’re a fan of a good party, this is one not to be missed!
Date: March 17.
Cost: Free!
Fun Fact: The color associated with St. Patrick’s Day was originally blue, but green eventually took over due to its association with Ireland as “the Emerald Isle.”
More Info: stpatricksfestival.ie
7. Songkran (Mid-April)
Thai New Year is one of the most fun events I’ve ever been to. For three days, Thailand basically shuts down to party. Songkran is three-day water fight that engulfs the whole country, you can’t walk two seconds out of your house without getting wet. No one is safe. The young and the old participate equally and there is nothing like having a little old lady say sorry and then dump a bucket of cold water on you.
The most fun I ever had was riding in a tuk-tuk and having a mobile water fight with the people in the lane over.
Date: The date was originally set by astrological calculations, but it is now fixed on April 13th-15th.
Cost: Free! (Though you might spend a few dollars on a water gun).
Fun Fact: Over 4 million tourists will flock to Thailand to take part. Will you be one of them?
More Info: tourismthailand.org/home
8. Bay to Breakers (May)
Bay to Breakers is an annual footrace which takes place in San Francisco, California on the third Sunday of May. A quintessential San Francisco experience since 1912, the race is a seminal event in the city. The complete course is 7.46 miles long. The footrace is more of an excuse to drink and dress in weird costumes along the way.
It’s a very large event and is more like a moving party than a footrace. Also, expect to see a lot of people running in the nude. Registration is necessary and starts at $69 but most people just party around the city and watch the racers! You don’t need to register to get involved in that
Date: The third Sunday of May.
Cost: $69 to take part in the official race, with early bird discounts are available if you register well in advance.
Fun Fact: Some people dress up as salmon and run the course backwards just for fun!
More Info: baytobreakers.com
9. Fez Festival of World Sacred Music (May/June)
This massive music festival is held in Morocco. It was started in 1994 and designed to bridge the gaps between cultures and bring people from different religions together. While this won’t be a festival on everyone’s list, if you’re interested in religion and music then this is one of the biggest festivals on the continent.
Date: May/June.
Cost: 215-3,700 MAD (depnding on what you want tickets to).
Fun Fact: The event has been praised by the United Nations for promoting dialogue between cultures and religions.
More Info: fesfestival.com
10. Glastonbury (June)
Every summer in June, Pilton, England becomes the stage for one of the largest music festivals in the world. Glastonbury is best known for its contemporary music but also features dance, comedy, theater, circus, cabaret, and many other arts. About 150,000 people come to this area for a few days of music, mud, and mayhem. The fields turn into giant tent cities as everyone camps out looking to have some fun!
Date: The last weekend of June (though every 5th year is usally a “fallow” year with no festival. 2018 was the most recent fallow year).
Cost: Tickets cost around £238
Fun Fact: Even with 150,000 tickets and 900 acres of land, the event still sells out in under an hour!
More Info: glastonburyfestivals.co.uk
11. Swedish Midsummer (June)
Swedes like the world to be well-ordered, so Midsummer Eve is always a Friday between the 19th and 25th of June. People often begin the day by picking flowers and making wreaths to place on the maypole, which is a key component in the celebrations.
Local Swedes head out into nature, dance around a maypole, eat lots of fish, drinks lots of beer, and stay up to enjoy the longest day of the year. After all, the sun doesn’t set until about midnight. (The Swedes also have a good festival to celebrate spring too.)
Date: The Friday between June 19th and 25th.
Cost: Free!
Fun Fact: One of the traditional foods eaten during the festival is pickled herring (usually with schnapps). It’s not my favorite but it’s worth trying once!
More Info: Every municipality and city will have their own festivities, so talk to your hotel/hostel staff to find out more!
12. La Tomatina (August)
For one hour, 20,000 people engage in a tomato fight in Bunol, Spain during the last Wednesday of August. Tens of thousands of participants come from all over the world to fight in this giant food fight. The whistle blows and the tomatoes of La Tomatina fly. It’s fun, it’s dirty, it’s the food fight we all dreamed about as a child. Just make sure to bring some goggles!
After you have your fill of tomatoes, you go wash off in the river and then join the dance party in town where the sangria and food flow!
Date: Last Wednesday of August.
Cost: 30 EUR.
Fun Fact: Over 120,000 pounds of tomatoes are used for the festival — and it only last 1 hour!
More Info: latomatina.info
13. Burning Man (August)
At the end of August, tens of thousands of people head out in the Nevada desert for 6 days of alternative living. Burning Man brings out the arty, the alternative, and the eccentric. In this crucible of creativity, all are welcome. It’s 6 days of camping (bring lots of water!), art, and music. At the end, a giant wooden man is set on fire (hence the name). This is one of the most popular events in the entire world and “Burners” as participants are known are really into the event. It part festival, part social experiment. And if you can’t make it to Nevada, there are mini-burns all around the world too!
Date: Begins on the last Sunday in August.
Cost: Ticket start around $390 (plus additional fees for parking).
Fun Fact: The first sculpture burned at Burning Man was only 8 feet tall. In 2014, it was 105 feet tall!
More Info: burningman.org
14. Oktoberfest (September)
Though really in September this two week beer festival in Munich attracts people from all over the world with its beer halls, lederhosen, giant steins of beer, and huge pretzels. Over 6 million people flock to Munich each year over the course of the two-week festival, making this a literal non-stop party!
No one I know ever lasted the whole two weeks but the 3 or 4 days you are there will be the haziest of your life.
Date: Beginning in late September and lasting for over 2 weeks.
Cost: Admission is free but you’ll have to pay for beer (around 11 EUR per liter) and for reservations if you want to visit a specific tent.
Fun Fact: Over 7.5 million liters of beer was consumed at the 2017 Oktoberfest!
More Info: oktoberfest.de/en
15. Day of the Dead (November)
With paper mache skeletons and candy skulls, Mexico’s carnival-esque Day of the Dead is one of the world’s most familiar festivals. Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is not a Mexican version of Halloween. Participants devote a day to cleaning their family graves, decorating them with candles and flowers, having picnics and dancing to mariachi bands. It’s an odd combination of remembrance and festivity. It’s a festival that celebrates life and respect for deceased family members. It’s beautiful, festive, and fun.
Date: October 31-November 2.
Cost: Free (though you may want to buy some face paint).
Fun Fact: The holiday has its origins in pre-Hispanic civilization, dating back almost 3,000 years!
16. Hogmanay (December)
New Year’s Eve celebrations happen all around the world, but few places rival Edinburgh and its Hogmanay festival. I’ve been to lots of celebrations and festivals all around the world, and Hogmanay is one of the most fun parties I’ve ever been to.
Each December, over 100,000 people take part in the two-day celebration. Hogmanay involves a Viking procession (similar to Up Helly Aa), bonfires, fireworks, concerts, and a huge carnival. It’s nonstop fun. It does get crowded and you’ll need to buy tickets to the shows. Be sure to book in advance (including your accommodation).
Date: December 31st
Cost: 30 GBP for the street party. Additional fees for concerts.
Fun Fact: The Loony Dook is a part of the celebration where everyone dresses up in funny costumes and jumps into the freezing water of the Firth of Forth.
More Info: edinburghshogmanay.com
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JoAnna
Fabulous round-up Matt! Have you been to all of these festivals? I’ve only been to one myself (Burning Man), but hope to squeeze Bay to Breakers in before too long. Maybe next year …
Andi
What a great post!!! I looooove festivals. Another great one to add to your list is Semana Santa in Antigua, Guatemala. It’s really incredible. I can’t wait to go to Carnival one year!
Darren Alff
Yeah, this is really cool. You should also add the Swiss Fasnacht, which takes place in February every year. I was in Luzern, Switzerland last year when it was taking place… and it was amazing! Everyone dresses up in costume and there are marching bands that play all through the day and night for several days straight. You can see some of the photos I took from the festival.
Kate
Thanks for the great list!
One thing to note: The sponsors of Bay to Breakers have put the kibosh on beer and nudity.
http://articles.sfgate.com/2009-02-12/news/17187531_1_indecent-exposure-ocean-beach-footrace
Candice
It is seriously my life mission to go to all of these.
Keith
Yes, I was at Bay to Breakers this year and it was insanity. Loved it. Might not be around much longer given the San Francisco city council’s agenda.
Terrah
Best.post.yet. 🙂
Drew Meyers
Umm…I need to make it to every one of these within the next 5 years I think. I’ve already hit Bay to Breakers and Oktoberfest, and doing La Tomatina next month. But those other ones look unbelievable!
Michael Tyson
With one single blog post you’ve made my partner want to go to India. She’s even putting Holi on her bucket list. I’m holding you personally accountable for the rainbowification of my DSLR 😛
Linda
Great Carnival/Festival summarize and photos – especially the first photo – we wanna visit everyone! The Swedish one is the only one we’ve been at so far actually, so we have a lot left to experience obviously… Yay!
Dina
Awesome! I haven’t encountered any of this, but I hope I do at some point!! I’ve been intrigued by the holi and la tomatina, I have seen a lot of pictures of the event in the web, looks fantastic!
Michaela
I agree the Palio in Siena Italy should REALLY be included! The 2nd Palio of the year occurs in August and has elaborate parades, practice horse races, an extremely intense competitive atmosphere and it’s by far the most fun I’ve ever had! The history and traditions are amazing to learn about all while having the best time of your life.
lakshmi
Thats a great list..incidentally Deepavali is a bigger festival than Holi in India..
baghsarai
holi is the festival of love,good harvest and fertility of the land. nice information about festival,But those ones look unbelievable, thanks for sharing.
Athena Bohm
I know the girls in the wedding dresses in your Bay to Breakers picture!! Another random coincidence!
NomadicMatt
Why is it we know so many of the same people around the world? LOL
NP
Love this post!
Rupen Der Boghosian
I’ve only been to one of these events. I almost made it to Oktoberfest but was very disappointing when I learned it was held in September. That name is really confusing!
I think my next stops will be the Spanish events since I have a tradition of visiting the World Cup champions after they win!
Bay to Breakers is also pretty insane.. did it twice!
Rupen
http://www.qtripper.com – backpackers guide to the world
Harry March
Interesting, though I love to travel I guess I am not that into this sort of experience because I started reading this list and realized though I have had opportunities to attend some of these events, I usually avoid them.
I was in San Francisco during the last Bay to Breakers and spent the day with friends in the East Bay to avoid the mayhem, and though I have several friends who make annual Burning Man pilgrimages I have very little interest in joining them. I also prefer small quiet bars to loud and crowded nightclubs. I guess I prefer spending time with a few people I know well, rather than hundreds of strangers. Great post though, and good decision to order them chronologically.
NomadicMatt
Sadly, I’ve yet to go to Burning Man. I was going to go this year but some stuff came up. I’m crossing my fingers for next year!
Joe
Bin to Burning Man 3 Times love it every time… would have bin my 4th year but due to injure ( Fractured Spine and need surgery) and lack of money ( because i can’t work with injure) I am unable to attend…
NomadicMatt
Me = jealous!
kira ford
burning man is 7 days. and at the end they burn a temple, after the man. nice list, just seems like the info is remote to the festivals. like green screening your journalism report. (where you are supposed to be on location.)
Michaela
Excellent list — I look forward to making my way to each one!
Although one I’ve recently experienced and should 100% be here is the Las Fallas Festival in Valencia, Spain each spring!! Huge $80,000-$100,000 dollar cartoon floats are displayed throughout the city, there is a contest, street parties, and it all ends with La Crema on Friday.. which is essentially the burning of all these floats! Its madness.. I’d equate it to Time Square during New Years! But so much better 🙂
Joe
How about Sasquatch! Music Festival in Washington state
It’s simply the best in every way 🙂
Bonita
Don’t forget Queens Day in Amsterdam! One of the best.. not to mention St. Patricks Day in Ireland!
NomadicMatt
Queen’s Day is one of my favorite. It’s a great holiday, though I’m not sure I’d classify it as a festival. But semantics.
piya
Really great job. I have celebrated diwali and holi and they are real fun . I’m looking forward to attending all the other enticing fests around the globe.
Megan Jones
These festivals look like a lot of fun and a great way to learn about a culture. My boyfriend recently went to visit friends in Louisiana for Mardi Gras. They didn’t go to the hoopla in New Orleans, but instead they went to a much more traditional Creole festival in the country called “courir”. A community gathers and asks neighbors for food and chase a chicken. Lots of drinking, merriment and eating of delicious food then ensues!
Colin
There is a festival in New Zealand called Beachhop – a retro celebration of the 50s – 70’s, that I think should be on your list.
It’s in its 12 year and this year over 100,000 people attended. The event features over 5000 cars from the period and rock n roll and rockabilly artists playing in over 20 venues.
The event is called Beachhop because it’s held in Whangamata on the Coromandel Peninsula – who’s normal population is just 4000.
Travellers come from as far away as the USA to attend – many hundreds from Australia too! we believe Beachhop is the biggest festival of its kind in the Southern hemisphere.
Check it out online at beachhop.co.nz
DD
I like Holi.
Wally
Songkron is the worst holiday ever invented. Drunken tourist seem to enjoy the eye infections and dysentery , but for the people who are over 25 and sober detest the week long torture. Don’t even try and argue this point.
NomadicMatt
You clearly have never hung out with Thais during the festivity because they love the holiday, even those way OLDER than 25. Don’t even try and argue this point. 🙂
Tim
Running of the Bulls is not a festival. This activity is just one small part of the larger Fiesta de San Fermin, a celebration of the patron Saint of Pamplona. The festival itself is absolutely insane on its own even if you don’t consider the running of the bulls aspect. I’ve been and ran four times with the bulls, but that is just a small part of the fiesta – which makes Mardi Gras look like new Year’s Eve in a retirement home.
Chuck
Whoever put this together has obviously never been to Mardi Gras in New Orleans
Craig and John
Great to see a festival from India up there. Not really a festival in the music sense of the word, but certainly one to indulge the senses is the Jinju lantern festival, South Korea. We really enjoyed it on a recent trip.
Mario
La Guelaguetza and the Cervantino in Mexico are not to be missed.
Bako
I love how you’ve arranged them chronologically. now I can just print this and I have my itinerary 😉 I’d love to travel according to festivals for a bit – see them all. I’m a bit concerned about the Holi Festivals though, since I am a female solo traveller, but it is also on top of my list, so I guess I’ll brave it. Thanks for sharing, Matt.
Anurag
Why is Glastonbury in this list, shouldn’t this list be more of a cultural thing ?
Phan
if money was unlimited, i’d hit one festival just about every month.
Villas Mauritius
My favorite is the Burning man festival its like you are in the movie of Mad max fury road everything look from another planet but its just so peaceful when everyone gather around the burning man at the end
NomadicMatt
Hey everyone! Due to the age of this post and the difficulty in moderating lots of posts spam, comments here have been turned off. If you would like to continue the discussion, head over to the forums at http://forums.nomadicmatt.com and chat there! I post frequently and reply to threads on the boards! See ya there! Thanks! – Matt