10 FUN AND CRAZY FESTIVALS AROUND THE WORLD THAT ARE WORTH VISITING

It’s summer time and that can only mean one thing – festival season!

But actually, the festival season is already in full swing, and has been since the start of the year. From samba beats to edible treats, world festivals are fun encapsulated and there is always something going on at some corner of the globe. Cosmopolitan and energetic, festivals offer us a quite different experience and atmosphere to anything else.

But because there are so many festivals out there, how do you go about choosing one that is a little bit different? Well, you could take a look at our list of the top 10 fun and crazy festivals from around the world that are worth visiting!

1. Cascamorras – Baza, Spain

This is one fun and crazy festival that is a lot more fun (and even more crazy), than it at first sounds.

Just the picture the scene: you’re in Granada, Spain, and you’re asked to cover yourself in grease in order to reenact the thievery of a famous statue that took place 500 years ago. Doesn’t sound like much fun, does it? Well, it is! Even better, you get to party like its 1550 afterwards. You can, of course, remove the grease by that point.

Unless you’re into that kind of thing. Hey, we’re not judging you!

2. Mardi Gras – New Orleans, America

To some, Mardi Gras is the festival to end all festivals. Everyone has heard of it, everyone has seen pictures and videos of it, and mostly everyone knows someone who says they’ve been there.

It’s largely been mythologised in recent years and definitely comes with a reputation that precedes it. But if you want to party in the street on March 4th, New Orleans is the town for you. Pure escapism, and pure partying like no other.

Just don’t embarrass yourself too much, you may end up on the Internet. Hey, it happens!

3. Chinese New Year

Yes, we all celebrate the new year. But China doesn’t celebrate it in your apartment with a few mates, a few cocktails and a few cheap fireworks. Nope, China does it the right way. 

This means dragons, lanterns, flowers, expensive fireworks, crowds, neon lights, colours and music. It’s basically a carnival in the streets, and even better is that it takes place during the spring. Ergo, when it’s warm!

And there was you celebrating on December 31st in the freezing cold. You’ve so been doing it wrong all this time.

4. Day of the Dead – Mexico

Mexicans probably celebrate dead people more than the rest of us. Whilst we pay our respects to the dead by putting flowers on their grave once a year, Mexican’s dedicate an entire holiday to their deceased loved ones.

Indeed, Day of the Dead is a national holiday in the land of nachos. If you go there to celebrate it, expect sugar skulls, marigolds and lots of wooden skeletons wearing dresses.

5. Tomorrowland – Boom, Belgium

The fact that a festival actually takes place in a place called Boom should be enough to tempt you to make the trip over to Belgium. If it isn’t, Tomorrowland is Belgium’s premier dance festival and welcomes more than 100,000 sweaty partygoes each summer. Taking place at the end of June, it’s the ideal venue to get your kicks to some sweet electro.

6. Running of the Bulls Festival – Pamplona, Spain

Be careful if you head to Pamplona this July, as the Running of the Bulls festival is one that is easy to get caught up in. It basically involves a few bulls charging down the streets of Pamplona, with participants running for their lives!

Although injuries do happen here, it is the pure adrenaline and thrill that folk head over to this festival for. After all, is there really a better way to get your kicks than by being chased by a raging bull?!

7. Oktoberfest – Munich, Germany

There is a rumour that the German’s don’t have a sense of humour, but there is also a rumour that Germany knows how to put on a fun and crazy festival.

Fortunately, the rumours are true and Oktoberfest is Germany’s celebration of all things beer. Each year it just gets bigger and better, with almost $100,000,000 worth of beer served every single day during the festival in 2013. Incredible. No wonder everyone else was having a beer drought.

8. Carnaval – Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Carnaval is another festival like Mardi Gras where its reputation precedes it. We’ve all heard of it, and if you haven’t, you need to get with the program.

Carnaval celebrates culture the Brazilian way. This means pomp, flair, samba beats, colour and non-stop partying! From giant parades to beautiful women, Carnaval is a hedonists dream. Even better, it parties on the beach. Whoop!

9. Burning Man Festival – Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA

Burning Man festival might sound slightly crazy, but isn’t that the point of this list?! Fortunately, no man actually gets involuntarily burnt at this festival that is actually a celebration of self-expression.

Basically, Burning Man festival brings together 48,000 art lovers who want to create art and express themselves. Experimental, eye-opening and occasionally dangerous, there is quite literally no other festival that pushes the boundaries in the same way.

10. Snow & Ice Festival – Harbin, China

Wrap warm if you’re going to this one, as the clue is largely in the name: you’re basically going to be surrounded by a whole lot of ice and snow!

China’s Snow & Ice festival really is a magical and enchanting festival that deserves its place here. Festival goers get to take a tour of an array of gorgeous icy sculptures in temperatures that plummet to -15 degrees. So popular is this icy festival that 13 million tourists visited it in 2014.

As a last word we must say that, whilst the fun part of these festivals is, well, fun, the craziness should be enough to make you err on the side of caution. Wherever you go, have fun – but be safe!

What are your favourite fun and crazy festivals around the world?

Stay happy!