22:06
Faizan
With 7.4 billion people in over 200 countries it's no wonder there are more than 6 thousand unique celebrations around the world. But there's only one lifetime! How can you choose which to attend? Let's start with the basics. Categories overlap, especially since music, performing arts and dancing (as well as eating & drinking) play a major role in most events, but it's possible to divide then into 7 groups: Music, Theatre, Cultural, Film, Book, Sports and Food. Now, let's explore a few of them.
Culture
Many bizarre festivities fall under 'culture'. For example: Kanamara Matsuri in Japan where a penis is the central theme of the event, and the Monkey Buffet in Thailand where Macaques (macaca monkeys) are served over 2,000 kg of fruity treats, and La Tomatina in Spain where 100 tons of tomatoes are heaved in a gigantic street brawl at the world's largest food fight.
Sports
Sports festivals offer a few surprises too, like racing stubborn dromedaries Down Under at Camel Cup, and bottomless boat competitions in a water-free regatta on a dry riverbed at Henley-on-Todd in the Australian outback, and dirty mud dancing after running in mudflat marathons at Boryeong Mud Fest along Daecheon Beach in South Korea.
All the quirky, bizarre or madcap celebrations around the globe could fill books, so in this post I'll focus on the most popular category, the one devoted to music.
Music Festivals
Select a musical genre, a date, and a country and you'll find headline bands & DJs amidst explosions of light and sound on gargantuan stages in colossal arenas, in eerie remains of abandoned buildings, in fields that were once farms or pastures for cows, in ancient fortresses, along beaches or lakes, at the top of mountains, or on deserts in the middle of nowhere.
Some of the best music festivals around the world (professionally promoted ones featuring rock, alt-pop, metal & electronic genres) that are likely to continue for many years to come, include:
Primavera Sound & Sónar in Barcelona Spain (at Fira Gran Via)
Benicàssim (FIB) in Spain (along the Costa del Azahar nr. Valencia)
Glastonbury in Somerset UK (on fields of Worthy Farm nr. Pilton)
Coachella in Indio USA (in a desert valley in Southern California)
Burning Man in Nevada USA (in the Black Rock desert nr. nothing)
Sziget in Budapest Hungary (on Óbudai-sziget island on the Danube)
Ultra in Miami USA & Worldwide (USA, Europe, S. America, & Asia)
Lollapalooza in Chicago USA (at a huge park on Lake Michigan)
Leeds & Reading - UK (Bramham Park nr. Leeds/a farm nr. Reading)
Roskilde in Denmark (on Zealand island not far from Copenhagen)
Fuji Rock in Niagata Japan (nr. Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata Prefecture)
Outlook in Pula Croatia (at an abandoned fort along the Adriatic Sea)
Culture
Many bizarre festivities fall under 'culture'. For example: Kanamara Matsuri in Japan where a penis is the central theme of the event, and the Monkey Buffet in Thailand where Macaques (macaca monkeys) are served over 2,000 kg of fruity treats, and La Tomatina in Spain where 100 tons of tomatoes are heaved in a gigantic street brawl at the world's largest food fight.
Sports
Sports festivals offer a few surprises too, like racing stubborn dromedaries Down Under at Camel Cup, and bottomless boat competitions in a water-free regatta on a dry riverbed at Henley-on-Todd in the Australian outback, and dirty mud dancing after running in mudflat marathons at Boryeong Mud Fest along Daecheon Beach in South Korea.
All the quirky, bizarre or madcap celebrations around the globe could fill books, so in this post I'll focus on the most popular category, the one devoted to music.
Music Festivals
Select a musical genre, a date, and a country and you'll find headline bands & DJs amidst explosions of light and sound on gargantuan stages in colossal arenas, in eerie remains of abandoned buildings, in fields that were once farms or pastures for cows, in ancient fortresses, along beaches or lakes, at the top of mountains, or on deserts in the middle of nowhere.
Some of the best music festivals around the world (professionally promoted ones featuring rock, alt-pop, metal & electronic genres) that are likely to continue for many years to come, include:
Primavera Sound & Sónar in Barcelona Spain (at Fira Gran Via)
Benicàssim (FIB) in Spain (along the Costa del Azahar nr. Valencia)
Glastonbury in Somerset UK (on fields of Worthy Farm nr. Pilton)
Coachella in Indio USA (in a desert valley in Southern California)
Burning Man in Nevada USA (in the Black Rock desert nr. nothing)
Sziget in Budapest Hungary (on Óbudai-sziget island on the Danube)
Ultra in Miami USA & Worldwide (USA, Europe, S. America, & Asia)
Lollapalooza in Chicago USA (at a huge park on Lake Michigan)
Leeds & Reading - UK (Bramham Park nr. Leeds/a farm nr. Reading)
Roskilde in Denmark (on Zealand island not far from Copenhagen)
Fuji Rock in Niagata Japan (nr. Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata Prefecture)
Outlook in Pula Croatia (at an abandoned fort along the Adriatic Sea)
Posted in: arts
