Top 10 Best Festivals Around the World Worth Attending

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Every late August, the streets of Buñol, Spain, will be transformed into a sea of tomato juice. Not without reason, the locals celebrate the La Tomatina festival. During this festival, people gather and throw tomatoes at each other.

Festivals like Spanish La Tomatina are more than just religious or cultural celebrations; they celebrate moments of togetherness within a nation or a region that are not present at other times of the year.

Lonely Planet and The Times share a compilation of the best and most unique festivals around the world, including Carnaval in Brazil and Day of the Dead in Mexico. Check out the complete list below.

1. Carnaval, Brazil

There is no event in the world that rivals the excitement of the Rio Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Every late February or early March, the streets of the city will be lively with decorated vehicles and people in vibrant costumes dancing samba.

Having a history as an extension of the Portuguese pre-Easter festival, Entrudo, this festival generally lasts for a full 10 days.

• Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

• Period: February or early March

2. Mardi Gras, United States

Mardi Gras in New Orleans, United States, takes place after the Carnival season. Meaning "Fat Tuesday" in French, this celebration invites tourists to witness parades enlivened by marching bands and adorned vehicles.

• Location: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

• Period: February or March

3. Holi, India

Experience the sensation of bathing in colorful powder at the Holi festival in India. This euphoric event usually takes place during the spring and the beginning of the harvest season.

All across India, people rejoice while sprinkling each other with gulal, colored powder, and water. The best locations to celebrate Holi are in the cities of Vrindavan and Mathura in Uttar Pradesh.

With its unparalleled vibrancy, Holi has become one of the best and most anticipated festivals in the world.

• Location: All over India

• Period: March

4. Carnevale, Italy

Estimated to have begun in the 12th century, or precisely in 1162, Carnevale has become an event for people to cast aside formality and experience absolute freedom. Locals will dress in flamboyant costumes and wear masks that often seem strange and eerie.

• Location: Venice, Italy

• Period: February to March

5. Songkran, Thailand

If you enjoy getting wet, make sure not to miss the Songkran Festival, which is usually held every April. The excitement is overflowing from this annual celebration. People hit the streets to splash water using buckets and hoses.

Behind the fun, Songkran actually marks the beginning of the Thai New Year. This tradition also holds a spiritual value, as a form of paying respect to Buddha, ancestors, and older family members.

• Location: All over Thailand

• Period: 13-15 April

6. Dark Mofo, Australia

Dark Mofo, held in Tasmania, Australia, is another one of the unique festival around the world. An important event for the residents of Hobart, Dark Mofo is usually filled with various music and art performances that stir the soul.

Almost never absent from this festival is the Winter Feast and an unusual closing event during winter solstice, which is a nude swim party. According to Discover Tasmania, as the name suggests, people, both men and women, will swim together at Long Beach without a single piece of cloth covering their bodies.

• Location: Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

• Period: Mid-June

7. Boryeong Mud Festival, South Korea

For those who do not enjoy getting down and dirty, it is best to stay away from this event. All attendees are required to have their bodies, from head to toe, smeared with mud. Messy? Certainly! However, this is a unique way for the locals to beat the heat during the summer.

The Times explains that initially, this activity was a mere marketing ploy by the local cosmetic industry. However, the Boryeong Mud Festival unexpectedly attracted the attention of the locals and even foreign tourists.

In addition to covering their bodies with mud, visitors can also try mud slides, mud skiing, or mud wrestling.

• Location: Boryeong, South Korea

• Period: Usually during the summer

8. La Tomatina, Spain

A unique festival that originated from the town of Buñol, Spain, has been held since 1945. During this event, people engage in a tomato fight, coloring the entire town red with squashed tomatoes, and this activity lasts for about an hour.

• Location: Buol, Spain

• Period: Usually in August

9. Goroka Show, Papua New Guinea

The Goroka Show in Papua New Guinea involves more than 100 Indigenous tribes from the region. They gather and together present a kaleidoscope of color, music, and cultural performances, dressed in vibrant costumes, for about three days.

• Location: Village of Goroka, Papua New Guinea

• Period: September

10. Día de los Muertos, Mexico

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead from Mexico has been recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. During this celebration, the local people reminisce about their departed family members.

Despite being filled with a sense of grief, Día de los Muertos is actually not devoid of revelry. In addition to cleaning and adorning the graves of their relatives with flowers, people will paint their faces like skulls and take to the streets for a parade.

The festival lasts for a week, but the peak of the event generally falls on November 1-2. For a euphoric atmosphere, tourists can visit Oaxaca.

• Location: All over Mexico

• Period: November 1-2

Editor’s Choice: 8 Unique Best Winter Festivals to Brighten Up Your Mood

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