Where To Head This Year For A Festival Filled Summer

Where To Head This Year For A Festival Filled Summer

A summer holiday is all well and good, but what about combining it with an amazing festival abroad? Nowadays there are hundreds of festivals taking place across the world, some of which have made quite the name for themselves. If you’re looking for some sunshine and excitement this year, then take a look at our definitive list of where to head for a festival filled summer and get your twin sets and bucket hats at the ready.

Burning Man Festival, Nevada

Burning Man Festival was started in 1986 where a wooden figure was burnt in front of a crowd on San Francisco’s Baker Beach. The festival is now one of the most popular in the world, with nearly 70,000 in attendance in 2018. It now takes place in the Nevada dessert, with themes of self-expression, arts and culture.

Dia de los Muertos, Mexico

The Disney film ‘Coco’ shone some light on what exactly goes down at the Dia de los Muertos celebration in Mexico. It’s arguably Mexico’s most important and popular holiday, even moreso than Cinco de Mayo. It begins on October 31st and ends on November 2nd, fitting in with the American holiday of Halloween. Relatives from across the world might want to apply for a spouse visa extension just to stay and celebrate. People offer up food and gifts to their ancestors as a tribute, but this isn’t a subdued affair. There are parties, costumes and parades.

Carnival, Rio de Janeiro

The carnival hosted by Rio de Janeiro is probably one of the most famous festivals in the world. This world of colour and costumes attracts nearly 5 million visitors each year. Historically, the carnival is a religious celebration, but you don’t have to be religious to enjoy the amazing parade and party that comes with it. It almost acts as a marker for the end of a long, hot Brazilian summer, making it the perfect time for tourists to visit.

La Tomatina, Valencia

This quirky, crazy festival is one of the oldest in the world. It’s essentially a food fight revolving around tomatoes! Interestingly it was banned for much of the 50’s until in 1957 locals fought to bring it back. Now it’s one of the biggest draws for tourism in Spain. Many expats who came over with the help of immigration lawyers have made it part of their yearly routine. All you need to do is abide by the simple rules (which includes squashing the tomato before throwing it) and stop when the pistol sounds.

Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland

Jazz lovers congregate at the famous Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland each year. Its picturesque location on the shores of Lake Geneva make this festival the perfect choice to tie in with your summer holiday. What’s more, it’s not just jazz artists who take centre stage, previous headliners have been rock artists like Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.