The World’s Most Unique Festivals

Looking for a holiday with a difference?

So you’ve thrown tomatoes at La Tomatina Festival in Spain, been covered in coloured chalk at Holi in India and last year you got naked at Burning Man. What next?

Air Guitar World Championship, Finland
Best for: The Exhibitionist
Held in August every year, this world championship isn’t for your average air guitar player. No… this is a serious competition for those who have truly mastered the invisible instrument. But it’s also really fun to watch and be part of the party atmosphere.

via Instagram @galinagrib

World Body Painting Festival, Austria
Best for: The Budding Artist
Attracting over 30,000 spectators and artists from over 50 countries, this festival is a living, breathing art gallery. What some people can do with the contours of the human body is incredible. You could even sign up as a body model…

Golden Retriever Festival, Scotland
Best for: The Dog Lover
Two words that will always go together: dogs and festivals. And this festival, run by the Golden Retriever Club of Scotland, combines the two in the most glorious of ways. Imagine hundreds of caramel golden retrievers running around their ancestral home. Bliss.

Underwater Music Festival, Florida, USA
Best for: The Water Baby
Every July in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, music and coral collide. This ocean festival is designed for snorkellers and divers who want to explore the surrounding reef while listening to water-themed songs (like The Beatle’s ‘Submarine’) pumped under the sea by special suspected speakers.

via Instagram @youngshinkim_ferero

Boryeong Mud Festival, South Korea
Best for: The Adventurer
A 10-day mud festival? Yes, please. Held in the little town of Boryeong (roughly two hours from Seoul) since 1999, this festival is exactly what it sounds like; expect mud fights, mud slides, mud massages and more. Luckily, the mineral rich mud of the region is also super good for your skin too.