The strangest and most bizarre festivals in the world

Glastonbury Festival is great, but does it really compare to chasing cheese, children jumping or climbing buns? We’ve put together a list of the most unusual festivals from around the world, read on for 25 ways to make your life more enjoyable.

1. Mud Festival – South Korea | July

The beautiful coastal town of Boryeong hosts an annual mud festival that’s as dirty as it sounds. The festival is one big party with music, inflatable rides, cable cars and a whole host of mud-related activities such as mud wrestling and mud fireworks.

2. Cheung Chau Bun Festival – Hong Kong | May

In the days leading up to this festival, towers of sweet buns up to 60 metres high line the streets of Cheung Chau. On this day, contestants try to climb these towers and grab as many buns as possible. Sign us up!

3. Kanamara Matsuri Festival – Japan | April

This religious festival is dedicated to all things phallic and features penis-shaped lollipops, new penis jars, giant penis statues, penis-themed souvenirs, phallic vegetable carving workshops… you get the idea!

4. Baby Jumping Fiesta – Spain | June

That’s not a typo, at this festival you jump over babies lying on blankets. The fiesta takes place in Castillo de Murcia and is full of culture, religion, local traditions and heart-stopping excitement.

5. Busó Festival – Mohács, Hungary | March

Dating back to the 18th century, this festival features men dressed as horned devils, or “Busós”, trying to ward off the cold. It’s a terrifying sight, but all for a good cause: summer!

6. Yorkshire Pudding Boat Race – Brawby, United Kingdom | June

For those not from the UK, Yorkshire pudding is a savoury accompaniment to the traditional Sunday roast, made with eggs, flour and milk. However, the puddings on show at this festival are not for eating, but for racing across Bob Pond’s in the village of Brawby. The huge Yorkshire puddings are first painted with yachting varnish to reduce sogginess.

7. World Air Guitar Championships – Finland | August

Pure rock and roll without instruments. The event takes place in Finland and promotes world peace, as the organisers themselves say, “According to the air guitar ideology, wars would end, climate change would stop and all bad things would disappear if all the people in the world played air guitar.”

8. La Pourcailhade (Pig Festival) – Trie-sur-Baïse, France | August

Enjoy sausage eating, pig races and a pig imitation competition all in one place. How do you say “oink oink” in French?

9. La Tomatina – Spain | August

One of the most famous festivals on this list, La Tomatina is a chaotic mass tomato battle in the streets of Bunol. This festival isn’t free, but it’s definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area this summer and you like tomatoes.

10. Krampusnacht – Germany | December

Krampusnacht takes place every year on the night before December 6 and features Krampus, a sort of anti-Santa. Every year St. Nicholas gives presents to well-behaved children, while naughty children receive a lump of coal from Krampus.

11. Monkey Banquet in Lopburi – Thailand | November

Three thousand monkeys feasting on fruit and vegetables, ice cream and other foods – you have our attention! Why not stop by and experience the monkey madness and maybe make a few new furry friends?

12. Battle of the Oranges – Ivrea, Italy | February

Every year the people of Ivrea split into teams and reenact the 1194 revolt against the king, but with a fruity twist – they use oranges instead of guns! Get ready for the biggest food fight in Italy.

13. World Swamp Snorkelling Championships – Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales | August

People from all over the world, armed with snorkels and fins, try to see how fast they can complete the 120-metre route across the bog. To say this event is intense would be an understatement.

14. Underwater Music Festival – Florida, USA | July

Divers, snorkelers and musicians dressed in whimsical sailor costumes come together in Florida every year for the Underwater Music Festival. Participants pantomime music using specially sculpted underwater musical instruments.

15. World Finger Wrestling Championships – Ashbourne, United Kingdom | August

Have you ever wanted to measure your fingers with a complete stranger? Toe wrestling involves two people sitting across from each other with their toes intertwined and ready to fight. The one whose foot has to touch the side of the “toe” loses. Smack down!

16. Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling – Cooper’s Hill, United Kingdom | May

Competitors take their lives into their own hands at this weird but wonderful Gloucestershire cheese festival. The concept is pretty simple: big Gouda cheeses roll down Cooper’s Hill and enthusiastic ‘cheese chasers’ chase them frantically.

17. Up-Helly Aa – St Ninian’s Isle, Scotland | January

At Europe’s largest bonfire festival, local men on St. Ninian’s Isle dress up as Vikings and light things on fire. The event celebrates the end of the Yule season with flaming torches and a flaming replica of a Viking longboat, which is paraded around the town of Lerwick.

18. Gilroy Garlic Festival – California, USA | July

The Garlic Festival in Gilroy, California is the largest and arguably the most fragrant food festival in the world. Be sure to try the free garlic ice cream – it’s, ahem, interesting!

19. Noche de los Rabanos” (Radish Night) – Mexico |December

The name sounds like something out of a horror movie, but don’t be fooled – this festival is a real work of art. Every year, radish growers from all over Oaxaca gather here to carve abnormally large radishes into intricate sculptures depicting historical scenes.

20. International Hair Freezing Competition – Yukon, Canada | March

People freeze their hair into strange and fantastical shapes using only water and the freezing Canadian air in this annual competition that features fierce battles.

21. Day of the Dead Festival – Mexico | November

This holiday is traditionally celebrated throughout Mexico and is visually very similar to Halloween. This day is focused on family gatherings to remember the deceased.

22. Beer Floats – Finland | August

Do you like to drink beer? How about floating down a river on a boat or makeshift raft? If you answered “yes” to at least one of these questions, then this festival is for you! This annual event (also known as Kaljakellunta) is located near Helsinki and doesn’t really have an official organiser.

23.Floating Lantern Festival – Hawaii | May

Each year, more than 40,000 people gather on the shores of Hawaii to launch lanterns into the water in honor of loved ones and to symbolize hope for the future. The festival creates some of the most visually impressive scenes in the world.

24. Batalla del Vino Haro – Spain | June

The festival is full of wine-focused competitions. The main event is the Battle of the Wine, which features a huge wine duel – get your supersoaker ready!

Do you have any tips for weird festivals? Leave them in the comments below! If you want to see even more weird festivals, check out our Pinterest board for the world’s weirdest festivals…

Thanks to the event organizers for the excellent photos and to Rud-gr, Caravanum, CaptainOates, Drew Leavy and Randal Sheppard for the excellent photos. Please note that they were under a Creative Commons license at the time of publication.