The urge to party is arguably the coolest similarity we share as a species. For thousands of years, whether to honor a god or express the end of a harvest season, people have managed to find reasons to have a good time. Traveling for a festival is a lens for understanding the history and traditions of a particular place, and it reveals the unique ways cultures find joy. Plus, they’re simply fun to experience.
Fancy a flower crown–studded celebration in Sweden, or a tiger-themed dance in India? Check out these nine festivals worth a visit around the globe.
1. Cacería del Zorro
Ecuador
The annual Cacería del Zorro in Ibarra, Ecuador, resembles a combination of horse racing, tag, and foxhunting. “Instead of hedges and moors, riders navigate mountain roads and precipitous drops (called piñearoles),” Afar contributor Karen Catchpole reports. “Then everyone who has made it through these challenges without falling off his or her horse (or getting injured) can head to a specially designed racetrack where, instead of a fox, they pursue a rider dressed as Zorro. What could go wrong?”
The Zorro Hunt began in 1972, allegedly inspired by annual deer hunts, and over time evolved into a popular event. People watch from the stands, drink plenty of beer, and enjoy the festival, which occurs every first week of October.
Dancers in traditional costumes perform at the Latvian National Song and Dance Festival.
Photo by StockPhotosLV/Shutterstock
2. Latvian Song and Dance Celebration
Latvia
Performing folk songs and twirling in traditional, multicolored garments is an important form of preservation in Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania. These song and dance celebrations have been a way of asserting identity—and even independence—through their histories, and they are recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
In Latvia, thousands of locals will gather in the country’s capital to sing, dance, and celebrate their heritage during the Latvian Song and Dance Celebration, which goes back to 1873 and happens every five years (the next one will be in 2028). The 2023 rendition drew 40,000 participants and half a million attendees—to give a sense of scale, Latvia’s population is about 1.9 million.
Midsommar is a traditional Swedish celebration.
Photo by Yumania/Shutterstock
3. Midsommar
Sweden
Every summer solstice, fairy-tale scenes play out during Sweden’s Midsommar: People wear floral crowns, young women put flowers underneath their pillow to dream of their future lover, and people hoist up maypoles with wooden pikes. The annual festival celebrates the connection of humans with nature and is full of tradition. If you want to experience this for yourself, head out of the city to countryside towns like Enviken and Rattvik. There you can experience a plethora of traditions. Common ones include eating fresh potatoes (known as färskpotatis) with dill, singing drinking songs, and enjoying lawn games like croquet.
For the first time in its 200-year history, women joined the tiger festival in 2016
Photo by Subin Pullazhy
4. Onam
India
Records show that the town of Thrissur has celebrated its harvest festival, Onam, since at least 300 C.E. The biggest feature of this event in Kerala (one of India’s southern states) is the Pulikali—also known as the Tiger Dance—where people dress up as tigers and perform a traditional folk dance for thousands to see.
For more than two centuries, this cultural performance has been a staple for men, but in 2016 the event formally opened up to women, allowing everyone to join in on the festivity. During Pulikali, local organizations known as deshams bring anywhere from 10 to 50 “tigers” for folk-dance performances. According to Afar contributor Nikhita Venogupal, these performances are scenes “where participants play the roles of hunters and tigers, timing their movements to the rhythm of traditional percussion instruments called the thakil, udukku, and chenda.”
During the Venice Biennale, you can find memorable sculptures like Lorenzo Quinn’s “Support”.
Photo by Marco Rubino/Shutterstock
5. Venice Biennale
Italy
For a country so well-known for its contributions to arts and culture, Italy is understandably one of the best places to catch artists from around the world during the Venice Biennale, which occurs every two years (the 2024 Biennale takes place until November 24). The more than 120-year-old celebration is popular for its national pavilions, which are dedicated to different countries showcasing creative work. There are two locations for these pavilions: Giardini features around 30 permanent pavilions and Arsenale’s pavilions are usually temporary.
The city also has plenty of places to get off the tourist trail should you want to escape the crowds.
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival was established in 1970.
Photo by Adam McCullough/Shutterstock
6. New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
Louisiana
“At most festivals, you catch a few bands. At Jazz Fest, they catch you,” Afar deputy editor Tim Chester says. “Music is everywhere. It’s unavoidable.”
It’s no surprise New Orleans’s Jazz & Heritage Festival is an in-your-face celebration (hello, Mardi Gras!) and appropriately so. This city is where jazz was born, after all. Unsurprisingly, the city goes all out for its Jazz & Heritage Festival in the spring, bringing internationally recognized artists—2024’s lineup included Hozier, the Foo Fighters, and the Rolling Stones—as well as local talent. When the festival closes at night, head to the French Quarter and Frenchmen Street and keep the good times rolling.
During the Fiesta of Sant Joan, you can see people try to touch a horse’s chest for good luck.
Photo by Wolf-photography/Shutterstock
7. Fiesta of Sant Joan de Ciutadella
Spain
Journey to Minorca off the east coast of Spain’s mainland and you can enjoy more than gorgeous beaches. This Balearic island is where the Minorcan horse originates. Every year in June, the coal-black breed prances through the streets of Ciutadella during the island’s San Juan festival. Riders known as caixers saddle up in honor of St. John, the patron saint of the city. Some who watch the spectacle attempt to touch the horses’ chests for good luck.
Watch colorful hot air balloons dot the sky during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
Photo by Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock
8. Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
New Mexico
The International Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico has humble origins, beginning in 1972 when 13 hot air balloons were launched from a parking lot. Now more than 500 hot air balloons float through the air in an event that takes place for nine days every October. The Dawn Patrol kicks off the event at around 6 a.m., when pilots ensure that weather conditions are safe for the day. Then all participating balloons float to the sky about an hour later to the tune of “The Star Spangled Banner” in an event known as the Mass Ascension.
The most popular event, however, is the Special Shape Rodeo. During the event, hot air balloons that look like animals, cartoon characters, and other wacky designs are launched above Balloon Fiesta Park.
Performers at the Fringe advertise their shows on the Royal Mile.
Photo by jan kranendonk/Shutterstock
9. Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Scotland
Even if you haven’t heard about the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, you’ve probably heard of actors and comedians who’ve gotten their start here, including Judi Dench, Jude Law, and Rowan Atkinson (known for his role as Mr. Bean). In August, the world’s largest performing arts festival puts on thousands of shows throughout hundreds of venues for almost four weeks. In 2023, the Fringe hosted more than 3,000 shows and drew 2.4 million to its many venues. During this time, shows take place in rented spaces like restaurants and schools as well as outdoors. The heart of it all is along Edinburgh’s High Street, as theater companies perform scenes in the pedestrian area to draw in spectators.
