The World’s Most Unique and Interesting Festivals

From body painting festivals to baby jumping competitions, these are some of the world’s most unique and interesting festivals.

1. Body Painting Festival, Austria – Every year, thousands of people flock to Austria for the annual Body Painting Festival. The event sees artists from all over the world come together to create incredible works of art on human bodies.

2. Baby Jumping Festival, Spain – This annual festival in Castrillo de Murcia sees men dressed as devils jump over babies born in the previous year. The tradition dates back to the 16th century and is meant to protect infants from evil spirits.

3. La Tomatina, Spain – This famous tomato-throwing festival takes place in the town of Buñol every August. More than 10,000 people participate in the food fight, which leaves the streets covered in squashed fruit.

4. Cheese Rolling, England – This quirky annual event sees competitors race down a hill after a wheel of cheese. The first person to reach the bottom and catch the cheese wins.

5. Boryeong Mud Festival, South Korea – This unusual festival celebrates all things mud! Visitors can enjoy mud baths, mud massages, and even mud wrestling.

6. Monkey Buffet Festival, Thailand – This unique festival sees monkeys treated to an all-you-can-eat buffet of fruits, vegetables, and other monkey-friendly foods.

7. Up Helly Aa Fire Festival, Scotland – This annual festival shows participants dressed in Viking costumes and marching through the streets carrying torches. The event culminates in a spectacular firework display.

8. The Running of the Bulls, Spain – This famous festival takes place in Pamplona and sees people run through the streets ahead of a group of bulls.

9. Kanamara Matsuri, Japan – The “Festival of the Steel Phallus,” this unusual event celebrates fertility and features a large wooden phallus being paraded through the streets.

10. Burning Man, USA – This annual event in the Nevada desert is dedicated to self-expression and creativity. Visitors can enjoy art installations, live music, and more.

11. Songkran Water Festival, Thailand – This popular festival is held every April to mark the Thai New Year. Revelers take to the streets armed with water guns and buckets to soak anyone and everyone in sight!

12. Burning Man, Nevada – This annual event attracts thousands of people to the Nevada desert. The week-long festival is dedicated to self-expression and creativity and culminates in the burning of a large wooden man effigy.

13. Oktoberfest, Germany – This world-famous festival is held in Munich every year and attracts millions of visitors.

14. Day of the Dead, Mexico – This important Mexican holiday celebrates the lives of those who have passed away. Families create altars with photos and memorabilia and visit graveyards to clean and decorate headstones.

15. Mardi Gras, New Orleans – This famous American festival celebrates life and enjoys itself. Revelers dress up in costumes and parade through the streets, while others participate in parties and celebrations.

16. World Bodypainting Festival, Austria – This festival is the world’s largest gathering of bodypainting artists. Held annually in Austria, the event features some incredible works of art on human bodies.

17. Kanamara Matsuri, Japan – This unusual festival celebrates penises! The event features a large wooden phallus that is paraded through the streets, and there are also plenty of penis-shaped sweets on offer.

18. Hadaka Matsuri, Japan – Also known as the Naked Festival, this annual event sees nearly 10,000 men gather at a temple to compete for good luck. The participants don traditional loincloths and attempt to grab lucky sticks thrown into the crowd.