Few events encompass a culture’s core values and most traditional features quite like a festival. No matter what you are seeking this year, a festival may be part of the answer. That may be a celebration bursting with passion and colour that lasts long into the night, like the
. Or a peaceful affair dedicated to symbolism and natural splendour, like hanami in Japan. These events offer the ideal opportunity to immerse yourself in a culture entirely unlike your own.Â
Festivals often vividly depict the history, culture and beliefs that underpin contemporary societies. More often than not, experiencing a cultural festival will become the centrepiece of your trip. Furthermore, they are frequently the first memory that comes to mind when reminiscing about your adventures.
The mere mention of Rio de Janeiro creates images of excitable street parties, free-flowing caipirinhas, and outfits of immeasurable flamboyance. An entire city dancing into the early morning hours. The world’s largest carnival is a veritable hotspot for anyone looking to let their hair down truly. We recommend tours that take you right into the heart of the festivities, staying close to the biggest Rio Carnival event of them all – the Sambadrome.
From April 13th-15th of every year Thailand becomes drenched as it plays host to the world’s largest water fight. A celebration of the Thai New Year and symbolising purification, Songkran is cathartic and so much fun. Locals and tourists alike take aim with water pistols and buckets to drench everyone who crosses their path. Chiang Mai, in the north, sees the most extravagant festival celebrations unfold in street after street of aquatic chaos. Â
Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a festival honouring loved ones who have passed. It dates back to pre-Columbian times in Mexico. The festival welcomes the spirits of the dead, believed to return to the land of the living. Colourful costumes, decorated skull masks, and makeup are worn as vibrant displays of love and happiness. The joyful celebrations run from 30th October to November 2nd every year.
An explosion of colour and happiness, Holi Festival has its echoes in festivals around the world. The festival’s true home, however, is in India, where it originated. Holi, which occurs in March at the start of spring, is a day for love and forgiveness. The festival sees people dance, laugh, and launch brightly coloured powder at each other. Parties tend to continue into the night and are particularly raucous in India’s northern regions.Â
Coinciding with the blooming of the cherry blossoms around the end of March, Hanami signals the arrival of spring after the depths of winter. More peaceful than some other festivals, during Hanami locals gather under the cherry blossoms in parks and public spaces to enjoy a picnic feast with friends and family. The true joy of hanami is witnessing Japan at its most quintessentially picturesque, with the gently sloping roofs of ancient temples emerging through the delicately rose-tinged sea of cherry blossom. Some parks hang paper lanterns in the evening, adding a magical touch for those planning to enjoy the blossoms through to the chilly evenings.
Responsible for one of the largest human migrations on the planet as relatives reunite across the nation, Chinese New Year is a time for family gatherings and chaotic celebration. During the celebrations China becomes a sea of red, as lanterns are hung, fireworks are fired and doors are adorned with paper hangings. This represents luck and protection against fabled beasts, such as Nian, who was said to have been afraid of anything with a crimson hue. The festivities are also a time to remember and honour ancestors, before concluding with the magnificent lantern festival on the night of the first full moon. It is a cultural phenomenon and a real feast for the senses.
Unlike the chaos of Songkran’s water fights, Loy Krathong is one of Thailand’s most relaxing. This lantern festival is held at the end of the rainy season. The festival sees locals light candles and send them down local waterways on krathongs – small, elaborately decorated boats traditionally constructed from leaves – as well as releasing countless paper lanterns into the night sky as a peaceful yet dramatic symbol of respect to water spirits or to represent a wish for the coming seasons. The warm glow of thousands of lights glimmering on the water’s tranquil surface and gracefully floating through the clear night skies is a spellbinding sight.
Argentina is the home of tango! Whether you are a tango master or an absolute novice, the Tango Festival held in Buenos Aires every August is an event that should not be missed. Brimming with passionate elegance, this event attracts some of the most talented tango dancers in the world for a two week extravaganza and also incorporates the Tango World Cup, where 400 dancers go head to head to be crowned the best of the best. The festival includes all things associated with the dance style, from live tango music to tango-inspired theatre, and is an excellent chance to vividly experience the tango lifestyle in the city that it calls home.Â
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