Purple Tips: 11 Amazing Festivals 2014
Give your holiday a boost this year by combining it with an amazing festival. Whether you want to knock back pints of Guinness on St Patrick’s Day or fancy giving the air guitar world championship a go, you won’t miss out with our guide to some amazing festivals 2014.
Venice Carnival In the days leading up to Ash Wednesday the Venice Carnival is in full swing. Carnevale di Venezia is an elegant throwback to 18th century opulence. The bright and beautiful of the Italian city’s social scene arrive cloaked and masked for energetic, but pricey parties. Ideal for a luxurious weekend away. Venice Carnival happens between February 14th and March 4th 2014.
Venice Carnival via @ Heatherbroster
St Patrick’s Day There is no better place to celebrate St Patrick’s Day than the Irish capital city of Dublin. It’s not limited to drinking pints, (although you can if you want!) the city pulls out all the stops for a wonderful festival with live music, dancing, parades and free events all over the place. It’s a top choice for a very quick city break, Dublin is just a hop, skip and a jump from the UK. St Patrick’s Say is celebrated on March 17th 2014.
St Patrick’s Day via @ k4dordy
Les Festes de la Merce Watch human pyramids and bump into devils in the street at Barcelona’s huge Les Festes de la Merce. Every corner is filled with life from folks dancing, street dining and drinking and fire running. But the highlight has to be the the castellers or human pyramids that can reach up to eight stories high. Just remember to bring your camera. Les Festes de la Merce happens from 20th to 24th of September 2014.
Image via @ Cargolins
EXIT Festival Already announced for this year’s EXIT festival in Novi Sad are Skrillex, Rudimental and Koven, with plenty more set to be revealed before the show in July. EXIT’s an award-winning, kick ass festival holiday, held in an old Fortress in Serbia. Make a proper holiday of it at Exit from July 10th to 14th and continue on to Sea Dance Festival on the beautiful Jaz Beach, Montenegro from 15th to 17th.
Exit Fest via @ Tamburix
Oil Wrestling Competition Strong men, covered in oil, wrestling each other, I don’t think there’s much more needed to describe the Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Tournament in Erdine, Turkey. Dating back to 1346, this year’s festival takes place from June 19-July 5 2014.
Kirkpinar image via@ wikicommons
Naked Sledding World Championship In the German town of Braunlage, clothes-free competitors gather to go head first on a toboggan in front of a crowd of 25,000 or so people. We think that easily falls into the most amazing festivals 2014 list. What makes them want to take part? Is it the $1000 prize money or the fact that organisers tend to pick particularly good looking participants? Takes place on Feb 15th and is ever-so-slightly NSFW. Brits can apply to take part here.
La Tomatina Again the Spanish know how to get festivals right. Held in the small town of Bunol, participants hurl tomatoes at each other just for fun. Held on the last Wednesday of August, it’s known as the World’s Biggest Food Fight and has added fireworks, parades and dancing and any one time, between 40,000 and 50,000 people get involved! Flights are available to Valencia and from there Bunol is just 38 km away.
La Tomatina via @ grahammclellan
World Air Guitar Championship Ah come on! How could you not enjoy a piece of the action at Finland’s biggest party? Airheads from all over the world gather to fiercely battle it out on invisible guitars. How about making it a stag do with a difference? The 19th Championship will be held in Oulu from 27-30 August 2014.
Air Guitar via @ Benimoto
Oktoberfest Go to Munich for beers, bratwurst, brass bands and buxom waitresses. If you’ve never been to Oktoberfest why not do it this year? Circus style tents house thousands of people at huge communal table where you can drink a skinful from huge pitchers. You’ll be an expert at saying Prost as you knock back a skinful of 13.5% Reinheitsgetbot brew from litre sized pitchers! Ironically Oktoberfest kicks off on September 20th.
Image via @ Wikicommons
Holi Festival Known as the festival of Colors, the Holi Festival celebrates the end of winter by playing, chasing and throwing coloured dyes. Music, singing and dancing fills the streets of many towns and cities in India, Sri Lanka and Hindu Regions. Holi Festival takes place on March 27th 2014.
Holi festival via @ fotopedia
Albuquerque International Balloon Festival Albuequerque might be famous for Breaking Bad, but there’s more to it than that as this festival shows. Hot air balloons of all shapes, colours and sizes take to the skies over the New Mexico town. It makes the perfect photo opportunity. The festival is taking place from October 5-13th 2014.
Image via @ Joe Ross
