10 unmissable summer festivals with a twist
Lebowski Fest, 11-12th July 2014, Louisville, Kentucky Dedicated to all things Dude, Lebowski Fest’s been running for a whopping 12 years and offers White Russians, unlimited bowling, costume contests and special guests. The Dude abides at Lebowski Fest and we couldn’t think of a better summer festival.
Image via @ Lebowski Fest
Full Moon Party, 13th July, 08th September 2014, Koh Phangan, Thailand If we could choose one word to describe the Full Moon Parties of Koh Phangan it would be: epic. Shirtless, shoeless tourists dance all night at the biggest beach party in the world, where you’ll find plastic buckets that hold a litre of vodka and Red Bull. Told you it was epic.
Full Moon Party via @ Wikicommons
La Tomatina, 27th 2014 August, Valencia, Spain What is it with the Spanish and food fighting parties? Thousands descend on Bunol near Valencia every year to throw around 100 tonnes of tomatoes at each other. The festival goes on for a week, with music, parades, fireworks and dancing and finishes with around 40,000 tomato throwers pummeling each other with the ripe fruit.
La Tomatina via @ Wikicommons
World Body Painting Festival, 29th June – 6th July 2014 Portscach, Austria An amazing display of special effects makeup, fireworks, a body circus and plenty of workshops, demos and master classes the World BodyPainting Festival is the most colourful event in Austria. It will absolutely leave your jaw hanging open at the sheer beauty and magic make up can achieve.
Image via @ Wikicommons
Street Performance World Championship, 19th – 20th July 2014, Cork, Ireland A free festival based in the centres of Dublin and Cork cities sees acrobats, sword swallowers, jugglers, and fire breathers battle it out for the title, while face painting, playgrounds and a busker’s stage ensures there’s something fun for all ages.
image via @ spwc.ie
Fiesta de San Fermin, 6-14th July 2014, Pamplona, Spain Also known as the ‘Running of the Bulls’ the truly will feel right at home during Pamplona’s Fiesta de San Fermin is a must-do. Six of the beasts are let loose from their corral and the mozos, or adrenaline junkies who want to get involved, race the bulls and try not to get themselves gored. A riot of colour, music, dance, fireworks and of course… bulls. 
Pamplona Image via @ Wikicommons
Annual Testicle Festival, 13th &14th June 2014, Montana, USA Speaking of bulls, if a festival dedicated to serving deep friend bull testicles sounds like your cup of tea, you need to head to the US state of Montana, where for $5 you can grab a sampler plate of (we’re told) very tasty bull balls.
Image via @ Wikicommons
Burning Man Festival, 25th August – 1st September 2014, Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA Not a regular festival, Burning Man prides itself on thousands of people who come together every year to create a community for one week, all totally self reliant and filled with art, music and culture. Don’t expect big name acts on huge stages, but do expect a life changing experience.
Image via @ Wikicommons
Air Guitar World Championships, 27-30th August 2014, Oulu, Finland The hottest of the hot air guitarists from around the world will put on their imaginary guitars, pick up an invisible microphone and rock out like no one before. One of the funnest festivals going.
Image via @ Air Guitar World Championships
Boryeong Mud Festival, 18-28th 2014 July, South Korea Forget your Glastonbury and Download Festivals, when it comes to frolicking around in the mud, this festival is streets ahead. The Boryeong Mud Flats provide that mud that’s brought to the Daecheon beach which becomes the Mud Experience Land. There are mud pools, slides, a mud prison and a mud skiing competition. Count us in for these unmissable summer festivals with a twist.
Mud Fest via @ Mud fest
