Last week I was chilling in my usual spot – an infinity pool somewhere in Europe – when someone asked me what makes travelling actually worth it. The answer hit me like that time I dropped my phone in a Venice canal. Its the festivals, you guys. Since I quit my office job to travel, I’ve found out something crazy about European festivals – they straight up change your life.
1. Glastonbury Festival: More Than Just Music
You ever seen 200,000 people in a giant farm having the time of their lives. Its wild. The place is huge – like 900 acres huge – and has got more than 100 stages everywhere you look. Some people doing circus tricks, others playing rock music, and theres even this radio station right there in the middle of it all.
The coolest thing they do? Every five years, they just… stop. Let everything rest. The land, the people, everything just takes a breather.
2. Tomorrowland: Where Fairy Tales Come True
Listen up cause this ones crazy. Theres this place in Belgium called Boom (yeah thats really its name) where 400,000 people from basically everywhere show up to party. Its like someone took a fantasy book and made it real.
The wild part is they got their own money there called Pearls. And get this – you can even go to a winter version in the French Alps if summer ain’t your thing!
3. La Tomatina: Spain’s Great Big Food Fight
Ok so picture this scene. Your in this Spanish town called Buñol, and for exactly 60 minutes, everyone just throws tomatoes at each other. I mean EVERYONE. Like 145,000 kg of tomatoes flying everywhere!
Had to learn this one the hard way – them tomatoes actually clean the streets when its all over. Weird science stuff with the acid or whatever.
4. Venice Carnival: Party Like Its 1799
You know whats cool. A party thats been going since before America was even a thing. The Venice Carnival is just that old. People wear these crazy masks and costumes, and nobody knows who anybody is.
One time I saw someone literally flying down from this big tower (ok they was on a rope but still). They call it the Flight of the Angel and its probably the coolest thing you’ll ever see.
5. Oktoberfest: Beer O’Clock in Munich
Fun fact – Oktoberfest happens mostly in September. Makes no sense right? But after you’ve had some of that special Munich beer, you won’t even care what month it is.
The whole thing started cause some prince got married way back in 1810. Now its just this massive party where people drink like 7 million liters of beer. Not even kidding about that number!
6. Edinburgh Fringe: Where Anything Goes
You guys wanna hear something nuts. This festival started cause eight theater groups showed up to another festival without being invited. Now its the biggest arts party in the whole world!
I saw this one show in someones bathroom once. For real. Thats what makes this festival so awesome – you never know what your gonna get.
7. Sziget: Party on an Island
So theres this island in Budapest where people just party for a whole week. They call it the Island of Freedom, which sounds kind of cheesy but actually makes sense when your there.
Last time I went, I ended up learning Hungarian folk dance at 3 AM from some guy who turned out to be a famous dancer. Just another normal night at Sziget!
Know what the best part is about all these festivals? You come back with stories that nobody believes are real. But they are. I got the photos to prove it (and maybe a few scars from La Tomatina).
Want more wild festival stories? Drop a comment below! And yes, I’ll tell you about that time I accidentally joined a parade at Venice Carnival dressed as a pizza…
