Stuck for ideas on where to go for your gap year? Try planning your year around annual events rather than destinations. Here are our top 5 international festivals that you need to go see!
Glastonbury
Where: Pilton, Somerset, England.
When: Every June.
Glastonbury started back in 1970 when the hippy culture movement was in full swing. Glastonbury hasn’t kept to its roots and these days has changed into something else entirely, but some original concepts are still alive such as can be seen in the Healing Fields and Peace Garden.
Modern-day Glastonbury isn’t a quaint folk festival anymore but, it is the largest open-field festival on Earth and something everyone should do at least once.
Some of the biggest names in music come down every year to play for crowds of anywhere from 130,000 to 150,000.
For some reason known only to the gods of festivals Glastonbury more often than not sees rainy weather which tends to turn the rural surroundings into a mud bath of epic proportions. Which in turn (and also for some indescribable reason) seems to add to the fun and frivolity and general enjoyment for festival goers.
No matter what your musical tastes you’ll find something to enjoy. Far from the main stage you’ll find one-man-bands, indie groups, DJ’s and more. If you ever get tired of the music there is always theatre, comedy, film screenings and cabaret to keep you entertained.
For total immersion most festival goers camp here for at least one of the five nights. Options range from decadent glamping choices to segregated fields each with their own demographic including quieter spaces for families and those who don’t want to party all night.
Glastonbury is expensive and can a sizeable dent in your wallet. However, some life experiences are so unique it is hard to quantify their value and Glastonbury definitely qualifies.
Mardi Gras
Where: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
When: Over Lent (dates change every year, but it usually falls on February or March).
Sometimes called the world’s biggest party, Mardi Gras is a five-day celebration marked by incredible parades and wild parties.
Mardi Gras falls just before Lent and is French for Fat Tuesday, otherwise known as Shrove Tuesday (although these days, the parties start well before).
Records show that Mardi Gras festivals have been held around the world since the 17th century. In 1875 Mardi Gras became an official state holiday in Louisiana and the rest is history.
Each day of Mardi gras sees at least one major parade while the parties and masquerades continue throughout the week. It can be easy to lose track of what is happening with so much going on, but you can easily download the ‘Parade Tracker’ app which gives schedules and maps to your desired destination.
There’s only one rule in Mardi Gras: At midnight of Mardi Gras Day it all comes to complete stop. Mounted police strictly enforce this rule, clearing out those intend to try carry on the festivities.
La Tomatina
Where: Buñol, Valencia, Spain.
When: Late August every year.
The original food-fight festival has spawned a few copy-cat events around the world but if you want to enjoy the absolute ridiculousness of the first tomato-based battle-royal, head down to Valencia in Spain in August for an hour of total mayhem.
As far as world festivals go this is one of the shortest – just an hour – but it’s an experience unlike any other and definitely worth a visit!
Since 1945, the people of Valencia have taken to the streets of their town every year to pelt each other with tomatoes.
At some point, word got out that massive food fights are fun and over time, more and more people made their way here to take part. Eventually the thousands of attendees became a bit of a safety issue and now the festival is restricted to 20,000 participants.
In an effort to keep things safe and friendly, organizers have a set of rules which include squashing tomatoes before throwing them, following any security staff advice and not tearing clothing.
After an hour a starter pistol will indicate the end of the fight and the clean-up operation begins.
If you want to join in, old clothes and waterproof cameras are essential (we also recommend goggles).
Rio Carnaval
Where: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
When: February/March
One of the world’s largest carnivals, Rio Carnaval brings in almost two million people every year for six days just before Lent.
It is a crazy mix music, dancing, high energy parades and crazy costumes. Although there are a few mina attractions for which is known, Carnaval is a collection of mini festivals that range from organised events spontaneous outbreaks of dance and music.
Carnaval started as a pagan street carnival but has since become slightly more tame and moved most events to the purpose-built Sambadrome which is a ticket-only spectacle.
If you don’t fancy paying, head to the city during Carnaval and find yourself a street festival – something very common over the duration of Rio Carnaval.
Carnivale di Venezia
Where: VeniceItaly.
When: End of January/beginning of February.
Very much in theme with its’ pagan roots is the collection of events known as Carnivale di Venezia.
The history of Carnivale di Venezia is patchy, but its origin is thought to go back to the 12th century. In the 1800’s the whole thing was outlawed completely and wearing masks of any kind strictly forbidden.
In the 19th century the carnival started to emerge again but didn’t catch on until the 1970’s when the city’s government really pushed the idea to help showcase Venice’s art and culture.
Carnivale is all about masks and elaborate costumes reminiscent of 18th century Venetians. You can experience Carnivale without a mask, but that’s generally considered poor form and besides, it’s all about getting into the spirit.
You’ll find a huge amount of mask shops selling everything from cheap imports to expensive works of art.
There are a few mask styles that are crowd favourites, such as the long-beaked medico della peste (aka. Plague doctor mask). The white porcelain volto (aka. Phantom of the opera mask) is arguably the most iconic and wearers tend to add a tricorn hat and sweeping cloak for the full effect.
Besides the dress-up, Venice’s Carnivale is a packed full of parties and masked balls where costume is mandatory. Most balls carry a hefty price tag, with the most extravagant – the Grand Masquerade Ball – having a price tag of around 850 Euros.
If you are thinking of taking a gap year, then consider our Gap Year Training Courses.