The Ballater Highland Games is a rugged Scottish sports and heritage event held in a green valley near Balmoral Castle. Since 1864, it has featured kilted athletes throwing massive logs, bagpipe duels, and traditional dancing. Known as “The Friendly Games,” it offers a raw, unpolished look at Highland culture, where local clansmen and elite competitors share the same field.

Kandy Esala Perahera is an event during which Sinhalese people show their appreciation for the Lord Buddha. The central element of the festivity is the Sacred Tooth – an alleged piece of the Buddha’s earthly remains. They start having this event more than 1000 years ago. During all these years many traditions were created and many others were forgotten. But because this event is so old, it manages, at least for 10 days a year, to keep alive the most important of them.

The Zheravna Festival of the National Costume is a massive gathering where 19th-century village life is recreated. To preserve an authentic atmosphere, traditional clothing is mandatory for all participants, while modern technology and items are strictly restricted. The event features spontaneous folk dancing that keeps the energy high throughout the day, hearty traditional food served in clay dishes, and a busy market filled with master craftsmen demonstrating traditional skills.

La Tomatina is a world-famous event where the small town of Buñol turns into a giant arena for a one-hour tomato fight. The battle begins after someone climbs a greased pole to grab a ham, triggering a chaotic mess with over 150 tons of tomatoes. Thousands of people join this unique tradition, throwing tomatoes until the streets turn into a red sea of tomato pulp.

The Sepik River Crocodile Festival is a major cultural and environmental celebration held in Ambunti, Papua New Guinea, dedicated to honoring the crocodile, which is revered by the Sepik people as a totemic ancestor. Its main attractions are the dramatic traditional sing-sings, where various tribes perform elaborate masked dances in stunning body paint, and a vibrant display of intricate wood carvings that showcase the region’s rich artistic heritage.

The Festima Mask Festival is the largest cultural event in West Africa dedicated to preserving and celebrating the culture of the traditional African mask. Its most famous attraction is the performance of hundreds of diverse traditional masks (made of materials like leaves, wood, and textile) from various ethnic groups across West African nations. During the festival, mask wearers perform energetic, ritualistic dances set to traditional music, which symbolize the communication with ancestors and spirits.