Madurai Pongal is a Hindu harvest event during which locals cook, practice food sharing, set eye-catching patterns in front of their homes and put colorful garlands on cattle. Cultural centers organize ritual cooking, handicrafts fairs, traditional dance sessions and community sports including the controversial Jallikattu (the cattle race).

The Selçuk Camel Wrestling Festival (Deve Güreşi) is an ancient Turkish sport where decorated male Tülü camels are incited to wrestle for dominance by the presence of a female during mating season. The main contest is preceded on the day before by a colorful town parade and a formal camel beauty pageant, all part of a vibrant, carnival-like celebration.

The “Sinulog – Santo Niño” Festival is the Philippines’ grandest annual celebration, honoring the Santo Niño de Cebú (the Holy Child Jesus) – the sacred statuette given by Ferdinand Magellan to the local queen in 1521, which symbolizes the birth of Christianity in the country. Its most famous attractions are the Sinulog Grand Parade – a massive street dance competition with movements mimicking a river’s flow – and the deeply devotional events, such as the Fluvial Procession.

Venice Carnival is a city-wide festival where people use 18th-century costumes and masks to enjoy a final period of excess before the Easter fasting. This two-week event turns Venice into an open-air masquerade, celebrating a tradition where anonymity allowed citizens to ignore social rules. The atmosphere is complemented by boat parades on the canals and the “Flight of the Angel,” a traditional zip-line stunt from the main bell tower.

Praised as the “Queen of All Philippine Festivals”, the Iloilo Dinagyang Festival is a famous religious and cultural celebration that honors the Santo Niño (Holy Child Jesus). The main event is the visually stunning Ati Tribes Competition, a fierce street dance battle featuring performers in elaborate warrior costumes. It also includes the grand Kasadyahan Festival, a major cultural competition that showcases the distinct traditions and artistry from the Western Visayas region.

Up Helly Aa 2026 – Lerwick Viking Festival is a massive celebration of Shetland’s Norse heritage. The event features a spectacular torchlight procession where nearly a thousand local volunteers, known as Guizers, march in hand-crafted costumes. After the dramatic burning of a Viking longship, 45 to 50 diverse squads perform short shows in local halls, maintaining a century-old tradition of satire and celebration.