Europe is home to some of the world’s most unusual and fascinating festivals, each with its own quirky traditions. From fire festivals in Scotland to peculiar parades in Spain, these events are as bizarre as they are brilliant. If you're in the mood for something out of the ordinary, these festivals are a must-see.
In our opinion, these are Europe’s strangest festivals. Click through this gallery to see how we've ranked them...
The smaller, lesser-known sibling of Oktoberfest, Springfest (Frühlingsfest) in Munich marks the beginning of spring with two weeks of beer, music and Bavarian tradition. Held every April, Springfest offers all the delights of Oktoberfest – giant beer tents, traditional German food and carnival rides – but with a more relaxed and local atmosphere. It’s a fantastic alternative for those who want to experience Munich’s famous beer culture without the overwhelming crowds.
In the small town of Bessières, locals gather every Easter to cook a gigantic omelette using over 15,000 eggs in a huge skillet. This tradition allegedly dates back to Napoleon, who once enjoyed an omelette in the town and requested an enormous one for his soldiers. Similar festivals occur in other French towns, but Bessières’ omelette is among the largest and most famous.
In the town of Ivrea, Italy, The Battle of the Oranges takes place annually, and commemorates the fight against a tyrannical baron in the 12th century. Participants divide into teams and hurl oranges at one another in a chaotic street battle. Protective helmets are strongly recommended for this citrus-filled clash, but it’s all in good fun as the town celebrates its history.
Oulu, Finland, plays host to the Air Guitar World Championships, where competitors from around the world battle it out for the title of best air guitarist. Armed with invisible guitars, participants perform wild solos, judged on both technical skill and stage presence. The festival promotes world peace through the idea that 'if everyone played air guitar, they couldn’t hold guns'. Fair enough.
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While not necessarily bizarre, DogFest – held annually in Cheshire's Tatton Park – is definitely notable. This dog lovers festival offers a variety of activities for dogs and their owners, including agility courses, dog diving and 'canine cabaret' shows. There's also a chance for dogs to participate in fun competitions, such as best trick and best dressed. The event is an all-round celebration of dogs – a great day out for both pooches and their owners in the heart of Cheshire.
In the French Riviera town of Menton, February is all about citrus. The Fête du Citron (translated as The Lemon Festival) celebrates the region’s famous produce with stunning sculptures and floats made entirely of lemons and oranges. The festival’s pièce de résistance is the nighttime parade, where illuminated citrus creations roll through the streets accompanied by music and fireworks. It’s a zesty celebration that attracts visitors from all over the world.
Duke’s Day, or National Day, is Luxembourg’s biggest national celebration, held every 23 June. Originally intended to mark the birthday of the Grand Duke, the day is now a massive event filled with parades, fireworks and military displays. The capital, Luxembourg City, hosts concerts and street performances, while a torchlit procession and grand fireworks display light up the night. Although rooted in royal tradition, the day has evolved into a vibrant celebration of national pride.
Every June, the small town of Haro in Spain’s La Rioja region becomes the setting for an epic wine fight. Participants, armed with buckets, hoses and water guns filled with wine, drench each other in the region’s famous tipple. The event is part of a religious celebration, but today it’s just as much about soaking your friends in vino as it is about honouring the saints.
The Venice Carnival is one of the most famous and stunning festivals in the world. Held every February, the carnival is a celebration of opulence, elegance and mystery, with participants donning elaborate 18th-century costumes and intricate masks. The tradition dates back to the 13th century, originally allowing Venetians to conceal their identities and mingle with different social classes. Today, the carnival features grand parades, masked balls and stunning performances in Venice’s piazzas.
The Viking Festival in Hafnarfjörður, Iceland, is a tribute to the country’s Norse heritage. Every June, the coastal town transforms into a Viking village, with reenactments of battles, markets selling traditional crafts and performances of Viking music and storytelling. Attendees can try their hand at archery, sword fighting or even axe throwing. It offers an immersive experience in one of Iceland’s most historically significant regions.
Calcio Storico is a brutal and ancient form of football played in Florence’s Piazza Santa Croce every June. This medieval sport combines elements of football, rugby and wrestling, with teams representing different districts of Florence. It's notoriously rough, with players often tackling each other to gain possession of the ball. Despite its violent nature, Calcio Storico is a deeply cherished tradition in Florence, and the matches are followed by parades and historical reenactments.
Switzerland’s Fasnacht is a wild pre-Lenten carnival where masked revellers take to the streets for a three-day celebration of music, costumes and lantern parades. The city of Basel hosts one of the biggest and strangest versions, with participants dressed in elaborate, often eerie masks. The highlight is the 'Morgestraich' parade, which kicks off at 4am in complete darkness.
Dragobete, celebrated on 24 February, is Romania’s traditional 'day of love' – essentially the Romanian Valentine’s Day. Rooted in folklore, the festival honours Dragobete – a figure believed to bring love and happiness. Couples celebrate with dancing, singing and the gathering of spring flowers, while singles perform rituals in hopes of attracting love.
Walpurgisnacht, celebrated in the Harz Mountains of Germany on 30 April, is a mystical festival steeped in folklore. Known as 'Witches' Night', it's believed to be the night when witches gather to meet the devil on the Brocken Mountain. Today, locals and visitors don witch costumes and dance around bonfires to ward off evil spirits. The festival features fireworks, theatrical performances and music, creating an eerie atmosphere that blends ancient pagan traditions with modern celebrations.
Every June, the city of Porto celebrates the Festa de São João, a lively festival in honour of Saint John the Baptist. One of the festival's most bizarre and endearing traditions involves festival-goers hitting each other on the head with plastic hammers. The hammer taps are meant to bring good luck and are accompanied by fireworks, street parties and the release of colourful balloons.
This quirky English festival sees people competing to be crowned 'Mayor of Ock Street' in the town of Abingdon. The tradition, which dates back to the 16th century, involves a dance-off judged by the local Morris Dancing group. The winner holds the ceremonial title for a year and presides over town events, donning a special ribboned hat. Fancy.
The Carnival of Binche is one of Europe’s oldest and most unusual pre-Lenten celebrations. Clowns known as Gilles take to the streets in elaborate feathered hats and wax masks, throwing oranges into the crowd. The Gilles are said to ward off evil spirits, and their strange, centuries-old rituals attract tourists from all over Europe to witness this unique spectacle.
The streets of Buñol, near Valencia, turn into a red sea of tomato juice every August as thousands of participants pelt each other with overripe tomatoes. La Tomatina lasts only one hour, but the cleanup and post-fight celebrations go on for days. What started as a small food fight in 1945 has grown into one of Spain’s most famous – and messiest – festivals.
In the town of Ibi, Spain, residents engage in a flour fight as part of the Fiesta de los Enharinados. Dressed in military-style uniforms, participants engage in mock battles using flour, eggs and firecrackers. The town becomes a chaotic white battlefield, with residents competing to overthrow the 'oppressive' forces in charge. It’s a messy yet exhilarating celebration of local tradition.
Galicia’s Entroido is one of Spain’s most bizarre and wild carnivals. Participants wear (slightly terrifying) masks and parade through the streets, engaging in food fights and generally roguish antics. The highlight of the festival is the 'Trial of the Parrot', where a giant effigy of a parrot is put on trial, found guilty and ceremoniously burned. Poor Zazu.
Busójárás is an ancient pagan festival held in Mohács to chase away winter and welcome spring. Participants, known as Busós, wear elaborately carved wooden masks, fur and horns as they parade through the town, creating a raucous atmosphere with drums, cowbells and bonfires. The festival culminates in the burning of a symbolic straw figure, marking the end of winter. This somewhat eerie tradition has its roots in Hungary’s folklore, drawing visitors to experience its surreal energy each February.
Held in the village of Chipping Campden, the Cotswold Olympicks is a strange mix of traditional sports and more eccentric events. Competitors engage in shin-kicking (ouch), tug-of-war and sack races. The festival dates back to the 17th century and combines the spirit of the Olympics with rural English charm, making for an entertaining day out.
Every January, Lerwick in the Shetland Islands comes alive with the fiery spectacle of Up Helly Aa. This Viking-inspired festival sees locals donning traditional costumes and marching through the streets with flaming torches. The northern Mardi Gras, run entirely by volunteers, lasts just one day but takes several thousand people a year to organise. The grand finale? A full-sized Viking longship is set ablaze in a breathtaking display of fire and history.
In this strange water race, participants hollow out giant pumpkins and use them as boats to paddle across a lake. Held during Ludwigsburg’s annual pumpkin festival, the regatta features creative costumes, a sense of humour and fierce competition among 'pumpkin sailors'.
La Pourcailhade, also known as the Pig Festival, is held annually in the town of Trie-sur-Baïse, in southwestern France. This bizarre event celebrates all things porcine, with highlights including piglet races, sausage-eating contests and even a contest for the best pig imitation. The festival pays homage to the town’s agricultural roots, particularly its history as a pig-farming hub.
In the small Finnish town of Sonkajärvi, couples from around the world race through an obstacle course – with a twist. One partner carries the other on their back, navigating hurdles, water pools and challenging terrain. Although traditionally the man carried the woman, the race now welcomes any combination, allowing women to compete as carriers too. The fastest pair wins not only bragging rights but also the carried partner’s weight in beer. With origins loosely dating back to the 19th century, this quirky competition continues to attract adventurous duos seeking fun, teamwork and a shot at international glory.
Every October, the Scottish Highlands host a porridge-making competition like no other. Held in the village of Carrbridge, the Golden Spurtle awards prizes for both traditional porridge (just oats, water and salt) and more experimental creations. The competition has become fierce, with participants vying for the coveted Golden Spurtle trophy, named after the Scottish utensil used to stir porridge.
In Las Nieves on Spain's Canary Islands, this festival is dedicated to Saint Martha, the patron saint of resurrection. Participants who have had a near-death experience in the past year are carried in open coffins through the town in a strange parade of gratitude and thanksgiving. It’s a macabre yet fascinating tradition, drawing large crowds who come to witness this bizarre ritual.
In Brunsbüttel, Germany, teams from all over the world gather to compete in the Mud Olympics, a series of sports played in thick mud. Events include volleyball, football and tug-of-war, all made hilariously difficult by the sticky terrain. The festival raises money for cancer charities and guarantees a day of muddy fun for both participants and spectators.
Held in the town of Klagenfurt, Austria, the World Bodypainting Festival is an extraordinary celebration of art and creativity. Artists from around the globe gather to showcase their skills, transforming human bodies into stunning works of art using paint, make-up and special effects. The festival includes live music, workshops and competitions, with categories for UV effects, face painting and more.
Gloucestershire's Cooper's Hill cheese-rolling event is exactly what it sounds like: participants chase an 8lb round of Double Gloucester cheese down a steep, grassy hill. Injuries are common, but that doesn’t stop competitors from flinging themselves headlong in pursuit of the runaway cheese. The first to reach the bottom gets to take home the coveted prize: the cheese itself.
In the small Welsh town of Llanwrtyd Wells, competitors don snorkels and flippers to swim two lengths of a water-filled trench in a bog. The challenge? No traditional swimming strokes are allowed. Instead participants must rely on their flippers to propel them through the muddy water. Despite the bizarre conditions, the event attracts hundreds of snorkellers every year.
For over 25 years, the village of Kettlewell has hosted one of the UK’s most charming (albeit slightly terrifying) festivals – the Kettlewell Scarecrow Festival. Each August, villagers create scarecrows that are displayed throughout the village. The scarecrows tell stories or highlight topical themes, and visitors are encouraged to follow a trail around the village to spot them all. It’s a quirky celebration of rural life and community spirit, with proceeds going to local charities.
Redheads unite each September in the Dutch city of Tilburg as thousands with locks ranging from ginger and auburn to fire-red and copper gather to celebrate their hair colour. The festival features photoshoots, art exhibitions and even a fashion show – all dedicated to redheads. What started as a small gathering has grown into a weekend-long celebration, with people from across the globe uniting to embrace their fiery locks.
Every May Day, the small Cornish town of Padstow comes alive with the centuries-old tradition of the ‘Obby ‘Oss (Hobby Horse) festival. Two rival 'osses – Old 'Oss and Blue Ribbon 'Oss – parade through the streets accompanied by dancers and musicians. The locals dress in white, with some donning masks and headpieces, as they sing traditional songs to celebrate the arrival of spring. It’s a wild and energetic event steeped in folklore, with origins that remain somewhat mysterious to this day.
The Burry Man Parade is one of Scotland’s oldest and strangest festivals. A man dressed head to toe in sticky burrs parades through the streets of South Queensferry, believed to bring good fortune to the town. The Burry Man, covered in over 10,000 burrs, walks for nearly 11 hours, stopping only to take sips of whisky through a straw – an ancient ritual preserved through centuries.
In Lekeitio, Spain, this festival involves competitors jumping off boats and trying to decapitate a greased goose hanging from a rope. The goal is to hold on to the goose as long as possible while being repeatedly dunked into the water. Thankfully, a replica goose is now used, but the bizarre tradition continues to draw curious onlookers.
Held annually in the small village of Congham, Norfolk, the World Snail Racing Championships is a slow-paced but highly competitive event. Around 200 snails, marked with numbered stickers, race along a 13-inch (33cm) course. The first snail to cross the finish line is crowned the champion – it's an unmissable event for fans of incredibly unconventional sports – or, you know, snails.
In Castrillo de Murcia, near Burgos, the annual Baby Jumping Festival (also known as El Colacho) is held as part of the Catholic Corpus Christi celebrations. Men dressed as the devil leap over rows of newborn babies laid on mattresses in the street. The tradition, dating back to the 1600s, is believed to cleanse the infants of original sin and bring good fortune. Side note: no babies have been harmed in the jumping tradition.
And the strangest European festival? In our opinion, it doesn't get more bizarre than this. Held at a primary school in Willaston, England, the annual World Worm Charming Championships sees participants compete to extract the most amount of worms out of a patch of soil. Competitors aren't allowed to dig for worms – instead, they have to lure them out of the ground using only vibrations or music. The event dates back to the 1980s, with the current record for most worms charmed in a 30-minute period standing at 567, set by Sophie Smith in 2009.
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