15 Must-Attend Festivals Around the World in 2025
Going on trip is about more than going to new country, its over embracing experiences of cultures, traditions and memories which make each place one and only. The best way to do this is to go to a festival! Festivals they represent more than just fun they are really the heart and soul of culture; they bring people together in celebration. There’s a festival for you no matter what you’re passionate about: music, art, food, history. If you’re planning your adventures for 2025, why not include some of the best festivals around the world in 2025 on your itinerary?
2025 is full of festivals that will make you remember them for the rest of your life, from Rio’s Carnival to India’s Holi. In 2025, we’ve put together a list of the 15 must attend festivals of the world, each one providing a different way to get immersed in the culture of its host country. And pack your bags, getting ready for adventure, and for exploring the world through the make most exciting celebrations!
Here are the 15 Must-Attend Festivals Around the World in 2025
1. Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is a world famous celebration of samba, music and color, held in February. This week long festival is a celebration of elaborate parades, street parties and extravagant costumes. The Sambadrome sees samba schools compete on eye catching floats, dancers and performances. It is contagious and an event that draws millions of visitors every year. Whether it’s you dancing in the streets, or watching the grand parade, the experience is one of joy, rhythm and cultural celebration.
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2. Holi Festival, India
One of India’s most joyous festivals, Holi (the festival of colors) is celebrated in March. It’s the coming in of spring and the defeat of evil by good. There is a good reason people come to the festival because it is famous for bright powder throwing celebrations where people join together to dance sing and play with the powders. It’s a joyful, messy event, filled with laughter and friendship, communities coming together to celebrate with family and friends. It’s a complete must do cultural experience and gives you a fabulous little snippet of Indian tradition and warmth.
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3. Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany
Once a year in Munich, from late September to early October, Oktoberfest is a huge beer, food and Bavarian culture bash. Millions of people come to this 16 to 18-day festival to enjoy traditional music, dancing, and, of course, lots of German beer. They also supply delicious local foods, such as sausages, roast chicken and pretzels. Conjuncture of the festival’s cultural history and lively atmosphere makes it a gobsmacking must attend for beer drinkers and culture lovers alike.
4. Gion Matsuri, Kyoto, Japan
It is one of Japan’s most famous festivals, the Gion Matsuri in Kyoto, celebrated in July. The month long cultural extravaganza is dedicated to Yasaka Shrine. It is famous for its grand processions of yamaboko (one means float, the other heavily decorated simple-like platforms that are carried through the streets by several hundred members of the shumpu gangs – the yamabuko, in other words, are not floats in the sense that most people, especially American, would recognize the word.) Along with the floats, traditional performances, religious rituals and street parades show off Kyoto’s rich history and heritage. This is a special way to get to know the roots of Japan’s culture.
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5. La Tomatina, Spain
The world’s biggest food fight festival is La Tomatina, held every August in Buñol, Spain. In a messy, chaotic, and fun filled battle, thousands of participants gather in the streets to throw ripe tomatoes at each other. People scramble to retrieve a ham hanging from a tall pole in the beginning of the event; then the tomato fight starts. It’s a fun and exciting event which brings people from all over the world together, with laughter, camaraderie and a little bit of a mess!
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6. Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Scotland
Every August, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world’s largest arts festival, draws performers and visitors from across the globe. It performs thousands of performances in a wide range of genre, from theater and comedy to dance and music. For all intents and purposes, the entire city becomes a stage, the performances are heard in theaters as well as street corners and every nook and cranny in the city. Whether you’re looking for a high profile show or a hidden gem, it’s electric and the perfect arts event.
7. Day of the Dead, Mexico
The Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) is a colorful, deeply meaningful festival celebrated in Mexico in early November. For families, it’s a time to honor and remember their deceased loved ones and make elaborate altars covered in marigolds, candles, photos, and offerings. Street after street is filled with parades, dances, music, glorying in a life and a death. It’s a cultural event that brings together indigenous traditions with Catholicism to provide a one of a kind, profound experience for visitors to learn more about Mexico’s rich heritage.
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8. Venice Carnival, Italy
In February, one of the most magical festivals in the world is the Venice Carnival. This is an event for which Venice’s city transforms into a sort of grand stage, famous for it’s ornate masks and elegant costumes. There are performances, parades and spectacular balls in the streets. What’s more magical then that, you ask? The atmosphere of the festival combined with the gorgeous architecture of Venice itself! In addition to traditional Venetian food, music and art, they can attend this unforgettable celebration of beauty and culture.
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9. Boryeong Mud Festival, South Korea
Every year in July, South Korea celebrates mud at the Boryeong Mud Festival. Participants get to enjoy live music, local food, and dive into mud pits, slide down muddy slides, and enjoy a bunch of mud based activities. According to the festival organisers, the mud has therapeutic qualities and thus the festival is both fun and good for the skin. The festival is a very light spirit mixed with music and cultural events, which makes it very exciting for everyone.
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10. Sydney New Year’s Eve, Australia
New Year’s Eve in Sydney is one of the most spectacular New Year’s Eve celebrations in the world. Its famous fireworks over Sydney Harbour rival anything and light up the night sky. From music, food and cultural displays there are numerous events and performances taking place around the city leading up to midnight. One of the best ways to ring in the New Year is to watch the fireworks from around the harbor.
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11. Running of the Bulls, Pamplona, Spain
Adrenaline pumping, the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona in July is held. In such a race to the bullring, brave participants run past narrow streets where bulls chase them with every step. The atmosphere of the event is in itself equally charged with excitement for the watchers because though the event is famous for its dare devils, they are not its only participants. If you’re not running with the bulls, the excitement of the event and general atmosphere of Pamplona is something that makes it an experience you’ll never forget.
12. Mardi Gras, New Orleans, USA
New Orleans’ Mardi Gras is one of the world’s most famous festivals, in February or March before Lent. Mardi Gras is known for its extravagant parades, elaborate floats and lively costumes, but it doesn’t end there: this parade filled celebration represents New Orleans culture. Jazz music, delicious Cajun food and throwing beads are all part of reveling. Mardi Gras involves the streets filling with music, laughter, and excitement and it is getting up and getting involved that makes it spectacular, jubilant and unforgettable; not to mention full of fun!
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13. Songkran, Thailand
Thailand’s traditional New Year festival, Songkran, is held in April and is most famous for its epic water fights. The streets are filled with people wielding water guns, buckets and hoses, aimlessly spraying their path with anyone in their way. Songkran is also a time when people reunite with family, demonstrate respect towards elders, and makes it all more fun somehow. Prayers and blessings are also done in Temples, it’s a mixture of fun and meaningful cultural traditions. It’s a great way to celebrate the Thai New Year.
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14. Notting Hill Carnival, London, UK
London’s largest street festival, the Notting Hill Carnival takes place every August and celebrates Caribbean culture and heritage. Notting Hill streets are awash with parades, costumes, live music and Caribbean food. Steel drum bands and dancers in elaborate costumes make this carnival one of Europe’s most exciting festivals. It is an inclusive and fun loving celebration of a beautiful weekend that brings people of all kinds together to enjoy a weekend of cultural expression and spirit.
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15. St. Patrick’s Day, Dublin, Ireland
Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Day, held March 17th, is a lively, spirited celebration of Irish culture and traditions. On St. Patrick’s Day, Dublin’s streets are taken over by parades, dancing and music, and people are dressed in green to honor Ireland’s patron saint. The pubs are crammed with locals and visitors alike downing pints of Guinness and listening to this traditional Irish folk music. As Ireland’s rich cultural heritage, the festival’s festive atmosphere and the city’s charm are the perfect place to experience.
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Conclusion
Festivals are one of the most fun ways to experience our world through diverse cultures and different traditions. From the streets of Rio de Janeiro to the colors of Holi in India to Oktoberfest in Munich, each of the following 15 must visit Festivals Around the World in 2025 happening in 2025 can become a once in a lifetime experience. At every turn, the energy and excitement of each grand parade, the lively street parties are all there, encapsulating you into that never to be repeated glimpse into the heart of each city you visit.
If you’re planning your travels for 2025, be sure to book some of the best festivals around the world in 2025 into your itinerary. That does not mean that these events are not fun and exciting they indeed are but most importantly, they are the perfect way to get to know the locals, embrace a new country’s culture, and earn a memory that lasts a lifetime. Therefore, if you are a music lover, crave for food or want adrenalin rush on your travel, these festivals are all you need to bring adventure, joy and culture in your travels.
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