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Cheese Rolling (Cooper’s Hill, England)
Picture this: a wheel of cheese careening down a hill at speeds of up to 80 miles per hour, while hundreds of people chase it down a slope that’s nearly vertical. This is Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling, one of the most bizarre and beloved British traditions that takes place annually in Gloucestershire. The event happens on the last Monday in May, drawing thousands of spectators to watch what can only be described as organized chaos.
The hill is 200 yards long with a slope of around 50 percent, making it a genuinely dangerous undertaking. Despite being unofficially managed since 2009, around 200 people still attend, and competitors know they’re risking serious injury for the prize of a 7-9 pound round of Double Gloucester cheese. The festival was featured in a 2020 Netflix documentary called “We are the Champions”, showcasing just how wonderfully mad this tradition truly is.
Comic Con (San Diego, USA, & Worldwide)
San Diego Comic Con has grown from a small gathering of comic book fans into an international phenomenon drawing more than 135,000 visitors each year. The 2024 convention attracted approximately 135,000 attendees and generated an economic impact of $161.1 million. What started as a celebration of comics has exploded into the ultimate pop culture extravaganza, where movie studios reveal exclusive footage, celebrities make surprise appearances, and cosplayers showcase elaborate costumes.
With attendance topping 130,000 in recent years, the San Diego Convention Center has maxed out in space, forcing the event to expand into satellite locations including hotels and outdoor parks. Capacity attendance has caused crowding issues, with concerns that the event is possibly too large for the San Diego Convention Center. The infamous Hall H lines have become legendary, with attendees eagerly camping out to see favorites such as The Boys, Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, and Marvel.
La Tomatina (Buñol, Spain)
Nothing quite prepares you for the madness of La Tomatina, where more than 23,000 people from 51 countries participated in the 2024 edition. This is the world’s biggest food fight, transforming the small Spanish town of Buñol into a red, squishy battlefield for exactly one hour each year. Since this wild party became famous in the 2000s, attendance is now limited to 20,000 ticketed entries to manage the crowd and ensure safety.
More than one hundred metric tons of over-ripe tomatoes are thrown in the streets, creating a spectacle that defies description. In 2015, it was estimated that almost 145,000 kg (320,000 lb) of tomatoes were thrown. The festival happens on the last Wednesday of August each year, and the tomatoes used are low-quality and not fit for consumption, making this less wasteful than it appears.
Air Guitar World Championships (Oulu, Finland)
In a world where most people secretly play air guitar in their bedrooms, Finland has created the ultimate stage for invisible shredding. The Air Guitar World Championships in Oulu celebrates the art of pretend rock stardom, where competitors are judged on technical skill, stage presence, and that indefinable quality called “airness.” This isn’t just about looking cool while miming to music – it’s about capturing the pure essence of rock and roll without any actual instruments.
The competition has strict rules: performances must be exactly 60 seconds long, and contestants must use only their bodies and imaginations to create the illusion of playing guitar. Winners don’t just get bragging rights – they become ambassadors for the sport, spreading the gospel of air guitar around the world. The event has spawned national championships across the globe, proving that the human need to rock out transcends cultural boundaries.
International Pillow Fight Day (Worldwide)
Every year, cities around the globe participate in massive public pillow fights, where complete strangers gather in parks and public squares to whack each other with fluffy pillows. This surreal spectacle creates feathery snowstorms in the middle of summer, as participants unleash their inner child in the most wholesome way possible. The beauty of pillow fighting is its universal appeal – it’s impossible to take yourself too seriously when you’re armed with a cushion.
The event typically happens simultaneously across multiple time zones, creating a wave of soft combat that travels around the world. Parks fill with people of all ages, from office workers blowing off steam to families introducing their children to the joy of organized chaos. The aftermath looks like a pillow explosion, with feathers drifting through the air and participants laughing breathlessly as they gather the scattered stuffing.
Birdman Rally (UK & Australia)
The Birdman Rally events, particularly the famous Worthing Birdman Festival, celebrate humanity’s eternal dream of flight in the most spectacular way possible – by watching people fail at it. Participants construct homemade flying contraptions, then launch themselves off piers and bridges, hoping to defy gravity and usually failing spectacularly. The results are equal parts inspiring and hilarious, as elaborate wing suits and cardboard planes meet the inevitable force of physics.
What makes these events special isn’t the rare successful flight, but the creative ingenuity and sheer courage of the participants. Some competitors spend months crafting their flying machines, incorporating everything from bicycle parts to elaborate feathered wings. The crowd cheers for every brave soul who steps to the edge, knowing they’re about to witness either aviation history or a very expensive splash.
Eurovision Song Contest (Europe & Beyond)
Eurovision is far more than a singing competition – it’s a celebration of camp, creativity, and national pride rolled into one glittery extravaganza. Each year, countries across Europe and beyond send their musical representatives to compete in what has become the world’s most-watched non-sporting event. The contest features everything from heartfelt ballads to utterly bonkers performances involving hamster wheels, wind machines, and dancers in questionable costumes.
The voting process alone is a masterclass in political theater, as countries award points to their neighbors and allies in patterns that political scientists could analyze for decades. Fans gather in living rooms across the continent, armed with scorecards and strong opinions about key changes and costume choices. The winner gets bragging rights for an entire year, while the losing entries often become more famous than the victor through their spectacular failures.
Boryeong Mud Festival (South Korea)
South Korea’s Boryeong Mud Festival transforms the concept of getting dirty into an art form. This giant, messy celebration features mud wrestling, mud slides, and even mud-based skincare treatments, drawing both thrill-seekers and beauty enthusiasts to the coastal town of Boryeong. The festival uses mineral-rich mud from the nearby Boryeong mud flats, which is said to have therapeutic properties for the skin.
Participants cover themselves head-to-toe in the grey, silky mud, creating a surreal landscape of muddy humans engaging in various activities. The festival includes mud obstacle courses, mud prisons where people can lock up their friends, and mud massage zones where strangers become instant buddies through shared messiness. The event has become so popular that it attracts visitors from around the world, all eager to experience the liberating joy of getting absolutely filthy.
Fantasy Fest (Key West, USA)
Fantasy Fest transforms Key West into a 10-day costume extravaganza that makes Halloween look conservative. This wild celebration encourages participants to let their creativity run wild, resulting in elaborate body paint, outrageous costumes, and artistic expressions that range from beautiful to bewildering. The festival celebrates freedom of expression in all its forms, creating a temporary world where normal social conventions take a vacation.
The streets fill with parades of creatively dressed participants, from sophisticated artistic interpretations of the annual theme to humorous takes on pop culture. Body painters work their magic on willing canvases, creating living works of art that blur the line between costume and sculpture. The festival’s anything-goes atmosphere creates a sense of liberation that keeps people coming back year after year.
World Beard & Moustache Championships (Various Locations)
The World Beard & Moustache Championships elevate facial hair to an art form, where participants style their whiskers into gravity-defying masterpieces. Competitors spend months growing and grooming their facial hair, creating elaborate sculptures that push the boundaries of what’s possible with natural hair and styling products. Categories range from natural full beards to freestyle creations that incorporate everything from wire frameworks to decorative elements.
The competition is surprisingly serious, with judges evaluating entries based on criteria including length, density, and creative presentation. Some contestants travel the world specifically for these championships, carrying specialized grooming kits and protective gear to preserve their facial hair artworks. The event celebrates the patience and dedication required to grow impressive facial hair, turning what many consider a grooming chore into a competitive sport.
Tetris Championships (Portland, USA, & Online)
The Classic Tetris World Championship has transformed a simple block-stacking game into a high-stakes esports phenomenon. Gamers compete using the original 1989 Nintendo version of Tetris, pushing the limits of human reflexes and pattern recognition in tournaments that can last for hours. The competition has strict rules about which version of the game can be used and what controllers are acceptable, maintaining the authentic retro gaming experience.
Players develop incredible skills, able to clear multiple lines simultaneously while maintaining impossible speeds. The tension is palpable as competitors reach higher levels where the blocks fall faster than most people can even perceive. Spectators watch in amazement as players achieve scores that seem mathematically impossible, all while maintaining the calm focus of chess grandmasters.
Underwater Music Festival (Florida Keys, USA)
The Underwater Music Festival takes place in the crystal-clear waters of the Florida Keys, where scuba divers and snorkelers gather to play instruments beneath the waves. This surreal aquatic concert features specially designed underwater instruments, including underwater keyboards, drums, and brass instruments that actually work when submerged. The music is broadcast through underwater speakers, creating an otherworldly soundtrack for the diving experience.
Musicians don full diving gear to perform songs that blend environmental themes with the unique acoustics of the underwater environment. The festival aims to raise awareness about coral reef conservation while providing an unforgettable musical experience. Participants often describe the sensation of hearing music while surrounded by tropical fish and coral formations as transcendent, creating memories that last a lifetime.
Wife Carrying World Championship (Finland)
The Wife Carrying World Championship in Finland combines athletic competition with relationship trust exercises, as male participants race through obstacle courses while carrying their female partners. The sport has specific rules about carrying techniques, with the most popular being the “Estonian carry” where the woman hangs upside-down over the man’s shoulders. The prize for winning is famously the wife’s weight in beer, making it one of the few sports where the reward is directly proportional to the participant’s size.
Despite its name, participants don’t actually have to be married, and the “wife” doesn’t need to be the carrier’s actual spouse. The race includes various obstacles like water jumps and hurdles, making it a genuine test of strength, coordination, and teamwork. The event celebrates both physical fitness and partnership, creating a unique sporting experience that’s equal parts athleticism and comedy.
International Steampunk Festival (Various Locations)
Steampunk festivals celebrate the intersection of Victorian aesthetics and retro-futuristic technology, creating elaborate gatherings where participants dress as if they’re living in an alternate history where steam power evolved into high technology. Events like the Asylum Steampunk Festival showcase incredible creativity, with attendees crafting elaborate costumes that incorporate everything from brass goggles to mechanical arm attachments. The attention to detail is remarkable, with some costumes taking months to complete.
These festivals feature workshops on everything from leather working to clockwork mechanisms, allowing attendees to learn the skills needed to create their own steampunk inventions. The events often include live performances, costume contests, and markets selling unique handcrafted goods. The community celebrates creativity, craftsmanship, and the romance of an imagined past where technology developed along different paths.
Lucha Libre Festivals (Mexico & Beyond)
Lucha Libre festivals celebrate Mexico’s masked wrestling tradition, where colorful characters battle in the ring while wearing elaborate masks that represent everything from ancient gods to modern superheroes. These events are theater, athletics, and cultural celebration rolled into one spectacular show. The matches feature high-flying moves, dramatic storylines, and crowd participation that makes every event feel like a community celebration.
The masks themselves are sacred in Lucha Libre culture, representing the wrestler’s identity and honor. Losing one’s mask in a match is considered the ultimate defeat, making mask-versus-mask matches incredibly dramatic events. Festivals often include mask-making workshops, meet-and-greets with famous luchadores, and exhibitions of wrestling memorabilia, creating a complete cultural experience beyond just the matches.
Dog Surfing Championships (California, USA)
The World Dog Surfing Championships prove that humans aren’t the only ones who can ride waves. These adorable competitions feature dogs of all sizes attempting to balance on surfboards while riding waves alongside their human companions. Some dogs are natural surfers, maintaining perfect balance while others provide entertainment through their enthusiastic but less successful attempts at wave riding.
The events often raise money for animal charities, combining competition with community service. Dogs are judged on their ability to stay on the board, their confidence in the water, and their overall style. The sight of a golden retriever hanging ten while wearing a tiny life jacket creates moments of pure joy that remind everyone why these unusual competitions exist – to celebrate the special bond between humans and their four-legged friends.
Frozen Dead Guy Days (Colorado, USA)
Frozen Dead Guy Days in Nederland, Colorado, celebrates one of the strangest backstories in festival history – the town’s cryogenically preserved corpse. This quirky event features coffin races, polar plunges, and costume contests, all in honor of a frozen Norwegian man who accidentally became a local attraction. The festival embraces the town’s weird claim to fame with characteristic Colorado humor and creativity.
Participants compete in events like frozen t-shirt contests, brain freeze competitions, and the famous coffin race where teams push decorated coffins through the streets. The polar plunge into an icy reservoir tests participants’ cold tolerance, while the costume contest encourages creative interpretations of the festival’s morbid theme. The event proves that communities can turn even the most bizarre circumstances into reasons for celebration.
Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony (Harvard, USA)
The Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony celebrates scientific achievements that “first make people laugh, then make them think.” This parody of the Nobel Prizes honors research that seems ridiculous but often contains genuine scientific insights. Past winners have included studies on whether cats are liquid, research into why people dislike the sound of fingernails on chalkboards, and investigations into the physics of walking backwards.
The ceremony itself is a masterpiece of academic theater, featuring paper airplane bombardments, opera performances explaining scientific concepts, and acceptance speeches limited to 60 seconds. Real Nobel Prize winners participate in the event, adding legitimacy to the proceedings while maintaining the playful spirit. The awards celebrate curiosity-driven research and remind us that some of the most important discoveries come from asking seemingly silly questions.
World Toe Wrestling Championship (UK)
The World Toe Wrestling Championship represents the ultimate niche sport, where competitors battle using nothing but their feet. Participants sit opposite each other and interlock their toes, attempting to pin their opponent’s foot to the side of a specially designed “toedium.” The sport requires surprising amounts of strength, flexibility, and strategy, as competitors must use their toe dexterity to gain advantage over their opponents.
The championship has strict rules about foot hygiene and nail length, ensuring fair competition while maintaining basic safety standards. Competitors train year-round, developing toe strength and flexibility that most people never knew was possible. The event celebrates the human capacity to turn literally any physical activity into a competitive sport, proving that given enough creativity and determination, anything can become a championship.
Rubber Duck Races (Worldwide)
Rubber duck races transform childhood bath toys into competitive athletes, as thousands of plastic ducks race down rivers and streams for charity. Events like the Great Reno Balloon Race include massive rubber duck derbies where participants purchase numbered ducks that are then released into flowing water. The first duck to cross the finish line wins prizes for its sponsor, while the event raises money for local charities.
These races create surprising drama as spectators cheer for their tiny yellow champions, watching them navigate currents, obstacles, and other ducks in their quest for victory. The sight of thousands of rubber ducks floating down a river creates a surreal spectacle that brings out the child in everyone. The events prove that charity fundraising doesn’t have to be serious – sometimes the most effective approach is to embrace pure, silly fun.
Conclusion
From cheese wheels careening down English hills to rubber ducks racing for charity, these festivals prove that human creativity knows no bounds when it comes to celebration. Each event represents a community’s decision to embrace something wonderfully absurd, turning ordinary activities into extraordinary experiences that bring people together. Whether it’s the adrenaline rush of chasing dairy products down dangerous slopes or the meditative art of competitive air guitar, these festivals remind us that life’s greatest moments often come from the most unexpected places.
The beauty of these unusual celebrations lies not in their logic, but in their ability to create shared experiences that transcend cultural boundaries. They prove that the human need for community, competition, and creative expression can transform anything – even tomato fights and toe wrestling – into meaningful traditions that people will travel across the world to experience. What started as local quirks have become global phenomena, connecting people through laughter, adventure, and the simple joy of doing something completely ridiculous together.
Besides founding Festivaltopia, Luca is the co founder of trib, an art and fashion collectiv you find on several regional events and online. Also he is part of the management board at HORiZONTE, a group travel provider in Germany.
