20 Festivals to Experience in Your 20s
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links; more info here.
Your 20s are your years to go on wild adventures, take risks, dance the nights away, seek out new cultures, get lost, and find out who you truly are. But there’s one little caveat: you can’t do that all in one place!
As a young, energetic human being who’s ready to see the world, here are 20 festivals to experience in your 20s!
Challenge: Send 20 Festivals to Experience in Your 20s to your favorite travel buddies. Choose at least one festival to attend together before 2017 ends. Purchase your airfare. GO!
YeePeng_Sansai_2012-4451/John Shedrick
Yi Peng (Chiang Mai, Thailand)
Why Yi Peng is awesome: Yi Peng, also known as the Lantern Festival, is an ancient tradition in which thousands of Thai Buddhists pay homage to Buddha by lighting up the night sky in floating golden lanterns. Guaranteed, Yi Peng will be one of the most breathtaking spectacles you’ll ever witness.
When: Often in November, though dates vary. Check Chiang Mai’s expat groups on Facebook to determine the exact date.
Margherita pizza, Barboncino/Garrett Ziegler
Napoli Pizza Village (Naples, Italy)
Why Pizza Village is awesome: Um, hello! Why wouldn’t you want to attend a pizza festival in the birthplace of pizza? Does life actually get better than stuffing your face at Pizza Village with doughy, cheesy goodness, alongside Campania’s azure coastline? Nope; it actually doesn’t.
When: Early September, every year.
Day of the Dead festivities in Oaxaca/Cordelia Persen
Day of the Dead (Oaxaca, Mexico)
Why Day of the Dead is awesome: With deep roots in indigenous culture, Oaxaca is home to the likes of ancient Zapotecan ruins, world-renowned folk art, and Mexico’s greatest culinary creations. Yet a visit during Day of the Dead will lend sights of intricate altars decked in flowers, candles, and religious figures, markets bursting with altar decorations, mole sauce, chocolates, and tamales, and a sea of endless sugar skull faces. All of this, and more, is Mexico’s way of celebrating the lives of lost love ones.
When: November 2nd, every year.
Fireworks on Eiffel Tower/Yann Caradec
Bastille Day (Paris, France)
Why Bastille Day is awesome: Whenever I think about this day, uncontrollable chills come over me. Standing beneath the Eiffel Tower on Bastille Day, drinking with thousands of Parisians, and watching fireworks light up the sky into a beautiful, blazing rendition of the French flag is magical. As if Paris wasn’t enchanting enough already!
When: July 14th, every year.
Garifuna Settlement Day (Hopkins, Belize)
Why Garifuna Day is awesome: You will never find friendlier locals than in the Belizean village of Hopkins. So for Garifuna Settlement Day, head to the Caribbean and find out how the Garifuna party! Here’s a hint: joyous dancing, drumming, singing, parading, and bright-colored costumes are all involved. And on a side note, Belizean and Garifuna cuisines are to live for.
When: November 19th, every year.
Tomatoes in Mid-air/aaroncorey
Tomatina (Buñol, Spain)
Why Tomatina is awesome: Admit it. You always wanted to start a food fight when you were younger, but you never had the guts. So here’s the good news! Now you can, without a visit to the principal’s office. Tomatina is your opportunity to participate in the world’s biggest food fight, complete with 20,000 people and thousands more over-ripe tomatoes.
When: The last Wednesday of August, every year.
Tomorrowland 2014 – Mainstage/Sebastien Camelot
Tomorrowland (Boom, Belgium)
Why Tomorrowland is awesome: Tomorrowland is one of the biggest electronic music festivals in the world. If you’re an EDM fan, or simply a fan of an epic time, you shouldn’t miss this event.
When: July, every year.
Boats at Dubrovnik old town port/Jim Werner
The Yacht Week (Croatia)
Why The Yacht Week is awesome: Are you a squillionaire? Didn’t think so. But that’s okay, because during The Yacht Week, you can live like one as you explore Croatia’s rocky coves, turquoise waters, and old fishing villages via luxury yacht! And the best part? This extravagant experience is 100% affordable for 20-somethings.
When: June through early September, every year.
Oktoberfest Munich Germany 2013 Löwenbräu/xsnowdog
Oktoberfest (Munich, Germany)
Why Oktoberfest is awesome: Does Oktoberfest really require any sort of explanation? Lively drinking halls, German beer, traditional getups (dirndls for the ladies and lederhosen for the laddies), and Bavarian specialties like pretzels and bratwurst with sauerkraut make up this centuries-old festival.
When: Mid-September to early October, every year.
Colours of Holi (Hyderabad)/Rajesh_India
Holi (Mathura/Vrindavan, India)
Why Holi is awesome: Also called the Festival of Colors, Holi vividly commemorates good’s victory over evil. What better reason to rejoice? This festival’s concept is simple: spend the day throwing colored powder at anyone and everyone in sight, eat lots of food (which may or may not contain cannabis), and dance even more.
When: The day after March’s full moon, every year.
Carnaval Sapucai 2013 – RJ/Circuito Fora do Eixo
Rio Carnival (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Why Carnival is awesome: Rio Carnival is the world’s largest and greatest party, so you know you need to go. From blaring samba music and exotic dancers, to endless caipirinhas and chaotic street parades, the vastness of Rio Carnival will leave you speechless.
When: February, every year.
Spring Festival (Hong Kong)
Why Spring Festival is awesome: Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year, is the most important celebration on the Chinese calendar. With traditional foods and costumes, lucky red lanterns lining every street, gift exchanges, firecrackers, and cultural dragon dances, locals celebrate family and wish for a prosperous new year. I only have one thing to say: bring on the dim sum!
When: Late January or early February, every year.
New Year’s Eve at Brandenburg Gate (3)/© visitBerlin, Picture: Wolfgang Scholvien
New Year’s Eve (Berlin, Germany)
Why New Year’s Eve in Berlin is awesome: For the past two years, we’ve celebrated New Year’s Eve in Berlin; and honestly, it doesn’t get any better than that. Or any more insane. Spending New Year’s Eve in Germany’s capital is like partying in a world of chaos, where you’re allowed to set off fireworks anywhere you so please. So let’s put it this way: strolling through the streets of Berlin on New Year’s Eve is more like navigating through a war zone. Drunk.
When: December 31st, every year.
King’s Day (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Why King’s Day is awesome: Take to Amsterdam’s picturesque (and traffic-jammed) canals to celebrate the Dutch King, Willem-Alexander’s, birthday with thousands of Amsterdammers and their mothers. King’s Day is Amsterdam’s biggest street party, so prepare to don your orange outfit, move to the live music, and drink more Dutch beer than you ever have – and probably ever will!
When: April 27th, every year.
Mardi Gras, New Orleans, Louisiana/Pieter Morlion
Mardi Gras (New Orleans, USA)
Why Mardi Gras is awesome: Oh, Mardi Gras, the festival of permadrunk tourists, colorful beads, ridiculous costumes, grand parades, and soulful jazz music. As a 20-something, Mardi Gras is obviously a must! Need I say more?
Also, bear in mind that NOLA’s 300th birthday occurs in 2018. There will never be a greater time to attend Mardi Gras than that.
When: February or March, every year.
Galungan (Bali, Indonesia)
Why Galungan is awesome: For Balinese Hindus, the festival of Galungan celebrates the victory of good over evil, and includes a giant feast, family time, temple visits, offerings to gods, and bright, beautiful clothing. Visit Bali during Galungan, and memories of warm sunshine, bright textiles, flavors of suckling pig, and smells of burnt marigold flowers, will never leave you. As a 20-something, this cultural experience should top your list!
When: Galungan is celebrated every 210 days; dates vary.
Wine Fight (Haro, Spain)
Why Wine Fight is awesome: On a sweltering summer’s day, Wine Fight is the ultimate party! And the rules are simple. Drink lots of wine. Fill your buckets and water guns with wine. Drench everyone in sight. Turn the place into a soggy, purple mess.
When: June 29th, every year.
Coachella (Indio, USA)
Why Coachella is awesome: Coachella is your opportunity to frolic around in the desert, under the festival’s iconic ferris wheel, wearing your pretty pink flower crown. Really, what more could you ask for? But in all seriousness, this festival is an avid concert-goer’s haven, featuring performances by exciting indie, EDM, rock, and hip-hop artists, all weekend long.
When: Two weekends in April, every year.
Venice Carnival/Stefano Montagner
Carnival (Venice, Italy)
Why Carnival is awesome: Venice Carnival is the world’s greatest dress-up party. How can you pass up visiting Venice, while marvelously cloaked and masked figures glide through its mysterious canals. And when else will you get the chance to attend an extravagant masked ball? And when you take into account the carnival’s grand processions, jousting tournaments, and theatrical performances, you know this cultural festival is a must!
When: February, every year.
IMG_6433/Brian Jeffery Beggerly
Ice and Snow Festival (Harbin, China)
Why Ice and Snow Festival is awesome: Ever wondered what a real-life winter wonderland looks like? Find out for yourself at Harbin’s Ice and Snow Festival, the world’s biggest winter festival, complete with sculptures of the Great Wall and various palaces, which are lit up in dreamy hues come nightfall.
When: January 5th to February 25th, every year.
20 Festivals to Experience in Your 20s
There’s something about living out your 20s in a new country every few months, twirling and singing along to the music, chugging beers with thousands of friendly strangers, and experiencing new cultures for the first time. It’s pure magic. And that, friends, is why these 20 festivals to experience in your 20s are essential.
But by the way, who’s to say that you can’t attend these festivals if your 20s are long gone (or haven’t even begun yet)? No one. That’s who!
Challenge: Send 20 Festivals to Experience in Your 20s to your favorite travel buddies. Choose at least one festival to attend together before 2016 ends. Purchase your airfare. GO!
Did you know…
When you book travel or purchase something through our links, we receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you? Your support enables Maddy’s Avenue to keep producing helpful travel content. Thank you!
Have you attended any of these celebrations before? Of these 2o festivals to experience in your 20s, which are at the top of your bucket list?
📩 Save this post?
We'll email this blog post to you so you can read it later!
We have Oktoberfest on our European itinerary this year! I’m so excited to visit Europe in Germany, but also excited to drink lots of beer with some Germans!
SO exciting! That’s going to be an awesome trip! :)
Woohoo! I’ll be in Croatia during Yacht Week this year, I’ll be sure to take notes and report back!;-)
Woaaahhh! So cool! Can’t wait to hear how it goes.
I have not been to any of these festivals… :( Would it be weird if I went to the Tomatina festival to convince people not to pelt each other with tomatoes? I mean… that’s a lot of tomatoes that can made into delicious pasta… it could just be my growling stomach right now. We’ve already booked our trips for the rest of the year and none of these made it… next year…
Haha! Your comments are always great. Yes… Next year!
This list is awesome, so many great ideas here! I would love to see the carnival in Venice, the masks and costumes are so unique there! Have a great weekend :)
Eden | Mint Notion
Thanks for stopping by! :)
Yi Peng is on top of my hot list for quite some time – I think I might skip Tomatina ;-)
Both of those are understandable! ;)
Oh my goodness, so many awesome festivals to experience!! I would love to experience any one of them, but I have the feeling that I’d have to come equipped with some sort of protective gear for my camera for some of them. I don’t fancy it getting covered in tomatoes while taking awesome shots haha.
Haha, yeah a super nice camera might not be the thing to bring to Tomatina! ;)
Omg I am such a fan of festivals, and you added so many to my list just now. I love how these aren’t just the traditional ones everyones heard of, but that you offered so many new ideas. Love your blog so much!
Thanks! :)
The only one I did was Bastille Day (obviously haha) and King’s day in Amsterdam !
My ultimate dream is to do Coachella and Tomorowland though (we didn’t manage to get the tickets this year …)
Great article, I’m preparing one like that as well :)
Ps : can u tell me again by e-mail : travelwithkenza@gmail.com when you’ll be in Paris, I need to block the day and I always forgot haha
Kenza from https://travelwithkenza.blogspot.fr/
I want to attend Carnival so badly! I’ve never heard of Tomatina, but it sounds awesome! I bet people end up smelling like tomatoes for days afterwards haha.
-Claire
tallgirlbigworld.com
You’re probably right! ;)
RIO carnival is wayyy the f up on my list! I would also like to throw out burning man for 2016 if you wanted to go with me and, you know, blog about it ;) My brother went to Tomatina and said the funniest part was the lucky ham that people climbed a greased pole to obtain… No joke. Dozens of drunk dudes shimmying up a slippery pole for a large ham… Can I just add Gasparilla in Tampa? It’s a pirate festival. Overall, wonderful list! It’s really making me reconsider my fear of China hehe.
Serious about the San Diego offer! Let’s explore soon.
These all look so fun! I would definitely like to go to Yi Peng, Bastille Day and the Ice and Snow Festival in the near future! :)
Sounds like a good plan! :)
I. NEED. TO. GO. TO. THE. PIZZA. FESTIVAL.
SAME.
OMG a festival dedicated to pizza! Why have I never heard of this before? Oh and I’ve been to the Venice Carnival. It is truly awesome :-)
Right?! How amazing would that be? Especially in NAPLES! :)
Interesting article! I love festivals because you can learn a lot about the local culture :)
Agreed! Thanks for stopping by! :)
Hi Maddy,
All these festivals go straight up to my bucket list! I really love the Holi one because it would make me feel like a kid again, playing with all that colorful powder along with eating nice food! Great post, thank you for sharing!
Zaria
Totally agree! Thanks for stopping by!