La Tomatina (Spain)

This is the biggest tomato fight. Every year, thousands of tomato fans arrive in the village of Buñol, close to Valencia, Spain to take part in the epic tomato fight – La Tomatina. More than 30,000 people wait impatiently for the flare signalling the start the fight, and several trucks haul the tomatoes used in the fight. It takes place on the last Wednesday in August.

Burning Man (USA)

This festival is a must for every free spirit. It’s hard to put into words, so you have to be there to understand what exactly this event is all about. For two weeks each year, tens of thousands of people gather in the desert near the city of Reno, USA, to create a temporary metropolis dedicated to exchanging knowledge, skills, creativity and art. Nothing is sold, there are only acts of gift giving. The culmination of the event is the symbolic ritual burning of a large wooden effigy – “the Man”, from whence comes the name of the festival.

Holi (India) 

Holi, the colorful Indian festival

Every year during this joyful festival, the streets of Indian towns fill with people who throw colored powder and colored water at each other. No one gets out dry and uncolored! The holiday is dedicated to fertility. The date varies, it’s usually in March.

Songkran (Thailand)

Songkran, the Thai New Year

The New Year in Thailand, celebrated on 13th April, has turned into great fun for locals and visitors. The Thai people pay reverence to Buddha, clean their houses and pour water over elders as a way to show respect. Over the past years, though, the tradition has become a bit wilder – whether you’re an elder or not, expect water gun shoot-outs in the streets, whole buckets of water to be amicably poured over you or water balloons to be thrown at you.

READ MORE: Where to see Rafflesia in Thailand – the biggest flower in the world

Up Helly Aa (Scotland)

Up Helly Aa Festival in Sctoland

This is the name of the biggest fire-Viking creation of Scotland. A festival where every year a whole galley (Viking long ship) is burnt down. In the Scottish town of Lerwick there is a procession of burning torches and the term “Viking drinking spree” acquires whole new dimensions. It’s always held on the last Tuesday of January.

Menton Lemon Festival (France)

The Lemon Festival in Menton

In February the French Riviera will surprise you with a refreshing dose of vitamin C – a three-week, open-air festival, where scantily-clad dancers move to the rhythm of Brazilian music among huge sculptures of oranges and lemons. Each statue takes weeks to make, and the theme is different every year – from an round-the-world trip to Disneyland to antique heroes.

The post In for a thrill: six of the craziest festivals in the world appeared first on 203Challenges.

It’s summer. You feel like you want to go somewhere and have a great time but you have trouble figuring out where? Well, we have a solution. Novi Sad, Serbia, might not be the first place that comes to your mind but what started off as a student movement for democracy in 2000 is now one of the biggest summer music festivals in Europe!

Location

The festival is hosted at the Petrovaradin Fortress that overlooks the city of Novi Sad. The fortress is placed on the right bank of the Danube river (Sziget is another music festival that takes place on the banks of the Danube). You can visit museums and the old city center in Novi Sad but you won’t get bored if you stay inside the fortress, as a museum of the city of Novi Sad, the Academy of Arts, and an observatory are located there.

A view to the the Petrovaradin Fortress

Line-up

Lots of different genres and renowned world artists perform on several stages. The main stage has all the big names while the dance area with its capacity of 25,000 people has gained as much attention as the main stage in recent years. The party there does not stop until dawn! Most of the metal/punk bands perform on the Explosive stage. The fusion stage provides a stage for a lot of alternative and pop-rock Serbian and World bands.

Stage view of the crowd during a DJ set

Accessibility

The festival is fairly easy to reach. The city of Novi Sad doesn’t have a big airport so the easiest way to get there is through Belgrade and then 55 miles/90 km to the north. If you rent a car, the trip will last for about an hour. Buses to Novi Sad leave from Belgrade every 20-30 minutes. Tickets can be bought 1-2 hours before departure.

A view of Novi Sad in the evening

Money cost

Serbia is an affordable country so the costs for the stay are modest. A night at a guesthouse ranges from 25 to 40 euros per night. The five-day festival ticket costs 125 euros per person, and resepctively 160 euros per person if it includes camping. Food and beverage prices in the festival area are modest. Have in mind that spirits stronger than beer and wine are prohibited inside the festival grounds. There’s a token system to reduce lining for beer, wine, energy drinks or juice.

Exit Festival 2018 Edition: The line-up for the 2018 Exit festival includes The Killers, Years & Years,  Rag’n’Bone man, Alan Walker. The 12th to 15th of July is all the time you need to visit Serbia and this amazing festival!

More information about the festival here!

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