-By Bhavya Balamurali
La Tomatino
In Spain’s Valencia region, the small town of Buñol plays host to the planet’s most eccentric and exuberant festival – La Tomatina.
What started as a spontaneous street scuffle in 1945 during a festival parade as an impromptu tomato battle transformed into the world’s juiciest annual food fight. Over the decades, the event faced bans, protests and even a symbolic tomato burial in 1957 but was declared Festivity of International Tourist Interest in 2002.
On the last Wednesday of August, the quirky spectacle draws visitors from across the globe in Buñol’s main square, where trucks unload tons of ripe tomatoes, for an hour-long unrestrained chaos. The day begins with the polo jabón, where participants try to climb a greased pole to claim a prize, followed by the tomato battle. The festival is not just a tomato toss but a spirited celebration of community, unfiltered fun and a once in a lifetime experience, where getting splattered is not just expected, it’s essential.
Location: Buñol, Spain
Date: 27th August 2025 (Last Wednesday of August)
Glastonbury Festival
What started in 1970 with £1 tickets, free milk and a tribute to Jimi Hendrix has exploded into England’s most eccentric, unpredictable and legendary gathering.
Glastonbury isn’t just a music festival, it’s a five-day spectacle of music, art, activism and sheer oddity. Co-founders Michael and Jean Eavis, inspired by the spirit of Woodstock and Bath Blues, build up a space for music, free thinking and spiritual expression. A humble gathering which started off with 1500 people on a Somerset dairy farm is now one of the most iconic cultural events with its mystical Pyramid stage, and a capacity of 200,000 and ticket price at around £340. With political debates, circus acts, raves in hidden fields and sunrise yoga, theatre, cabaret and film screening, Glastonbury Festival offers something for every kind of festival goer.
Whether you are chasing epic gigs, sunrise ceremonies or mind-bending performances, 2025’s Glastonbury festival promises to be extraordinary with more than 3000 performances lined up.
Location: Pilton, Somerset, England
Date: June 25th to 29th
Tomorrowland
Belgium transforms into a surreal utopia with Tomorrowland, a festival so legendary that it’s on every EDM fan’s bucket list.
Held every July in Boom, Belgium for two whole weeks, Tomorrowland began modestly in 2005 with over 9000 attendees, now it’s a colossal gathering of over 400,000 ‘People of Tomorrow’ from over two hundred countries. The festival offers an immersive wonderland atmosphere with mind blowing stages, meticulously designed with towering structure, pyrotechnics and themes that change every year.
With performances from titans like Martin Garrix, David Guetta, Armin van Buuren and many more, 2025 Tomorrowland dives into the icy dream with ‘Orbyz’ theme realm. With over 15 stages at ticket prices starting at €225- it’s a rite of passage for EDM lovers worldwide, uniting people through music.
Location: Boom, Antwerp, Belgium
Date: July 18th to 26th
Running of the Bulls, San Fermín
In Pamplona, July mornings begin with a burst of chaos, courage and centuries old tradition. The cobblestone street erupts with adrenaline as the famed Running of the Bulls charges through the heart of the city during the Festival of San Fermin.
At precisely 8 a.m., covering an 875- meter route in under five minutes, six hefty bulls and a team of steers charge through the city, while thousands of thrill seekers, dressed in white, symbolising the festivals historic flair with red scarf, symbolizing Fermín sacrifice, sprint ahead. In a ritual that honors San Fermín, the city’s patron saint, who was dragged through the street by bulls before his execution in 3rd century France, became the tale that echoes in the festival’s most daring ritual.
First held in 1591 as a religious feast, the Festival of San Fermín has since grown into a nine- day carnival of parades, fireworks, music and folklore. Though undeniably risky, The Encierro remains Europe’s most electrifying and iconic festival.
Location: Pamplona, Spain
Date: July 7th to 14th
Sziget Festival
Nestled on Budapest’s Óbudai Island, Sziget Festival transforms the otherwise quiet island into Europe’s most electrifying destination.
Affectionately dubbed the “Island of Freedom”, singer songwriter Péter Müller launched the festival in 1993 as a student-led cultural festival. Sziget, meaning ‘island’ in Hungarian, outgrew its humble beginnings into a landmark event attracting global icons like Prince and David Bowie.
Today Sziget welcomes over 300,000 festival goers, drawn by its reputation for blending world-class music with art, theatre, art installation, circus acts and movie screening.
Tickets which cost a mere 800 forints in 1993, cost around €379 in 2025 which would feature headliners like Martin Garrix, Sam Smith, Halsey, Stormzy and many more, solidifying its status as Europe’s wildest, most inclusive summer playground for music.
Location: Óbudai Island, Hungary
Date: August 6th to 11th
Batalla del Vino
Just outside the wine-soaked town of Haro, in the Riscos de Bilibio hills, Spain’s quirkiest celebration, Batalla del Vino takes place.
Every June 29th crowd dressed in crisp white and red scarves gather for a mass in honour of San Felices. The tradition rooted in a medieval land dispute and religious pilgrimage evolved into today’s riotous ritual somewhere in the late-19th to mid-20th century. During the spirited festival, the crowd indulge in a full-scale wine fight where thousands hurl litres of red wine over each other using buckets, bottles and water pistols. Evolving from wine baptism into a full-fledged battle, the participants get dyed in purple, with the event continuing with feast of lamb chops and snails, street parties and bullring featuring vaquillas.
More than a messy spectacle, Batalla del Vino is a perfect tribute to La Rioja’s rich wine heritage and the ultimate testament to Spain’s love of blending history with unabashed fun.
Location: Haro, Spain
Date: June 29th
Roskilde Festival
What started as a bold experiment, born from the spirit of Woodstock and counterculture optimism, blossomed into Europe’s most influential music and cultural festival – Roskilde Festival. Originally called the Sound Festival in 1971, the local event gradually expanded in scale and ambition, growing into a major international festival, known for its carefully curated line ups.
Roskilde now transforms a sleepy Danish town into Denmark’s fourth largest ‘city’ for eight days each summer, welcoming over 130,000 guests and 30,000 volunteers. Its famous Orange Stage which was originally acquired from the Rolling Stones, has hosted icons like Eminem, Bob Dylan to David Bowie and lot more. True to roots, Roskilde has consistently placed itself as a space for dialogue, activism and cultural expression.
Roskilde Festival 2025 promises an electrifying week of music and culture, headlined by global icons like Olivia Rodrigo, Charli XCX, Tyla, Doechii and many more, uniting the diverse sound on Denmark’s biggest stages.
Location: Roskilde, Denmark
Date: June 28th to July 5th
Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest, the world’s largest folk festival, began as a royal wedding celebration in 1810, when Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The city marked the occasion with a grand public communal gathering and jubilant horse race, which weathered wars, epidemics and the tides of history to evolve into a spectacle of Bavarian culture, complete with colossal beer tents, lively brass bands and a carnival of amusement two decades later.
Today the festival draws over six million visitors, offering not only beer by the litre but a showcase of traditional cuisine, folk music and family friendly attraction, as ever preserving the beloved customs like the ceremonial tapping of the first keg and the charming ‘Oide Wiesn’, a historical fairground recalling Oktoberfest’s early days. The festival is a gathering where centuries-old tradition continues to unite locals and travellers alike under Bavaria’s blue and white skies.
In 2025 the 190th Oktoberfest will take place, with a glimpse into true Bavaria’s culture.
Location: Theresienwies, Munich, Germany
Date: Sep 20th to Oct 5th
