EXPLORING THE WORLD’S BEST FESTIVALS

International festivals unite people worldwide to celebrate cultural diversity, share experiences, and promote unity. These festivals showcase various art forms, music, food, dance, and other cultural activities. The importance of international festivals lies in their ability to foster a sense of community and understanding among people from different cultural backgrounds and help them learn about different cultures and traditions, which in turn helps to build tolerance, respect, and appreciation for diversity. This article will discuss festivals in several countries to increase your knowledge about the festivals that are held and what their purpose is.

Here are some of the wonderful festival that often held every year: 

• Coachella, AS

The Coachella Festival is a music and arts festival held annually in Indio, California, in the United States. The festival is usually held over two consecutive weekends in April. It features a variety of musical genres, including rock, indie, hip-hop, and electronic, as well as contemporary art and artistic installations.

The Coachella festival was first held in 1999 and, since then, has become one of the largest and most well-known music festivals in the world. The event attracted thousands of visitors worldwide and featured well-known artists such as Beyoncé, Radiohead, and Blackpink.

• Rio Carnival, Brazil

Rio Carnival is one of the world’s biggest summer festivals, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This festival is known for its spectacular parade costumes and lively Samba music. Crowds of supporters and visitors gathered in the city streets for the fourth consecutive day of celebrations. According to the official Rio Carnival website, this festival has existed for over 250 years and is essential to Brazilian culture. This festival is usually held in February or March, before the start of the Christian fast.

• La Tomatina, Spanish

La Tomatina is an annual festival held in Buñol, Valencia, Spain, on the last Wednesday of August. This festival involves thousands of people throwing rotten tomatoes at each other on city streets. The origins of the La Tomatina festival have yet to be discovered. Some theories say that this festival originated from a fight between local youths in 1945, while other theories say that it originated from an ancient tradition carried out during harvest celebrations.

The La Tomatina Festival lasts one hour, during which participants throw tomatoes at each other on city streets that have been cleaned beforehand. This festival attracts tourists from around the world, and every year thousands of tourists come to Buñol to experience the unique and chaotic sensation of throwing tomatoes.

• Harbin Ice and Snow Festival, China

The Harbin Ice and Snow Festival is an annual festival held in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. The festival is known for the beautiful and detailed ice and snow sculptures built in large ice parks. This festival is held annually in January or February and is one of the largest ice festivals in the world.

The festival started in 1963 and, since then, has become an annual event attended by millions of visitors from around the world. The ice and snow sculptures built during the festival include replicas of famous buildings, cultural sights, and even an ice playground ride. The festival also hosts ski and ice skating competitions, fireworks displays, and other cultural events.

• Carnival of Venice, Italiy

The Venice Carnival Festival is an annual cultural festival in Venice, Italy. This festival is famous for the extravagant costumes and masks the participants wear. The Venice Carnival festival has a long history, dating back to the 11th century, when royalty wore masks to disguise their identities during social activities. In the 18th century, this festival was banned by the Venetian government because it was considered immoral, but it was revived in 1979 and continues to this day.

REFERENCES

Agmasari, S. (2020, January 15). Festival Es Tahunan Terbesar Dunia Harbin Ice and Snow Festival Dibuka Halaman all – Kompas.com. KOMPAS.com. https://travel.kompas.com/read/2020/01/15/170900827/festival-es-tahunan-terbesar-dunia-harbin-ice-and-snow-festival-dibuka?page=all

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. (n.d.). https://www.coachella.com/

Fitria, L. (2023, April 15). Begini Cara Nonton Coachella 2023 secara Online, Bakal Ada BLACKPINK. Parapuan.co. https://www.parapuan.co/read/533760700/begini-cara-nonton-coachella-2023-secara-online-bakal-ada-blackpink

Things to do in Spain – Top Local Spanish Festivals – Expat Explore. (2022, August 8). Expat Explore. https://expatexplore.com/blog/spain-best-local-events/

User’s blog. (2023, March 5). Rio Carnival Tickets 2024 – Tickets Prices – Ingressos para o Carnaval do Rio. Rio Carnival -. https://www.rio-carnival.net/

Walsh, N. P. (2019). World’s Largest Ice Sculpture Festival Opens in China with Chillingly-Cool Architecture. ArchDaily. https://www.archdaily.com/909000/worlds-largest-ice-sculpture-festival-opens-in-china-with-chillingly-cool-architecture

What is the Venice Carnival? – Venice Carnival. (n.d.). Venice Carnival. https://www.venice-carnival-italy.com/what-is-the-venice-carnival/

Wikipedia contributors. (2004). Coachella (festival). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coachella_Valley_Music_and_Arts_Festival

Wikipedia contributors. (2023). Rio Carnival. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_Carnival