Wild Parties

Jun 5th 2012

(4 more)

Take a Walk on the Wild Side

Oh you party people - here are some of our top picks for you ragers in the bunch.

Tagged for Wild Parties...

Airwaves, Iceland
Northern Nightlife

It's 4 a.m. You've been to five cool clubs, seen ten great bands, made fifteen new friends and fallen in love twenty times. You're tired. You're wired. You're ready to find a bed. You're ready to find the after-party. This is Airwaves. (see more)

Þjódhátíð, Iceland
Party in a Volcano!

We have personally visited this rip roaring festival located inside a volcano at the ends of the earth. All we can say is despite the “warnings” of our Icelandic friends of excessive country music and Viking like behavior, we had a great time. Come prepared for the weather, it can get really wet. Unfortunately the festival has a bad reputation of sexual assault, so best to not drink too much. (see more)

Bay to Breakers Race (USA)
A San Francisco Costumed Tradition

This year, San Francisco celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Bay to Breakers foot race combining sport and spectacle unlike anything else! (see more)

Beltane Fire Festival, Scotland
Ritual Fire

The May Queen, Green Man, Red Chaos and White Order welcome spring in this pagan ritual held in Edinburgh's Calton Hill. It's a modern reincarnation of the ancient Gaelic celebration of Beltane. "Beltane" means bright sacred fire in the ancient language. (see more)

Bestival, UK
Fancy Dress Fest

This boutique festival is bit more trendy and indie than the Isle of Wright festival. The Bestival won the UK festival awards for “best major festival” of 2010, so they must be on to something. (see more)

Bloodstock, UK
Posh Mosh

Heavy Metal's take on Woodstock. A weekend in early August is the UK's largest metal gathering. Bloodstock throws both indoor and outdoor events. The roots come from the first Bloodstock held indoors in 2001. (see more)

Bonnaroo, Tennessee (USA)
Make Rock and Roll History

For four days in early June, Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival brings together the best musical performers from a multitude of genres to a picturesque Manchester, Tennessee farm. Rolling Stone magazine named the festival one of the “50 Moments That Changed The History Of Rock ‘N’ Roll” and the best U.S. festival overall. To see why, make the journey to what may be the best popular music festival America has to offer. (see more)

Boom Festival, Portugal
Things That Go Boom in the Night

The Boom Festival in Portugal blends music and other arts into one great festival. The Boom Festival only takes place every two years; so keep checking the website for details on the 2012 festival. (see more)

BPM Festival, Mexico
Beach Beats in the Mayan Rivera

Playa de Carmen is an epic place to ring in the new year. Combine that with the BPM festival, a growing electronic music festival set on the beaches of Playa de Carmen and the Mayan Rivera and it's a very good time. (see more)

Bun Bang Fai Rocket Festival, Laos
Rockets and Fertility

The Bun Bang Fai festival is a wild fertility celebration occurring every May in Laos and Thailand. You can expect drinking, dancing, cross dressing and phallus shaped rocket launching of epic proportions.► (see more)

Burning Man, Nevada (USA)
Burn Baby Burn!

For just over a week each year, nearly 50,000 people gather in the Black Rock Desert, 127 miles outside of Reno, Nevada to live in a Mad Max-style community encouraging radical expression and self-reliance. Participants freely express themselves in every conceivable way including art projects, gifts, performances, themed camps, informational workshops, and music that attracts top DJs from around the world. (see more)

Calle Ocho, Miami (USA)
One Big Block Party

Calle Ocho is a block party of epic proportions held in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami, Florida. The Kiwanis Club of Little Havana has been pivotal to hosting and promoting the event since 1977, which the official website heralds as “the world’s largest street party” (see more)

Camp Bisco, New York (USA)
The Disco Biscuits Present: Camp Bisco

Jam band The Disco Biscuits hosts the annual Camp Bisco festival in the small town of Mariaville, featuring a diverse musical lineup and an infamous party raging into the wee hours. (see more)

Cannabis Cup, Amsterdam
Puff Puff, Give Give

Each November, marijuana enthusiasts from worldwide gather in Amsterdam to vote on the best strain of grass at the High Times Cannabis Cup. Started in 1987, the competition has grown beyond the primary event to include music, entertainment, and categories including best new product, best glass, and best hash. The consumption of marijuana, be it smoked, eaten, or vaporized, is legal in Amsterdam and allows the Cup to exist. (see more)

Carnival, Brazil
Samba into one of the World’s Greatest Parties

Colorful costumes, beautiful dancing, parades, and wild partying fill the streets of Brazil during the month of Carnival. Though Carnival is celebrated throughout the world, the party in Brazil has grown to epic proportions. (see more)

Cinco De Mayo, Mexico City
¡Fiesta!

Cinco De Mayo (Fifth of May) commemorates the Mexican army’s unlikely triumph over French forces at the Battle of Puebla. This important victory held political significance to the U.S. and Mexico, but it is not Mexico’s Independence Day as it is often mistakenly regarded. (see more)

Cinetrip Sparty, Budapest
Rock the Sparty

Budapest is one of the world’s most beautiful cities and lies on the banks of the great Danube River. It is blessed with abundant geothermic activity and mineral rich waters. Some the resulting hot springs have existed since the fall of the Roman Empire and have a rich history and important role in this medieval city. (see more)

Coachella, California (USA)
The Biggest Names in Music Under the California Sun

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival brings nearly 75,000 people to California’s Inland Empire desert to see some of the biggest names in music perform under the sun and stars. Each year the festival takes place for 3 days in April and has drawn mega-artists including Jay-Z, Pearl Jam, Beck, Paul McCartney, Rage Against the Machine, Prince, and Radiohead. (see more)

Electric Forest (USA)
Lightning in a Forest

The Electric Forest is held in an enchanted woodland near Rothbury, Michigan filled with lights, spirits and electric beats by some of the most talented electronic wizards of the wooden realm. (see more)

Fantasy Fest, Key West (USA)
10 Days of Halloween: Trick or Treat

For the week building up to Halloween, Key West hosts the raucous Fantasy Fest► when the streets overflow with costumes and fun. Enjoy outrageous parades, masquerade balls, costume contests, drag queen pageants, live music, and even pirate-themed parties around every corner! (see more)

Festival Filmmaking, Budapest
Make a movie at Sziget

Sziget, considered Europe's best festival is celebrating it's 20th anniversary and has teamed up with the Budapest Film Academy. (see more)

Fusion Festival, Germany
An Abandoned Airfield Comes to Life with Art for All

In the northeast of Germany, the Fusion Festival brings the former Russian military airfield of Rechlin-Lärz back to life with a celebration of art and music. (see more)

Gay Pride, New York (USA)
The Most Fabulous Parade in the Galaxy

Gay Pride Week culminates with the spectacular Gay Pride Parade. While New York is a sparkling center of the Gay Pride events, cities worldwide have their own celebrations. The most famous celebrations are in San Francisco and Sao Paulo, Brazil (which is the rainbow heavyweight with over 2.5 million attendees). (see more)

Glastonbury Festival, England
Rich in Music, Art, and History

The 4-day Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts is one of the largest music and art festivals in the world drawing tens of thousands of festival-goers to the Vale of Avalon outside of Glastonbury, England. The sleepy area is rich in English history and mythology. The town transforms into a vibrant community filled with friendly individuals, music, and mind-blowing art. (see more)

Global Gatherings, UK
Dance Evolution

Enjoy world-class electronica, dubstep, and a variety of dance music at the Global Gathering in Long Marston Airfield in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. (see more)

Grape Throwing Festival, Mallorca
Stomp and Throw

In the quaint village of Binissalem, Mallorca the end of the grape harvest season brings with it a wild food fight of epic proportions. While this festival was once only open to locals, it’s growing in size as the world has spread about the all out grape throwing extravaganza. (see more)

Halloween, Worldwide
Trick or Treat

Halloween is a world-famous holiday celebrating the macabre and the supernatural, most vigorously observed in the United States. It happens every year on October 31st. The are many customs and traditions associated with this old holiday including carving pumpkins, trick or treating and costume parties. Halloween’s roots have been traced to an old Irish Celtic holiday and to the Roman Empire. (see more)

High Sierra Festival (USA)
4th of July Mountain Jam

Each year around the 4th of July, the small mountain town of Quincy, CA plays host to the High Sierra Music Festival for four days► in the picturesque foothills of the Sierra Nevada. (see more)

Jazzfest, New Orleans (USA)
Celebrate the Birthplace of Jazz

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, or Jazz Fest, has been celebrating the musical styles of New Orleans with a culturally rich music festival for over 40 years! (see more)

kaZantip, Ukraine
Welcome to the Party Republic

This is the biggest electronic music festival in Eastern Europe. This festival started as a big air competition and party for kitesurfers who enjoy the good wind and long, sandy beaches of the Black Sea. (see more)

La Tomatina, Spain
Flying Tomatoes in this Wild Food Fight

The last Wednesday in August, the streets of Valencia, Spain turn into a violent mess of oozing red for La Tomantina, the world’s biggest tomato fight.► (see more)

Lowlands, Holland
A Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise

How could we do it? Impossible to miss Lowlands some readers asked. Well here it is... (see more)

Lucidity Festival, USA
You Must Be Dreaming

This April, the second incarnation of Lucidity will fill the mountains of Santa Barbara, California with art and music as part of an “open-source” festival calling on the participants to help shape the experience. (see more)

Mardi Gras, New Orleans (USA)
Fat Tuesday

New Orleans’ Mardi Gras has become an iconic celebration taking place during the weeks surrounding Fat Tuesday. Parades fill the city as this party overflows beyond Bourbon Street and the French Quarter►. (see more)

Moogfest, USA
Everybody Moog to the Music!

Each October, around Halloween weekend, the streets of Asheville, North Carolina are filled with music lovers catching acts by some of the hottest names in electronic music as part of Moogfest. (see more)

Nature One, Germany
Go Wild – Freak Out

Germany’s Nature One festival is an epic open-aired electronic music festival where you can dance from sundown to sunrise the first weekend of August. The festival grounds are located at a decommissioned US missile base and have party areas such as the Century Circus, Open Air Floor and the Groovalistic Garden. A secondary “festival” takes place at the campgrounds where everyone seems to be a DJ. (see more)

Night of the Witches, Germany
Dance Until Dawn on Witch Mountain

Walpurgis Night or Walpurgisnacht is a festival to experience yourself and a springtime tradition in Northern and Central Europe. Finland, Estonia, Sweden and Germany all have their own variations of this mysterious holiday. Much folklore lies around the date of May 1st as a known time for witches and wizards to convene with the devil in dance around the fire know as the Hexentanzplatz or “witches’ dance”. (see more)

Notting Hill Carnival, UK
London Gone Wild

The Notting Hill Carnival is an annual event that since 1965 has taken place on the streets of Notting Hill, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, UK each August, over three days (the August bank holiday Monday and the two days beforehand). It is led by members of the West Indian community. The carnival has attracted around one million people in the past years, making it one of the largest street festivals in the world (see more)

Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany
Prost!

For over 200 years, Munich, Germany has hosted Oktoberfest, a legendary modern-day bacchanal. (see more)

Paris Techno Parade
Techno Tour de Force

The first Techno Parade originated in 1998 as a visual street demonstration of the power of electronic music. French DJ superstar Bob Sinclair has played an integral role in the parade since the beginning. (see more)

Primavera Sound, Spain
An Indy Spring

This spring music festival draws an eclectic mix of tunes in an absolutely stunning setting directly on the warm Mediterranean coast. It’s grown in popularity, now attracting in excess of 100,000 attendees over the 3 day festival. (see more)

Provinssirock, Finland
An International Mix of Talent

The Provinssirock brings together local and international musical talents at the biggest rock festival in Finland attracting tens of thousands enthusiastic fans! (see more)

Queen's Day, Netherlands
A Very Happy Birthday!

Each April 30th, throughout the Netherlands and around the world, the Dutch show their national pride and celebrate the birthday of their former Queen! (see more)

Rainbow Serpent, Australia
Shake, Rattle, and Slither

Rainbow Serpent Festival is a famous electronic music festival held in Beaufort, Victoria over the long Australia Day Weekend. The music is primarily psych-trance and minimalist techno, though dub, trance, and house music sneak into the lineup. There are over 100 acts to choose from to keep you dancing late into the night. (see more)

Redneck Games (USA)
Olympic Hick

The Summer Redneck Games of East Dublin, Georgia may have began as a joke, but they have grown into one of the most fun and silliest festivals taking place this year. (see more)

Rock am Ring (im Park), Germany
Two Festivals, One Weekend

The Rock am Ring (Rock at the Ring) and Rock im Park (Rock in the Park) music festivals will give two German cities the chance to host the world’s top rock, metal, punk, and indie music artists. These legendary festivals share musical acts and attract upwards of 150,000 music lovers combined. (see more)

Running of the Bulls, Spain
San Fermin, Run for your LIfe

Early in the morning every July 6th, crowds dressed in all white with red sashes and bandannas await the sound of rockets in the narrow streets of Pamplona, Spain. When the rockets fire, chaos ensues as one of the maddest foot races in the world begins.► (see more)

Santacon - Santanarchy
Ho Ho Hos

The legend of Santa Claus comes from the mythology of the nordic Northern Europe. Today cultures all over the world celebrate the legend of a jolly old fat man with a flying sleigh and reigndeer who travels the world on Christmas Eve to bring presents to all good boys and girls. (see more)

Secret Garden Party, UK
Find Some Magic in a Secret Garden Party

The Secret Garden Party outside of Huntingdon, England brings an intimate arts festival to life in the East Anglia countryside. The festival experience builds on a combination of themed camps promising you’ll be “edified, enlightened, and enthralled” by camps including Flirt Factory, Dance Off, and Kissing Den. (see more)

Sonar Electronic Festival, Spain
Cutting Edge Music By Day and Night

Barcelona, Spain will host the Sonar International Festival of Advanced Music and Multimedia Art featuring cutting edge music and a conference showcasing the newest breakthroughs in the industry. You may need a siesta to keep up with Barcelona’s party pace. Whether you are a party thrower or a party goer you will find some ear candy and inspiration. (see more)

Splendour in the Grass, Australia
Splendid Winter Festival

The Splendour in the Grass music festival takes place late July/ early August in Woodford, Australia in the state of Queensland. The event is championed as the best winter music festival in the country (yes, the seasons are backwards down there), and attracts talent from around the world. (see more)

Street Parade, Switzerland
Uber Street Dance Party!

Zurich’s Street Parade will attract over a million people to dance in the streets at Europe’s largest techno-parade. (see more)

Testicle Festival, Montana
Rocky Mountain Oysterfest

Off of route 90 in Montana you’ll find this balls to the wall festival where testicles have been celebrated Montana style for over 30 years. It’s all the balls you can eat and it can get rowdy and raunchy. People are friendly and expect to see a lot of skin from people of all shapes, sizes and levels of intoxication. (see more)

The Super Bowl (USA)
A New American Holiday

The champions of the National Football League will be crowned every year to a roaring crowd and millions viewing from home. The Super Bowl game transcends the sport of football and has become a part of American popular culture. (see more)

Tomorrowland, Belgium
Dance Party of Tomorrow

"Yesterday is History, Today is a Gift, Tomorrow is a Mystery" (see more)

Trinidad Carnival
The Greatest Show on Earth

Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago is the most significant event on the islands. It is said that if the islanders are not celebrating it, then they are preparing for it, while reminiscing about the past year's festival. The heart of the musical celebration has been calypso; recently soca has replaced calypso as the most celebrated type of music. Costumes, stickfighting and limbo competitions are also important components of the festival. (see more)

Ultra Music Festival, (USA)
The New Heavyweight of American Electronic Music Festivals

The lineup for the 2011 Ultra Music Festival was stellar. Headlining this urban, outdoor electronic music festival in downtown Miami were Deadmau5, Moby, the Chemical Brothers and Duran Duran. The roots in the UMF lie in the Winter Music Conference which attracts over 300,000 music professionals to the area. (see more)

Wacken Open Air, Germany
Pedal to the Metal

Quite simply, WOA is the largest open air metal festival in the world. It's been going for 23 years strong in the small town of Wacken, which is only 50 kilometers from Hamburg. It sells out very early so plan ahead. (see more)

Wakarusa, (USA)
Mulberry Mountain Hop

Eclectic music mix in this down home rock out near Ozark, Arkansas. It's been growing every year now with sell-out crowds exceeding 60,000. (see more)

Wickerman Festival, UK
It's better than it needs to be!

The Wickerman Festival is an annual music festival held near to Dundrennan in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. Dubbed 'Scotland's Alternative Music festival', the festival celebrated its 10th Birthday in 2011. (see more)

Festival Earth

Wild Parties