From Rio’s Carnival to Spain’s messy food fights, world festivals offer unforgettable cultural experiences. Soak in all that these exciting celebrations offer on your journey of cultural enlightenment!
From elaborate parades to breathtaking art installations, these legendary music and arts festivals are must-attend events for fans of all genres. Experience Coachella in California; Lollapalooza in America; Glastonbury in England and beyond!
Rio’s Carnival
Salvador’s celebration focuses on mobile stages and street parties; by comparison, Rio is best known for its Sambadrome parade: an exquisitely choreographed spectacle often misunderstood by travelers.
Samba schools from modest neighborhoods across New York’s vast metropolis compete for cash and national fame during 5-night musical, costume and float extravaganzas at Sambodromo stadium. Each year’s winning school showcases an imaginative theme such as paying homage to an international city or honoring an influential Brazilian personality; 2012’s winning school Unidos da Tijuca paid tribute to folk singer Luiz Gonzaga.
For an intimate carnival experience, visit any of the numerous blockos throughout Centro and Zona Sul. There, crowds numbering in the hundreds of thousands let loose as they dance, flirt and frolic to carnival parade drummers’ beats or old-school boom boxes blasting pop music.
Staying true to its European roots, elegant mask balls and nightclub parties known as bailes take place each night of Carnival festival in Rio. Attended by celebrities, politicians, Rio’s wealthy elite as well as Rio residents dressed in black tie attire or Brazilian pop or samba costumes; Copacabana Palace Hotel hosts Rio’s Magic Ball while Centro’s massive Scala showplace hosts its boisterous Scala Gay Gala event for LGBT community members.
Burning Man
Burning Man, held annually in rural Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, draws more than 70,000 participants who form a temporary city over one week-long event. This festival celebrates community, art, self-expression and self-reliance; its centerpiece being an enormous sculpture depicting human figures which will eventually be burned at its conclusion; plus large scale art installations and participatory activities all contributing to an environment of radical inclusion through its gift economy model.
Burning Man was first held as an annual festival in San Francisco during the late 1980s, quickly growing into an event of global renown. Within five years of its inception, organizers established a formal organization and instituted key principles of community. Larry Harvey and Jerry James established Black Rock City LLC to manage it; these founding fathers outlined Ten Principles of Burning Man as core guidelines that promote radical inclusion, self-expression and decommodification as goals of their event.
Burning Man Festival’s non-hierarchical structure encourages spontaneous collaboration and community participation, but can sometimes result in central planning issues and organizational difficulties. Over time, however, its organization is continually adapting to meet participants’ needs and address their challenges; eventually it may restructure to encourage greater local and regional participation.
Burning Man participants come from diverse backgrounds and have similar values and beliefs, with its 10 guiding principles emphasizing radical inclusivity and anti-capitalism while its attendees are mostly upper class white individuals – this raises concerns over authenticity and demographic disparities within the event itself, especially as Burning Man expands internationally. As it expands globally it will become important to assess how its organization could change to promote greater diversity among its attendees.
Sechselauten
Zurich marks the end of winter with an extravagant spring festival known as Sechselauten. Focused around Zurich’s guilds – historical professional associations dating back centuries – Sechselauten features a parade with over 3500 guild members wearing traditional dresses and uniforms as well as hundreds of horses. A highlight is Boogg, an inflatable snowman filled with explosives which is burnt before an audience at Sechselautenplatz near Bellevue.
Locals believe the time it takes for Boogg’s head to explode reveals the future weather: an instantaneous explosion heralds an enjoyable summer while prolonged burning suggests cold and rainy conditions. The festivities also include children’s parades on Sunday afternoon as well as all 25 guild processions through Bahnhofstrasse and Limmatquai before culminating with 3,500 guild members wearing historical costume on Monday’s final parade, featuring over 350 horsemen and 50 exclusively horse-drawn carriages – plus much more besides!
Once the parade has concluded, the Boogg pyre is lit and all eyes turn towards its explosion. At its head is an elaborate arrangement of fireworks and other pyrotechnic devices which explode upon being blown up – usually lasting until just before 6 pm but has since been extended with summer time’s introduction in Switzerland in 1981.
For those unable to attend in person, Pocket Booggs made in a workshop employing disabled people can be purchased. Available in two sizes and supporting those in need through your purchase are just two ways this helps make a difference in lives everywhere!
Gion Matsuri
Gion Matsuri is more than just an elaborately decorated platform parade; it has long been an integral part of Kyoto culture and history. Offering an abundance of activities over its nearly 1,100 year-long existence, this festival has never lost any of its appeal or splendor.
Gion Matsuri began in 869 when plague spread throughout Kyoto and the emperor ordered a religious ceremony to appease the gods and curb pestilence. People assembled 66 spears (hoko), representing provinces across Japan, at Shinsen-en Garden – still open today south of Nijo Castle and dedicated as an imperial garden. This became the predecessor to the 33 yama and hoko floats that make up Gion Matsuri today.
Now, the festival spans an entire month of events, culminating in two major parades on July 17 and 21. These parades showcase towering yama and hoko floats adorned with intricately crafted tapestries, textiles, and treasures; teams of men are required to carry them through the streets; one notable float is Naginata Boko which proudly displays a ceremonial halberd as an enduring reminder of strength and valor of warriors who once protected Kyoto.
As part of the pre-procession festivities, floats are displayed for three nights near the intersection of Karasuma and Shijo streets in Japan’s Yoiyama festival – three nights that bring food stalls, performances, and traditional Japanese music together in an area. However, visitors are strongly advised to be respectful and consider how their actions may impact everyday lives of local residents.
Inti Raymi
The Inti Raymi Festival of the Sun stands as a testament to Inca civilization. This ancient celebration honors their sun god, pays respects to Peruvian ancestral roots, and reinforces their sense of cultural identity.
Cusco, capital of ancient Incan empire, hosts this festival that showcases costumes, dances and music performed to honor sun god. Reenactment of Tahuantinsuyo ritual to give thanks for sunshine.
At the height of Incan empire, Tahuantinsuyo was an immense and complex celebration involving large numbers of people. Inti Raymi is a recreation of this original ceremony featuring actors portraying priests, nobles and villagers; women known as acllas singing sweetly to the sun god; as well as Inca himself making a speech of thanks. However it was cancelled with arrival of Spanish due to being considered pagan festival; nevertheless clandestine celebration continued clandestinely until 1944 when Faustino Espinoza Navarro promoted its recovery and historical reconstruction.
Today, Inti Raymi is an annual public event that draws thousands of people to Cusco. Participants can join in an ancient ritual known as Pampamesa where food is placed on a tablecloth and shared among all present. All can take part by eating from it together on the floor as part of strengthening bonds with Mother Earth. Amongst many dishes served at this celebration there’s potatoes, corn and quinoa to sample as well as various meat options including the popular cuy (guinea pig).
At this festival, local residents dress in their finest clothing and carry traditional weapons, many speaking Quechua – the native tongue of the Inca Empire that remains important even as globalization makes its way across South America.