Across the globe there are thousands of festivals that take place each year, but they aren't just confined to music — there are many weird and wacky events which take punters way out there. In a single post-Covid year, a total of 6.5 million music fans attended festivals in the UK.
Given the country is home to Glastonbury , Latitude, Download, Reading and many other enormous events, it is easy to see why slipping on a pair of wellies and buying a box of wine has become a summer ritual for many. However, there is a lot more out there than simply standing in a field watching Coldplay again. Whether its dangerously spreading fire through the streets of a picturesque village, going bog snorkelling or firing a car off a cliff, there are plenty of odd festivals happy to take your cash.
Here are some of our favourites. Have you been to any of these festivals? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com Tar Barrels, Ottery St Mary, England - November 5 The Tar Barrel tradition is hundreds of years old and whilst the specific origins are unknown, they probably started after the gunpowder plot of 1605.
This bizarre tradition involves rolling, carrying and setting light to tar barrels through the streets of Ottery, which is now the only town in the country to carry full-sized lighted tar barrels through the streets. Each year the events takes place alongside Ottery’s November 5 bonfire, which usually stands around 35 ft tall and a girth of around 50 ft. Bog Snorkelling, Llanwrtyd Wells in Wa.