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August has something enchanting about it. It is a month that seems to be hanging between the carefree summer spirit and the quiet change to autumn. Throughout the world, it is the season when people go out to dance, eat, and celebrate their stories.
The villages become the open-air stages, beaches get ready to be stages, and the city streets start to dance with music and color.
Some festivals date back several hundred years, while others were only created in the last few decades, but all of them have in common the simple fact that celebration connects us.
So take with you your curiosity and desire to see the world, and let’s go on a trip across the different continents to find out the Top 20 Festivals Around the World in August, where every celebration tells a story.
1. Sziget Festival- Budapest, Hungary
Óbuda Island, the serene part of Budapest, gets a complete makeover every August, and for a good week, it becomes “The Island of Freedom,” the vibrant hub of Europe’s one of the most massive and diverse music festivals, Sziget. More than 500,000 fans from all continents of the planet come together for non-stop performances, art installations, and cultural showcases for seven days.
You can find almost everything from sunrise yoga to electrifying late-night DJ sets at Sziget, which is the embodiment of creativity and togetherness. Visitors are enthralled with the art villages, circus acts, and workshops that pledge to global unity, besides the music.
The concert and cultural utopia is also a gift from nature, with Budapest’s skyline and the Danube River forming the perfect setting.
2. La Tomatina- Buñol, Spain
La Tomatina is the little Valencian town of Buñol that explodes with happy chaos due to the world's most famous food fight that happens on the last Wednesday of August. Overripe tomatoes are thrown at each other by thousands of people who come together, and as a result, the streets turn into rivers of red pulp.
The throwing of tomatoes is only for an hour, but the fun can be heard even after the cleaning trucks have come. The town people and the tourists dance, sing, and celebrate while being thrown at with broken tomatoes, which is the symbol of absolute, carefree fun.
Besides, the parties continue with the parades, the paella contests, and the street music after the war. Being in Spain's most playful tradition, dressed in your old clothes, wearing goggles, and experiencing will be great for you.
3. Lollapalooza- Chicago, Illinois
Lollapalooza is held at Chicago’s Grant Park and is considered to be one of the top music festivals on the planet. It basically draws fans from every part of the world. The festival that was initially a ’90s traveling alternative rock show has now been expanded to a four-day musical extravaganza with more than 170 artists playing in different genres from pop and punk to hip-hop and electronic.
Besides the gorgeous skyline and Lake Michigan view, the festival features immersive art installations, food vendors from all over the world, and eco-friendly measures that are a manifestation of Chicago’s vibrant and energetic spirit.
The vibe is very lively, diverse, and inclusive, which is also a reflection of the city. If you were dancing with the crowd to the band you love or chilling by the lake making new friends, Lollapalooza is the quintessential summer experience with freedom, connection, and pure musical joy.
4. Edinburgh Festival Fringe- Scotland
Every August in Edinburgh is a celebration of art and culture. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world's biggest arts festival, is a city-wide takeover where pretty much any space you can think of is turned into a stage. For three dazzling weeks, artists of all kinds and from all over the world bring you comedy, theater, dance, cabaret, and experimental shows.
The old town streets are filled with the sound of laughs and claps, while buskers lure in more and more people all day long. Maybe you’ll discover the next big star or an utterly eccentric act that doesn’t even have a label. The Fringe is not only the largest festival in town, but it’s an artistic revolution valuing the most basic human right, freedom of speech.
5. Notting Hill Carnival- London, United Kingdom
It is a fact that every August Bank Holiday, Notting Hill in London turns into a colorful, musical, and proud Caribbean festival known as Notting Hill Carnival, which is the largest street festival in Europe. The carnival, which was initially a manifestation of the Afro-Caribbean culture in the 1960s, currently has more than two million visitors each year.
There is music from steel bands playing reggae and soca, and dancers in attractive costumes are making their way through the streets. Besides, food vendors offer jerk chicken, plantains, and tropical drinks. Thus, the atmosphere becomes filled with delicious smells.
It is a combination of culture, liberty, and brotherhood at its best, a real icon of the diversity of London. Whatever the reason is, music, fashion, or the feeling of being together, Notting Hill Carnival is a feast for the senses that you will never forget.
6. Obon Festival- Japan
Japan in August sparkles with the soft light of the Obon Festival, which is a very spiritual Buddhist event that honors the spirits of ancestors. Relatives unite, they clean graves and put food and lanterns as a welcome for their loved ones.
What stands out the most is the Bon Odori, which is the traditional dance done in circles to the music of folk, and it is the way to symbolize the bond between the living and the ones who have left. Every area has its special thing, the big fires of Gozan Okuribi in Kyoto, or lanterns going down the rivers in Hiroshima and Tokyo quietly.
There are dancers in yukatas walking the streets, stalls for food, and people having fun. Obon is a mix of respect and party.
7. Burning Man- Black Rock Desert, USA
Each year, Burning Man is not merely a festival, as it is a whole temporary city that is constructed in the Nevada Black Rock Desert on the principles of creativity, self-expression, and radical inclusion. For one miraculous week at the end of August, the desolate land is converted into a vibrant playground of art installations, extravagant costumes, music, and sharing one’s life with the community.
The participants, also called “Burners,” live in an economy of gifting where money is not allowed, and everything is given without any restrictions. The major event is the symbolic burning of a huge wooden effigy, “The Man,” representing the idea of starting over and letting go.
Burning Man has everything from yoga at sunrise to huge sculptures and DJ sets that last all night. It is not so much a party, rather a spiritual and artistic awakening.
8. Feria de Málaga – Málaga, Spain
Feria de Málaga is definitely one of the most colorful summer festivals in Spain, reflecting the Andalusian way of life with dance, music, and an inexhaustible joy. It happens every August and is a celebration of the city’s reconquest by the Catholic Monarchs in 1487. People take over the streets dressed in flamenco traditional clothes, drink sweet local wines, and dance to cheerful sevillanas.
The historic center with parades, horse carriages, and street performances is a picture of happy life, while nights are all about bright lights, fireworks, and concerts at the fairgrounds. Locals and visitors, together, enjoy tapas, rides, and the festive booths, which are called “casetas.” The lively atmosphere, the long-lasting traditions, and the Mediterranean hospitality are the reasons why Feria de Málaga is an amazing cultural celebration of southern Spain.
9. Awa Odori- Tokushima, Japan
Every August, the streets of Tokushima become the stage for the Awa Odori, Japan’s largest and most famous traditional dance festival, and it is hard not to be swept away by the festival’s vibrant energy and rhythm. With roots tracing back more than 400 years, the raucous summer Obon party calls for the “Awa Dance” to be repeated by the figures clad in shamisen, taiko, and flute ensembles.
The participants, who wear bright yukatas and straw hats, sing: “To dance is foolish, and not to dance is foolish, so why not dance?” which perfectly reflects the happy mood of the festival. Visitors are there as well, but they are not merely watchers, but are, in fact, free to take part, and thus the lantern-lit sky becomes the boundless space for a new legion of synchronized movements and mirth.
Late in the night, the city of Tokushima resembles a luminous stream of motion and music. Awa Odori is Japan’s love story, mixing past, people, and joy into an absolutely magnificent cultural spectacle.
10. Salzburg Festival- Salzburg, Austria
The Salzburg Festival is ranked among the top classical music and performing arts festivals in the world. The event, which dates back to 1920, is a homage to Austria’s cultural heritage and the city where Mozart was born.
Every August, Salzburg transforms into a venue for grand opera, symphony, and theater performances that are the work of top artists and are attended by audiences from all over the world. They can perform in places, going from the big concert halls to the ancient courtyards with the baroque-style buildings of the city, making the festival more beautiful.
Besides these, you can see the plays of Mozart, tragedies of the stage, and symphonic works being performed. Besides the music, the city's old town with its narrow streets and shops is full of life, too, and is thus an ideal place for art lovers. The festival, with its magnificence and ageless art, is one of the cultural treasures of Europe.
11. Festa Major de Gràcia- Barcelona, Spain
Gràcia neighborhood of Barcelona is a very colorful and imaginative place that seems to literally burst during the Festa Major de Gràcia that takes place every August. A local fiesta that was small in scale is now one of the most crowded and lively street festivals in the city.
The streets are the contestants trying to outdo each other by having the most attractive eye-catching decorations, which are made of recycled materials, paper, and lights. Thus, the community becomes a fairy-tale world. There is live music, traditional Catalan dances, workshops, parades, and community feasts you can enjoy, as they are the most representative of the bohemian spirit of the area.
During the night hours, concerts and light displays are the attractions that bring the streets to life. Festa Major de Gràcia is a perfect blend of tradition, sustainability, and community spirit. So, it is an excellent summer scene in Barcelona.
12. Medellín Flower Festival- Medellín, Colombia
Each August, Medellín becomes a riot of colors during the Flower Festival or Feria de las Flores. A celebration dedicated initially to the local flower growers, it has turned into one of the most stunning festivals in Colombia.
The main event is the Desfile de Silleteros, where farmers with their backs carry huge floral arrangements and walk through the streets. Apart from these events, the festival includes concerts, horse parades, fireworks, and cultural exhibitions. Medellín is like a lovely scented flower garden, honoring the aesthetics, the customs, and the communal pride, which is typical of Colombia’s infallible spirit and its love for the “City of Eternal Spring.”
13. Hungry Ghost Festival- China & Southeast Asia
The Hungry Ghost Festival is a very conspicuous event in China, Malaysia, Singapore, and other Southeast Asian countries, and is celebrated on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, which is normally in August. The festival, which has its roots in Buddhist and Taoist beliefs, is a rite for those ghosts that are believed to be the ones wandering the earth.
Food, incense, and paper money are offered making sure that the spirits are contented. Both the streets and the temples are decorated with lights that are supposed to guide the spirits back to their world. It is a festival of great seriousness but also beautiful, a deep homage to the unseen world and a reminder of the spiritual relationship that exists between the living and the dead.
14. Kandy Esala Perahera- Sri Lanka
Esala Perahera is the major Buddhist festival of Sri Lanka held in Kandy, the holy city, and is a celebration of the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha. The event that happens in late July and August is characterized by ten nights of royal procession accompanied by traditional dancers, drummers, fire-eaters, and decorated elephants.
The festival is a mixture of devotion and spectacle, which is the representation of blessings for prosperity and rain. The spiritual power of the festival is experienced by everyone, both locals and tourists, as the rhythmic beats are heard in the streets. The Kandy Esala Perahera is a stunning example of Sri Lanka’s past, the arts, and the religious practices that are deeply rooted in the country.
15. Oya Festival- Oslo, Norway
Oya Festival is the biggest music festival in Norway and the most sustainable one as well, which is held every August. Being an eco-friendly event, it combines sustainability measures with the excellent lineup of international and Nordic artists. The festival's music genres range from indie rock to electronic and pop, so Oya attracts different kinds of music lovers who can enjoy good music in the beautiful park surroundings.
Apart from concerts, local food stalls, art installations, and a friendly community spirit are the main features of the festival. Thanks to its combination of urban culture and environmental consciousness, Oya Festival is an ideal reflection of modern Scandinavia’s progressive spirit and love of music.
16. Semana Grande- San Sebastián, Spain
Every August, the seaside town of San Sebastián in the Basque Country is taken over for one week, as it experiences a week-long summer festival, called the Semana Grande or Aste Nagusia, which involves fireworks, parades, and partying on the beach. Like any Basque festival, Aste Nagusia celebrates the Basque culture, fully incorporating concerts, dance performances, Basque sporting events, and street parties across locations. The competition involves international teams, each trying to create and present the best fireworks display performed by a group of selected people in favor of the overall fireworks display.
The audience participates in enjoying this performance, while having music, partaking in a pintxo, and partying on the ocean's edge of a lively beach. San Sebastián connects its two reasons for existence, the sea and culture, to again celebrate life in summertime. It recognizes summertime, in high fiesta style northern Spain, having almost elaborate and/or simple excursions. All styles work.
17. Victorious Festival- Portsmouth, United Kingdom
Victorious Festival, which is held every August at the beautiful Southsea seafront in Portsmouth, is undoubtedly one of the greatest family-friendly music events in the UK. It effectively combines the top international headliners with the emerging British talent.
So, the audience has a chance to listen to the artists of various genres such as rock, pop, indie, and electronic. Both locals and travelers can enjoy the coastal breeze, carnival rides, and lively community vibe. Victorious Festival, with its combination of excellent music and scenic charm, is the best way to experience the fun spirit of the British summer.
18. Perseids Meteor Shower Festival- Greece
Each August, Greece holds stargazing festivals all over its islands and mountains in celebration of the Perseid Meteor Shower. Shooting stars are a-plenty, and they attract both locals and tourists who, under the clear Aegean sky, come to witness hundreds of them racing through the night.
The cosmic show turns into a celestial festival of awe and mythology, from Santorini’s cliffs to Mount Olympus, the sky is lit up in honor of Perseus, the heroic figure of ancient times, after whom the meteor shower is named. This event, which links science and myth, is also supported by music, picnics, and storytelling.
The Perseids Festival is a turning point when the silent summer nights become magical get-togethers that serve as a reminder of the grandeur of nature’s spectacular show.
19. Bristol International Balloon Fiesta- Bristol, United Kingdom
Once a year, in August, the skies over Bristol turn into a colorful spectacle as more than 100 hot air balloons from different parts of the globe are launched during the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta. The Bristol International Balloon Fiesta is a four-day event and the largest balloon meeting in Europe, and a visual feast for people of all ages.
The incomparable experiences are made possible by the early morning flights and the amazing night glows, the balloons being illuminated in harmony with the music. Families can also make use of the fairground rides, food stalls, and live entertainment, which are all available at the Ashton Court Estate throughout the festival. The festival of flight meets the community spirit and the summer joy in perfect harmony to become one of the most iconic and uplifting events in the UK.
20. Palio di Siena- Siena, Italy
Twice yearly (in July and August), the Palio di Siena is one of the oldest and most exciting horse races in Italy. The race takes place in the historic Piazza del Cam, where ten riders, each of them representing the city districts of Siena, compete one after another in a wild, breath-taking run around the square.