What if your summer vacation included hurling tomatoes at strangers, snorkeling through a bog, or cheering on a race featuring motorized bathtubs? Around the world, summer brings out some of humanity’s strangest traditions, and that’s exactly what makes them unforgettable. Whether they’re rooted in decades-old customs, quirky local history, or simply a love of fun, these offbeat festivals attract travelers seeking experiences they won’t find anywhere else.
If your ideal trip leans a little less ordinary, add these delightfully bizarre summer events to your travel bucket list.
1. La Tomatina
Buñol, Spain
Last Wednesday of August
For one gloriously messy hour every August, the quiet Spanish town of Buñol transforms into the world’s biggest food fight. Thousands of participants flood the streets armed with overripe tomatoes, turning the entire town into a sea of bright red pulp.
The tradition dates back to 1945 and has grown into one of Spain’s most recognizable festivals. Held every year on the last Wednesday of August, the event now caps attendance through advance ticket sales to preserve both safety and the experience itself. If you’re heading to Spain in late summer, don’t forget to pack clothes you don’t mind sacrificing to tomato juice.
2. World Bog Snorkeling Championships
Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales
August Bank Holiday Weekend
Only in Wales could swimming through a muddy peat bog become a legitimate world championship.
Dating back to the mid-1980s, competitors gather at Waen Rhydd Bog to race two lengths of a water-filled trench using nothing more than flippers and a snorkel. Traditional swimming strokes aren’t allowed, making speed less important than determination. Costumes ranging from superheroes to pirates are almost as common as wetsuits, and competitors travel from around the globe to participate.
Some athletes train all year. Others simply want bragging rights for surviving one of the world’s muddiest sporting events.
3. Air Guitar World Championships
Oulu, Finland
August
You don’t need musical talent to become a champion here. You just need confidence.
Each August, competitors from around the world descend on Oulu to perform elaborate imaginary guitar solos in front of cheering crowds and a panel of judges. Performances are scored on technical skill, stage presence, creativity, and theatrical flair, making this equal parts concert and comedy show.
Since launching in the 1990s, the event has become an international phenomenon built around one memorable slogan: “Make Air, Not War.” It’s hard not to smile when the loudest guitar riffs are happening entirely in someone’s imagination.
4. Wife Carrying World Championships
Sonkajärvi, Finland
July
Relationships require teamwork. This championship simply puts that theory to the test.
Competitors sprint through a 253.5-meter obstacle course featuring sand, gravel, dry obstacles, and a water crossing while carrying their partner on their back or upside down using the famous “Estonian carry.” Teams travel from around the world to compete, and the winning pair traditionally receives prizes that include a quantity of wife-carrying drink equal to the carried partner’s weight.
It may sound ridiculous, but crossing the finish line has inspired copycat competitions across the globe. Turns out love can be measured in speed and a few drinks.
5. Burning Man
Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA
Late August to Early September
For one remarkable week each year, a temporary city rises from the Nevada desert before disappearing without a trace.
Burning Man welcomes tens of thousands of participants who build immersive art installations, themed camps, and interactive experiences centered on creativity and radical self-expression. The event features its signature burning of a towering wooden effigy known simply as “The Man,” one of the festival’s most iconic traditions.
Tickets require advance planning, and surviving the desert takes preparation, but for many attendees it’s unlike anything else on Earth.
6. Great International World Championship Bathtub Race
Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
July
Most people replace an old bathtub. In Nanaimo, they race it across the ocean.
Part of the annual Nanaimo Marine Festival, competitors pilot specially modified motorized bathtubs over open water in a tradition dating back to 1967. Equal parts engineering challenge and community celebration, the race has become one of Canada’s most recognizable quirky sporting events.
It’s hard to imagine looking at your bathroom the same way ever again.
7. Great Reno Balloon Race
Reno, Nevada, USA
September
Sometimes the most spectacular events don’t involve getting dirty at all.
Held each September, the Great Reno Balloon Race fills the Nevada sky with up to 100 colorful hot air balloons during one of the world’s largest free balloon festivals. Visitors gather before sunrise to watch dazzling Glow Shows before mass ascensions send balloons drifting into the morning sky, including whimsical novelty shapes that delight photographers and families alike.
If you’re looking for a bucket-list sunrise, this one is tough to beat.
