Medows to Mountains. Need an excuse to see a corner of the world you’ve never been to? These recently established global festivals could be just the ticket. From exotic music shows to extreme sports, these events are sure to bring in adventurous travelers. Dust off that passport and get ready to immerse yourself in one or more of these global festivals.
The Big Red Bash
Birdsville, Australia; July 4-7, 2017
>Named for the towering, 90-foot sand dune on top of which the festival takes place, the might be the most far-flung music festival on the planet. Held in the dust-swirled Australian outback at the edge of the Simpson Desert outside the town of Birdsville, just getting to the Big Red Bash is an integral part of the festival experience. First held in 2013, this year’s Big Red Bash drew nearly 7,000 revelers—an exponential jump from the 600 people in attendance at the festival’s inauguration. Despite the remote locale, the Big Red Bash has drawn some of Australia’s most renowned musicians, showcasing everything from rock n’ roll to folksy country. The town of Birdsville itself, once a bustling cattle town, is also an iconic outback outpost, adorned with treasures like the Birdsville Hotel (established in 1884) or the Birdsville Bakery, known for serving up meat pies filled with minced kangaroo and curried camel.
Snow Bike Festival
Gstaad, Switzerland; January 19-22, 2017
Skiing isn’t the only way to savor Switzerland’s iconic Alps. In the alpine town of Gstaad—famed for luring well-heeled jetsetters and elite skiers—visitors can dabble in one of the planet’s more unique winter sports, snow biking. Now in its third year, the Snow Bike Festival celebrates a truly singular form of cycling. The festival was conceived to honor cycling throughout the snow-cloaked European winter, tapping into the continent’s fervor for fat bikes. The four day festival includes everything from an Eliminator Night Race to a multi-day Stage Race. Visitors not quite ready to take to the snow on wheels can watch from the sidelines while basking in Gstaad’s chalet-laden charm.
Beyond Sahara
Marrakech, Morocco; March 3-6, 2017
Something of a moveable Moroccan feast, Beyond Sahara is more than just a festival, it’s a multifaceted and fully-catered travel experience. The inaugural Beyond Sahara was February 2016, making the four-day celebration a true newcomer on the global scene. A far cry from most music festivals, Beyond Sahara isn’t a stationary affair. 250 partygoers are toted from Marrakech, both by jeep and camel, to iconic locations like the historic Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou, which has provided a backdrop for everything from Lawrence of Arabia to Game of Thrones. Along the way, the traveling festival fuses eclectic musical acts, yoga, spa treatments, and extreme sports like sand-boarding, quad biking, and yes, disco dodgeball.
The Nile River Festival
Jinja, Uganda; June 26-29, 2017
For just over a decade, kayakers from all over the globe have made an annual pilgrimage to the source of the Nile near Jinja, Uganda to showcase their paddling and playboating skills along one of East Africa’s premier stretches of whitewater. Drawing more than 50 of the planet’s elite paddlers in 2016, the four day Nile River Festival is a celebration of class V whitewater, highlighted with challenging hydraulics like the Nile Special. The festival opens with a crowd-pleaser: the big air ramp. This wild feature allows competitors to stun spectators with a variety of stunts. Other highlights include the 35-km endurance race, a freestyle competition, and the gritty grand finale, the Hendri Coetzee Itanda Falls Memorial Race. For spectators and shutterbugs, the festival also includes a photography component in the Ben Holland Memorial Photo Contest. After 2017, the fate of the Nile River Festival is uncertain. Construction of the Isimba Dam could threaten the future of Uganda’s most beloved whitewater hotspot and the livelihood of local communities reliant on river-running tourists.
Kathmandu Mountain Bike Festival
Kathmandu, Nepal; November 18-19, 2016
Delve into Nepal’s burgeoning mountain biking scene with a rollicking weekend campout complete with live music, yoga, gear giveaways, and both downhill and cross country races for pros and amateurs. Held just outside Nepal’s capital, the Kathmandu Mountain Bike Festival originated as a way for Nepal’s top cycling competitors to bust their chops in preparation for international trials. After just three years, the event now draws nearly 1,500 people. In 2016, control of the festival’s trail building budget was handed over to some of Nepal’s premier downhill riders, who were given free rein to construct a world-class riding track through the lofty Hattiban pine forest, framed by views of the Ganesh Himal. The festival also fosters a love of cycling among local youth. Organizers have partnered with the Sahasi Ketaketi Project which provides bikes and training to the children of marginalized communities. Kids are taught how to ride and maintain bikes, with the hopes of generating career opportunities in Nepal’s blossoming biking industry.
Serious cyclists can use the Kathmandu Mountain Bike Festival as a warm-up for the Yak Attack, the loftiest mountain bike race on the planet, held in remote Upper Mustang along a historic trade route between Nepal and Tibet.
Meadows in the Mountains
Polkovnik Serafimovo, Bulgaria; June 9-11, 2017
Like a bucolic Balkan Burning Man, the six-year-old Meadows in the Mountains festival has grown from an original turnout of just 50 people to a gathering of more than 600. Part dance party, part campout, the fun happens in southern Bulgaria’s Rhodopes Mountains. The three day festival still has an intimate, sylvan vibe and organizers strive to have minimal environmental impact while showcasing diversity of musical acts. Bands range from electronica to Indie rock. Meadows in the Mountains is also one of Europe’s most affordable musical escapes. A three day pass goes for £ 90 (about $112). Even better, the festival culminates with an optional overnight pool party at a nearby spa for anyone still needing an encore—or a quiet place to nurse a hangover.
Ballymaloe Literary Festival of Food and Wine
Shanagarry, Ireland; May 19-21, 2017
Literary foodies rejoice, this is your festival. Much more than a showcase of the fine food and drink, the Ballymaloe Literary Festival of Food and Wine, or ‘Litfest’ for short, also highlights the impact of personal food choices on wellbeing, the economy, and the environment. Originating in 2013, the East Cork based festival is a true meeting of the minds, drawing 8,000 people in 2016. The weekend is loaded with cooking demonstrations, panel discussions, expert talks, short films, live music, and of course, fabulous food, including pop-up lunches prepared by an array of high profile guest chefs. One of the guests already on tap for 2017 is Brian McGinn, director of the Emmy-award winning Netflix documentary series Chef’s Table.
Originally written by RootsRated for Craghoppers.
Featured image provided by Julia Rogers