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Written by Vishal on June 26, 2023 Share on

10 Best & Most Famous Festivals in Europe to Experience in 2024

Europe is fast becoming one of the premier backpacking and budget destinations across the world. Thousands of people are expected to stream into the region, not to visit museums or game parks, but to attend and get a glimpse of the parties, nightlife, and festivals! So if you are planning a visit to the continent, get to know these 10 most famous festivals to explore on Europe Honeymoon Packages! Include them on your holiday’s places to go and things to do list.

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10 Most Famous Festivals in Europe

  • Edinburgh International Festival – Edinburg, Scotland
  • Halloween festival – Transylvania, Hungary & Romania
  • Running of the Bulls, Pamplona, Spain
  • La Fête Nationale, Champes Elysees avenue, Paris
  • Sziget Festival, Budapest, Hungary
  • Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany
  • La Tomatina – Valencia, Spain
  • La Battala Del Vino – La Rioja, Spain
  • Pinkpop Festival – Landgraaf, Netherlands
  • Larmer Tree Festival – Dorset, England

1. Edinburgh International Festival – Edinburg, Scotland

8th to 31st August

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Edinburgh is a world-renowned festival of performing arts featuring artists from all over the globe. It brings the very best in classical music, dance, theater, visual arts exhibitions and opera from across the world for three exciting weeks and is one of the best and the famous festivals to explore on Europe Tour Packages!

While here, you’ll love taking in some unbelievable street performances, great shows and the world’s famous Military Tattoo right in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle. The festival also hosts a series of talks and workshops.

2. Halloween festival – Transylvania, Hungary & Romania

30 October – 1 November

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There’s no better place to spend Halloween than in Dracula’s Transylvania. The festival, which is one of the most famous festivals in Europe which takes place in October every year and involves masked Halloween party in a mountain lodge in the middle of Transylvania Mountains.

During the festival, the atmosphere at the mountain is just mysterious, spooky and magnificent and features people with fancy dresses and fake blood pouring from eye sockets, following Dracula’s trail past mountain chalets, castles, quaint local villages and fortified churches. If you need one in a lifetime adventure, then this festival perfectly suits you.

3. Running of the Bulls, Pamplona, Spain

July 6 – 14

San Fermin - running of the bulls

The Running of the Bulls, the most popular and famous festivals in Europe held in the country of Spain, is held between July 6 and 14 every year, and involves running on front of a dozen of bulls that have been let loose on a course of a sectioned-off subset of the streets of Pamplona. The opening ceremony, known as the Chupinazo which normally occurs on July 6 at 12 noon, makes the day to be different from other days of the festival. At 11 pm, you’ll experience magnificent fireworks and general partying which are then expected to continue throughout the festival.

4. La Fête Nationale, Champes Elysees avenue, Paris

July 14

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Known by the English-speaking countries as Bastille Day, this is celebrated on France’s National Day and is one of the most famous festivals in Europe. The festival comprises the oldest and largest military parade in the continent, held on the morning of July 14. The parade passes down from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde. You wouldn’t want to miss the public concerts and dances on the night before, and the fireworks in the evening of the festival.

5. Sziget Festival, Budapest, Hungary

9 – 16 August

sziget

This is one of the largest cultural and music festivals in Europe that is held every August in the northern Budapest, on the Old Buda Island (budai-sziget) in the middle of Danube River. Featuring over 1000 acts and performances, the festival has won several awards and is dubbed by many as the “European alternative to Burning Man”. For festival fans, this event is seen as an amusement park as it bursts with various colourful and exciting distractions from reality.

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6. Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany

16 September – 4 October

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Oktoberfest is the world’s most popular beer festival which takes place every year from mid-September to October in Munich Germany. While here, you’ll enjoy yourself with hundreds of other people drinking, singing, dancing, and having fun in beer tents. The festival is organized by Munich’s largest and most traditional breweries and is one of the best and most famous festivals in Europe. You’ll love drinking beer by the litre, but if you are a teetotaller, you don’t need to worry; water and sodas are available too.

7. La Tomatina – Valencia, Spain

 August 30

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La Tomatina is a food fight festival held in the Valencian town of Bunol, 30 km from the Mediterranean on the Wednesday of August every year, and goes on for a week. Considered as the world’s biggest food fight, the festival involves a fight in which participants throw hundreds of metric tons of over-ripe tomatoes in the streets. Additionally, the festival features parades, music, fireworks and dancing and is one of the best and most famous festivals in Europe.

8. La Battala Del Vino – La Rioja, Spain

29 June

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If you thought La Tomatina is the craziest festival in the world, then wait till you have a glimpse of La Battala. La Battala is one of the best and the most famous festivals in Europe that is held every year on the 29th of June, in which thousands of locals and hundreds of lucky tourists climb a mountain in the village of Haro, Spain and throw wine on each other. Rather than drinking and savouring red wine, the locals prefer splashing it all over the place. Everyone gets wet and sticky as they all turn into a beautiful shade of purple.

9. Pinkpop Festival – Landgraaf, Netherlands

3 – 5 June

pinkpop festival image

Pinkpop festival is one of the best and the most famous festivals in Europe which takes place on the grounds of a former horse-racing track in rural Landgraaf every year during the Pentecost weekend – seventh Sunday after Easter (early June). The festivals involves creaming masses and guitars and frantic, electric performance. The participants dye their hair pink and wear pink T-shirts and pink plastic glasses, making the scene appear like a pink sea. While staying true to its guitar-shredding heroes, the crowd screams, sing, arm flail and jump up and down.

10. Larmer Tree Festival – Dorset, England

29 Aug – 1 Sep (2024)

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Larmer Tree festival is normally held from July 17th to 21st. Considered as one of the best festivals in Europe and voted as the best UK family festival, Larmer Tree Festival promotes itself as the quirkiest, friendliest and happiest festival in the land. The event features eclectic music, dance, street theater, comedy and workshops for both adults and children in the natural ambiance of Salisbury’s Larmer Tree Gardens. The closing day is marked by a carnival procession in which participants are required to wear costumes they have made at workshops during the festival.

FAQs on Famous Festivals in Europe

Q: Which are the iconic festivals celebrated in Europe?

A: There are plenty of amazing festivals celebrated throughout Europe, but some iconic festivals include, La Tomatina in Spain, Glastonbury Festival in the UK, Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Oktoberfest in Munich and more.

Q: Does Europe host festivals celebrating music and the arts?

A: Indeed, there are numerous music and arts festivals like Tomorrowland in Belgium, Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland, Cannes Film Festival in France, and Roskilde Festival in Denmark, and many more.

Q: When should I book tickets for any festival in Europe?

A: It is recommended to plan well in advance and book all the tickets, especially for popular festivals. Make sure to check festival schedules and other details to avoid last-minute hustles.

Q: Can families enjoy festivals in Europe?

A: Absolutely, many festivals cater to families with children. You can expect kid-friendly activities, entertainment, and a family-oriented atmosphere.

Q: Are festivals in Europe safe?

A: Yes, safety is the priority of every festival in Europe, but still it is always better to be aware of your surroundings and follow all the rules.

Inspired and ready to set off and take part in these famous festivals in Europe? Check out various Europe Packages and at Pickyourtrail and choose the one that suits you best and book away!

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