Boryeong Mud Festival
Boryeong, South Korea
July 13-22
At the Boryeong Mud Festival, the messy side of the festival experience is embraced more than ever, as millions of people gather on Daecheon Beach to roll around in mud.
What began in 1996 as a publicity stunt for a cosmetics company has become an annual event drawing devoted local fans and around 400,000 tourists each year. The festival features a beauty pageant, mud yoga, magicians and, of course, lots of opportunities to bathe in the nutrient-rich sludge.
AgitÁgueda Art Festival
Águeda, Portugal
July 7-29
One of the most iconic visual spectacles of this Portuguese arts festival is the stunning display of colourful umbrellas suspended high above Águeda’s busy streets
One of the most iconic visual spectacles of this Portuguese arts festival is the stunning display of colourful umbrellas suspended high above Águeda’s busy streets. The organisers aim to promote new, innovative music and art, but there are plenty of established artists gracing the stages too.
During the AgitÁgueda festival, street art pops up everywhere, from benches to public squares, transforming the town into a vibrant and magical setting in which artists can let their creativity flow.
AfrikaBurn
Tankwa Karoo National Park, South Africa
April 23-29
A partner of the American Burning Man project, each year AfrikaBurn sees attendees gather in the Tankwa Karoo National Park to construct a temporary city for the elaborate festival of art, theatre and music.
Festivalgoers can expect fantastic costumes and a vibrant celebration of South African culture and history. This year’s theme is ‘working title’, to emphasise the role festivalgoers have in creating their own experience by throwing themselves into the performances.
Viennese Modernism
Vienna, Austria
Throughout 2018
In 2018, the stunning Austrian capital will celebrate 100 years of Modernism with exhibitions popping up throughout the year on the theme of ‘beauty and the abyss’. Try to catch the Leopold Museum’s Schiele exhibition running from March to June, which explores self-examination during the interwar period.
A particular highlight is the Gustav Klimt exhibition, featuring the unfinished masterpiece The Bride alongside pencil drawings and sketches that reveal the painter’s full creative process.
