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Riders on giant ring sculptures at sunrise, Black Rock Desert
Photo: Steve Jurvetson / CC BY 2.0
366 gatherings · 13 vibes · 6 continents

The gatherings worth crossing an ocean for

We read the recaps, checked the dates and skipped the SEO filler. This is a hand-picked map of festivals, retreats, conventions and parades that are actually worth the plane ticket.

Next 30 days

Happening soon

See all 366 →
Nov 13

Seattle Contact Festival

Seattle, USA→ Nov 22

Pasadena Doo Dah Parade

Pasadena, USA→ Nov 23

Bon Om Touk

Phnom Penh, Cambodia→ Nov 24

Loi Krathong and Yi Peng

Chiang Mai, Thailand→ Nov 27

World's Championship Duck Calling Contest

Stuttgart, USA→ Dec 1

Calabar Carnival

Calabar, Cross River State→ Dec 1

Hornbill Festival

Kisama Kohima, India→ Dec 2

Chichibu Night Festival

Chichibu, Saitama→ Dec 3

Midwest FurFest

Rosemont, USA→ Dec 3

Wonderfruit

Pattaya, Chonburi→ Dec 5

Alexandria Scottish Christmas Walk Parade

Alexandria, USA→ Dec 5

Arse-Freeze-Apalooza

Sonoma, USA→

Three to plan a year around

Each one needs a ticket, a flight or a strong pair of knees booked months ahead.

The Man above the temple at Burning Man
Late Aug – early Sep8 days

Burning Man

Black Rock City, Nevada. The emptiest desert in Nevada fills with a temporary city of 70,000 people who leave no trace behind.

$575 – $3,000+ Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress
The view down Cooper's Hill, Gloucestershire
Late May1 day

Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling

Brockworth, Gloucestershire. This is the slope. People chase a wheel of Double Gloucester down it.

Free Photo: Pete Verdon, public domain
A costumed giant eyeball walking across the playa
Late April6 days

AfrikaBurn

Tankwa Karoo, Northern Cape. Tankwa Town rises from red dust every year and vanishes a week later. Mutant vehicles, gifting, art built to burn.

Transformational & Burner Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress (Black Rock City)

Browse 13 vibes

All vibes →
Transformational & Burner47 Quirky & Local — Europe44 Cultural Parades41 Quirky & Local — Asia35 Quirky & Local — US South34 Music Festivals32 Conventions29 Quirky & Local — US West & Canada21 Wellness Retreats19 Quirky & Local — Africa, Oceania & Latin America19 Spiritual Gatherings18 Quirky & Local — US Northeast14 Quirky & Local — US Midwest13
Not just another events calendar

366 entries. Every one written by hand.

Anyone can scrape a list of festival dates. We picked every gathering here by hand — deserts, jungles, city streets and mountain ranges — because each one has a story worth telling, and we wrote every entry ourselves.

One email per new gathering

When we add a festival, retreat or parade to the guide, you hear first. No spam, no weekly filler.

Run a festival or retreat? Reach people already planning where to go next. Advertise on Happy Crowds →