festival

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Break Out the Beer Steins, Lederhosen

Oktoberfest has kicked off in Munich

(Newser) - The beer is flowing and millions of people are descending on the Bavarian capital to celebrate the official opening of Oktoberfest. With the traditional cry of "O'zapft is!" — "It's tapped!"— Mayor Dieter Reiter inserted the tap in the first keg at noon...

Greta Thunberg Bows Out of Event Over 'Greenwashing'

Climate activist cites sponsorship from investment firm with ties to fossil fuels

(Newser) - Greta Thunberg has pulled out of an international book festival, where she was slated to discuss her recent book on climate change, due to what she claims is "greenwashing" by the festival's main sponsor. The climate activist said she would not attend the Edinburgh International Book Festival, to...

Fyre Fest II 'Finally Happening,' Says Failed Fyre Fest Founder

Billy McFarland is teasing second music festival, details still unknown, after going to jail for first one

(Newser) - A year after his release from prison, the founder of the failed Fyre Festival is teasing round two. "Fyre Festival II is finally happening. Tell me why you should be invited," Billy McFarland tweeted Sunday. He hasn't revealed details but suggested the event would again take place...

For First Time Since 2019, Oktoberfest Taps Its Kegs

German beer fest in Munich was canceled in 2020, 2021 due to coronavirus pandemic

(Newser) - The beer is flowing at Munich's world-famous Oktoberfest for the first time since 2019. With three knocks of a hammer and the traditional cry of "O'zapft is!" ("It's tapped!"), Mayor Dieter Reiter inserted the tap in the first keg at noon local...

Shooting at Pride Fest Leaves 2 Dead, 10 Seriously Injured

Police investigating mass shooting in Norwegian capital of Oslo as possible terror attack

(Newser) - A gunman opened fire in Oslo's nightlife district early Saturday, killing two people and leaving 10 seriously wounded in what police are investigating as a possible terrorist attack during the Norwegian capital's annual Pride festival. Investigators said the suspect, identified as a 42-year-old Norwegian citizen originally from Iran,...

3-Year-Old Girl Goes Airborne at Kite Festival

The Taiwanese crowd is shocked as girl twists in the air

(Newser) - A 3-year-old girl in Taiwan was reported safe after becoming caught in the strings of a kite and lifted several meters into the air, the AP reports. The unidentified girl was taking part in a kite festival Sunday in the seaside town of Nanlioao when she was caught up by...

Burning Man Says It Is Being Gouged by Feds

Organizers say excessive fees are endangering festival

(Newser) - There are no ATMs at the freewheeling Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert—but organizers say the federal government is treating them like one. In a lawsuit filed earlier this month, festival organizers accuse the Bureau of Land Management of overcharging them in annual fees over the last seven...

Area 51 Fest Organizer: Facebook 'Reckless' to Dump Event

Facebook's removal of event does little to staunch interest

(Newser) - More than 2 million people said they'd take part in a raid on Area 51, and more than 1.4 million said they were interested, before Facebook finally had enough. The platform deleted the joke event on Saturday, claiming it violated community standards, according to a screenshot posted by...

Camels Busted for Botox in Pageant Scandal

At least 12 kicked out of Saudi festival

(Newser) - Saudi Arabia is holding its annual monthlong camel festival—and cheaters are not welcome. With around $60 million up for grabs in races and show competitions, unscrupulous owners have been drugging animals and even giving them Botox injections in an attempt to win camel beauty pageants, the National reports. At...

Organizers Sorry for 'Unacceptable' Luxury Festival Chaos

They're going to try again in the US

(Newser) - After delivering a "luxury" festival experience so bad some attendees likened it to The Lord of the Flies, the people behind the Fyre Festival have promised much better things next time around. In a statement to Billboard , festival co-owners Billy McFarland and rapper Ja Rule give their side of...

Phoenix Bans Old West-Style Shooting Game at July 4 Fest

City 'not comfortable' showing guns 'in a fun or glorified way'

(Newser) - An Arizona couple's Old West-style shooting game will not be among the activities at a July Fourth celebration in Phoenix on Monday night, the AP reports. Pete and Valerie Fowler say Prescott Pete's Highfalutin Shooting Gallery was deemed inappropriate by organizers of Fabulous Phoenix 4th. According to a...

Dozens Report Sexual Assaults at German Festival

More women are expected to come forward

(Newser) - Some 26 women have filed sexual assault complaints following a music festival in Darmstadt, Germany—and another 15 are expected to come forward. The 26 victims reported being "surrounded" by men who "touched and fondled" them at the Schlossgrabenfest on Saturday, reports the Evening Standard . Another 15 were...

Panic at Zombie Fest as Gunfire Kills One, Injures 4

Florida police are seeking public's help in finding shooter at Fort Myers' ZombiCon

(Newser) - A Florida festival celebrating the undead turned into a real-life nightmare Saturday night after a shooting left one person dead at the scene and four injured, CNN reports. As the four injured were whisked to a local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, police in Fort Myers began searching for a still-at-large...

Turkey Testicle Festival Gets Competition

Festival in suburban Chicago has an imitator in East Dundee

(Newser) - The owner of a suburban Chicago pub that has held an annual Turkey Testicle Festival for 32 years isn't testy at all that a nearby community plans to host its own celebration of the unusual dish this November. J.R. Westberg, who owns the Parkside Pub in Huntley, told...

'Hungry Ghosts' Roam Hong Kong

Festival involves appeasing ghosts with everything from food to iPhones

(Newser) - Countless hungry and restless ghosts are roaming Hong Kong, and the world, to visit their living descendants, at least according to Chinese convention. In traditional Chinese belief, the seventh month of the lunar year is reserved for the Hungry Ghost festival, or Yu Lan , a raucous celebration marked by feasts...

What the 'Largest Gathering in History' Leaves Behind

Lots of garbage, unsurprisingly

(Newser) - One would have to imagine that the aftermath of what has been described as the "largest human gathering in history" wouldn't be pretty. The Wall Street Journal today confirms that is indeed the case. It presents photos taken three weeks after the end of the 55-day Kumbh Mela,...

339 Dead in Cambodian Festival Stampede

Hundreds more severely injured; 'biggest tragedy' since Khmer Rouge

(Newser) - More than 330 Cambodians died today in a stampede that broke out as some 2 million gathered for a festival to celebrate the end of the rainy season, reports the AP. Prime Minister Hun Sen said the deaths at the three-day water festival was the country's "biggest tragedy" since...

Trannies Party 'Till Dawn in Mexican Town

Festival recognizes cross-dressing 'muxes,' crowns a queen

(Newser) - Indigenous gays and transvestites partied into the wee hours last night in a southern Mexican town, Reuters reports. The annual bash for so-called "muxes" ended today with a parade that crowned a trannie queen and celebrated the harvest, as it has done for decades. But only recently has...

Pearl Jam Mixes Dylan, Politics at Bonnaroo

'This has to be the time,' Vedder tells thousands

(Newser) - Pearl Jam stormed Bonnaroo's massive stage last night for a 3-hour live show that mixed B-sides and Bob Dylan covers with a heapin' helping of politics, reports Rolling Stone. The performance in front of tens of thousands was rare for grunge's supergroup, reports the AP, which has largely avoided such...

World's Weirdest Festivals
 World's Weirdest Festivals 
TRAVEL
Jun 11, 2008 1:39 PM CDT

World's Weirdest Festivals

Oddball traditions say plenty about a culture

(Newser) - Forget museums and street markets. To truly understand a culture, travelers should take in its bizarre traditions. From fire walking to tomato hurling, Travel and Leisure looks at the world's most off-the-wall celebrations.
  • Lopburi Monkey Buffet in Thailand: Each November, Lopburi's residents lay out a feast to appease the city's
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