Scottish Festivals
Commons Riding
Where: Hawick and other Scottish Border Towns
When: Early June
Website: www.harwick.net
A traditional Scottish festival where the border towns celebrate days gone past when horseback patrols used to keep those pesky Englishman from crossing into Scotland. Traditional street parades, a ride out to the border and one hell of a final ball make up the celebrations. Keep an eye out for the traditional rum and milks, it apparently kicks like a mule.
Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Where: Edinburgh and other parts of Scotland
When: August/ September
Website: www.edfringe.com
The Fringe festival is probably the nest known Fringe festival in the world. What a lot of people don’t know is that not only a festival for performing arts and performance art it is also the biggest comedy festival in the world, a book festival, a jazz festival and a military tattoo to boot.
Hogmany
Where Edinburgh
When: December 31st
Website: www.hogmanay.net
One of the world’s biggest and coldest street parties takes place all across Scotland. However the main one to go to is definitely Edinburgh’s. Hogmanay is reputedly a traditional pagan festival where the locals partake in torchlight processions, fireball swinging and the lighting of fires. In an effort to banish the years evil spirits and to welcome in the new year. Now a ticketed affair one could describe the night as a manic frenzy full of happy drunken debauchery!
Royal Highland Show
Where: All across Scotland. The Cowal Highland Gathering in Dunoon
When: August
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_games
The most traditional highland festival which shows off the best of the highlands. Clans gather from all over Scotland to partake on traditional highland sports such as caber tossing, piping, drumming dancing and Scottish heavy athletics. If you can’t make the one in Dunoon they are run all over Scotland throughout the year.
Sky and Lochlash Food and Drink Festival
Where: The Isle of Skye and Lochlaish
Where: August through to October
Website: www.skyefood.co.uk
A celebration of the best of Scottish and highland fresh food and delicacies.
New World Swamp Soccer Championships
Where: Strachur, Argyll, Scotland
When: 27th / 28th June
Website: www.swampsoccer.co.uk
Another bizarre UK Festival that involves either a swamp or a bog. Teams of 6 play on a 5 aside size football pitch. The only different being the pitch. Instead of grass the pitch consists of a 5oomm deep swamp.
Welsh Festivals
Santa Run
Where: Newtown
When: Each December
Fun Run in Santa Suits - world record of over 4000 people running a 4.5km course dressed in Santa Suits.
A Run Do Summer Weekend
Where: Baskerville Hall, Hay on Wye
When: August Annually
Camping: Free
Website: www.arumdo.com
3 day festival of Top Cabaret acts, high wire, top comedians, dancers and obscure artists.
World Bog Snorkelling Championships
Where: Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys, Wales
When: August
Website: www.green-events.co.uk
The event takes place in Llanwrttd Wells each year. Basically a crazy event where you swim through a 60 yard bog twice without using any swim strokes and the only time you can lift your head is for orientation. You can only use flippers as propulsion. Wetsuits are allowed. The world record is 1 minute 53.18 seconds
The Real Ale Wobble
Where: Llananwrtyd Wells
When: November 14
Website: www.green.events.co.uk
In conjunction with the Annual Mid Wales Beer Festival, the Real Ale Wobble takes place on way marked routes around Llanwrtyd Wells. A choice of 15, 25 or 35 miles distances is available over two days. Free real ale is provided at checkpoints - so all routes are off road!
Cardiff Festival
Where: Cardiff
When: July and August
Website: www.cardiff-festival.com/
Cardiff Festival is a series of mostly free events that happen every weekend during July and August annually.
WOW on the Waterfront
Where: Cardiff
When: August
Website: www.cardiff-festival.com/wow_e.htm
European street theatre hits dizzying heights during Cardiff Festival. The internationally acclaimed French theatre company Transe Express provide this year’s WOW on the Waterfront, presenting Maudits Sonnants, a large scale, baroque, aerial performance in its Welsh Premiere One by one the musicians arrive each dreaming on their own tiny stage. Somewhere a bell tolls. The musicians are gradually drawn together by the sound until finally a breathtaking musical chandelier is suspended in the night sky playing music that will evoke childhood memories of both a secret musical box and the dazzling vertigo of the fairground.
Abergavenny Food Festival
Where: Abergavenny
When: September 19/20 2009
Website: www.abergavennyfoodfestival.com
2 Day Food Festival highlighting the best in Welsh Cuisine.
Brecon International Festival of Jazz
Where: Brecon
When: August 7/8
Website: www.friendsofbreconjazz.com
South African piano legend Abdullah Ibrahim, Cameroonian saxophonist Manu Dibango and the Tunisian oud master Anouar Brahem will headline the 2009 Brecon Jazz Festival from August 7 to 9.
Green Man Festival
Where: Glanusk Parke Estate.
When:21/22/23/August
Website: www.thegreenmanfestival.co.uk
A 3 day music festival set in the middle of the Brecon Beacons
Hay Festival of Literature
Where: Hay on Wye
When: May 21 -31 - Annually
Website: www.hayfestival.com
Hay Festival is a gathering in the staggering beauty of the Brecon Beacons National Park.
Writers, comedians and musicians that have the capacity to change our lives, to share new visions of the world.
Llangollen International Eisteddfod
Where: Llangollen
When: 6-12 July
Website: www.llagollen2009.com
The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod is a six-day festival of music, dance, and song that takes place every year in the small Welsh town of Llangollen. It has been running since 1947, and since 1987 the presitigious Choir of the World competition has determined the best overall choir of the event. In 2005 Luciano Pavarotti added his name to the competition in recognition of his appreciation of the festival and its influence on his career.
Wakestock
Where: Cardigan Bay, North wales
When: 10/11/12 July
Website: www.wakestock.co.uk
Europe’s largest wakeboard and music festival. Some wicked acts for 2009 including Moby, Super Furry Animals and The Zutons, just to name a few.
Check out our European festivals section or for all your festival essentials and more check out http://onestopfestival.com/
