Strange Events
Bizzare, Quirky and Absolutely Weird Festivals You Must Attend
The earth is filled with so many things to do, places to go and various types of people that it can be very difficult to categorize all of the world’s activities. Luckily, here at Rad we support strange events: the offbeat, bizarre yet wildly entertaining events that happen all over this crazy planet.
Strange Events cover unusual happenings, quirky occurrences and strange events beyond human understanding. No region on earth has spawned as many bizarre sports and strange events as the United States of America, Spain, the British Isles and Thailand. People have an inexhaustible imagination when it comes to inventing downright insane competitions – from wife carrying to bog snorkeling and crazy food fights to fire shows. Be amazed!
The Most Famous…
Ever heard of people chasing cheese at Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling? Every year a cheese wheel races down a steep hill in the English countryside at more than 100 km / h. That’s not completely harmless for the audience, but nothing compared to what the contestants go through trying to catch the cheese: Ouch!
What about the Italian medieval tradition called The Battle of the Oranges which is considered one of the craziest food fight festivals in the world? Thousands of people in full armor throw oranges at each other for three days: Revolution!
Don’t forget La Tomatina, the ultimate, most famous and probably the mother of all food fights. Join 20,000 people fight, throw and dive into 120 tons of tomatoes. We hope you like tomato soup!
Get out of your office chair and into a world of action-packed and thrilling events nearby your next destination. If we haven’t made your life less boring already, then our list of strange festivals will be sure to do the trick. It’s time to pack your bags, get your passport ready and dive right in…
Historical Wild Festivals Around the World
It’s safe to say that everyone enjoys a good festival. Mankind has been gathering together as a community since the dawn of time to celebrate good harvest, seasonal changes or religious milestones. And although plenty has changed since we first walked this earth, the energy at a kick-ass party has stayed constant. Nowadays, modern festivals that celebrate culture, music, food and more are happening nearly every day around the world.
Yet the most bizarre festivals that make you scratch your head bless our list. Whether it contains ties to culturally rich roots or simply just a marketing experiment, we just can’t get enough of the strangest events around the world.
So what are the world’s most bizarre ‘feats of strength’ events?
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Barbaric, Gnarly and Downright Bloody
A walk down history lane brings us to one of the oldest sporting traditions that still takes place every year in Florence, Italy. Since the 16th century Calcio Storico, has called players from four districts in Florence to battle it out during one of the strangest competitions known to man. Think of it as a cross between soccer, rugby and wrestling where players duke it out in a no-rules, gladiator style match of athletics.
Crowds roar over an arena of men who literally attempt to score at all costs. Broken bones, bloody body parts and agonizing screams are only a small part of this epic battle.
This super local event takes place in the city square and truly reflects the rich history of Florentino. Calcio was originally a game for the rich aristocrats during the Renaissance era as several popes even played the sport in the Vatican City. In its early years the game was even more barbaric.
For decades the violent match included very severe injuries and even death. To make the game even more interesting, bulls were let loose inside the arena to add more confusion for wild finishes. Although certain rules have been put in place since, Calcio Storico stays true to its historical roots and delivers the ultimate glory to the game’s champions.
Celebrate the Nightfall
For a bit less of a barbaric festival, a modernized party might be a bit more up your alley. Do you prefer nighttime over daytime? Intrigued by the moon and stars? Then maybe Thailand’s From the historical cultural events like Full Moon Party is your next bucket list festival.
Loads of fun, but strange as hell. Depending on the time of year, every full moon evening draws crowds upwards of 30,000 people upon Koh Phangan’s Sunrise Beach. The party only escalates as the night progresses with flowing alcohol, trance and house music, and dancing in the water. Bright clothing and glow in the dark body paint brings high volumes of vibrancy to the party.
The festival had gained so much traction in recent years that the island actually had banned the party in 2014. But festival-goers couldn’t be stopped as the party has raged on since with fire skipping ropes and alcohol buckets. The strangest yet best part of the festival is that it takes place over a dozen times each year. Who would have thought the moon could host such a banger!
Have you ever asked yourself what are the weird sports? Rad Season Founder Oli Russell-Cowan chats to Sol Neelman, the most unusual sports photographer that published 2 books about weird sports around the world. There are certainly some events you have not heard of yet...
