Best Festivals around the world

Festivals come in all shapes and sizes. Here are three uniquely wonderful celebrations.

Glastonbury

The behemoth event that takes over a corner of the West Country every summer is the mothership of UK music festivals. Whether you want to see the world's biggest bands, the freshest, most up and coming music, top-drawer comedy, or (as is often the case) wallow in mud, you'll find it all at Glastonbury. On those occasional years when it's a sunny weekend – there's no better place to be. Thanks in part to the BBC coverage, it's not quite as wild or dangerous as it used to be, but it's still the 'must-go' festival.

Burning Man

Devotees call it 'The Burn', and this annual art event and temporary community turns a corner of Nevada's Black Rock Desert into an explosion of colour, noise and self-expression in August. A week of spectacular installation and car art, extreme audience participation, nudity and dust storms culminates in a huge bonfire where a towering, electric effigy of a man is burnt. There's no commerce at Burning Man – everything must be bartered, exchanged, swapped or freely given, and all attendees have to bring everything they need – including all food and drink. After the event everyone packs up and goes home, leaving with barely a trace.

La Tomatina

On the last Wednesday in August each year, the small town of Bunyol near Valencia in Spain goes tomato crazy. The population triples as people come from far and wide to take part in the world's biggest food fight. Lorries laden with tomatoes drive into the centre of town and disgorge their contents, before 30,000 people start throwing them (the council says they must be crushed first), covering everyone and everything in the town with the red, seedy pulp. Take a change of clothes!