Europe takes its festivals seriously, and by seriously, we mean completely absurdly. Across the continent, centuries-old traditions produce annual events that range from the gloriously messy to the genuinely baffling. These are not quaint folk dances or polite harvest celebrations. These are events where grown adults hurl tomatoes at each other, chase wheels of cheese down near-vertical hills, and leap over rows of bewildered infants. Here is your guide to Europe’s most wonderfully strange festivals.

La Tomatina: Bunol, Spain (Last Wednesday of August)

The world’s largest food fight takes place in the small Valencian town of Bunol, where approximately 20,000 participants spend one hour pelting each other with over 120 tonnes of overripe tomatoes. The origins are disputed, one story involves a street brawl near a vegetable stand in 1945, but the result is unmistakable: a town center ankle-deep in tomato pulp. Rules are simple: squash the tomato before throwing it (to reduce injury), stop when the second firecracker sounds, and do not tear anyone’s clothing. The town’s fire trucks hose down the streets afterward, and the citric acid in the tomatoes actually leaves the stone streets cleaner than before. Tickets now sell out quickly, so book well in advance.

Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling: Gloucestershire, England (Spring Bank Holiday Monday)

On a terrifyingly steep hill near the village of Brockworth, competitors chase a nine-pound wheel of Double Gloucester cheese down a gradient that approaches 1:1 in places. The cheese reaches speeds of up to 110 kilometers per hour. The competitors, who cannot possibly keep their feet on such a slope, tumble, cartwheel, and ragdoll their way to the bottom, pursued by volunteer rugby players acting as catchers. Injuries are common, and the local ambulance service treats the event as a major incident. The winner keeps the cheese. There is no prize money. It has been going on for at least 200 years. The British will proudly tell you it makes perfect sense.

El Colacho: Castrillo de Murcia, Spain (Corpus Christi)

In what is surely the most anxiety-inducing festival on this list, the village of Castrillo de Murcia in Burgos province celebrates Corpus Christi by laying babies born in the previous year on mattresses in the street, and then having men dressed as the devil leap over them. Known as El Colacho, this tradition dates to 1620 and is believed to cleanse the infants of original sin and protect them from illness and evil spirits. The Catholic Church has officially distanced itself from the practice, but the village carries on regardless. Despite the obvious concerns, no baby has ever been reported injured. The jumpers, known as Colachos, wear yellow costumes and devil masks and are pelted with vegetables by spectators. It is genuinely one of the most surreal things you can witness in Europe.

Up Helly Aa: Lerwick, Shetland, Scotland (Last Tuesday of January)

Shetland’s Viking heritage comes alive every January when the town of Lerwick stages Europe’s largest fire festival. A squad of men dressed as Vikings (the Jarl Squad) spend months building a full-scale replica longship, then lead a torchlit procession of up to 1,000 torch-bearing guizers through the darkened streets before hurling their torches into the longship, engulfing it in flames. The spectacle is genuinely awe-inspiring, a river of fire flowing through the night. After the burning, the celebrations continue in halls across town with performances, dancing, and drinking until dawn. Getting a ticket to the halls requires knowing a local, but the torchlit procession is open to all.

More Gloriously Odd Festivals

• Carnival of Binche, Belgium (Shrove Tuesday): A UNESCO-listed carnival where the Gilles, men in elaborate wax masks, linen costumes stuffed with straw, and towering ostrich-feather hats, parade through the streets throwing blood oranges at the crowd. Dating to the 14th century, it is one of Europe’s oldest and strangest carnival traditions.
• Battaglia delle Arance, Ivrea, Italy (Carnival): Inspired by a medieval rebellion against a tyrannical lord, the citizens of Ivrea stage a massive orange-throwing battle involving nine teams on foot and horse-drawn carts. Unlike La Tomatina, this is organized combat with teams, uniforms, strategies, and genuine rivalries. It is intense, sticky, and absolutely exhilarating.
• Krampusnacht, Austria and Bavaria (December 5): The night before St. Nicholas Day, terrifying figures called Krampus, demonic horned creatures with chains and birch switches, roam the streets punishing naughty children. The Krampus runs in Salzburg, Berchtesgaden, and other Alpine towns are not for the faint-hearted.

These festivals remind us that beneath Europe’s polished tourist surface lies a deep well of tradition, eccentricity, and joyful chaos. Plan your trip around one, and you will come home with stories that no museum visit can match.