At the heart of all cultures, food is what unites us. All over the world, food festivals celebrating and paying tribute to a specific delicacy have emerged over the years. Some with roots stretching back hundreds of years and others featuring new dishes. According to data from Booking.com, the majority (68%) of Swedish travelers* seek authentic experiences that reflect local culture when they travel. With this in mind, and to inspire travelers interested in more unusual experiences, Booking.com shares six food festival destinations that host unique food celebrations that you’ll want to add to your bucket list.
La Tomatina in Buñol, Spain
Every year on the last Wednesday of August, thousands of people gather in the Valencian town of Buñol to celebrate La Tomatina. It is a tomato festival, or according to some, a large organised food fight, which attracts thousands of visitors. The essence of this festival is that participants throw ripe tomatoes at each other in an exuberant and colourful food fight. After the tomato fight, which lasts for an hour, the festival continues until the afternoon with music and dancing in the town. La Tomatina, with roots stretching back to 1945, has become increasingly popular over the years and if you are thinking of attending next year's festival, you will need to book your tickets in advance.
Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake in Gloucester, England
The annual Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling competition takes place in the area around the village of Brockworth near Gloucester on the Spring Bank Holiday. It is a traditional and daring event where brave participants run down a steep hill in pursuit of a rolling cheese. In their quest to catch the cheese first, participants risk sprained ankles as they run, fall and roll over each other down the 180-metre hill. The round cheese at the centre of the competition is a local, traditional hard cheese called Double Gloucester. The winner of the Cheese Rolling race is the first person down the hill, and the rolling cheese is the prize that the winner receives.
Cheung Chau Bun Festival in Cheung Chau, Hong Kong
The annual Cheung Chau Bun Festival takes place on Cheung Chau Island and is one of Hong Kong's most important and famous festivals, celebrating the city's cultural heritage. The festival offers a variety of events over several days and attracts thousands of people. The festival's history dates back to the 18th century and takes place every year on Buddha's birthday (usually in May according to our Gregorian calendar).
At the center of the festival are the bun towers, which are created with bamboo and then decorated with white buns. The buns enjoyed have been specially prepared for the festival by the island’s bakers. There are three tall bun towers and many more smaller towers. In conjunction with these bun towers, the festival also offers the rather unique and iconic ”Bun Scrambling Contest” where participants climb the tall towers to collect as many buns as possible in three minutes.
Chinchilla MelonFest in Chinchilla, Australia
This fun and iconic melon festival takes place every two years in February in the town of Chinchilla, Queensland, which is known as the ”melon capital” of Australia. During the festival, you can experience many activities that involve melons in various creative ways – such as melon skiing, melon Ironman, melon throwing and a melon seed spitting competition, among many other activities centered around melons. The next MelonFest will be held in February 2025, so if you’re intrigued by this melon celebration, you have plenty of time to plan your trip down under and secure tickets for this spectacular event.
Fête du Citron in Menton, France
In the south of France, in the seaside town of Menton on the French Riviera, the Fête du Citron is held every year at the end of winter. During the festival, Menton is transformed into a city with large citrus displays, sculptures and exhibitions popping up all over the city – and you should definitely visit the Biovès gardens to see their citrus display. Officially established in 1934, the Fête du Citron has evolved over the years into a proud, colourful tradition showcasing the city’s cultural heritage, attracting more than 200,000 visitors each year. As part of the festival, you can experience colourful parades such as the Corsos des fruits d’or and the night parade Corsos nocturnes. In 2019, the French Ministry of Culture recognised and listed the Fête du Citron as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of France.
Carnival of Ivrea in Ivrea, Italy
The northern Italian city of Ivrea hosts an annual carnival that usually takes place in February called the Carnival of Ivrea, also known as the Battle of the Oranges. During the three-day festival, Italy's largest food fight takes place, with the townspeople divided into nine teams who battle each other using oranges. The festival's origins are said to date back to the Middle Ages, when, according to legend, the city was under the rule of a tyrant, against whom the townspeople rebelled. The annual food fight is the city's way of remembering and celebrating their liberation, as the oranges represent the stones and weapons once used to fight the tyrant's rule.
*The survey was commissioned by Booking.com and independently conducted among a sample of 33,228 people across 35 countries. To participate in the survey, respondents had to be at least 18 years old, have traveled at least once in the past 12 months, plan to travel in 2023, and be either the primary decision maker or involved in the decision-making process for the trip. The survey was conducted online in February 2023.
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