Matsuri Travel

Festivals of competitions and games

Wrestling, races, kite battles and contests of nerve, with whole towns turning out to cheer.

FireLanterns & lightCarnivals & paradesReligious & spiritualCultural heritageMusic & danceFood & drinkSeasonal & harvestWater
A Naga man in traditional dress holding a spear, shielding his eyes, at the Hornbill Festival
Dec 1–10, 2026est.

Hornbill Festival

All of Nagaland's tribes meet in one hill village for ten days of song, dance and games

Kohima, India$$$$
Ice sculptures and crowds in front of the Quebec City skyline at the Winter Carnival
Feb 5–14, 2027

Québec Winter Carnival

A snowman king, ice canoe races and night parades in a walled city under snow

Québec City, Canada$$$$
Villagers with spears gathered in the forest on Pentecost Island, Vanuatu
Apr 3 – Jun 26, 2027est.

Naghol (Land Diving)

Men leap from wooden towers with vines tied to their ankles on Vanuatu's Pentecost Island

Pentecost Island, Vanuatu$$$$
Lit-up stage and decorated shrine crowds during the Da Jiu festival on Cheung Chau
May 13–14, 2027est.

Cheung Chau Bun Festival

Floating children, towers of buns and a midnight climbing race on a Hong Kong island

Hong Kong, Hong Kong$$$$
A giant lizard-shaped kite flying over the crowd at the Bali Kite Festival
Jun 1 – Sep 30, 2027est.

Bali Kite Festival

Village teams launch 10-metre fish, bird and dragon kites over Sanur to gamelan thunder

Denpasar, Indonesia$$$$
Teams paddling hard in a dragon boat race
Jun 9, 2027

Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu)

Drums, dragon-prowed boats and sticky rice dumplings on the fifth day of the fifth moon

Yueyang, China +2$$$$
Young riders on horseback on the Mongolian steppe at Naadam
Jul 11–13, 2027est.

Naadam Festival

Wrestlers, child jockeys, and archers: Mongolia's three games under steppe skies

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia$$$$
People gather around a blazing torch tower in a town square at night during the Torch Festival in Xiangyun, Yunnan
Jul 27–29, 2027est.

Yi Torch Festival

Torch parades, Yi wrestling and mass bonfire dances turn Chuxiong into a fire city

Chuxiong, China$$$$
Warriors in body paint and feather headdresses line up at the opening ceremony of the Baliem Valley Festival in Papua
Aug 5–7, 2027est.

Baliem Valley Festival

Highland tribes of Papua stage mock battles a mile above sea level

Wamena, Indonesia$$$$
A giant white hahoe mask sculpture towering over visitors at the Andong Mask Dance Festival
Sep 24 – Oct 3, 2027est.

Andong Mask Dance Festival

About ten autumn days of masked satire: UNESCO talchum and troupes from abroad

Andong, South Korea$$$$
Men riding a sacred log in festival dress at the Onbashira Festival at Moriya Shrine
Apr 1 – May 5, 2028est.

Onbashira

Once every six years, men ride giant tree trunks down a mountain slope in Nagano

Suwa, Japan$$$$

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