The UK’s 5 Most Unusual Festivals

The UK is home to many weird and wonderful festivals which are certainly worth checking out if you are looking for something slightly different to do. These festivals can be great fun and there are good options all over the country throughout the year to consider. Here are a few of the most unusual festivals taking place this year.

1. Cheese-Rolling, Gloucestershire

The Cheese-Rolling festival in Gloucestershire has risen to fame in recent years and it is easy to see why as it is a bizarre yet highly entertaining festival which always creates funny videos that make their way across the internet. The festival involves contestants chasing a 9lb Double Gloucester wheel of cheese down a steep incline so you can expect high speeds and plenty of tumbles.

2. The Tar Barrels of Ottery St Mary, Devon

Taking place on the 5th of November each year, this festival sees the streets of Ottery St. Mary filled with people who come to see people carrying flaming tar barrels overhead as they march down the street. This is an ancient festival and one which is quite unlike any other event in the UK so it is certainly worth checking out.

3. Egg Throwing Festival, Swaton

Another historic festival the Egg Throwing World Championships take place each year in Swaton and involves teams competing against one another by seeing who can pass an egg the farthest by throwing it without the egg breaking. There are then various other egg-related events, including the hilarious “Russian egg roulette” where people take turns smashing hard-boiled eggs on their own heads with one of the eggs being raw.

4. Burning the Clocks, Brighton

Brighton celebrates the shortest day of each year with a unique Burning of the Clocks event where people come together to parade the streets with homemade clock lanterns before being ceremoniously burned on the beach. This can be an easy festival to reach by train no matter where you are coming from, such as with a train travelling from St Albans City to Brighton.

5. Cows About Cambridge

This unique public art event sees 40 cow sculptures created by artists and sponsored by a business hidden throughout the city of Cambridge allowing people to have fun exploring the city and trying to find them.

There are many unusual festivals found throughout the UK which can be great fun and the above are just a few of the best ones to check out this year.