10 of the best festivals in Asia and around the region you don't wanna miss

Taipei, Taiwan
Apr 21-Jul 15

Fulong Beach will be transformed once again into a kingdom of sand sculptures at an annual spectacle which draws visitors from all corners of Asia and beyond. The event was first held in 2008 to promote sand sculpture art in Taiwan and now a decade later is bigger than ever. When you’ve checked out the jaw-dropping creations from Taiwans talented artists, roll out a towel and take in those summer rays – Furlong Beach is one of the most beautiful in Northern Taiwan.

taiwan.net.tw

Sydney, Australia
May 25-Jun 16

Summer heat too much to bear? Go down a few degrees to Sydney, where you’ll be dazzled by the world’s largest festival of light, music and ideas. Vivid Sydney is an outdoor gallery of extraordinary lighting sculptures, a cutting-edge contemporary music program, creative industry forums and a spectacular illumination of the Sydney Opera House sails. Vivid Light transforms the city including Darling Harbour and Taronga Zoo from 6pm nightly into a creative canvas. Toss aside the sunnies and let your eyes feast on iconic Aussie magic.

vividsydney.com

Yokohama, Japan
May 26-27

The port city of Yokohama is home to the annual Greenroom Festival, a celebration of music and arts themed around the sea and the beach. Think surfboards, ice cream and tropical reggae beats under the glittering sun. There are also exhibitions, photography shows and even outdoor yoga classes to accompany brilliant live music from the likes of 2018 headliners Jimmy Cliff and The Wailers.

greenroom.jp

Seoul, Korea
Jun 8-10

For the seventh year, Ultra Korea returns with its largest production yet across four separate stages; a main stage, a live stage, a RESISTANCE stage, and a magic beach stage. This is the biggest electronic dance party in Asia, attracting the world’s DJ elite, so do whatever you can to get your hands on a ticket to the epic EDM experience. There will be light shows, pyrotechnics and swimming pool parties during the three-day super rave at Seoul Jamsil Olympic Stadium.

umfkorea.com

Boryeong, South Korea
Jul 13-22

Slide in and make sloppy memories this summer in the picturesque coastal city of Boryeong. Of all festivals in South Korea, the Boryeong Mud Festival attracts the largest number of international visitors down for getting their hair wet. You can get up to all kinds of mud-themed mischief including mud-wrestling, mud-swimming, mud-sliding, mud-baths, and when you’re zapped of energy, mud-massage. The beach mud is well known for its cosmetic properties, so prepare to come out of the shower looking positively radiant.

mudfestival.or.kr

Jakarta, Indonesia
Jul 20-22

Returning to Indonesia’s colourful capital for a fifth instalment is We The Fest (WTF), a music extravaganza fused with arts, fashion and food. Headliners at the JIExpo Kemayoran come in the shape of Lorde, James Bay and Odesza - who are set to blow minds with their cinematic and unique live stage productions. Homegrown talent is represented with jazz legends Maliq & D’Essentials, rockers Mooner and Seringai, and indie-pop outfit Pijar. In between electrifying performances, navigate through an Art Village, Eats & Beats food stalls, a game zone, H&M Fashion District, and a WTF Cinema Club.

wethefest.com

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Jul 21-22

Deep in the green landscape north of Kuala Lumpur in Gohtong Jaya’s ranch, you’ll find smiles all-round as the Good Vibes Festival unites global artists with the finest Malay talent. Knock back on refreshing iced drinks and local cuisine with friendly company and plenty of scorching anthems - a guaranteed recipe for fun under the summer sun. The hills will be decorated with art installations and your tickets include scenic cable car rides to the festival grounds.

goodvibesfestival.com

Niigata, Japan
Jul 27-29

The granddaddy of festivals in Japan is definitely one to get your wristbands in a twist over – Fuji Rock is one of Asia’s premier events. Each year over 100,000 revellers from all over the world come to the gorgeous hills of the Naeba Ski Resort in the Niigata Prefecture to enjoy the big sounds of Japanese and international A-Listers echoed through the valleys. The line up currently boasts NERD, Kendrick Lamar, MGMT, Vampire Weekend, Years & Years and Chvrches. Camping options are thankfully less rock ’n’ roll, with flushing toilets, onsen showers and even kitchen facilities for your comfort.

fujirock-eng.com

Wellington, New Zealand
Aug 10-26

Pack plenty of handkerchiefs because there will be drool. Wellington on a Plate (the locals call it WOAP, pronounced 'woah-app') sees 17 days and over 100 food-related celebrations throughout the entire city’s restaurants, venues, laneways and car parks. There will be pop-ups, exhibitions, tastings and of course, a meaty battle between eateries cooking against each other in the Burger Wellington contest. It’s time to eat, drink and get very welly indeed, whatever that means.

visawoap.com

Osaka and Tokyo, Japan
Aug 18-19

A sizzling weekend in August sees some of the biggest names in popular music descend on Japanese soil. One-half take on the east, the other half the west, before switching over. Confirmed acts for 2018 so far include Beck, Shawn Mendes, Chance the Rapper, Marshmello, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and Jess Glynne. Fairground rides, stalls and various entertainment options are available in between glow stick waving and both venues are situated close to the city centre so you can hit the town after encore.

summersonic.com