If you are a young, upbeat person who likes going out and having fun with friends, then there is a good chance that you have attended a few music festivals in your life. But have you ever asked yourself what is the biggest festival in the world? Is it even a music festival or something else? If not, then don’t worry, for we are here to tell you about the biggest festival in the world and more.
Not only will we tell you which is the biggest festival in the world, but also about some other sports, music, and religious festivals and for this we have a list of ten such festivals, that include biggest sports festival in the world, biggest music festival in the world and the biggest religious festival, with which we will start this list.
1. Maha Kumbh Mela – India
Maha Kumbh Mela is not only the biggest festival in the world, but by a huge margin. It is held every 12 years in the city of Prayagraj, formerly known as Allahabad. The festival is held for 45 days, during which approximately 400 million people attend it, and in 2025, it is estimated that over 600 million people came for the festival.
Festival goers are religious devotees who bathe in the sacred Ganga and Yamuna rivers to cleanse their sins. Besides the bathing, many other religious activities and rituals also take place, and to accommodate so many visitors, temporary megacities of tents are created.
2. Donauinselfest – Austria
When it comes to music, the biggest festival in the world is held in Donauinselfest, Vienna. The festival goes on for three days, and during these three days, up to three million visitors attend the event. Moreover, the festival is held outdoors and is free, making it the largest free open-air music festival.
Among the performers, you can find many local and international performers, ranging from rock to electronic music, and unlike Coachella or Glastonbury, this is truly a free-spirited event, as people from all walks of life can attend it without needing to buy a ticket.
3. Summerfest – USA
Number three on the list is another music festival, and it is held in Milwaukee, USA, every year and is attended by nearly a million people. Summerfest goes on for 11 days and features more than 800 acts, making it one of the most diverse music festivals in terms of talent and music.
There are multiple stages set at the event showcasing every genre of music from country to hip-hop, and even though Summerfest is smaller than Donauinselfest in terms of the number of people visited, its longevity and variety make it one of the most important global music events.
4. Rio Carnival – Brazil
Rio Carnival might not be the biggest festival in the world in terms of people attending it, but it is the world’s biggest street party. It is such a massively celebrated festival that millions of visitors take over the city in dazzling costumes, parades, and samba performances.
The festival is a great way for Brazil and Rio to showcase how colorful and vibrant its culture is, and that is why many samba schools compete in the festival with vibrant floats, and the festival are broadcast on TV for a global audience. The festival has become so famous that people from all around the globe fly in to attend it.
5. Oktoberfest – Germany
When it comes to historic cultural events, Oktoberfest is truly the largest festival in the world, at least when it comes to drinking beer. The festival is held in Munich and attracts around six million people every year, with a lot of them being international tourists who enjoy drinking, eating, and music.
Being organized since 1810, Oktoberfest is a celebration of Bavarian culture, and it combines beer tents with folk music, has a lot of parades and carnival rides, and is just a good old celebration of Bavarian heritage. Now you can find mini-Oktoberfest festivals being held in other countries as well.
6. FIFA World Cup – Global
When it comes to sports, the FIFA World Cup is without a doubt the biggest Festival in the world. Football is the most played and watched sport in the world, and for many, it is almost a religion. So much so that the 2022 World Cup was watched by an estimated 5 billion people worldwide.
So naturally, wherever the World Cup is held, it attracts millions of people from all around the globe, and besides the football matches, there is plenty of music and drinking involved. People celebrate their teams' play with street parades, parties, get-togethers, and get into all kinds of trouble.
7. Summer Olympics – Global
After the FIFA World Cup, the next biggest festival in the world, involving sports, is the Summer Olympics. Held every four years, it brings together 200 nations, and it is a chance for athletes of these nations to showcase their talents and prowess and make their countries proud by winning medals.
In the 2024 Summer Olympics, around 10,500 athletes competed in 48 different disciplines of 32 different sports, and more than 10 million tickets were sold for spectators to see their favorite athletes compete. So, this makes it not only one of the biggest festivals in the world in terms of numbers but also one of the most diverse.
8. Tour de France – France
Let us be honest, when we think of the biggest festival in the world, we never think of the Tour de France, not even when we are thinking of sports festivals, but when you look at the numbers, they will surprise you, as this racing event attracts between 12-15 million roadside spectators every year.
This puts it even ahead of even FIFA World Cup and Summer Olympics, purely in terms of visitors attending the event. But when you learn more about it, you understand why, as all along the route, you can find local parades, food stalls, and festivities happening, and visitors enjoying local culture.
9. Glastonbury Festival – UK
If you ask most concert goers, “Is Glastonbury the biggest festival in the world?” most of them will answer yes, as it is a common misconception, and while we have told you about the biggest festival in the world when it comes to music, Glastonbury festival is not to be underestimated either.
Even though only 200,000 people attend this festival, it holds a huge cultural significance. What started as a small event in 1970 on a farm with only 1500 people has grown into a cultural phenomenon where the biggest musicians now perform, and over the years, it has been known for some of the most legendary performances of all time.
10. Diwali – India
Lastly, we have Diwali, which is celebrated by so many people in the world that even though not at the same place, it is still considered the biggest festival in the world. Diwali is the festival of lights and is mainly celebrated by Indians both in India and abroad, with numbers reaching hundreds of millions.
The festival represents the victory of light over darkness and good over evil, and that is why you see a lot of lambs being lit and plenty of fireworks. During the festival, families get together, exchange gifts and sweets, dance to cultural music, and of course, no festival is complete without lots of food.
