SWAP’s guide to what’s on

While on your SWAP adventure check out some of the following events and concerts that are going on around the globe – they’re not to be missed!

Galway International Oyster Festival
Three days of drinking, dancing and oyster eating. Even if you can't get into the festival marquee, the Guinness Oyster Trail is one of the greatest Irish pub-crawls ever devised.

Glastonbury Festival
Quite simply the best music festival in the world. Not always attracting the big-name bands, but there is a special vibe about the English countryside, between druid burial mounds, crop circles, ley lines etc, which the festival taps into. Live in a tent, lose your shoes in the mud and take in the array of entertainment.

Hogmanay
Edinburgh, Scotland December 29-January 1
Hogmanay is the name the Scots give to New Year's Eve, although events last for 4 days. A wild mix of fireworks, music and mass dancing, nothing compares to the massive street party with one hundred thousand people crammed into the Scottish capital waiting for midnight.

Love Parade, Berlin, Germany
Epic Techo Music festival throughout the streets of Berlin, which has grown to be become one of the world's largest free music festivals. With 15 million Euro worth of sound systems and attended by over a million people, the party lasts from Friday night right through to Monday morning.

Notting Hill Carnival, London, England
Over the last weekend in August, Notting Hill becomes the scene for London's largest and best street festival. Music, costumes, floats and food all jostle together to make for a good time.

Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany
Officially the world's largest public festival, the Munich Beer Festival or Oktoberfest is two weeks of beer, parades, dancing, amusement park and more beer.

St Patrick's Day, Dublin, Ireland
Ireland's national holiday, in the days leading up to St Patrick's day, the Dublin city centre becomes alive with arts and entertainment. The main attraction is the St Patrick's Day parade, always held on March 17th, where you and 700,000 other green coloured festival goers will cheer on the parade, drink and dance.

Bastille Day, Paris and across France
France Celebrates it's national holiday with street parties and, believe it or not, Fireman's Balls at the local fire stations. Enquire at any tourist office, or look in a guide book for the best districts.

Edinburgh Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland
The largest arts festival in the world, with three weeks of music, opera, dance, theatre, comedy and fringe events.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Rio Carnival From the Friday of Carnival Weekend to Shrove Tuesday
The world's wildest, gliziest and largest carnival of them all. According the the Rough Guide of World Parties it is the world's best party - period.

Cape Minstrels Carnival, Cape Town, South Africa
Cape Town's traditional New Year's Day carnival. Parades build in consectutive Saturdays which climax in the dazzling Grand Parade at Month's End. A celebration of the Cape Town's black and Malay cultures.

Gion Matsuri, Kyoto, Japan
A series of events dating back over a thousand years that culminates in a massive procession through the main streets of the old capital. Thousands of people of all ages come out to see floats up to two storeys high.

Chinese New Year, Hong Kong , China
Welcome the Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, with parades, lion dances and firecrackers. The tradition of buying new wardrobes for the New Year means huge sales in Hong Kong. Try traditional dishes for the new year, which must include chicken (for prosperity) and fish (for luck).

Songkhran, Thailand
The start of the Thai New Year, gives rise to one of the best festivals in Thailand, when everyone wishes for good luck and literally washes away sins by hurling buckets of water at each other. Everyone, tourists and locals alike get soaked, a relief in the summer heat.

Surin Elephant Round-Up, Surin, Thailand
Held every year in this small town outside of Bangkok, it is one of Thailand's best-known festivals. Though now very commercial, where else are you going to see hundreds of trained elephants re-enacting medieval battles and playing soccer?

Big Days Out, Australia and New Zealand
Held for one day at each site, the Big Day Out is Australia's biggest series of outdoor music festivals, and as such attracts lots of talent and big name acts.

Beer Can Regatta, Darwin, Australia
If you want a festival that fulfils all those Australia stereotypes - this might be the one. Crowds head down to Mindil Beach to watch a charity "regatta" of "boats" built exclusively out of beer cans.

Pasifika March, Auckland, New Zealand
A celebration of the traditions of the Pacific island communities. Hundreds of stalls selling food, crafts, clothes and jewellery, as well as 4 stages of live music.

Queenstown Winter Festival, Queenstown, New Zealand
The festival is the start of the town's winter season with mountain biking, dog racing and any number of wacky outdoor events. Night and music gigs, comedy nights, fireworks and good nightlife.

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, Sydney, Australia
The single largest night-time parade in the world, which draws the largest crowd than any other annual event in Australia. A month long festival in February which ends with the spectacular parade and after party.

Anzac Day, Australia and New Zealand
Public Holiday, marks the anniversary of the first major military action of Australian and New Zealand forces at Gallipoli during World War I.

Waitangi Day, New Zealand
National Holiday to celebrate the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand's founding document.

Formula One Grand Prix, Melbourne Australia
In the setting of Albert Park, with incredible views of Melbourne's skyline, the race is an exciting array of on and off track activities.

Wimbledon Tennis Championships, Wimbledon England
Eat strawberries and cream and attend these world famous tennis championships.

Donauinsel Fest, Vienna, Austria
A outdoor music festival that cannot be missed!

Germany/Austria
In every major city in Germany and Austria between mid-November and Christmas they have Christmas markets. It is a great way to get your holiday shopping done all at once!

Festa do Sao Joao, Porto, Portugal
One giant street party with a full night of eating, drinking and dancing to welcome the cities saint's day. Fire works, bonfires and roaming bands of hammers and leek wielding lunatics keep the crowds entertained all night! If you have the chance to check this out while travelling - do so - you wont regret it!

Fiesta de San Fermnin, Pamplona, Spain
Nothing will prepare you for the constant flow of beer and sangria, the crazy drunken partying, the hordes of people, and most off all the daily Bull Run! The Spanish know how to through a party!

Ibiza Closing Parties, Ibiza, Spain
Known for its crazy nightlife, the closing parties in September will not disappoint! Absolute madness is the only way to describe it.

Il Palio, Siena Italy
If you plan on checking out Italy when travelling try and take in Siena's legendary bareback horserace - Il Palio. Highly charged and death-defying is the only way to describe it.

La Tomatina, Bunol, Spain
This is probably one of the most bizarre fiestas on earth! Thirty thousand people having an hour long tomatoe fight right in the middle of town. Pure madness!

Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling, Cooper's Hill, England
This is one of the biggest and best-known festivals in England. It consists of tossing a wheel of cheese down a hill and chasing it. Anyone can enter - daredevil attitude a must!

Wife-Carrying Championships, Sonkajarvi, Finland
Test your manliness by carrying your significant other around a 250 metre long track. The winners receive their weight in beer!