From snorkeling through a swamp in Wales to painting your belly in Japan and a gathering of TWINS in Ohio, seven of the world’s weirdest summer festivals revealed

Forget listening to techno music and waiting in long lines for overpriced food at typical festivals: these summer parties offer something much more unusual.

MailOnline Travel has listed seven of the most special summer festivals in the world.

And they open your eyes to a whole new world of strangeness.

Imagine being a champion at carrying your wife, snorkeling through swamps or maybe dancing with a painted belly button? Whatever you prefer, there’s a party for it.

Scroll down to discover which strange festival you would like to visit.

Boryeong Mud Festival – South Korea

In the heat of it: MudFest, pictured here, takes place every July in the small town of Boryeong, South Korea. Visitors enjoy mud baths, water slides, and even mud wrestling

For two weeks in July, approximately 1.5 million people flock to Boryeong, South Korea, a small town on the west coast, for MudFest.

Mud baths, mud slides and obstacle courses have made this festival world famous – and attract locals and tourists alike. You’ll find a range of mud activities, from wrestling to body painting.

There are also street performances, food stalls and live music among the mud.

Near Death Experiences Festival – Spain

The Near-Death Experiences Festival (pictured) is held in Las Nieves, Spain and celebrates those who have been close to death

Fiesta de Santa Marta de Ribarteme, or Near-Death Experience Festival, is held every year in July in the small village of Las Nieves, Spain.

This strange ritual honors people who have had near-death experiences by parading them through the city in open, lined coffins.

Although the festival has a rather somber theme, fireworks are usually set off and parties continue into the next day.

Swamp Snorkeling Championships – Wales

Once a year in August, people flock to Llanwrtyd Wells in Wales to snorkel a 60-metre-long bog for the Bog Snorkelling Championships

The Bog Snorkelling Championship is held every August on the dense bog of Waen Rhydd in Llanwrtyd Wells in Mid Wales.

During this event, participants attempt to complete two consecutive sections of a 55-meter-long, water-filled ditch through a peat bog as quickly as possible.

If swimming isn’t your thing, you can enter the festival’s fancy dress competition, which awards prizes for the best costumes. A pantomime horse and a life-size Barbie and Ken (still in their playpen) are just some of the costumes from last year.

World Wife Carrying Championships – Finland

In Sonkajärvi, Finland, men tie their wives to their backs, as seen above, and complete an obstacle course

Every year in July, men from all over the world come to Sonkajärvi in ​​Finland to test their strength by running a gruelling obstacle course with their wife – or female partner – strapped to their backs.

The course is about 250 meters long and has two dry obstacles and a water obstacle about one meter deep. The winning team is paid in beer – enough to match the exact body weight of their partner being carried.

There are prizes for second and third place plus awards for most entertaining couple, best costume and strongest wearer. Entry costs 50 euros (£42/$53) and gives access to a weekend of events.

Twin Days Festival – Ohio

Seeing Double: The Twins Days Festival is an annual event that welcomes twins and other multiples from around the world to Twinsburg, Ohio

The Twins Days Festival, which began in 1975, is the largest annual gathering of twins and other multiples in the world. And where better to host it than Twinsburg, Ohio?

The festival takes place over a long weekend in early August and includes events ranging from the ‘double take parade’ to a talent show.

Twins can register to take part in activities, while general admission costs $5 (£3.95) and there is a different theme each year. This year it’s ‘off two the races’. Guests are encouraged to dress up in racing gear from around the world.

Navel Festival – Japan

Could you bear it? The Japanese belly button festival (pictured) is held every July in Furano, Hokkaido

Hokkai Heso Matsuri, also known as the Bellybutton Festival, takes place every year in late July in Furano, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. The festival began in 1969 and celebrates the belly button, as Furano is considered the center, or navel, of Hokkaido.

The main event of the festival is the ‘Heso Odori’ or ‘Bellybutton Dance’, where participants paint unique and colourful faces, known as ‘Zubara’, on their bellies and sway to the rhythm of traditional folk melodies.

To emphasize their paintings, Visit Hokkaido Notes: Dancers wear large hats to hide their faces from the neck up.

Elvis Festival – Australia

The Elvis Festival extravaganza takes place every summer in the small Australian town of Parkes – fans travel from far and wide to attend

Held in the small farming village of Parkes in New South Wales, the Elvis Festival attracts around 25,000 avid fans each year.

The extravaganza features a packed programme of parades, live music, dancing and fancy dress competitions, with Aussies in their finest sequined costumes travelling from far and wide to attend.

The event takes place annually in the second week of January, coinciding with Elvis’ birthday. The 2025 festival (January 8-12) will celebrate its 32nd year.