New year fireworks, Germany

We love this photo of new year’s fireworks in Rems-Murr Kreis district, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, by Herbert Kehrer.

See more new years photos here

Abbots Bromley Horn Dance

This Monday (8th September) saw residents of the village of Abbots Bromley in Staffordshire perform the eccentric Abbots Bromley Horn Dance, an English folk tradition dating back to the Middle Ages. The dancers make their way around the village wearing reindeer antlers accompanied by a hobby horse, a woman dressed as Maid Marion, a jester and an accordion player.

Abbots Bromley horn dancers, Staffordshire, England (Neil Farrin/Robert Harding)

Tomatina festival

The world’s biggest food fight takes place in the Spanish town of Buñol every August. More than a hundred tons of over-the-hill tomatoes are thrown in the streets by 20,000 people, creating a riot of colour that ends up in a sludgy mess.

A lorry takes the tomatoes through town (age fotostock/Robert Harding)

Naadam festival in pictures

This week (starting on the 11th July) Mongolia’s traditional festival, Naadam, whips the country into a frenzy of colourful costume parades, horse racing, archery and Mongolian wrestling contests. We chose some of our favourite pictures of this midsummer fun.

Young boys in a horse race at the Naadam festival, Bulgan province, Mongolia (age fotostock/Robert Harding)

Calgary Stampede in pictures

Calgary Stampede is Canada’s largest rodeo, a ten day event featuring hair-raising competitions with the world’s best cowboys. We picked some of our favourite pictures from our archive.

The stampede’s crazy chuck wagon race, Calgary Stampede, Alberta, Canada (Ursula Gahwiler/Robert Harding)

Inti Raymi festival

The Festival of Inti Raymi (which means festival of the sun) brings crowds onto the streets in the Andean villages of Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Ecuador every year in late June. People show their gratitude towards the earth in a series of rituals including spiritual purification in local springs and rivers, and parades of musicians and dancers in elaborate costumes. We chose our favourite pictures of the celebrations in Northern Ecuador. Photos by Ivan Kashinsky (Aurora Photos/Robert Harding).

Boy in traditional costume in the Fiestas of Inti Raymi in northern Ecuador

Voodoo Festival

Every January thousands of Beninese flock to the town of Ouidah for the annual Voodoo Festival. Some 40% of the population of the West African country of Benin practice Voodoo (known also as Vudun), a much misunderstood belief system and way of life in which around 100 spirits represent different aspects of nature, including lightening, water and healing. Voodoo informs every aspect of everyday life including music, culture, philosophy and medicine.

Kings and dignitaries gather for the festival in Ouidah, Benin (age fotostock/Robert Harding)