Festivals, Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), RGS-IBG. - Festivals, Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), RGS-IBG.

Festivals

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Narrated by experts in their field, the slideshows combine stories, music and images giving you a new way to explore the world from the air.
Energy

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Energy

We consume more energy now than ever before – find out where this fuel comes from and how it is harnessed across the globe.
Festivals

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Festivals

Celebrations unite communities across the world; join the party with traditional village festivals or millions-strong street parties.
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Sport

Sports are at the heart of many different societies, both testing our physical limits to the maximum and uniting nations through tournaments.
Indigenous cultures

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Indigenous cultures

Discover fascinating customs of ancient cultures from across the planet and learn how they live side-by-side with the modern world.
Farming and agriculture

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Farming and agriculture

Food is one of our most basic human needs: discover how farming and agriculture differ across the varied cultures and climates of our world.
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Cities

Over half the world’s population live in cities: discover how these settlements were established and learn why they are of modern global importance.
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Volcanoes

Explore the world's diverse volcanic landscapes, from the effects of eruptions to the millions of people who live in the shadow of volcanoes.
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Road and rail transport

Roads and railways have acted as a catalyst for expansion, communication and development. Explore their influences across the world.
Caves and rock paintings

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Caves and rock paintings

Huge networks of caves and caverns hold some of the oldest and least explored physical, natural and human environments on the planet.

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Festivals

Each year, Delhi hosts the national Independence Day and Republic Day celebrations.

The traditional music and festival of mor lam is performed every week at villages across Isan, drawing crowds of thousands.

Seville holds one of the most extravagant Holy Week celebrations in the world, with more 60 processions taking place during the week.

During its world famous Carnival, more than two million people line the streets of Rio de Janeiro every day.

Pujllay, which means “play” in Quechua, is an important annual festival of dancing and thanksgiving in Bolivia.

2.82 million international tourists visit Rio de Janeiro every year, making it the most visited city in the Southern hemisphere.

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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil at 1,000m - Rio’s unique culture

The Queen of the Drums, the main dancer and leader for the Samba School, leads the float and dancers through the parade and acts as a mascot for each Samba School.

The incredible costumes and pageantry of the samba school GRES Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel's float parading at the Rio Carnival.

RGS Archive image

1920s - A beautiful moonlight night looking over Rio de Janeiro, with the lights of the many bars and nighclubs bright against the sky and the outline of Sugarloaf Mountain.

A view across the world famous Copacabana Beach from the top of Sugarloaf Mountain. The white sand of the beach stretches along the coast of Rio for four kilometres.

Rocinha favela in Rio de Janeiro, home to 60,000 people, is built on the steep land resting up against the Two Brothers Hill, overlooking Ipanema and Copacabana beaches.

Sunset at Ipanema beach, with the Vidigal favela in the background, resting up against the distinctive silhouette of Two Brothers Hill.

Beach parties and concerts draw hundreds of thousands of people to Rio's beaches every year. A Rolling Stones concert on Copacabana beach in in 2006 had an audience of 1.5 million.

The famous colonial Portuguese style pavement which makes up the Copacabana promenade remains in the same 1930s geometric wave pattern as when initially constructed.

Elaborate jewelled headdresses for male and female dancers, with feathers, wings and adornments are common and traditional parts of Carnival costumes.

A typical view of Ipanema Beach during the busy summer months, packed with Cariocas (local residents of Rio) enjoying the sun, sand and sea.

A Baroque themed float passes by with heavy and ornate costumes for the dancers, who perform through the night in sweltering conditions.

Tribal influences dominate the costumes of this Samba School, whose costumes extend far beyond the bodies of the dancers to create an even larger impact on the judges.

An aerial view of the world famous Copacabana Beach, stretching over four kilometres of white sand and warm sea, which acts as a centre for sports and the social life of Cariocas from across Rio.

Dancers often look like peacocks in their bright colours and co-ordinating costumes, as hundreds of dancers for each Samba School move in formation along the streets.

Huge throngs of dancers, musicians, floats and millions of spectators line the Sambódromo and the streets of Rio during the Carnival parade, which runs through the night.

Carnival Samba Schools are judged on their themes, costumes, music and dancing and so the elaborate themes such as this classical garden give room for extravagant interpretation.

Floats and dancers parade through the Sambódromo, a permanent set of grandstands erected to allow some of the two million spectators a day to view the Carnival.

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Seville, Spain at street level - City of festivities

A procession ends inside the Basilica de la Macarena in Seville. Seville holds some of the most elaborate Holy Week celebrations in the world.

An elaborate paso depicts the Virgin Mary in one of Seville's Semana Santa processions at the Seville Cathedral.

A marching band leads one of the processions during Semana Santa, or Holy Week, in Seville.

One of the lifesized wooden sculptures carried in the processions during Semana Santa in Seville.

Participants in the processions for Semana Santa often bear wooden crosses or wear shackles on their feet as penance.

More than 60 processions take place in Seville during Semana Santa. Each procession carries pasos like this - life-sized wooden sculptures depicting scenes from the crucifiction of Christ.

Participants in the Semana Santa procession wear the nazareno, or penitential robe. The conical hood is called the capirote and is used to conceal the face of the wearer during penance.

Bull fighting is central to the Feria de Abril celebrations and is held in the oldest bullring in Spain, La Real Maestranza.

Women in traditional and vibrant flamenco dresses at Feria de Abril.

Tents known as casetas line the streets during Feria de Abril. They are often privately owned by families or friends who use them to party night-long during the fair.

Women dance the traditional Sevillana flamenco in a caseta during Feria de Abril.

Traditional horse and carriage parades through the streets of Seville during Feria de Abril.

A horse-drawn carriage takes Sevillianas in traditional dress through the streets of Seville during the Feria de Abril.

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Delhi, India at street level - The city of celebration

Parade of armoured vehicles leading the Republic Day parade down Raj Path, New Delhi.

The Indian flag and hands with mehndi patterns were integral to depicting Indian culture in the 2010 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony in Delhi.

Astounding light displays during the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony depicted aspects of Indian culture in Delhi. Here, lights show a yoga figure meditating.

The spectacular opening ceremony of the 2010 Commonwealth Games allowed Delhi to showcase the diverse cultures of the country.

India's flag; the saffron represents courage and sacrifice, the white peace and truth and the green faith and chivalry. The Asokha Chakra wheel in the centre represents movement and change.

During Republic Day the armed forces are celebrated in Delhi, parading in formation down the main streets.

A parade of decorated camels on Republic Day in Delhi.

Republic Day gives India an opportunity to honour its armed forces. Here in 2004, the army display a missile.

The parade of India's Army-Madras Regiment during Republic Day in 2004.

The Indian flag hoisted at the Red Fort in Delhi.

Performers in traditional West Bengal costumes in Delhi for the Commonwealth Games. As the capital of India, Delhi welcomes cultures from across this diverse country.

Sri Lankan dancers perform in Delhi during the Commonwealth Games. The Games were an opportunity for cultures from across India and South Asia to join together in Delhi.

Delhi's main stadium built especially for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

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Isan, Thailand at ground level - Crossroads of cultures

Isan culture draws on many aspects of Khmer culture, including the style of their temple architecture.

Water buffalo are one of the few large mammals still living in Isan. They have been used by locals for centuries to help farm the land here.

Growing rice is one of the main industry across Isan. The rice in this paddy has been bundled ready for harvest.

Today, the traditional water buffalo have largely been replaced by machines such as this tractor.

Sticky rice is a staple food across Isan, which is often eaten with very hot chillies.

Isan men playing traditional mor lam instruments.

Ubon Ratchathani is one of the cities in Isan, the least populated region of Thailand.

Water buffalo have been used in agriculture across Isan for centuries, though they are slowly being replaced by machinery.

A mor lam performer in traditional Isan costume.

The Phanom Rung Temple in Isan is the largest Khmer (Cambodian) temple in Thailand.

The Isan region is one of the largest producers of Thai silk, and it colours the mor lam festivals in bright shades.

The flat plains of Isan are covered in rice paddy fields such as this. Sticky rice is the region's main crop.

Jintara Poonlarb is one of the most successful mor lam performers, and has enjoyed international success with this traditional Isan art form.

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Cochabamba, Bolivia at ground level - Tarabuco town and festivals

Tarabuco Market runs every Sunday and remains a traditional meeting point for people from across the area to meet, sell their produce and goods and buy what they need for the week ahead.

A Bolivian woman in a traditional jacha-montera head-dress, worn by the dancers during pujllay.

Men in traditional costumes prepare to take part in the Tarabuco Pujllay festival, with singing and dancing and processions from each local village.

A pukara banner made for the Pujllay festival in Tarabuco. The pukara is made up of a range of food and drink, carried like a banner and distributed to community after the parade.

A woman dressed in a traditional head-dress and costume for the Pujllay festival in Tarabuco.

Men dressed in traditional ponchos, head-dresses and gallu-gallu spurs, preparing to dance the pujllay which celebrates both Inca traditions and victory over Spanish conquistadors in 1816.

A Bolivian woman sells her traditional craftwork at the Tarabuco market. Patterned and brightly coloured ponchos reflect a wide breadth of traditional influences.

The small market town of Tarabuco still take pride in traditional ways of life and customs, which are celebrated during their annual pujllay carnival.

The Sunday market at Tarabuco is an important meeting place for villagers from across the region, like this woman in the main market square.

A woman chooses wool for weaving at Tarabuco market, which is seen as a centre of traditional trade and industry across the region.

The Tarabuco Sunday market is known across the region as a centre for traditional industries and crafts, and also for locals to sell their produce and products.

A family watch their stall selling ponchos at the Tarabuco market. These ponchos are traditionally woven in bright colours with bold designs, taking inspiration from Yampara heritage.

A Bolivian man wearing the traditional unku poncho and helmet (linked to the celebrations of victory over Spanish conquistadors) in preparation for pujllay celebrations.

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© 2012 Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)