Do you need a colour fix?

This is a past event which is no longer running.

Having always wanted to do a Colour Run, I leapt at the chance to take part in the one that came to Lincoln. The Student Colour Run Lincoln combined a festival-like atmosphere with a 5k run around the uni campus – sounds like fun, right? Well, I can tell you that it most definitely was! It almost makes me feel sorry for anyone who missed out on the opportunity to get covered in paint and have a laugh with their friends!

Colour festivals originated from the Hindu colour festival of Holi, which is celebrated annually in the springtime to honour the start of a new season. Having originally been a celebration of fertility and the harvest from as early as the 7th century, the festival has grown into a worldwide celebration of life, happiness and colour. On the day after the full moon in February/March, people of different ages, classes, genders and castes gather together to dance, sing, throw paint and have fun in ‘The Festival of Colours’.

Traditionally, Holi is also about equality and hopes to break down barriers between different hierarchies. The festival aims to achieve this by proving that these differences don’t matter when you’re covered in paint and having fun. Also known as ‘The Festival of Sharing Love’, it encourages role reversal of genders and status hoping that stereotypes can gradually be reduced and removed.

Whether you’re looking to travel further afield and make your colour adventure into a holiday or just have a day out near you, I’ve found some of the best ways to get your colour fix this summer – and maybe some with a  twist!

Holi Festival of Colours: London

What: music, dancing, colour, fun
Where: Wembley Park, London
When: Saturday 29 July 2017
Ticket price: £37.99 (including 5 packs of colour!)

Holi Fusion Torino 2017

What: DJs, dancing, colour, fun
Where: Palavela, Turin
When: Saturday 10 June 2017
Ticket price: £25.92 (including 5 packs of colour!)

Coloursfest 2017

What: DJs, dancing, colour, fun
Where: Braehead Arena, Glasgow
When: Saturday 5 August 2017
Ticket price: £40.00

Colour Obstacle Rush

What: obstacles, 5k run, music, foam, colour, fun
Where: Brighton, Windsor, Wolverhampton, Milton Keynes, London, Newcastle, Uttoxeter, Bath, Sheffield, Liverpool, Exeter
When: May – July
Ticket price: £42.50 – £46.50 depending on location (including a colour bomb and t-shirt!)

La Tomatina

What: tomato throwing, sun, fun
Where: Buñol, Spain
When: Wednesday 30 August 2017
Ticket price: 75€/£65 approx (including a t-shirt, travel insurance, tomatoes, a return coach from Barcelona and sangria!)