Boryeong Mud Festival (South Korea)

No other festival on this list transforms a beach town into a muddy battleground like the Boryeong Mud Festival, which draws 3 million visitors annually to a coastal town of just 100,000 residents. Originally a marketing campaign for mineral-rich mud cosmetics, this Korean phenomenon now features mud wrestling, mud slides, and a massive mud pool that stretches for blocks. It outperforms #10 Junkanoo in raw attendance by a factor of 30, making it the most visited single-street event in Asia. The event's 4.2 million square feet of imported mud is sourced from Boryeong's tidal flats, known for trace minerals like germanium and bentonite. Even with 150,000 international tourists per year, the festival keeps entry fees under $10, cheaper than the average global street festival.