https://medium.com/sexography/9-sex-festivals-to-plan-your-travel-around-next-year-40730821947b

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BY Ash Jurberg

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Each year around this time, travel publications list the following year's must-do events or the hottest destinations.

Most of them are predictable and boring.

But you aren't either of those things — or you wouldn't be reading this. No, you are after a far more exciting list of events to plan your travel.

Ones that involve sex.

Thankfully, after a few years of interruptions and cancellations, there are plenty of festivals and events based around sex on the calendar for 2023.

It's time to start planning.

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1. Darklands Fest

Where: Antwerp, Belgium

When: March 7–14

This festival has been running since 2010 and is five days dedicated to fetish partying and exploration.

Darklands "offers the place to meet people, discover new interests, learn safe practice and develop your sexual identity." During the daytime, there is entertainment, educational workshops, and vendors.

But the real action occurs at night during one of the four dress-up parties. The parties are themed — Rage, Fury, Mayhem, and Fusion — which sound like Marvel Superheroes.

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2. Coachella

Where: Coachella Valley. California

When: April 14–23

Hang on, Ash — Coachella isn't a sex festival. So what is it doing on this list?

Dear reader, I'm glad you asked.

Let me tell you why. Online ticket vendor TickPick surveyed people who consider themselves festival goers. They questioned them on what festivals they planned to attend, how they paid for them, what drugs they would take and what (if any) sexual activities they would undertake at the festival.

Coachella was ranked the number one festival where attendees were most likely to participate in oral sex, makeout sessions, mutual masturbation, and sexual intercourse.

With so many attractive people in skimpy clothing in attendance, I guess it should come as no surprise.

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3. Shinto Kanamara Matsuri (The Festival of the Steel Phallus)

Where: Kawasaki, Japan

When: April 2

One day, a jealous demon with razor-sharp teeth hid inside the vagina of a young woman he was in love with. The envious demon bit off the penises of two men on their wedding night. Not overly happy with the dick-biting demon inside her, the woman asked a local blacksmith to make an iron phallus to smash the demon's teeth.

While that lovely tale may never be made into a Disney movie, it has led to a festival.

Each year the Festival of the Steel Phallus is held on the first Sunday of April in Kawasaki, Japan. The festival celebrates all things penis. There is penis-shaped candy, carved vegetables, decorations, and of course, a penis parade — something I would love to see incorporated into the Macy's Parade.

The event has become a popular tourist attraction and is now used to promote sexual health education and LGBTQ rights.

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4. Tagata Honen Matsuri

Where: Kamaki, Japan

When: March 15

The Japanese love their penises. At least they love festivals celebrating penises. If you also do, you can attend two of them over three weeks.

Tagata Honensai is a fertility festival celebrating a bountiful harvest, prosperity, and fertility. The festival features Shinto priests playing musical instruments, food and alcohol, and a giant wooden phallus.

And I mean GIANT.

The phallus weighs 280kg (620 pounds), is 2.5 meters (96 inches long), and is carried from one shrine to another. The penis is spun furiously during the procession as the priests recite prayers.

Once the penis has reached the final shrine — Tagata Jinja — the crowd is showered with small rice cakes.

There is nothing like a rice cake shower after praying over an enormous penis.

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5. Folsom Street Fair

Where: San Francisco

When: September

Do you like leather? I mean, really, really like leather?

Then you have to include the Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco on your Sextival List. The fair celebrating BDSM and leather subculture is held each September and is the largest leather event in the world.

The event takes over 13 blocks in the city and features live music, entertainment, nudity, and yes — leather. Participants can be bound, gagged, and spanked.

For anyone interested in BDSM but has never tried it, there are public play stations that give you a chance to try some BDSM activities.

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6. Eroticon

Where: London

When June 9–11

This event wins the best tagline — "it's better when you come." But I should have expected that given their target audience.

Eroticon is an annual conference for "erotic creatives, writers, bloggers, photographers, and artists…to come together as a larger erotic community to learn, grow, and socialize."

The event hasn't been held since 2019 but returns in 2023 with a mixture of speakers, presentations, and social and networking events.

Given I write regularly about sex, I should probably attend this — and the best part is it will be tax deductible.

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7. Lollapalooza

Where: Chicago

When August 3–6

Lollapalooza is a four-day music festival that sees 400,000 people descend on Grant Park in Chicago.

For people interested in anal sex or group sex — or better yet, group anal sex, Lollapalooza should be on your itinerary.

In the Tick Pick survey referenced above, 28% of respondents said they would have anal sex at Lollapalooza, while 32% would have group sex at the festival.

This has the potential to make Lollapalooza the world's largest orgy. Using my basic math — OK, my calculator — 32% of 400,000 = 128,000.

That's one big group sex session.

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8. Sexpo Australia

Where: Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne — Australia

When: September/October/November

For those who like to go Downunder, it is worth checking out Sexpo, which is held in several cities across Australia.

SEXPO is the largest and longest-running adult exhibition in the world and "aims to satisfy curiosities, frolic with fetishes, dance around kinks, and flirt with a tantalizing display of education, demonstrations with a multitude of exhibitors, and entertainment changing hourly on the main stage, all in the name of creating a fun, vibrant, and safe environment for open-minded adults."

Held in a huge convention center Sexpo and running over three days, SEXPO has stages with entertainment, kink workshops, sex education sessions, amateur strip competitions, a wet pussy party zone, and adult movie stars.

Lots and lots of adult movie stars. If you want to meet an adult movie actor, then SEXPO is your best chance.

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9. Sacred Sexual Music Festival

Where: Online

When April 15–16

Not everyone can travel next year, so I thought I would end this list with a festival everyone can get to — the Sacred Sexual Music Festival.

The online festival aims to "bring respect, delight, and reverence for our sacred bodies and contribute to a future where we are more at peace with the power and innocence of sex."

There are talks, workshops, and classes that explore sexuality primarily through music.

I must admit I have Zoom burnout, having endured far too many sessions over the last few years, but this could be a good choice for those who can't get enough Zoom.

Time to start booking your flights — there's a world of sex events and festivals to explore next year!

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NOTE: SINCE THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED, THE SACRED SEXUAL MUSIC FESTIVAL TURNED ITS ONLINE FESTIVAL INTO AN IN-PERSON FESTIVAL HAPPENING IN AJIJIC, MEXICO  on APRIL 16, 2023!