Fiesta: A Journey Through Festivity

by Daniel Stables

A journey through human festivity, told through colourful travel narratives set at some of the world's most eye-catching festivals and interweaved with insights from the fields of anthropology, history, psychology, and folklore, examining why we celebrate festivals in the ways we do.


Fiesta explores the vibrant tapestry of human festivity, delving into the extraordinary lengths we undertake to express our cultures and commemorate life's milestones. From drunken pilgrimages to sacrificial funerals, national days to neo-pagan necromancy, festivals represent human culture at its most vivid and varied, and the resulting account is both a rich collection of travel writing and an anthropological exploration of the roles that festivals play in society. Through colourful characters, vibrant sights, and varied locales, Daniel Stables takes a curious, humanistic look at festivals across the globe, unravelling the universal threads which run through our diverse global celebrations.

288 pages, Hardcover

Published August 14, 2025

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fiesta is an interesting mix of travel writing and anthropology, and Daniel Stables clearly put in the miles—both literally and academically—to explore the strange, colourful ways humans choose to celebrate. The book jumps between festivals around the world, weaving in history, psychology, and folklore. Some of these sections are genuinely fascinating, especially when he connects far-flung traditions through shared human impulses.
That said, the book didn’t completely land for me. While the concept is great, a few chapters felt a bit long-winded, and the constant shift between travelogue and academic commentary won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. I enjoyed parts of it, but I didn’t always feel fully drawn in.
Overall, Fiesta is a solid read if you’re curious about global festivals or you enjoy cultural deep dives. It’s well researched and often vivid, but its blend of styles means it won’t suit every reader—myself included, to a degree. Still, there are enough memorable insights and moments to make it worth picking up if the subject appeals.

[Jo_Scho_Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fiesta is a colourful, loud and riotous journey through human festivity. It explores the history and tradition of many festivals and also considers why, as humans, we continue to encourage and embrace these experiences.

I found the entire book captivating. The author not only describes many festivals but he actually travels around the world to experience many of them first hand. From the wildly chaotic Up Helly Aa festival in the freezing Shetland Islands to the Phuket Vegetarian festival where scissors and knives are speared through cheeks, Daniel Stables has witnessed it all. And boy does he know how to tell a tale. There’s a wealth of research and information coming from these pages, but it’s interspersed with humour and emotion to balance it all out.

If you’re interested in travel and culture I can’t recommend this enough. I’ve dipped in and out of it over the last few weeks and feel like I’ve travelled the road. Educational, entertaining and epic, Fiesta is one hell of a celebration!

[Kelly Hollingworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is a festival? It may mean different things to different people. This book explores festivity in the style of a travel log, describing some of the world’s most exciting and spectacular events. From the vibrant cover to the details inside this is a wonderful book from start to finish - covering Malta, Thailand, Indonesia and many more countries. Whether for culture, special occasion, religion, funeral, charity or just for fun the author refers to festivals as representing human culture in its most distilled form. His travel writing experience shines through the book as does his meticulous research. I loved the Masquerade Carnival chapter having recently visited Venice for the first time. I also loved the photographs. This is a very enjoyable read and has me keen to seek out some festivity soon!

[Diana Smallbone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewing this stunning book whilst sitting in a sunny Madeira, a country of many Fiesta's and Festivals. In Fiesta, travel writer for the likes of Rough Guides, Dan Stables takes us on a thought-provoking journey into global festivity, examining some of the most striking celebrations on the planet, from Gloucester’s eccentric cheese rolling contest to the ritual mortification practices of Phuket. Clearly well travelled and cultured, Stables writes with clarity and curiosity, using each festival as a lens to explore broader cultural questions. His insights into Spain’s unrivalled talent for celebration, Sulawesi’s distinctive relationship with death, and even the possibility of accessing the underworld from a shed in Lancashire are handled with intelligence and restraint. A sharp, engaging piece of cultural travel writing.

[EdenB15 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to literally PR for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. I highly enjoyed this book. The detail was great and i learnt a lot about different cultures and festivities.The author wrote in a very engaging and informative way and really made me think about the importance of these holidays and celebrations for different communities.Would recommend

[Staceywh_17 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good festival whether it be for music, literature or the celebration of Dia de los Muertos...which is my favourite!

Fiesta is the book that remains as bright and vivid as its cover throughout.

Stables' research is evident as he shares with us the importance and relevance of each individual festival to the relevant country and its culture.

As non-fiction books go it's absolutely fascinating and turned into a bit of a learning curve too.

Would definitely recommend.

[Kay Kett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dan Stables, a seasoned travel writer, takes readers on such an entertaining and eye-opening journey in Fiesta, exploring some of the most fascinating celebrations and festivals around the world. Close to home I loved reading about Gloucester’s hilarious cheese rolling race. It’s fun, thoughtful, and full of brilliant little details that make you want to learn more. Such an enjoyable read.

[Emma Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an interesting read. I was hooked from the very first page and I kept reading until the end as I wanted to know what happened. It's obvious that the author has done their research for the book as the attention to detail is brilliant. This was a very different book for me, which I found interesting and entertaining. Overall, a brilliant book that I highly recommend to other readers.
❤️ Thank you to Literally PR, the author and publisher for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.