Festival season is in full swing and as revellers brave the mudbath at Glastonbury this weekend, it's no surprise the event has been named one of the world's most gruelling festivals.

If you fancy getting out of your comfort zone this year, the Festival Wizard and the team at Loose Ends app have put together the world's top ten most physically challenging festivals.

With events featuring bare knuckle fighting, naked running and temperatures of minus 12, you'll need to pretty hardcore to tackle some of these. 

AfrikaBurn

AfrikaBurns

Where? Tankwa Karoo, South Africa

When? April 25 to May 1 

Why is it gruelling? Think Burning Man, but twenty years ago. 

Thousands of people attend the week-long cultural festival in the Karoo desert.

Although based on the Burning Man festival in Nevada, AfrikaBurn tops the list as it is even more basic and remote than Burning Man.

Cash serves very little purpose in the temporary city as nothing is for sale, and generally, if you want something, like food and water, you barter for it.

With freezing temperatures at night, and daytime temperatures that can get into the 40s, AfrikaBurn is as tough as they come.

Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

Main Street Sturgis

Where? Sturgis, South Dakota

When? August 8 to 14 

Why is it gruelling? There's bare knuckle brawling. 

Around 700,000 bikers head to the Black Hills and the remote town of Sturgis (population 6,627) every August.

Between the body shots and bare knuckle brawling, there's a ton of old-fashioned rock, country, and comedy.

SnowGlobe Festival

Bournemouth Echo:

Where? South Lake Tahoe, California.

When? December 29 to 31

Why is it gruelling? It's absolutely freezing

This festival is held outside in the dead of winter with temperatures dropping to about -12C. You'll need to get them dancing shoes on and have a few bevvies to avoid frostbite!

Burning Man

Burning Man 2013: Cargo Cult

Where? Black Rock Desert, Nevada.

When? August 28 to September 5 

Why is it gruelling? It's in the middle of nowhere!

The only city of any size is six hours away, so you need to be truly committed for this one.

'Burners' are responsible for their own water, food and necessities as there are no shops at this festival, planning is a must.

Don't forget a scarf or cover up, as the dust clouds tend to swing by from time to time!

Sziget Festival

Bournemouth Echo:

Where? Budapest, Hungary.

When? August 10 to 17 

Why is it gruelling? It's seven days long

Held every August in Budapest, the Sziget festival is one of the largest, and longest festivals in Europe celebrating music and culture.

If seven days isn't quite enough, don't worry you can even take the party train to the festival with resident DJs and fellow festivalgoers to really get you in the mood!

Træna Festival

IMG_7103.jpg

Where? Træna, Norway

When? July 7 to 10

Why is it gruelling? Getting there isn't so straightforward. 

First you have to get to Norway, then to Northern Norway, and then you take a ferry over to the islands of Husoya.

This music festival celebrates the culture and history of Træna by introducing Norwegian music.

The sun shines for 23 hours a day here so you only have an hour per day to get some decent sleep. Some of the venues have included ancient caves, a church with blacked-out windows and tents.

Glastonbury

Bournemouth Echo: People arrive for the Glastonbury Festival at the Worthy Farm site, Somerset

Where? Pilton, UK

When? June 22 to 26.

Why is it gruelling? Rain and mud is an unpleasant combo

Mud, mud glorious mud. Glasto year-on-year seems to suffer from terrible British summer weather. Being caked in mud for five days with limited access to showers is something reserved only for the hardcore music festival fan.

The EXIT Adventure - EXIT and Sea Dance Festival

Bournemouth Echo:

Where? Novi Sad, Serbia & Budva, Montenegro.

When? July 7 to 10 and July 14 to 16 

Why is it gruelling? Two festivals, two countries, ten days and one ticket. This is not for the faint hearted.

Founded in 2000 by students who were fighting for democracy and freedom, the award-winning EXIT festival is held in the city of Novi Sad, Serbia.

A few days later you head over to the second part of your festival experience at Jaz beach in Budva, Montenegro to dance away to world-class performers on the seafront.

Roskilde Festival

Roskilde Festival 2012

Where? Roskilde, Denmark

When? June 25 to July 2 

Why is it gruelling? There's a naked run 

The eight day festival in Denmark hosts 130,000 festivalgoers and hosts the annual naked run, but we love it because Roskilde Foundation, a non-profit organisation for the development of music and culture, runs it.

In 2014 the foundation gave the festival attendees the opportunity to nominate and vote for which charitable organisation received the profits raised at the festival. Cool!

Download

Bournemouth Echo: Download Festival stage

Where? Donnington Park 

When? June 10 to 12

Why is it gruelling? Metal, rock and mosh pits

As the leading rock and metal festival in the UK, Download certainly deserves a mention.