Re-energize yourself and get ready for summer. These rejuvenating color palettes are inspired by fascinating festivals around the world!
Is summer your favorite time of the year? There’s certainly a lot happening during the warmer months. From barbecues with family and friends, to beach days, to hiking up mountains, and canoeing, there are so many ways to celebrate this season.
And, of course, globally there are several summer traditions and celebrations as well. As cultural traditions around the world tend to, these all look very different from one another. However, we guarantee that anyone going to one of these festivities will have an absolute blast. They’re social, often outdoors, and always colorful. That being said, we want to extend this excitement by sharing a collection of color palettes inspired by these events. We hope they enlighten your summery design projects!
You can use these color palettes in your designs for social media posts, illustrations, website designs, flyers, or posters. Get your colorful inspiration below, then use Shutterstock Create to use these shades in your next project.
Midsummer in Sweden
Although Summer Solstice is commonly celebrated around the world in different cultures, there is something special about it in Sweden. This celebration is popularly known as Midsummer. It’s packed with the colors of nature, such as shades of grass green, pink, and other floral-focused colors. Since this celebration is all about the beauty of nature, where the sun shines with all its might, we hope this color palette can brighten up an upcoming design project.
License this image via Nadezhda Kharitonova.
La Tomatina in Spain
This one’s pretty famous on a global scale! Essentially, this summertime tradition is a giant tomato fight in Buñol, Spain. Hundreds of people come together for this event to throw tomatoes at each other. It’s messy, hence why you get the best hues of red, rust, and pink.
License these images via priyankamalkood, MeAroundtheworld, BearFotos, and Morgentau.
White Nights in Russia
Also known as the Stars of the White Nights, this is a cultural event celebrated in St. Petersburg. Throughout the city, people come together to celebrate the midnight sun. Due to St. Petersburg’s northern geographical location, the sky stays lighter throughout the night during the summer. This natural phenomenon gives off an energizing vibe, with colors like mesmerizing hues of blue, pink, and orange from the sunset and sunrise. Gold flickers in the sky from fireworks and red symbolizes Russia’s scarlet sails.
License this image via YuTphotograph.
Aomori Nebuta Matsuri Festival in Japan
This is another beautiful festival. It’s all about illuminated paper lanterns shaped like mythological creatures, animals, and humans. If you are intrigued by the bright and bold, study this color palette. This Japanese festival displays some highly pigmented colors like ember red, regal yellow, grassy green, and royal blue.
License these images via Perati Komson, takahashi_4, ALTS productions, and twabian.
Wianki Festival in Poland
This is another summer solstice festival that’s held in Krakow, Poland. At this Polish peak summer celebration, the word wianki means “wreath.” People who take part in the summertime celebration collect wildflowers and herbs. These plants give its color palette a natural, soothing, and earthy vibe, with colors like muddy brown, sunny yellow, evergreen, and lavender.
License this image via ERA Foto.
Fête de la Musique in France
World Music Day is celebrated throughout various parts of Europe, but the celebration originated in Paris. The event is packed with vibrant colors that are popular for lights at concerts and EDM shows. Therefore, this palette contains shades of emerald green, neon pink, golden hour yellow, and light sky blue.
License these images via bogdanhoda, bbernard, kondr.konst, and maxbelchenko.
Inti Raymi Festival in Peru
On the 24th of every June, the Inti Raymi festival comes to life. It’s an ancient Incan festival that happens at the Sacsayhuamán archaeological site. Actors perform the Incan emperor’s procession to give offerings to the sun god Inti. It’s a very ancient, and clearly long-established event. Hence, everyone wears the traditional Incan dress. Bright shades of yellow, purple, green, and red refer to this style of clothing and accessories.
License this image via marcosiorio.
The Hungry Ghost Festival in China
This traditional Chinese festival falls in August, and many other East Asian countries celebrate it too. During this time, folklore says the dead are allowed to enter the living world. Therefore, people try to please them with offerings of food, music, and street operas. It’s said that these traditions keep the spirits from mischief. This event doesn’t offer many bright colors. Instead, it boasts muted and saturated tones like gray, black, white, and red.
License these images via masuti, korkai, Magic Orb Studio, and JCREATION.
Think you know what colors mean for people all around the globe? Try your hand at our color meanings quiz:
Go beyond basic with your branding designs:
License this cover image via twabian.
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