Slinningsbålet: The Battle For The Biggest Bonfire In The World

To see the world’s biggest bonfire you’ll have to visit Alesund, Norway, where wood pallets are stacked over 40 meters (131 ft) high on an artificial island. The occasion? Sankthans, or ‘Midsummer’, an annual festival in commemoration of John the Baptist’s birth. The day is celebrated on the 24th of June (around summer solstice) in Scandinavian countries and other parts of Europe.

In Alesund, the traditional bonfire, known as Slinningsbålet, is taken to the extreme. In 2010, a record was set for the tallest bonfire at 40.45 meters (132.71 ft). The previous record was 37.84 meters (124.14 ft) set in 1993. The base of the structure is approximately 20 meters wide (65.6 ft). Photos by Trond Folkestad Fredriksen, Staale Watto, Sunnmørsposten, Ruben Molnes, Geir Halvorsen, Marius Helland Bøstrand.