Apart from random sports events like the World Cup to give everyone an excuse to drink and eat (usually barbequed burgers, it would seem) there are holidays and, of course, festivals.
Though these were once for the hardened (or enlightened?) few, they are now seen as a fairly standard part of mainstream culture. Popularised by Glastonbury and others on TV it now seems that a fair chunk of the population have become festival goers.
Okay, it's not everyone who wants to spend several days camping, drinking and standing around watching bands but there are enough people to allow festivals to have popped up all over the place.
A good example is Kendal Calling. Even though it is just up the road from me, I've never attended but I was encouraged to try it out last weekend. Despite wind and rain, shoehorned into the hottest summer for decades, this year's seemed to be a pretty good one. I really enjoyed it. There was a good mix of music of various genres and some nice art installations alongside the bands and booze. The dance tent was well organised and everything ran well. Even the toilets were clean(ish).
All in all, a really good event. Think I'll try to go again next year. But before that, there's Cambridge Folk Festival to enjoy. Always a good one, too.