Wiki Loves Folklore is a global media contest held annually on Wikimedia Commons, aimed at documenting the diverse folk cultures from around the world. Wiki Loves Folklore 2025 builds on the success of the 2024 campaign, continuing its focus on celebrating folk culture. The initiative traces its roots back to 2018, originating from Wiki Loves Love 2019, which highlighted ceremonies and festivals centered around love.
This photography contest celebrates the rich tapestry of folk culture from around the world, featuring categories that include (but are not limited to) folk festivals, dances, music, activities, games, cuisine, clothing, and a wide variety of traditional expressions. These may encompass ballads, folktales, fairy tales, legends, seasonal celebrations, calendar customs, folk arts, folk religion, and mythology. For further inspiration and a broader selection of examples, we invite you to explore our Category page.
The media contest invites photographers worldwide to document and celebrate the richness of global cultural heritage, encompassing everything from folk culture, folklore, folk art, and folk magic, to intangible cultural expressions such as oral traditions, language, and performing arts like folk dance, traditional music, traditional songs, and events like Europeade. We welcome depictions of social practices, rituals, festive events, and traditions such as Gavari, as well as knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe, including Chinese fortune telling. Additionally, the theme encourages the exploration of traditional craftsmanship, folk wear, folk museums, community traditions, and folk games and activities like folk wrestling, thereby showcasing the breadth and depth of the intangible cultural heritage that shapes our shared human experience.
Campaign Prizes
The international prizes for Wiki Loves Folklore are as follows:
Photo category
- 1st prize: 500 USD
- 2nd prize: 400 USD
- 3rd prize: 300 USD
- 4th prize: 200 USD
- 5th prize: 100 USD
- Top 10 Noteworthy Contribution Prizes: 50 USD Each
Video Category
- 1st Video Prize - (best oral storytelling) 150 USD
- 2nd Video Prize - (best video storytelling) 100 USD
- 3rd Video Prize - (Sustainable folklore video) 100 USD
Audio Category
- 1st Audio Prize - (overall best) 150 USD
- 2nd Audio Prize - (best folklore podcast series) 150 USD
Community Prizes
Top uploader Category
- 1st Top uploader Prize 250 USD
- 2nd Top uploader Prize 150 USD
- 3rd Top uploader Prize 100 USD
- Two (2) volunteer excellence award - (Acknowledges volunteers who have gone above and beyond in organizing events, coordinating participants, or contributing to the success of the competition. (Gift voucher and certificate))
- Wiki Loves Folklore Postcards to top 100 Uploaders
- Certificates and postcards to Local Organizers.
(Disclaimer: Prizes will be distributed only in the form of major brand gift cards or vouchers, equivalent to the local currency amount.)
Regional prizes
Regional prize awarded to the top 3 jury-selected media entries from the following regions.
- MENA - Middle East & North Africa
- SSA - Sub-Saharan Africa
- SA - South Asia
- ESEAP - East, Southeast Asia, & Pacific
- LAC - Latin America & Caribbean
- NA - North America
- NWE - Northern & Western Europe
- CEECA - Central & Eastern Europe & Central Asia
Award per region
- Regional Champion Award: $150
- Regional Runner-Up Award: $100
- Regional Contributor Award: $50
Timeline
The timeline for WLF 2025 is as follows
- February 1 – 31 March , 2025
- Start for submissions: February 1, 2025 00:01 (UTC)
- Deadline for submissions: March 31, 2025 23:59 (UTC)
- Results Declaration: Around July 15, 2025
What we won't accept
We won't accept media that are:
- Out of Commons Project scope.
- Which lack EXIF information.
- that are excessively processed and digitally altered.
- Pornographic and explicit images.
- Artwork due to copyright issues, etc.
Contact us
There are several ways to contact us:
- Write us on discussion page.
- Send us an email to support
wikilovesfolklore.org - Communicate with us through Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
Folklore People and Activities
.jpg)
.jpg){kind=spacer}
.jpg)
Folk Cuisine
_07.jpg)
Folk Dances
.jpg)
.jpg)
Folk Festivals
Folk Music
Folk Costumes/Clothing
.jpg)
There will also be a writing competition Feminism and Folklore 2025 from 1st February 2025 till 31 March 2025. Create or expand articles on feminism, women biographies and gender-focused topics for the project in league with Wiki Loves Folklore gender gap focus with folk culture theme on Wikipedia. Participate now in your local language.