This book explores the phenomenon of Rainbow Gatherings in Europe. These countercultural events form radically alternative temporary societies in the peripheries of modern states and manage themselves without centralized power, market economy or institutionalized forms of religion. The volume offers a vivid description of life in the Gatherings, analyses the main ideological tenets and places the meetings in historical and cultural context. It considers how the Rainbow Gathering tradition is rooted in networks of alternative spirituality and environmental counterculture but also reflects broader shifts in religion and religiosity.

Katri Ratia is a Researcher in the Science of Religion unit of the Department of Social Sciences at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. Her research interests include vernacular and alternative forms of religion, material culture, and ritual studies.