Cusco Calendar Holidays and Festivities 2026

The navel of the world, our majestic city of Cusco, is preparing to dazzle once again with its Jubilee Festivities. May and June 2025 will transform into a whirlwind of color, music, tradition, and fervor, celebrating our ancient heritage and the vitality of our people. Prepare to immerse yourself in a program نوفمبر (November) with activities that honor our past, celebrate our present, and look امید (hopefully) towards the future. Join us on this journey through the official schedule and don’t miss a single moment of Cusco’s magic!

May 2025: Kicking Off the Celebration with Energy and Roots

The month of May marks the prelude to the grand festivities, beginning with events that highlight sporting spirit and a deep connection to our traditions.

📅 Sunday, May 25th | 9:00 a.m.

🏃‍♂️ Qosqo 10K Race “Hatun Phaway” 2025: The Great Cusco Flight

The Festivities begin with a firm step and a vibrant heart with the “Hatun Phaway,” which translates from Quechua as “Great Flight” or “Great Run.” This ten kilometer athletic competition is not just a physical challenge; it is a manifestation of Andean pride that courses through the historic arteries of Cusco. Participants, both local and visiting, will imbue the ancient streets with a wave of energy, celebrating health, endurance, and the indomitable spirit of our land. It will be a unique opportunity to admire the monumental beauty of the city from a dynamic and invigorating perspective.

📅 Saturday, May 31st | 2:00 p.m.

🎶 Second Edition of the “Suena Cusco” Contest: The Imperial City’s Soundtrack

Music is the soul of our celebrations, and the “Suena Cusco” contest returns for its second edition to prove it. This event has established itself as a crucial platform for emerging and established local bands and musical groups. From traditional Andean rhythms fused with contemporary genres to rock and pop with local identity, the stage will vibrate with pure talent. It will be an afternoon to discover the new sounds emanating from the heart of Cusco, in a show that promises to be a hard fought and unforgettable competition. Get ready because Cusco resounds, and it resounds with overwhelming force!

June 2025: The Heart of the Festivities Beats with Tradition and Devotion

June is the peak month, where every day is woven with threads of history, faith, and cultural expression.

📅 Sunday, June 1st | 8:30 a.m.

🌱 Ancestral Offering to Pachamama: A Beginning with Spiritual Gratitude

As is immemorial tradition, the Cusco Festivities begin by paying the deepest respect to our Mother Earth, Pachamama. This solemn act, laden with symbolism and Andean spirituality, is an expression of gratitude for life, fertility, and all blessings received. Through ancestral rituals, often including coca leaves, chicha (traditional corn beverage), and flowers, the Cusco community unites to ask for permission and blessings for the upcoming celebrations, reaffirming our sacred bond with nature and the cosmos.

📅 Thursday, June 5th

⛪ Solemn Mass and Posthumous Tribute to the Festivities’ Visionaries

Gratitude extends to those who laid the foundations for these magnificent celebrations. A special mass will be held in memory and tribute to Dr. Humberto Vidal Unda, a key figure in the revitalization and promotion of the Cusco Festivities, as well as other historical managers whose effort and vision allowed these traditions to endure. It will be a moment of reflection and recognition, uniting faith with the historical memory of our city.

📅 Saturday, June 7th | 2:00 p.m.

🌟 Majestic Cusco Parade of Lights 2025: An Illuminated Dream Night

As night falls, Cusco transforms into a canvas of light and fantasy. The Parade of Lights is one of the most anticipated events, where institutions, companies, and organizations parade with impressive floats adorned with thousands of multicolored lights. Folkloric dances, fantastical characters, and cultural representations come alive under the starry sky, creating a magical atmosphere that captivates young and old alike. It is a visual spectacle that fills the streets with joy, color, and overflowing creativity.

📅 Sunday, June 8th

👴👵 “Salute to Cusco” Parade by EsSalud’s Senior Citizen Centers and Circles: Wisdom in Motion

Our kuraq taytakuna and kuraq mamakuna, our wise senior citizens, offer us a lesson in vitality and love for Cusco. This parade is an invaluable gift, where experience and joy intertwine. Dressed in typical costumes and with contagious energy, the members of EsSalud’s senior citizen centers parade through the streets, sharing dances, music, and smiles, demonstrating that the festive spirit knows no age. It is a true intergenerational celebration that inspires and moves.

📅 Monday, June 9th

💃 Vibrant Parade of Typical Dances: Youth and Educational Tradition

The preservation of our cultural heritage is in good hands. On this day, Cusco’s pedagogical, technological, and music institutes take center stage. Their students, future educators and artists, will proudly display a variety of typical dances from the region and the country. Each choreography, each costume, and each melody will be a demonstration of how tradition is kept alive and evolves through the commitment and talent of the new generations.

📅 Tuesday, June 10th

🎓 Imposing Parade of the Andina University of Cusco: Alma Mater in Celebration

Cusco’s academia joins the tributes. The Andina University of Cusco, an emblematic institution in training professionals with regional identity, will present a parade full of art, culture, and pride. Its students and faculty will showcase colorful dances, allegorical representations, and artistic expressions that reflect their commitment to Cusco’s development and cultural heritage.

📅 Wednesday, June 11th

🎓 Parade of the Technological University of the Andes: Innovation and Roots in Harmony

Continuing the academic contribution to the festivities, the Technological University of the Andes (UTEA) will take to the streets. Its student delegations will display all their talent and creativity, often fusing the richness of Andean traditions with a modern and innovative perspective. A parade distinguished by its youthful energy and strong sense of regional identity is expected.

📅 Thursday, June 12th

🎓 Historic Parade of the National University of Saint Anthony the Abbot of Cusco (UNSAAC): A Legacy That Endures

Cusco’s oldest institution of higher learning, the three centuries old National University of Saint Anthony the Abbot of Cusco, pays its solemn tribute. With the prestige granted by its centuries of history and its deep roots in Cusco society, UNSAAC will present a parade that is, in itself, a lesson in living history and culture. Faculty, students, and administrative staff will participate with pride, showcasing the richness of its diverse faculties and schools.

📅 Friday, June 13th

🎓 Parade of the Continental University: Dynamic and Creative Youth

The new generation of professionals, educated at Continental University, also enthusiastically joins the tributes to the Imperial City. This parade will be characterized by the strength, dynamism, and creativity of its young participants, who will bring a fresh and contemporary vision to the celebrations, without neglecting a deep respect for Cusco’s traditions.

📅 Saturday, June 14th | 9:00 a.m.

🐶 International Canine Parade “Puririsun Alqochakunawan”: Festive Paws in Action

The joy of the Cusco Festivities extends to our loyal four legged companions. The “Puririsun Alqochakunawan,” which translates as “Let’s walk with our little dogs,” is a unique and heartwarming event. Entire families, along with their pets, many of them dressed in colorful costumes, will parade through the streets in a display of love for animals and community spirit. An event that promotes responsible pet ownership and adds a touch of charm to the celebrations.

📅 Saturday, June 14th | 11:30 a.m.

🎌 “Peru’s Salute to Cusco” Parade: A National Embrace for the Imperial City

Cusco is not only the heritage of its people but of all Peru. In this emotional parade, various regions of the country arrive at the navel of the world to pay a vibrant tribute. Delegations from the coast, highlands, and jungle will showcase the richness and diversity of their own cultural expressions through dance, music, and typical costumes, in an act of brotherhood and recognition of Cusco’s historical and cultural significance.

📅 Saturday, June 14th (Time to be confirmed)

💃 First Cusco Folkloric Festival 2025: An Outburst of Identity and Art

The day of June 14th culminates with a purely authentic celebration. The First Cusco Folkloric Festival 2025 promises to be a vibrant, high quality spectacle where the art and identity of our land will be manifested in their maximum expression. The best folkloric dance and music groups from the region will gather to offer a repertoire that will span the vast richness of our ancestral and contemporary melodies and choreographies.

📅 Sunday, June 15th

🎨 Parade of Allegories – 25 Years of Saluting Cusco by the “Diego Quispe Tito” National University of Art

Art in its most monumental and creative form takes to the streets. Celebrating a quarter century of this magnificent tradition, the “Diego Quispe Tito” National University of Art will present its spectacular Parade of Allegories. The talented students and faculty of this prestigious institution will bring to life impressive mobile sculptures and artistic representations full of symbolism, color, and emotion. Each allegory tells a story, pays homage, or reflects on aspects of our culture and identity, turning the route into a moving art gallery. This event celebrates twenty five years of this specific artistic contribution.

📅 Monday, June 16th | 8:00 a.m.

👶 Parade of Typical Dances by Preschools: The Seed of Tradition

The tenderness and future of our traditions make their presence felt. The little ones, representing various preschool educational institutions, will fill the streets with innocence and joy. Dressed in tiny typical costumes, these children will take their first steps in dance, demonstrating that love for Cusco’s culture is sown from the earliest age. A parade that steals smiles and reaffirms the continuity of our legacy.

📅 Monday, June 16th | 2:00 p.m.

📜 Parade of the Inca Garcilaso de la Vega Educational Institution: Honoring a Universal Chronicler

The emblematic Inca Garcilaso de la Vega Educational Institution, named after one of Peru and America’s most illustrious mestizo chroniclers, will pay its particular tribute to Cusco. Its students are expected to present a parade full of smartness, civility, and cultural expressions that honor both the imperial city and the intellectual legacy of its namesake.

📅 Tuesday, June 17th

👧 Parade of Typical Dances by Primary Schools: The Legacy Flourishes in Childhood

Continuing with school participation, it’s the turn of primary school children. With a little more skill and knowledge, but with the same enthusiasm, these students will show the fruit of their rehearsals and learning about the dances that make up the rich cultural mosaic of Cusco and Peru. Each step, each turn, will be a sample of the living legacy that is transmitted and flourishes in the new generations.

📅 Wednesday, June 18th

🙏 Solemn Entrance of the Cusco Corpus Christi Festivity: Faith Manifested

One of the culminating moments of Cusco’s faith and tradition. The sacred images of saints and virgins, from the various parishes of the city, begin their processional entry into the Cusco Cathedral Basilica. This is one of the most emblematic and visually striking acts, where each image, accompanied by its faithful, stewards, bands of musicians, and dancers, advances in an atmosphere of deep devotion and anticipation for the main Corpus Christi celebration.

📅 Thursday, June 19th

⛪ Majestic and Solemn Procession of Cusco Corpus Christi: A River of Faith Through the Streets

The main day of Corpus Christi is one of the most important expressions of religious and cultural syncretism in Latin America. Fifteen images of patron saints and virgins, richly attired, parade in procession through the Plaza de Armas and surrounding streets, over carpets of multicolored flowers. It is a massive manifestation of spirituality, devotion, and tradition that unites all the people of Cusco, showcasing the profound faith inherited and adapted over centuries. Sacred music, songs in Quechua, and popular fervor create a unique and unforgettable atmosphere.

📅 Friday, June 20th

🧑‍🎓 Parade of Typical Dances by Secondary Schools: Youth, Passion, and Cusco Identity

The energy and passion of youth overflow in this parade. Secondary school students, with greater maturity and a deep sense of identity, will take to the streets to celebrate Cusco. More elaborate choreographies, impeccable costumes, and a contagious joy that reflects the pride of being part of this historic land are expected. This event is a clear demonstration of how culture is lived and felt with intensity in Cusco’s adolescence.

📅 Saturday, June 21st

🎇 Spectacular Show of Light and Sound: Technological Magic in the Imperial Night

Technology merges with art and ancestral mysticism to offer an unparalleled sensory experience. The grand show of light and sound will transform an emblematic Cusco setting, likely the Plaza de Armas or the esplanade of Sacsayhuamán, into a three dimensional canvas. Through projection mapping, laser effects, enveloping music, and visual narratives, stories of Inca greatness, colonial heritage, and Cusco’s contemporary vitality will be told. A nighttime spectacle that promises to take everyone’s breath away.

📅 Sunday, June 22nd

🏞️ Grand Parade of the 13 Provinces – Salute to Cusco: Regional Diversity in Full Display

The entire department of Cusco is present in the capital. This parade is a vibrant showcase of the rich cultural diversity that exists in each of the thirteen provinces that make up the region. Delegations from Chumbivilcas, Espinar, La Convención, Paucartambo, and all the others, will arrive with their native dances, colorful typical costumes, particular music, and ancestral traditions. It is a unique opportunity to appreciate the vast ethnographic richness of the Andean world in one place.

📅 Monday, June 23rd

🎉 Imposing Grand Civic Parade: Cusco Salutes Its History

On the eve of the main day, public and private institutions, armed forces and police, civil organizations, and the general citizenry participate in the Grand Civic Parade. With gallantry and patriotic fervor, tribute is paid to Cusco, the historical capital of Peru and heart of the ancient Tahuantinsuyo. It is a demonstration of unity, respect, and civic pride for the heritage and future of this immortal city.

📅 Tuesday, June 24th

☀️ Cusco Day – Majestic Inti Raymi: The Festival of the Sun Reborn in Splendor

The culminating day has arrived! On June 24th, Cusco celebrates its day, and the entire world turns its gaze towards the Festival of the Sun, the Inti Raymi. This imposing reenactment of the most important Inca ceremony is revived in all its ancestral splendor. Thousands of actors, dressed in garments replicating those of the imperial era, bring to life the Inca, the Coya (Queen), the Willaq Umu (High Priest), and their entourage. The ceremony takes place in three historical settings: the Qorikancha or Temple of the Sun, where the initial greeting is performed; the Plaza de Armas (ancient Haukaypata), where the Inca meets the people; and the esplanade of Sacsayhuamán, the main stage where rituals, offerings, and the simulated sacrifice are performed. It is an experience that stirs the soul, connecting us directly with the greatness of the Inca past.

📅 Thursday, June 26th

🔔 Solemn Octave of the Cusco Corpus Christi Festivity: Spiritual Closing of Religious Celebrations

June’s religious celebrations find their epilogue with the traditional Octave of Corpus. Eight days after the main procession, the images of the saints and virgins that remained in the Cathedral begin their return to their respective churches and parishes. This event, although more intimate, is still charged with faith and devotion, reaffirming Cusco’s spiritual heritage and marking the close of one of the most important religious festive cycles.

Cusco is celebrating, and you are a fundamental part of this living history! Don’t forget to follow the official social media networks for any program updates, detailed schedules, and recommendations to fully enjoy each event. We await you to celebrate together the greatness of Cusco in its 2025 Jubilee Festivities!