Celebrations of Cusco

Celebrations of Cusco

The city’s most popular events are listed hear:

• El señor de los Temblores (Lord of the Earthquakes) : Late march / early april, a colorful procession held on the monday prior to easter, remembering the historic peruvian earthquake of 1650.
• Crucix vigil – may 2nd and 3rd: Various religious events are held on all of the hillsides around the city.
• Cruz velacuy / fiesta de las cruces (festival of the crosses) : Early may, a catholic event where religious crosses are carried around the city and its nearby communities.
• Celebrations of Cusco (Corpus Christi): May / June, religious events and processions based at Cusco’s Cathedral, on the 9th thursday following easter.
• Qoyllor ritti’ i – Early june, an unusual traditional inca / christian event at the ausangate peak, some 80 km / 50 miles from cusco, where blocks of ice are carried for many miles and literally thousands of visitors enjoy the festivities.
• Inti raymi (festival of the sun): June 24th, without question the number one event in Cusco, celebrated by the whole city and featuring a re-enactment of Saqsaywaman’s inca winter solstice festival, street dancing and much pageantry, around the Koricancha temple and the Plaza de Armas.
• National independence days : July 28th and 29th, held in Cusco and throughout Perú.
• Virgin del Carmen : Mid-july, a festival of dance and music at the town of Paucartambo, some four hours from Cusco.
• Cusco touristic month : Throughout october, a festival with tourism in mind.
• Todos santos (all saints day) : November 1st, a religious event and national peruvian holiday.
• Dia de los muertos (all souls day): November 2nd, a festive family celebration, being particularly lively around the sierra .
• Nativiti celebrations  (feast of the immaculate conception) : December 8th, with lively religious parades honoring the Virgin Mary.
• Santuranticuy artisan crafts fair : December 24th, a major crafts fair held in central Cusco, at the plaza de armas, offering the perfect place to pick up last-minute Christmas gifts.
• Virgen candelaria : Colorful traditional celebration at Puno – Titi caca.

“Events in Cusco – Sacred Valley Traditional Festival”

• January 6: day of the three magical kings (tres reyes magos) Ollantaytambo. Re-election of presidents in the native villages from the mountains.
• February: 15-18 festival of fruits (Yana huara town); and carnivals festival all february in the sacred valley of the incas.
• March: good friday nice catholic celebration in the sacred valley. (Semana Santa).
• June: Señor de Torechayoy (Urubamba) a nice catholic celebration.
• Junio 20-24: Queswachaca (reconstruction of hanging inca bridge).
• June 27-28: Ollantay Raymi traditional celebration to sun god –sacred valley.
• August: first day, offerings for the mother earth one inca celebration.
• August : Moray Raymi (sacred valley of the incas.
• August: Warachicuy other inca celebration at Cusco.
• August: Virgin Asunta Qoya catholic celebration.
• September 14: Señor or lord de Huanca catholic celebration (Pisac – San Salvador).
• Octubre : Yacu raymi :water festival Calca sacred valley of the incas