Mongolia hosts a diverse array of festivals throughout the year, each offering a unique insight into the country’s heritage and cultural traditions. Many festivals, like Naadam and Tsagaan Sar, are deeply rooted in Mongolian customs, embodying a rich history that has been passed down through generations. These traditional celebrations showcase everything from wrestling, horse racing, and archery to spiritual rituals and community gatherings, forming an essential part of the Mongolian cultural landscape.
In recent years, newer festivals have also emerged, celebrating aspects of Mongolia’s evolving culture and identity. These events, often organised or sponsored by local authorities or tourism organisations, NGOs, or tour operators highlight regional specialities, folk arts, and even environmental conservation. For travellers, these festivals offer an immersive experience, blending ancient traditions with modern innovations, and creating opportunities to connect with Mongolian communities.
Our guide provides an overview of some of Mongolia’s must-see festivals, though new events are continually added, enriching the country’s cultural calendar.
Please note that festival dates can occasionally shift, sometimes with little notice, and that event programmes are typically released only a day or two before the event.
Additionally, start times may be delayed, and waiting periods are common. But, instead of approaching a festival with a Western concept of punctuality, try to embrace the relaxed, flexible Mongolian approach to time – immerse yourself in the experience, enjoy the atmosphere, and let the festival unfold at its own pace.
For those interested in music as a window into a country’s culture, Mongolia’s music festivals offer a different perspective on the country’s evolving art scene. These festivals capture a range of sounds including contemporary genres that reflect the fusion of local and global influences. Towards the bottom of the page, you’ll find a list of some of Mongolia’s top music festivals.
For more information, see a list of music festivals below. Or, if you have any questions about any of the festivals in Mongolia, please reach out. We’re here to help you plan your journey to experience the heart of Mongolia’s culture.
Below you can see a list of our tours which are also timed to visit one of Mongolia’s festivals.
The Silver Reeds Festival is a unique winter event in Khovd Province, held on the frozen surface of Khar Us Nuur (lake). Initiated by WWF Mongolia, the festival typically takes place in late January or February every two years. It was initiated to celebrate the successful return of the Dalmatian pelican to Khar Us Nuur, a result of ongoing conservation efforts by WWF Mongolia. The event aims to raise awareness around the conservation of rare water birds and the broader ecosystem, as well as the important conservation work being done by WWF Mongolia within local communities.
The festival also highlights the cultural diversity of Khovd Province – Mongolia’s ethnically diverse region. Attendees can enjoy local traditions, art, heritage, and winter sports, helping to promote sustainable winter tourism.
Get in touch for details on how we can incorporate the Silver Reeds Festival into your Mongolian experience. For a more immersive adventure, consider combining the festival with WWF’s ‘citizen scientist’ initiative. Through this programme, local herders are trained to monitor and protect Mongolia’s snow leopards and other wildlife, transforming them into skilled wildlife spotters. This initiative not only supports conservation efforts in Mongolia but also offers guests a rare opportunity to engage directly with Mongolia’s remarkable biodiversity, including the chance to potentially observe snow leopards in their natural habitat.
Tsagaan Sar, or White Month, is Mongolia’s Lunar New Year, celebrated on the second new moon after the Winter Solstice. It is a deeply cherished holiday marked by gatherings of family and friends, showing respect to elders, and renewing connections within the community. Experiencing Tsaagan Sar offers a unique chance to step into the heart of Mongolian culture, embracing the slower pace and meaningful traditions that define this special time of year.
For a closer look, explore our Mongolian Tsagaan Sar Insight experience or our extended version, or get in touch for details on how we can incorporate Tsagaan Sar into your Mongolian experience. You can also dive into our blog post for a deeper understanding of the customs and signifcance behind Tsagaan Sar.
The Thousand Camel Festival is an annual celebration held in Mongolia’s southern Gobi Desert, typically near Bulgan, close to the iconic Bayanzag, and occasionally in Dalanzadgad. Organised by a local NGO, the festival aims to protect the Bactrian camel and to highlight the essential role this remarkable animal plays in the lives of the region’s herding families.
This celebration offers a window into the Gobi’s unique way of life, bringing together herders and their families at a time when the vastness of the landscape can feel especially isolating. The festival atmosphere reflects Mongolian’s love for festivities, with highlights that include camel races, spirited camel polo matches, and traditional performances of Mongolian music and dance.
For details on how to join us at the Thousand Camel Festival, please take a look at our Thousand Camel Festival winter experience or get in touch for details on how we can incorporate the Thousand Camel Festival into your Mongolian experience.
The Khovsgol Ice Festival typically takes place over two exhilarating days at Khovsgol Nuur National Park in northern Mongolia. Set against the backdrop of Mongolia’s largest freshwater lake, which typically freezes solid in winter, the festival unfolds just outside the lakeside community of Khatgal. Desgined to encourage tourism beyond the main travel season, the festival includes competitions such as ice sculpting, ice sumo wrestling, traditional ankle bone shooting on ice, and horse sled races. The event is beloved by both local families and those who travel from Ulaanbaatar creating a lively atmosphere that brings people together in celebration.
To learn more about how to join us for this winter experience, check out our Khovsgol Ice Festival tour detailsor get in touch for details on how we can incorporate the Khovsgol Ice Festival into your Mongolian experience.
Around the first week of March, an eagle festival takes place at the Chinggis Khaanii Khuree complex in Ulaanbaatar, where approximately 20 eagle hunters travel from western Mongolia to participate. This event aims to promote the tradition of eagle hunting, showcasing it to both local families from Ulaanbaatar – who may not have the opportunity to travel to western Mongolia – and to international visitors. It serves as a significant cultural showcase, highlighting the skills of the eagle hunters and the beauty of the eagles, while also raising awareness about this unique aspect of Kazakh heritage within Mongolia.
Since dates can vary so keep an eye on the Chinggis Khaanii Khuree FB page.
For an idea on what to expect, use this link.
If you’re interested, do get in touch for details on how we can incorporate this festival into your Mongolian experience.
Nauryz, meaning ‘new day,’ is the spring festival celebrated across Central Asia, marking the spring equinox. In Ulgii, the capital of Bayan Ulgii Province in Western Mongolia, the festivities include a colourful community parade and informal eagle festivals hosted by local eagle hunters and their communities. The celebrations feature horse races and traditional games, including bushkashi (also known as kolpar), where horse-
For more information on Nauryz, visit our blog post. To learn about joining our Altai and Eagles with Nauryz small group tour experience, check out the link below or get in touch for details on how we can incorporate Nauryz into your Mongolian experience.
Saikhan Yak Festival
Set in Yolyn Am within the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park, the Saikhan Yak Festival celebrates the resilient yak herders of the southern Gobi. Although yaks are rare in this region, the high-altitude terrain of the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan Mountains provides an ideal environment for yak breeding – a surprising yet thriving practise here! Organised annually prior to the pandemic by the Governing Administration of Omnogobi Aimag, this festival takes place in the magnificent mountain landscapes of Yolyn Am, also known as Vulture’s Gorge or Mouth.
The festival is dedicated to promoting yak breeding and the traditional Gobi way of life, with thrilling and fearless competitions centred around yaks, offering a memorable insight into this unique part of Mongolian culture.
The Crane Festival is an annual event held in June along the shores of Tsagaan Lake in Binder soum, Khentii province. Mongolia is home to six of the world’s fifteen crane species, making it a key location for crane conservation. This festival focuses on the endangered white-naped crane, raising awareness about its importance and the conservation efforts needed to protect the eastern wetlands, their natural habitat.
Alongside conservation activities, the festival often includes Mongolia’s ‘three manly sports’ (wrestling, archery and horse racing) and exhibitions introducing nomadic life, allowing visitors to experience both Mongolia’s natural and cultural landscape.
Although flexibility is required as the date can change, if you would like to experience the Annual Crane Festival as part of a trip to Khentii Province, get in touch for details on how we can incorporate it into your Mongolian experience.
Naadam festivals take place across Mongolia throughout the summer with each aimag (province) and many districts and smaller communities hosting their own festival. While provincial Naadam dates are typically set in advance, smaller community festivals are often scheduled based on an auspicious date in the Mongolian Lunar Calendar. The more localised the event, the more likely it is to be advertised only by word of mouth within the community, often just a few days beforehand.
Although flexibility is required, if you would like to experience a local Naadam festival with us, take a look at our Mongolia small group tours or get in touch for details on how we can incorporate a rural Naadam festival into your Mongolian experience.
This national event is celebrated in Ulaanbaatar on July 11th and 12th, with horse racing beginning a week earlier. These dates commemorate the 1921 Revolution, led by the Mongolian revolutionary Sukhbaatar, which secured independence from the Qing Dynasty.
Don’t be deterred by claims that Naadam in Ulaanbaatar is merely a ‘tourist event’ – it truly isn’t. The National Naadam Festival in Ulaanbaatar is a remarkable showcase of exceptional sportsmanship, where ordinary people take pride in their country, honouring traditions that span centuries. It’s also a powerful expression of national identity, celebrating Mongolians’ heritage, resilience, and the spirit that once fuelled the warrior nation of Chinggis Khan.
To experience the National Naadam Festival in Ulaanbaatar, look at our Mongolia small group tours page or get in touch for details on how we can incorporate Naadam into your Mongolian experience.
Held near Ulaan Tsutgalan (the Orkhon Waterfall) in Mongolia’s central heartland, this festival celebrates the local community, fostering networking and collaboration to build a better future for the region and its herding communities. Highlights include yak races, yak polo, and even a yak beauty pageant – though the criteria for choosing the winning yak often remains a mystery! True to the Mongolian festival tradition, the event also usually features performances of traditional song and dance.
If you would like to experience the Yak Festival, consider joining our Nomads of the Khangai small group experience. Alternatively, get in touch for details on how we can incorporate the Yak Festival into your Mongolian experience.
The Danshig Naadam is a Buddhist religious festival organised in partnership with Mongolia’s Gandan Monastery. It celebrates the history and practice of Buddhism in Mongolia, including the life and teachings of Zanabazar, the first Buddhist leader of Mongolia. Danshig Naadam also helps preserve Mongolia’s culture and heritage. In addition to the traditional Naadam sports of horse racing, archery, and wrestling, the festival features the traditional Buddhist mask dance known as Tsam. Historically, Danshig Naadam was first held in 1639 to commemorate Zanabazar’s enthronement.
The Danshig Naadam Festival is typically held at Khui Doloon Khudag (40km west of Ulaanbaatar) from August 4th to 6th, though the dates may change.
Join us on our Orkhon Pilgrimage Trails small group trekking experience. Alternatively, we can arrange logistics for you to attend the festival or even create a private tailor-made trip that includes the Danshig Naadam.
The Spirit of Horseback Archery Tournament in Mongolia, also known as the Khiimori Tournament, celebrates the traditional art of horseback archery, a skill deeply rooted in Mongolian heritage. This event brings together talented national and international equestrian archers who demonstrate speed, precision, and agility on horseback. Events challenge participants to hit targets while maintaining full gallop, showcasing the historical significance of horseback archery in Mongolian culture.
This annual tournament, which showcases unique aspects of Mongolian horsemanship as well as highlighting Mongolia’s distinctive equestrian traditions and culture, typically takes place in September at the Chinggis Khanii Khuree Complex near Ulaanbaatar. The event provides a great day out for local Mongolian families and has become popular among international visitors as well.
If you would like to experience the festival get in touch for details on how we can incorporate it into your Mongolian experience. Alternatively, explore our blog post on traditional horseback archery in Mongolia here.
Several eagle festivals are now held in late autumn in western Mongolia, each designed to celebrate and promote Kazakh culture and the ancient sport of hunting with eagles, traditionally marking the beginning of the eagle hunting season. Typically organised or sponsored by tour operators, with the support of the Mongolian Eagle Hunter’s Association or the Kazakh Falconry Association, these festivals bring together eagle hunters for intense and skillful competitions, showcasing the connection between the hunters and their eagles.
Eagle festival dates can vary, but typically, the Sagsai Festival typically takes place on September 17 and 18, the Tolbo Nuur festival on the third weekend in September, and the Golden Eagle Festival in Ulgii on the first weekend of October. Additionally, an early festival is usually held in Altai in early September. These festivals are similar in style and all are popular, often featuring the same eagle hunters and competitions, with none being more ‘authentic’ than the others. Each of these events offers a celebration of Kazakh culture and eagle hunting
If you would like to experience the eagle festival, take a look at our Mongolia small group tours page or get in touch for details on how we can incorporate one of the eagle festivals into your Mongolian experience.
The ‘Steppe Horse Festival’ (Талын Түмэн Адуу Winter Horse Festival) takes pace in the small community of Batnorov village in Khentii province, Eastern Mongolia. Khentii, a region rich in history connected to Chinggis Khan and the unification of the Mongol tribes, is also home to the Buriats (or Buryats) one of Mongolia’s ethnic groups. Known for its traditional craftmanship, Batnarov is a centre for producing traditional Mongolian saddles and tack.
This annual two-day festival brings together horse trainers, horse herders, and riders to celebrate and preserve the heritage of Mongolia’s herding culture. The event showcases the skills and dexterity of the competing riding, whilst also supporting the livelihoods of the surrounding local communities.
For more details, read our article or get in touch for details on how we can incorporate the eagle festivals into your Mongolian experience.
The variety of music festivals taking place in Ulaanbaatar and elsewhere in Mongolia can be surprising. Mixing international and Mongolian bands, DJs, musicians, and creative artists, the festivals are a celebration of visual arts and music.
The Playtime Music Festival, established in 2002, is considered Mongolia’s premier music event and largest indie and rock festival, showcasing a diverse lineup of international and local indie, punk, folk-rock bands, electronic acts, and DJs, offering a broad platform for Mongolian youth culture across multiple genres. The festival also marks the anniversary of Mongolia’s first grunge band, Nisvanis. It typically takes place in mid-July at Hotel Mongolia, Gachuurt, just outside of Ulaanbaatar.
The festival’s mission is to ‘contribute to the sustainable development of Mongolia by bringing the capital city, Ulaanbaatar, to the level of a people-centered, top touring zone in Asia through modern music and creative cultural production.’ Playtime has grown into a cultural phenomenon, supporting Mongolia’s music scene and creative industries while attracting music lovers and artists from around the world.
The Spirit of Gobi is a contemporary art & electronic music festival held in mid-August in Mongolia’s southern Gobi Desert, with locations that may vary but that are always set against the dramatic landscapes of the Gobi. The festival aims to foster sustainable art tourism in the Gobi region while promoting Mongolian contemporary and experimental art, and electronic music. Spirit of Gobi attracts a unique blend of local and international artists, creating an immersive experience that celebrates art, music, and the natural beauty of Mongolia’s desert landscape.
Kharakhorum blends visual arts with music, offering a captivating 360º experience. Towering L.E.D installations, reaching heights of 11 metres, create an extraordinary visual journey, immersing attendees in a mesmerising world of light and colour. Accompanies by music from both international and local DJs, Kharakhorum transforms the environment into a dynamic fusion of art and sound, providing a multi-sensory experience.
The ‘Ulaanbaatar Night’ concert is an annual music event held on July 11 in central Sukhbaatar Square in Ulaanbaatar, coinciding with the Naadam Festival celebrations. Typically a free, unticketed event, it begins around 9 pm and showcases Mongolia’s evolving music scene. Bringing together popular Mongolian artists, bands, and DJs, it offers a dynamic night of music, dance, and cultural performances. Blending modern Mongolian music with traditional elements, the concert created a vibrant atmosphere where locals and visitors can embrace the celebratory spirit of Naadam. The evening concludes with an impressive fireworks display.
In Mongolia, music is widely woven into daily life and resonates across landscapes, from the open steppe to the urban centre of Ulaanbaatar. In the countryside, you might hear a herder singing or whistling as they work, using music to control livestock and encourage animals to give milk or accept their young. Music permeates both domestic and public celebrations, such as Naadam, where rhythmic calls are part of archery competitions, and child jockeys perform ritual songs during horse races. In Ulaanbaatar, you’ll hear the beats of urban hip-hop, and during the summer, you may come across families celebrating with late-night karaoke tunes.
Music remains deeply rooted in Mongolian culture, with traditional instruments often played to evoke the essence of Mongolian nature—the wind, the rolling steppe, the high mountains, birds, and horses. The Morin Khuur, or horsehead fiddle, is one of Mongolia’s most treasured instruments and is frequently showcased in cultural shows in Ulaanbaatar, where art, music, and traditional culture come together in highly skilled shows that capture the essence of Mongolia.
Here’s our guide to these concerts; however, please note that times, locations, and dates may vary.
Should you have any questions or need more information, we would be happy to answer them for you. Please fill out the form here and we will reply as soon as possible.
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