Mongolia Festivals

There’s a wide range of Mongolia festivals taking place throughout the year. Some are a traditional part of the fabric of Mongolian life. Others are newer but still celebrate an aspect of Mongolian culture. Here is a brief guide to some of those festivals although new events are being added each year by local provincial governments and the Mongolian Tourism Association.

(For those looking for something a little different, we have listed some of Mongolia’s music festivals below.)

Get in touch with any questions you may have.

Tsagaan Sar | Mongolian Lunar New Year | Jan/Feb | Countrywide

There are two parts to sunrise on New Year's Day in Mongolia – sending out the old, and welcoming in the new. We brought several offerings with us: milk, rice, and juniper. First, while it’s still dark, you need to send out the old. And then as the sun rises, so you welcome in the new.

Tsagaan Sar | January/February

Tsagaan Sar (White Month) is Mongolia’s Lunar New Year. It falls on the second new moon after the Winter Solstice. It is a deeply traditional holiday when Mongolians come together to show respect to the family elders and to renew friendships. Experiencing Tsaagan Sar is about slowing down and gaining a more personal understanding of this important time of year.

This link will take you to the trip details of our Mongolian Tsagaan Sar Insight experience. Alternatively, explore our blog post on Mongolia’s Tsagaan Sar festival.

Khovsgol Ice Festival | Around March 3 -5 | Khovsgol Nuur National Park

Khovsgol Ice Festival | Around March 3 - 5

The Khovsgol Ice Festival is held over two days at Khovsgol Nuur National Park in northern Mongolia. The lake – Mongolia’s largest freshwater lake – freezes over and forms the spectacular venue outside the small community of Khatgal. Held to promote tourism outside of the main tourist season events include ice sculpting, ice sumo, ice ankle bone shooting, and horse sled races. It is loved by both local families and Mongolian families from Ulaanbaatar creating a lively party atmosphere.

For more information on how to join us at the Khovsgol Ice Festival, look at our Khovsgol Ice Festival tour experience.

Thousand Camel Festival | March 6 & 7 | Southern Gobi

Part of the Thousand Camel Festival held in Mongolia's southern Gobi in March is the best dressed couple and best looking camels competition.

Thousand Camel Festival | March 6 & 7 | Southern Gobi

The Thousand Camel Festival is an annual celebration held in the southern Gobi organised by a local NGO to help protect the Bactrian camel and the essential role it plays in the lives of the nomadic herders in the region.

Mongolian people love a celebration and this comes across in the atmosphere. It’s a celebration of the way of life in the Gobi and a chance for the local herders to come together as a community at what can be quite an isolating time of year. Highlights include camel races, camel polo competitions and traditional performances of Mongolian music and dance.

For more information on how to join us at the Thousand Camel Festival, look at our winter tours Mongolia page.

Nauryz Festival | March 21 & 22 | Western Mongolia

Nauryz Festival | March 21 & 22 | Western Mongolia

Nauryz means ‘new day’ and is the spring festival that is celebrated through Central Asia and falls on the spring equinox. In Ulgii in Western Mongolia, there is a colourful community parade. There are also great informal eagle festivals arranged by local eagle hunters and their communities. Expect horse racing and games take place including bushkashi (also known as kolpar) where horse-mounted players attempt a tug-of-war with a goat carcass. Competition is typically fierce!

For more information on Nauryz, see our blog post. Or, for details on how to join our Mongolian small group tour experience – Altai and Eagles with Nauryz – see this link.

Saikhan Yak Festival -May – Southern Gobi

A herd of yaks in the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park, southern Gobi, Mongolia

Saikhan Yak Festival

Based in Yolyn Am in Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park in the southern Gobi. Yak herders are in the minority in the Gobi but the higher altitude and terrain of the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan makes it a suitable location for yak breeding – believe it or not! The Saikhan Yak Festival is a yearly event organised by the Governing Administration of Omnogobi Aimag and held in the magnificent mountain landscapes of Yolyn Am – Vulture’s Gorge or Mouth. It is held to promote the breeding of yaks and the traditional Gobi way of life and the competitions are fun and fearless … and obviously feature yaks.

If you would like to experience the Saikhan Yak Festival, look at our Mongolia small group tours page.

National Naadam Festival | July 11 & 12 | Ulaanbataar

Mongolian wrestlers doing their famous 'eagle dance' prior to competing at the Mongolian wrestling competition

National Naadam | July 11 & 12 | Ulaanbaatar

This national event is held in Ulaanbaatar on July 11th and 12th (with horse racing taking place in the week leading up to the event). The dates are the anniversary of the 1921 Revolution led by the Mongolian revolutionary Sukhbaatar that brought independence from the Manchurians (Qing Dynasty).

Don’t be put off by what other companies say is a ‘tourist event’ – it isn’t. Naadam in Ulaanbaatar is a celebration of first-class sportsmanship, ordinary people taking pride in their country and century’s old tradition melded together. It is also a time when Mongolians celebrate who they are, how proud they are to be Mongolian, their heritage and the qualities that produced the warrior nation of Chinggis Khan.

If you would like to experience the National Naadam Festival in Ulaanbaatar, look at our Mongolia small group tours page or our Mongolia tailor made tours page.

Naadam Festival | Countryside June/July | Countrywide

Mongolian children on their horses at the start line of a Naadam Festival horse race

Local Naadam Festival

These take place throughout the summer throughout all aimags (provinces). Districts and smaller communities also host their own festival. Each aimag decides on their own festival dates and the smaller the event, the more likely the date will not be set in advance. Naadam is a holiday and a celebration and so most communities decide an auspicious day from the Mongolian Lunar Calendar.

Some of the smaller community festivals are typically only advertised by word of mouth within the local community a few days prior to the event.

If you would like to experience the Naadam Festival in Mongolia, look at our Mongolia small group tours page or our Mongolia tailor made tours page.

Felt & Yak Festival | July 22 & 23 | Orkhon River Valley

Felt & Yak Festival | July 22 & 23 | Orkhon River Valley

Held close to Ulaan Tsutgalan (the Orkhon Waterfall) in the central heartland it is a celebration of local community, networking and collaboration to ensure a better future for the region and its herding community.

They’ll be yak racing and yak polo and even a yak beauty pageant (although the criteria for the winning yak is never clearly announced or explained). As with most Mongolian festivals it includes a concert of traditional music and dance.

If you would like to experience the National Naadam Festival in Ulaanbaatar, look at our Mongolia small group tours page or our Mongolia tailor made tours page.

Eagle Festival | September & October | Western Mongolia

Eagle Festival | Third weekend in September | First weekend in October | Western Mongolia

There are two eagle festivals held in the late autumn in western Mongolia – both help to promote Kazakh culture, to promote the sport of hunting with eagles and both are said to be the start of the eagle hunting season. Run by the Mongolian Eagle Hunter’s Association and sponsored by tour operators, competition is typically fierce.

The first is held the third weekend of September in Sagsai- a district of Bayan Olgii (although the location can change). The second is held in the first weekend of October in Olgii – the provincial capital of Bayan Olgii.If you would like to experience the eagle festival, take a look at our Mongolia small group tours page or our Mongolia tailor made tours page. Alternatively, look at our blog post on Mongolia’s eagle festivals.

Mongolia Music Festivals

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.

Playtime Music Festival | Mid-July | Ulaanbaatar

Playtime Music Festival | Mid July | Ulaanbaatar

The Playtime Music Festival – established in 2002 – features international and local indie, punk, and folk-rock bands as well as DJs. It is also a birthday celebration of Mongolia’s first grunge band, Nisvanis. It typically takes place in mid-July at Hotel Mongolia, Gachuurt.

The aim of the festival 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.’

https://playtimefestival.com/
https://www.facebook.com/PlaytimeFestival

Spirit Of Gobi | Mid-August | Southern Gobi

Spirit Of The Gobi | Mid-August | Southern Gobi

The Spirit of Gobi is a contemporary art & electronic music festival taking place in mid-August in the southern Gobi. (The location can change but always takes place in the Gobi.) The aim of the festival is to develop sustainable art tourism in the Gobi region as well as promoting the work of Mongolian contemporary art and music.

https://www.facebook.com/spiritofgobi
https://www.spiritofgobi.com/

KHARAKHORUM | Changing dates | Ulaanbaatar

Visual Art & Music Festival | Changing dates | Ulaanbaatar

As the festival name suggests, combines the visual arts with music. It is essentially, a 360° visual experience (from a height of 11 metres) featuring massive L.E.D installations to take you on a trip through an extraordinary visual world while enjoying music by international and local DJs.

https://www.facebook.com/Kharkhorum.festival

Mongolia Festivals

Mongolia Music Festivals

We Would Love To Hear From You!

Call: +44 (0) 7810280403 Mail: jess@eternal-landscapes.co.uk

If you’re in Ulaanbaatar why not pop in to our office. We love receiving guests. The kettle is always on.

Just call Tuya to arrange +976 88011476.

Mongolia Festivals

Tsagaan Sar | January/February

Khovsgol Ice Festival | Around March 3 - 5

Thousand Camel Festival | March 6 & 7 | Southern Gobi

Nauryz Festival | March 21 & 22 | Western Mongolia

Saikhan Yak Festival

National Naadam | July 11 & 12 | Ulaanbaatar

Local Naadam Festival

Felt & Yak Festival | July 22 & 23 | Orkhon River Valley

Eagle Festival | Third weekend in September | First weekend in October | Western Mongolia

Mongolia Music Festivals

Playtime Music Festival | Mid July | Ulaanbaatar

Spirit Of The Gobi | Mid-August | Southern Gobi

Visual Art & Music Festival | Changing dates | Ulaanbaatar

We Would Love To Hear From You!

Call: +44 (0) 7810280403 Mail: jess@eternal-landscapes.co.uk

If you’re in Ulaanbaatar why not pop in to our office. We love receiving guests. The kettle is always on. Just call Tuya to arrange +976 88011476.

If you’re in Ulaanbaatar why not pop in to our office. We love receiving guests. The kettle is always on.

Just call Tuya to arrange +976 88011476.