2027 Cusco Festival Calendar: When to Travel Based on What You Want to Experience
Cusco is 12 months old, but there are hundreds of ways to experience it
CUSCO 2027 AT A GLANCE
A year to experience its festivals, traditions, and culture
Throughout the year, the ancient capital of the Incas celebrates patron saint festivals, processions, carnivals, pilgrimages, fairs, dances, and ceremonies that transform its streets, squares, neighborhoods, and districts.
From the massive San Sebastián festival to Inti Raymi, from the Saqras of Paucartambo to the traditional Santurantikuy on Christmas Eve.
We put together this calendar so you won't just ask:
“When is the best time to travel to Cusco?”
Otherwise:
“What do I want to experience when I’m there?”
2027 Calendar
January
Cusco Kicks Off the Year with Celebrations
DEC 31, 2026 → JAN 1, 2027
The first major event on the calendar kicks off on the night of December 31. Residents and visitors gather in the Historic Center to bid farewell to the year and welcome 2027 at one of Peru’s most iconic locations.
What Travelers Can Experience
- A festive atmosphere starting on the night of the 31st.
- The Plaza de Armas was lit up, and there was a large crowd of travelers.
- Popular New Year's traditions and celebrations around midnight.
Plaza de Armas in Cusco
JANUARY 20
One of the city's most iconic patron saint festivals. The district honors its patron saint with faith, music, dances, parades, and community participation.
What Travelers Can Experience
- Vespers and preceding religious activities.
- Solemn Mass and procession on the main day.
- Parade groups and marching bands.
- Cuisine and Community Celebrations.
- Follow-up activities related to the octave.
San Sebastian Square
February
Color, water, music, and green landscapes
FEBRUARY 2
A traditional religious celebration that can be combined with a culinary tour in southern Cusco.
What Travelers Can Experience
- Festive Mass.
- Procession of the Virgin.
- Music and community involvement.
- A chance to try Saylla's traditional chicharrón.
Purified Virgin
STARTING FEBRUARY 4
During Carnival, neighborhoods and communities celebrate with dance troupes, music, water games, and yunzas. The rainy-season landscape adds a particularly lush, green aesthetic.
What Travelers Can Experience
- Parades and dances.
- Yunzas or brush cutters.
- Traditional Water Games.
- Music and cuisine.
- Celebrations vary by neighborhood or community.
Cusco Carnival
March
Faith and Tradition in the Historic Heart of the City
MARCH 21–28
Cusco is experiencing one of the most significant religious weeks of the year, featuring historic churches, processions, and liturgical celebrations.
What Travelers Can Experience
- Visits to temples and churches.
- Processions and ceremonies.
- A special atmosphere in the Historic District.
Holy Week in Cusco
MARCH 22
The Taytacha de los Temblores, the patron saint of Cusco, parades through the Historic Center accompanied by thousands of the faithful. It is one of the most powerful religious and cultural events of the year.
What Travelers Can Experience
- A massive procession.
- The traditional ñucchu is present.
- Bells, balconies, and historic streets.
Lord of the Earthquakes
April
Green Cusco Enters Its Driest Season
- Chinchero and Its Textile Traditions.
- Pisac and local markets.
- Ollantaytambo and its living heritage.
- Maras and Moray.
- Hiking and landscape photography.
Green April in the Sacred Valley
May
Crosses and the Great Gathering of the Saints
May 2–3
The Procession of the Cross is observed in a decentralized manner. Crosses from neighborhoods, hills, and communities are decorated and venerated during gatherings that blend devotion and celebration.
What Travelers Can Experience
- Decorated crosses.
- Vigil.
- Music and community gatherings.
- Traditional food.
Cruz Velacuy
MAY 26–27
One of Cusco's major celebrations. The day before, the statues are brought from various parishes to the Cathedral; on the main day, saints and virgins take part in a massive celebration around the Plaza de Armas.
What Travelers Can Experience
- MAY 26: Images of the Historic Center.
- MAY 27: The main day of Corpus Christi.
- Processions, marching bands, and community participation.
- Tasting of the traditional Chiri Uchu.
Corpus Christi at Plaza de Armas
June
Cusco's Great Cultural Month
During June, the city becomes one big stage. The official 2027 program will be added once it is published, but the website can give you a preview of the types of activities that traditionally make up the jubilee month.
- Dance parades.
- Parade.
- School and college presentations.
- Bands and artistic activities.
- Food festivals.
- Civic and cultural ceremonies.
Jubilee Celebrations in Plaza de Armas
JUNE 24
The highlight of June's cultural calendar. The performance traditionally takes place on three stages and brings together hundreds of participants.
What Travelers Can Experience
- Qorikancha: Opening Ceremony.
- Plaza Mayor: a performance in the heart of the city.
- Sacsayhuamán: Grand Central Ceremony.
- High demand for hotels, trains, Machu Picchu, and tourist services.
Inti Raymi at Sacsayhuamán
July
Dances, masks, pilgrimages, and Peruvian pride
JULY 15–18
One of the region's most extraordinary expressions of living culture. For several days, the town is transformed by dance troupes, masks, music, processions, and traditional performances.
What Travelers Can Experience
- JULY 15: Parade of dance troupes, Cera Apaycuy, Qonoy, and a serenade.
- JULY 16: Main day, Masses, procession, and dances.
- JULY 17: Traditional guerrilla warfare.
- JULY 18: Farewell and final activities.
- Can be combined with the sunrise at Tres Cruces.
Paucartambo Square
JULY 25
A local celebration off the beaten path, ideal for travelers seeking a community experience.
What Travelers Can Experience
- Religious ceremonies.
- Community celebration.
- Tradition and cultural photography.
Patron Saint Santiago in Ccorca
THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF JULY
In Tres Cruces de Paucartambo, Cusco offers one of the most breathtaking sunrises in Peru, with views of the sea of clouds and the Amazon rainforest.
What Travelers Can Experience
- Sunrise over a breathtaking sea of clouds.
- Light and color effects with the first rays of the sun.
- Panoramic views of the Kosñipata Valley and the Amazon.
- A great place to take photos and enjoy nature.
Sunrise at Tres Cruces
JULY 28 AND 29
Cusco joins in the celebrations marking Peru's independence. July also coincides with the dry season and peak tourist season.
What Travelers Can Experience
- Flags and a festive atmosphere.
- Civic activities.
- A great combination with Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley.
Cusco During National Holidays
August
Land, Reciprocity, and Andean Tradition
AUGUST 1
August holds special significance in many Andean communities. Offerings or gifts are made to the earth as an expression of gratitude and reciprocity.
What Travelers Can Experience
- Traditional offerings.
- Ceremonies connected to the earth.
- A respectful approach to the Andean worldview.
Offering to Pachamama
AUGUST 15
A religious and community celebration that offers yet another opportunity to experience the festive life of the districts of Cusco.
What Travelers Can Experience
- Masses.
- Procession.
- Community activities.
Our Lady of the Assumption in Ccorca
September
Pilgrimages and Major Patron Saint Festivals
SEPTEMBER 8
A celebration that extends beyond the main day and may include the traditional flower procession, the eve of the celebration, Mass, a procession, and music.
What Travelers Can Experience
- AUG. 29: T’ika Apakuy / Flower Procession.
- SEP 7: the eve.
- SEP 8: Main event.
- Mass, procession, music, and dances.
Our Lady of the Nativity
SEPTEMBER 28 THROUGH OCTOBER 2
San Jerónimo features religious activities, street parades, marching bands, and local cuisine. September 30 is the traditional main day of the festival.
What Travelers Can Experience
- In the days leading up to the event: cultural and religious activities.
- SEP 29: Great Eve.
- SEP 30: Masses, a procession, dance troupes, and marching bands.
- Traditional cuisine and clothing.
SEPTEMBER 14
One of the region's most important religious festivals. Thousands of pilgrims arrive at the shrine around the main day of the festival.
What Travelers Can Experience
- Pilgrimage.
- Masses and Devotion.
- A cultural and spiritual experience.
Pilgrims to Señor de Huanca
San Jerónimo District
October
Devotion and Religious Celebrations
OCTOBER 5
Another event on San Sebastián’s extensive religious calendar, featuring activities related to local religious devotion.
What Travelers Can Experience
- Masses.
- Procession.
- Community involvement.
Ecce Homo in San Sebastián
Although the best-known celebration takes place in Lima, devotion to the Lord of Miracles is also present in Cusco. The dates and local routes for 2027 should be verified once they are published.
What Travelers Can Experience
- Masses.
- Local processions.
- Brotherhood Activities.
Lord of the Miracles in Cusco
November
Memories, Family, and Cuisine
NOVEMBER 1
The celebration revolves especially around family and the dinner table. Traditional breads take center stage.
What Travelers Can Experience
- T’anta Wawa.
- Traditionally shaped breads.
- Family meals.
- Markets and bakeries offering specialty items.
T’anta Wawa
NOVEMBER 2
Families remember those who have passed away and visit cemeteries. It is a personal experience that should be approached with respect.
What Travelers Can Experience
- Visits to cemeteries.
- Flowers and Family Memories.
- Continuity of culinary traditions.
Flowers and Memory
December
Folk Art, Christmas, and the End of the Year
DECEMBER 24
The Plaza de Armas turns into a large fair featuring folk art and Christmas traditions. Artisans from various regions showcase religious figurines, pottery, nativity scenes, and other items associated with the Cusco Christmas.
What Travelers Can Experience
- Little Manuelito.
- Sculptures and pottery.
- Births.
- Folk Art and Handicrafts.
- Christmas Eve atmosphere in the Historic District.
Santurantikuy in Plaza de Armas
DECEMBER 24–25
After the Santurantikuy comes Christmas Eve. For visitors, it's an opportunity to experience Christmas in an Andean and colonial setting.
What Travelers Can Experience
- Illuminated plaza and churches.
- Religious celebrations.
- Christmas atmosphere.
Christmas in Cusco
DECEMBER 31
The year ends where it began: in the heart of Cusco, preparing for another New Year's celebration.
What Travelers Can Experience
- Nightlife.
- Meeting for travelers and residents.
- A circular conclusion to the annual narrative.
New Year's Eve
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