Naadam Festival
Naadam Festival is held every 11–13 July: wrestling, horse racing and archery, the Ulaanbaatar opening ceremony, local naadams and practical tips for visitors.
Festivals
Festival calendar
The year in a circle: from Tsagaan Sar in winter to Naadam in summer and the Eagle Festival in autumn.
Photo: Syced · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
February
Tsagaan Sar
- When
- First day of the lunar new year (late January to early March)
- Where
- Nationwide
Greetings, uuts and buuz: the nomads' new year.
Three days of visiting and greeting. A guest eats at least three buuz in every home.
Photo: Aminucrus · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
February
Thousand Camel Festival
- When
- Early February (dates vary by year)
- Where
- Ömnögovi
Hundreds of Bactrian camels race and play polo in the Ömnögovi Gobi, recently in Bulgan soum.
Camel races, camel polo and herders' contests, held to celebrate and protect the Bactrian camel.
Photo: MN5 · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
March
Khövsgöl Ice Festival
- When
- First week of March
- Where
- Lake Khövsgöl
Horse sleds, ice sculpture and skating on the frozen lake.
Held on the ice near Khatgal. Come prepared for –25°C.
Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
July
National Naadam
- When
- 11 to 13 July (public holidays 10 to 15 July)
- Where
- Ulaanbaatar
Wrestling, horses, archery across the country; biggest in the capital.
Opening ceremony at the central stadium, 512 wrestlers, horse races at Khui Doloon Khudag. Every province and soum holds its own Naadam in July and August.
Photo: Arabsalam · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
July
Yak Festival
- When
- Late July
- Where
- Arkhangai
Yak races and dairy shows in Arkhangai.
Near Terkhiin Tsagaan lake, with yak riding and lassoing.
Photo by Fadhil Abhimantra on Unsplash
October
Golden Eagle Festival
- When
- First weekend of October
- Where
- Bayan-Ölgii
Kazakh eagle hunters gather in Ölgii.
Eagle-calling and hunting trials, kokpar and kyz kuu games. A smaller festival is held in Sagsai in mid-September.
Festivals & Events
Naadam, the Eagle Festival, Thousand Camels, the Ice Festival and the Winter Horse Festival.
Golden Eagle Festival
The Golden Eagle Festival is held in early October in Bayan-Ölgii. Meet Kazakh eagle hunters, see the contests and learn how to get there and what to pack.
Thousand Camel Festival
The Thousand Camel Festival now takes place in early February in Ömnögovi. Bactrian camel races, camel polo, Gobi herding culture and tips for a winter Gobi trip.
Khövsgöl Ice Festival
The Khövsgöl Ice Festival is held in early March on the frozen lake near Khatgal. Ice events, reindeer herders, how to get there and safety on the ice.
Winter Horse Festival
Winter horse festival events are held around February near Ulaanbaatar and Terelj: races on snow, lasso-pole skills, how dates work and what to wear.