Uzbekistan Festivals 2026–2027: Events Calendar by Month

Uzbekistan's festivals are one of the best reasons to time a trip carefully. A folk festival in the mountains of Surkhandarya, a crafts fair in the trading domes of Bukhara or a concert on the Registan gives you a side of the country that a standard sightseeing day cannot.

The catch is that dates move. Fixed public holidays are easy, but many cultural festivals are set each year by the Tourism Committee, the Ministry of Culture or regional authorities, sometimes only weeks ahead, and several alternate between years. In this calendar we give confirmed dates for 2026 and 2027 where they exist, the usual timing where they do not, and we say clearly when dates are announced yearly. Always check the official announcement before you book flights around an event.

Uzbekistan festival calendar at a glance

A quick overview by month. Details for each follow below.

• January: New Year holidays, winter skiing near Tashkent
• February: Ramadan expected to begin around 8 February 2027
• March: International Women's Day (8 March), Navruz (21 March), Eid al-Fitr expected around 9–10 March 2027, Dishes of the East food festival in Samarkand (23–24 March in 2026)
• April: Samarkand embroidery festival (17–19 April in 2026), Tashkent International Jazz Festival (from 28 April in 2026)
• May: Day of Remembrance (9 May), Boysun Bahori folklore festival (1–7 May in 2026, biennial), Bukhara's crafts festival, Eid al-Adha (27 May in 2026, around 16 May in 2027), Namangan flower festival (from 24 May in 2026)
• June: Silk and Spices in Bukhara in odd years (most recently 6–8 June 2025)
• August: Khiva melon festival (7–9 August in 2026), Uzum Sayli grape festival near Tashkent (21–22 August in 2026), Sharq Taronalari music festival in Samarkand in some years
• September: Independence Day (1 September), Atlas Bayrami in Margilan (17–19 September in 2026), Echo of the Desert in Karakalpakstan (25–26 September in 2026), Bukhara Biennial (3 September to 21 November 2027)
• October: Teachers' Day (1 October), Radiance of Carpets exhibition in Khiva (17–18 October in 2026)
• December: Constitution Day (8 December), New Year preparations

Event calendars published by the Tourism Committee and several tour operators list further regional events, such as kupkari tournaments, plov festivals and handicraft fairs, often with dates marked "to be announced".

Winter festivals: New Year and the start of Ramadan

Winter is the quietest season for festivals, but two dates shape it.

New Year on 1 January is the biggest secular holiday of the year, with decorated squares, trees, fireworks at midnight and several days off around it, set each December by presidential decree. Trains and hotels are busy with domestic travellers between Christmas and the first days of January. Our guide to Uzbekistan in winter covers the holiday in more detail.

Ramadan (Ramazon) follows the lunar calendar and moves about eleven days earlier each year. In 2027 it is expected to start around 8 February and end with Ramazon Hayit, Eid al-Fitr, around 9 or 10 March. The exact days depend on the moon sighting and are confirmed by the Muslim Board of Uzbekistan shortly before. Practical advice for travellers during Ramadan is in its own section below.

March: Navruz and the start of the festival season

Navruz on 21 March, the spring equinox and the Persian New Year, is the warmest holiday of the Uzbek year. Families cook sumalak overnight in giant cauldrons, parks fill with folk performances, and there are kupkari horseback games in the countryside. It is a national public holiday, with the day off moved to a weekday when 21 March falls at a weekend. We have a separate, detailed guide to Navruz traditions, food and dates.

Two more March dates matter:

• 8 March, International Women's Day, is a public holiday with flowers everywhere and restaurants fully booked.
• In 2027 Eid al-Fitr is expected to fall around 9 or 10 March, close to Navruz, so the second and third weeks of March may bring several days off and busy trains.

In 2026 Samarkand also hosted a Dishes of the East food festival on 23 and 24 March, just after Navruz. Whether it returns in 2027, and on which dates, will be announced by the organisers.

April and May: jazz, Boysun Bahori and Bukhara's crafts festival

Spring is the richest season for festivals, and also the best weather for travel.

Tashkent International Jazz Festival. In 2026 it ran from 28 April to 12 May with concerts across the capital. Dates for 2027 are announced yearly.

Boysun Bahori (Boysun Spring). The country's best-known folklore festival takes place in the Boysun district of Surkhandarya region, in the mountains of the far south. Boysun's cultural space was among the first entries on UNESCO's intangible heritage lists, and the festival brings together folk ensembles, singers, wrestlers, horsemen and craftspeople from across Uzbekistan and abroad. The XIII edition ran from 1 to 7 May 2026 with more than 100 folklore groups. Since 2022 it has been held every two years, so the next edition is expected in spring 2028. Boysun is a long drive from Samarkand or a short flight to Termez followed by a road transfer, and accommodation is limited, so plan well ahead.

Bukhara's spring crafts festival. Bukhara hosts a large crafts festival in late spring, and in recent years it has alternated:

• Silk and Spices, the older and better-known event, with a parade in historical costume, craft markets around Lyab-i-Hauz and the trading domes, dancers and musicians. The 21st edition took place on 6–8 June 2025, and it is now held in odd-numbered years, so 2027 should be the next. Dates for 2027 had not been announced at the time of writing; the festival has been held in late May or early June.
• The Festival of Gold Embroidery and Jewellery, held in even-numbered years, most recently on 15–17 May 2026.

Other May dates:

• 9 May, the Day of Remembrance and Honour, is a public holiday.
• Eid al-Adha (Qurbon Hayit) was on 27 May in 2026 and is expected around 16 May in 2027, with several days off.
• The Namangan flower festival in the Fergana Valley ran from 24 May to 12 July in 2026.
• An international kupkari festival is held in Syrdarya region in May, with dates announced yearly.

Summer: the Khiva melon festival and Sharq Taronalari

June to August is the hottest time of year, with afternoons often above 40°C in Bukhara and Khiva, so summer festivals tend to happen in the evenings or in the fruit-growing oases.

Melon Festival, Khiva. Khorezm is famous for its melons, and the Qovun Sayli festival celebrates them. In 2026 it was held on 7–9 August in Ichan-Kala and the Arda Khiva tourism complex, with pavilions from every district of the region, concerts and tastings, and it set a Guinness World Record for melon tasting. It is usually held in early August; dates for 2027 are announced yearly.

Sharq Taronalari (Melodies of the East). This international music festival, held under the auspices of UNESCO, brings traditional musicians from dozens of countries to a stage on the Registan in Samarkand. It is traditionally held in late August, but not every year: the 12th edition was in 2019 and, after a break, the 13th ran from 26 to 30 August 2024. At the time of writing no date had been announced for the next edition, so check with the Ministry of Culture before planning a trip around it. During the festival parts of the Registan are closed to sightseeing.

Other summer events:

• Uzum Sayli, a grape harvest festival in Zarkent village, Parkent district, Tashkent region, held on 21–22 August in 2026
• A plov festival in Samarkand, listed for August with dates announced yearly

September: Independence Day, Atlas Bayrami and the Bukhara Biennial

September brings back pleasant weather and a dense run of events.

Independence Day, 1 September. Uzbekistan declared independence on 31 August 1991, and 1 September is the main national holiday. Celebrations include concerts in every city and a large official show in Tashkent. For the 35th anniversary in 2026 the main celebration was held on 28 August in New Tashkent, with a drone display. Expect festive crowds, road closures in central Tashkent and busy trains around the holiday.

Atlas Bayrami, Margilan. Margilan in the Fergana Valley is the home of ikat silk, known locally as atlas and adras. The international festival of traditional textiles opened on 17 September 2026 at the Burhaniddin Margilani complex, with a crafts fair, master classes in weaving, fashion shows and folk performances, and ran to 19 September. It has been held in September or October in recent years; dates for 2027 are announced yearly. Combine it with a visit to the Yodgorlik silk factory and the potters of Rishtan.

Other September events in 2026:

• Echo of the Desert, an international festival in Ellikkala district of Karakalpakstan, near the desert fortresses, on 25–26 September
• An international handicrafts festival in Kokand, with dates announced yearly

Bukhara Biennial 2027. The second edition of Bukhara's contemporary art biennial will run from 3 September to 21 November 2027, with artist commissions in restored historic buildings of the old town. The first edition in 2025 drew large international attention, and hotels in Bukhara fill quickly in the opening weeks.

October to December: harvest season and quieter months

Autumn is peak travel season for good weather, but festival life is calmer.

• 1 October, Teachers' Day, is a public holiday.
• Radiance of Carpets, an international carpet exhibition, was held at the Arda Khiva complex on 17–18 October 2026.
• Bazaars are at their best: pomegranates, grapes, persimmons and the last melons fill the stalls.
• 8 December, Constitution Day, is a public holiday.

Wedding season also peaks in autumn. If you see a convoy of decorated cars or hear the long karnay trumpets from a restaurant, it is almost certainly a wedding, and guests are sometimes welcomed to watch the dancing.

Ramadan and Eid in Uzbekistan: what travellers should know

Uzbekistan is a secular state with a majority Muslim population, and attitudes to religious practice range from strict to relaxed.

During Ramadan:

• Restaurants, cafés and chaikhanas in the cities stay open in the daytime, and visitors can eat and drink normally.
• It is courteous not to eat, drink or smoke conspicuously near mosques or in conservative neighbourhoods during the day.
• After sunset many families and restaurants serve iftar, the meal that breaks the fast. Sweet nisholda, a whipped egg-white confection, is sold widely during the month.
• Monuments and museums keep their normal hours.

The two Eid holidays, Ramazon Hayit (Eid al-Fitr) and Qurbon Hayit (Eid al-Adha), are public holidays. Families visit relatives and cemeteries, share food with neighbours and, at Qurbon Hayit, sacrifice an animal and distribute the meat. Banks and offices close, and the government often adds extra days off, so trains and flights are busy. Sights generally stay open.

Estimated dates for 2027, to be confirmed by moon sighting: Ramadan from around 8 February, Ramazon Hayit around 9 or 10 March, Qurbon Hayit around 16 May. Our culture and etiquette guide has more on behaviour at mosques and shrines.

How to plan a trip around a festival in Uzbekistan

A few practical rules for planning around local calendars:

• Treat any date more than three months ahead as provisional unless the organiser has announced it officially.
• Watch official channels: the Tourism Committee's news pages, the Ministry of Culture and the regional administrations publish dates first, often in Uzbek or Russian.
• Book hotels and Afrosiyob train seats early. Festival weeks, Navruz, the Eid holidays and Independence Day are the hardest dates for trains.
• Keep a buffer day. Opening ceremonies sometimes move by a day, and programmes are often published only days before.
• Remember that big events can close sights. The Registan is partly closed for stage building and concerts during Sharq Taronalari, and the trading domes in Bukhara are packed during Silk and Spices.
• For remote festivals such as Boysun Bahori or Echo of the Desert, arrange transport and accommodation in advance; there is little to book on arrival.

If your dates are fixed, plan the route first and add any festival that falls inside it as a bonus. Spring and autumn are the best seasons for this, as described in our guide to the best time to visit.

Festivals with TourEast

We follow the official announcements and can build a private or small-group itinerary around Navruz, Boysun Bahori, Silk and Spices, the melon festival or Atlas Bayrami, with hotels and trains booked early. Send us the event you have in mind and we will tell you what is confirmed.