The Virgin Carmen (Mamacha Carmen)
2023-07-15 08:00 - 2023-07-18 17:00 (America/Lima)
The festivity of the Virgin Carmen in Paucartambo is a vibrant and deeply rooted celebration held in the town of Paucartambo, located in the Cusco region of Peru. The festival, which blends indigenous Andean traditions with Catholicism, takes place annually in July and is dedicated to the Virgin Carmen, the patron saint of Paucartambo.

The festivity of the Virgin Carmen in Paucartambo is renowned for its colorful processions, traditional dances, and lively music. It attracts both locals and visitors who come to experience the unique cultural heritage and spiritual significance of the event.

The festival begins with a series of religious ceremonies and Masses held in honor of the Virgin Carmen. The main highlight is the procession of the Virgin’s image through the streets of Paucartambo. The statue, adorned with intricate garments and jewelry, is carried on a beautifully decorated float, accompanied by devotees singing hymns and offering prayers.

One of the most iconic aspects of the festival is the participation of various dance groups known as “comparsas.” These groups, consisting of men, women, and children, perform traditional dances that reflect the region’s history and folklore. The dancers wear elaborate costumes and masks, often depicting mythical creatures, animals, or historical characters.

One of the notable dances during the Virgin Carmen festivity is the “Qhapaq Qolla” dance. This dance portrays the historical rivalry between the Inca Empire and the Qhapaq Qolla people, representing the triumph of the Inca over their adversaries. The dancers showcase impressive footwork, rhythmic movements, and elaborate choreography.

Another celebrated dance is the “Saqra” dance, where participants don colorful masks and costumes resembling demons or devils. This dance symbolizes the eternal battle between good and evil and serves as a reminder of the importance of spirituality and faith.

Throughout the festivity, the streets of Paucartambo come alive with vibrant decorations, music, and fireworks. The air is filled with the sounds of brass bands, drums, and flutes, adding to the festive atmosphere.

The festivity of the Virgin Carmen in Paucartambo not only celebrates the religious devotion to the Virgin but also serves as a cultural expression and a community gathering. It provides an opportunity for the people of Paucartambo to strengthen their bonds, showcase their traditions, and pass on their ancestral heritage to future generations.

In summary, the festivity of the Virgin Carmen in Paucartambo is a captivating and lively celebration that blends religious fervor, traditional dances, and cultural expressions. It is a time of joy, spirituality, and unity, where the community pays homage to their patron saint and celebrates their rich cultural identity.

Semana Santa (Holy Week)
2025-04-12 08:00 - 2025-04-19 17:00
Semana Santa (Holy Week)

Cusco: Elaborate processions with ornate statues of Christ and the Virgin Mary, accompanied by incense, flowers, and Andean hymns. The Señor de los Temblores (Lord of the Earthquakes) procession on Easter Monday is iconic.

National Pisco Day (Día Nacional del Pisco Sour)
2025-04-22 08:00 - 17:00
Location: Nationwide (best in Lima, Ica)

Highlights:

Celebrates Peru’s iconic cocktail with tastings, bar competitions, and live criollo music.

Virgen de Chapi Pilgrimage
2025-05-01 08:00 - 2025-05-02 17:00
Location: Arequipa (desert shrine, 45km from the city)

Highlights:

Over 100,000 devotees walk barefoot through the desert to honor the Virgin.

Fireworks, traditional picantería food, and yaraví music (Andean lament songs).

Fiesta de las Cruces (Festival of the Crosses)
2025-05-03 08:00 - 17:00
Locations: Nationwide (most famous in Cusco, Lima, and Huánuco)

Highlights:

Celebrates the Christian cross blended with Inca earth worship (Pachamama).

Cusco: Neighborhoods compete with ornate crosses adorned with flowers and mirrors.

Huánuco: Danza de los Negritos (dance honoring Afro-Peruvian heritage).

Q'eswachaka Bridge Festival
2025-06-08 08:00 - 2025-06-14 17:00
Location: Canas Province, Cusco

Highlights:

Annual rebuilding of the last Inca grass bridge using traditional techniques

Community participation with offerings to Apus (mountain spirits)

UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage event

Qoyllur Rit’i Pilgrimage (Precursor to Corpus Christi)
2025-06-15 08:00 - 2025-06-18 17:00
Location: Sinakara Valley (Cusco), near Ocongate

Highlights:

One of Peru’s most sacred Andean festivals, blending Inca sun worship (Inti) with Catholicism.

Thousands hike to 4,800m to honor the Señor de Qoyllur Rit’i (Christ appearing as a mountain spirit).

Dancers in colorful masks (ukukus) perform rituals to bless crops.

Corpus Christi
2025-06-19 08:00 - 17:00
Location: Cusco

Highlights:

15 saints and virgins paraded from churches to Cusco Cathedral

Traditional dishes like chiriuchu (cold spicy platter)

Q’apaq Negro dance performances

Fiesta de San Juan (St. John's Festival)
2025-06-23 08:00 - 2025-06-25 17:00
Location: Amazon regions (especially Iquitos, Pucallpa, Tarapoto)

Highlights:

Celebrates the Amazonian winter solstice with water purification rituals

Traditional dances like the pandilla and humisha (tree cutting ceremony)

Feast of juanes (seasoned rice wrapped in bijao leaves)

Inti Raymi (Festival of the Sun)
2025-06-24 08:00 - 17:00
Location: Cusco (Sacsayhuamán fortress)

Highlights:

The most important Inca festival, honoring the sun god Inti

Spectacular reenactment of ancient Inca rituals with 500+ participants in traditional costumes

Includes offerings to Pachamama (Mother Earth) and ceremonial coca leaf readings

All Saints' Day (Día de Todos los Santos)
2025-11-01 00:00 - 23:59
This is a solemn and family-oriented holiday. Families gather to remember and honor their deceased loved ones. It is customary to attend mass and visit cemeteries to clean and decorate the graves with flowers, particularly orange marigolds (cempasúchil). A unique tradition is the preparation and consumption of “Lechón” (suckling pig) and “T’anta Wawa” – bread shaped like babies or children, which are given as gifts.

Feast of the Immaculate Conception
2025-12-08 00:00 - 23:59
Religious festival that includes masses and processions in honor of the Virgin Mary.

Santurantikuy Fair
2025-12-24 00:00 - 23:59
Peru’s largest folk art and traditional customs fair is held in Cusco’s Plaza de Armas. Artisans from the region exhibit and sell nativity scene figures, especially the famous “Niños Manuelitos,” as well as other handicrafts, ceramics, and paintings. It is the prelude to Christmas in Cusco.

Lord of Qoyllur Rit'i Pilgrimage
2026-05-31 08:00 - 2026-06-02 17:00 | Sinakara Valley (Ocongate District) / Ausangate Region, Cusco, Peru
An extraordinary mass pilgrimage deep in the Andes combining Incan glacier worship with Catholic elements (Vera Delgado & Vincent, 2013). Tens of thousands of indigenous dancers (Ukukus) climb to the sacred sanctuary below Mount Ausangate in a deeply spiritual display of faith.

Corpus Christi Cusco
2026-06-04 08:00 - 2026-06-05 17:00
One of Cusco’s most spectacular visual events. Fifteen saints and virgins from different neighborhood parishes are carried in massive, beautifully adorned structural litters to the Cusco Cathedral. The main square fills with music, traditional dances, and food stalls serving Chiriuchu (Cusco’s traditional festival dish).

Cusco Jubilee Month Launch (Desfiles Folclóricos)
2026-06-10 08:00 - 2026-06-23 17:00
June is Cusco’s Jubilee Month. Throughout these two weeks, daily massive folklore parades take over the historic center. School children, university students, and local institutions perform synchronized traditional dances in brilliant regional attire to honor the city.

Inti Raymi (The Festival of the Sun)
2026-06-24 08:00 - 18:00
The absolute highlight of Cusco’s calendar. Inti Raymi is the ancient Incan winter solstice ceremony honoring the Sun God. The theatrical re-enactment spans three historic stages: beginning at Qorikancha (Temple of the Sun), moving to the Plaza de Armas, and concluding with a massive main performance at the fortress of Saksaywaman.

Camino Inca: Cupos Disponibles (Octubre 2026)
2026-10-16 08:00 - 2026-10-31 17:00
