The Festival of the Sun – Inti Raymi

Each year on June 24 (the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere) Cusco celebrates the Inca Festival of the Sun – Inti Raymi. Created by Inca Pachacutec, Inti Raymi was a tribute to the venerated Sun God Inti. Nowadays, the festival draws thousands of local and international visitors to the ancient Inca capital – Cusco – to celebrate one of the most important events of the calendar year.

Inti Raymi, which when translated from Quechua means “Fiesta del Sol” (Sun Festival) is one of the most important festivals of the imperial city of Cusco. This marvelous spectacle which takes place on the Sacsayhuaman esplanade is celebrated every June 24th and is meant to pay homage to the Sun god, a supreme symbol of worship in Inca culture. Currently close to 750 actors participate, who portray their ancestors with the same fervor as the previous century.

In 2016, the historic festival of Inti Raymi won’t be the same as always. It will be full of substantial changes such as the participation of delegations representing the four parts of the Inca Empire (Cuatro Suyos) from Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina. Additionally, dialogues will be reduced from the re-enactment with the goal of showing a streamlined staging of the celebration.

Dare to witness this spectacle full of culture and tradition!

Location

Inti Raymi takes place in three historical and natural sites that are representative of the festival. Coricancha, Haucaypata, and Sacsayhuaman. Check out the schedule and the locations where the ceremony will be celebrated: