Inti Raymi · Cusco

2026: June 24, 2026

Cusco, Peru · contemporary public staging

Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun, is held in Cusco on 24 June to honour Inti, the Inca sun.

Origin

An Inca festival of the June (winter) solstice, suppressed in colonial times. The current staged re-enactment began in 1944.

Where & who

Cusco, Peru (Qorikancha, Plaza de Armas and Sacsayhuamán); local solstice festivals across the Andes.

How people celebrate

• A public, theatrical re-enactment in Quechua with hundreds of performers.
• Music, dance and processions through Cusco during the preceding weeks.

How you can take part or learn

• The Cusco performance is open to the public (some seating is ticketed).
• Community offerings to Pachamama or the Apus are led by local specialists and are not tourist activities.

Symbols

The sun (Inti), gold, the Inca ruler (Sapa Inca) in the re-enactment.