2024 Georgia Calendar: List of Events & Festivals in Georgia

There’s always something special happening in Georgia, whether it be a cultural festival, a food or wine event, or a religious celebration.

This Georgia Calendar for 2024 brings together the major festivals, events, holidays and celebrations slated for this year plus other milestones that define the seasons.

I hope it comes in handy for planning your Georgia travel itinerary.

Is there something I missed? Please leave a comment at the end with your suggestion.

→ If you’re looking for more insights on the best time to visit Georgia, my guide to visiting Georgia through the seasons includes a month-by-month breakdown of the weather and other factors you should consider.

→ If you’re looking for more things to do in Georgia this year, see this guide: What’s New in Georgia in 2023.

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An important note about festivals in Georgia

The dates for most festivals in Georgia are not confirmed until a few weeks (or sometimes a few days) in advance. Seasonal events such as the Rtveli wine harvest are weather-dependent and difficult to predict.

As much as I’d love to create a neat and tidy calendar graphic, it’s just not possible! The best I can do for some of these events is give you approximate dates.

If you see any festivals marked ‘TBC’, please come back and check again closer to the date. I am constantly updating this post as dates for 2024 are confirmed.

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January in Georgia

Mekvleloba & Bedoba

• Date: January 1 & 2, 2024 (confirmed)
• Location: Nation-wide

Georgia’s cultural calendar kicks off with two religious traditions: Mekvleloba and Bedoba. While not always obvious to visitors, they are part of Georgia’s Orthodox Christmas tradition and very interesting to observe.

Mekvleloba begins at midnight on January 1. According to tradition, a family’s first guest of the new year – the first person to cross the threshold of their home – will determine their fate for the year ahead.

Bedoba (January 2) AKA the ‘day of luck’ or ‘day of fate’ sets the tone for the year ahead and should be spent in a way that’s joyful and meaningful. Bedoba is a day for self-care when you should do the things you love and spend time with the people who mean the most to you.

On Mekvleloba and throughout the holiday period, lollies are exchanged between friends and neighbours as a symbol of youthfulness, happiness and prosperity. It’s a good idea to carry some with you – and remember to bring of box of chocolates or similar if you’re invited to someone’s home.

Orthodox Christmas, Old New Year & Epiphany

• Date: January 7, 14 & 19, 2024 (confirmed)
• Location: Nation-wide

Christmas is celebrated a fortnight later in Georgia according to the Julian calendar. Orthodox Christmas Day (January 7) is a day of great reverence, when believers attend midnight mass.

The biggest events are the Alilo Parades, religious processions that see hundreds or thousands of people dressed in special robes sing and chant their way through the streets. As they walk, participants collect food and other donations from onlookers to distribute to people in need.

Alilo Parades take place in all major cities and some towns and villages. In Tbilisi, the parade starts at around 1pm from First Republic Square and culminates at Sameba Cathedral, the biggest Orthodox temple in the country and Tbilisi’s main church.

Orthodox New Year or ‘Old New Year’ (January 14) is not an official holiday in Georgia, but it is marked with a small fireworks display on the night of the 13th.

Orthodox Epiphany (January 19) commemorates Jesus’ baptism. It also marks the official end of the festive period.

For more insights into Georgian holiday traditions, see my detailed guide to Christmas in Tbilisi.

Winter sports season

• Date: Throughout January, 2024
• Location: Gudauri, Bakuriani, Svaneti & Upper Adjara

Though the dates change every year depending on snowfall and other weather conditions, you can count on Georgia’s ski resorts to turn their chair lifts on by mid-January at the latest.

The 2023/24 ski season officially started on December 20 in Gudauri and December 9 in Goderdzi.

The skiing and snowboarding season is in full swing by the end of January and lasts until March.

February in Georgia

Lamproba

• Date: February 14, 2024 (confirmed)
• Location: Mestia & villages in Svaneti

Lamproba or the ‘Festival of Lamps’ is an annual celebration in Svaneti, Western Georgia’s high mountain region.

There are various myths and legends that explain the event: According to one source, Lamproba is a platitude for the souls of the dead and a way to ensure a good harvest season. Its likeness to Día de Muertos is why you’ll sometimes hear this festival referred to as ‘Georgia’s Day of the Dead’.

On the night of Lamproba, people craft torches from birch or oak tree branches and walk them to their ancestors’ graves. The ritual takes place in Mestia and in villages around Svaneti region, as well as in ethnic Svan communities in Kvemo Kartli region.

In Upper Svaneti, the festival is also known as Svimonoba (‘Simon’s Festival’).

This is a lunar festival that takes place towards the end of winter, coinciding with the full moon. Exact dates change from year to year, but it’s always held in February or March.

Learn more about Lamproba here.

Gemo Fest Mestia

• Date: February 17-18, 2024 (confirmed)
• Location: Mestia

Gemo Fest is a wintertime food festival held in Mestia, Svaneti. The main focus is Svan cuisine, with chefs, cooks and producers brought in from around the mountain region to showcase their skills.

Live music and other traditions also feature in this two-day, snow-capped celebration.

More information about this year’s event on the Gemo Fest Facebook Page.

Keep an eye out for other Gemo Fest announcements, too – in summer 2023, the same team hosted a terrific festival in Kutaisi.

Berikaoba festivals in Georgia

• Date: February 25, 2024 (TBC)
• Location: Didi Chailuri & other villages in Kakheti

Once celebrated all over Georgia, Berikaoba is still marked in several villages in Kakheti, with the biggest and most colourful events in Didi Chailuri, 65 kilometres east of Tbilisi. The festival likely has pagan roots and is tied to abundance, rebirth and fertility.

Not unlike similar celebrations in Europe such as the Surva Festival in Bulgaria, Berikaoba sees people dress up in elaborate costumes and don imaginative masks to walk in procession down the village’s main street. Chidaoba wrestling matches, feasting and folk music are also part of the fun.

Learn more about Berikaoba and its origins here.

March in Georgia

March is usually a quiet month in Georgia!

Know of any festivals happening in Georgia in March? Please drop your suggestions in the comments.

April in Georgia

Batumoba

• Date: April 27, 2024 (TBC)
• Location: Batumi

Batumoba, the ‘Day of Batumi’, takes place in spring and sees the resort city transform into a colourful celebration of tradition and folklore. As with similar events in Georgia, the festival includes cultural displays, live music, food and wine.

A follow-up festival, Gandagana, is held in November (see below).

Start of the bird watching season in Javakheti

• Date: April-October, 2024
• Location: Javakheti Protected Areas

Late spring is the start of the birding season in Georgia’s Javakheti Protected Areas, one of the most beautiful and underrated national parks in the country. 

Visit between April and October for your chance to see some of the park’s 140 species of nesting and migratory birds, including flamingos (sadly not the pink kind, though!).

May in Georgia

Gviriloba (Kutaisoba)

• Date: May 2, 2024 (confirmed)
• Location: Kutaisi

There are oba ‘day of’ festivals for different cities, towns and villages around Georgia held all throughout the warmer months. The first major festival of the year, Gviriloba AKA Kutaisoba, takes place in Kutaisi on May 2.

Gviriloba celebrates all things Kutaisi, with stages for live music and dance, and pop-up markets showcasing Imeretian food and wine.

The tradition goes back to the beginning of the 20th century when Kutaisi schoolgirls sold chamomile (gvirila) flowers to raise funds for tuberculosis patients. That’s why you’ll see many festival goers with flowers in their hair.

If you’re interested in learning more, the Museum for History of Georgian Medicine in Tbilisi has a small display about this tradition.

Orthodox Easter

• Date: May 5, 2024 (Easter Sunday)
• Location: Nation-wide

Easter falls later in Georgia and is preceded by 40 days of strict fasting. This is the most important religious holiday in the country. Orthodox observances centre around midnight mass, which begins on the Saturday night and runs until the early hours of Resurrection Sunday.

Another Easter tradition in Georgia is eating sweet paska, a dense fruit cake you can find at most bakeries. Visitors can observe colourful displays of dyed eggs, bundles of madder root and patches of wheatgrass being sold at local markets around Tbilisi and elsewhere.

These are all Easter symbols traditionally displayed at home for the holiday.

Learn more about Orthodox traditions and how to get involved in my guide to spending Easter in Georgia.

Lelo Burti

• Date: May 5, 2024 (confirmed)
• Location: Shukhuti, Guria

Every Easter Sunday, Guria region hosts a special event known as Lelo Burti. This is a full-contact, rugby-like ball game that sees two villages, Zemo and Kvemo Shukhuti, go head to head.

Lelo Burti is played with a 16 kg ball made from sand and dirt soaked in wine. The aim of the game is to carry the ball 500 metres over to the rival village’s stream. Whoever crosses first is declared the winner and that village holds the trophy for the next year.

Live music, food, and a market with local produce are also staged as part of the celebrations.

Learn more about Lelo Burti in my 2022 write-up of the festival.

Zero Compromise Wine Festival

• Dates: May 3 & 4, 2024 (TBC)
• Location: Tbilisi

Zero Compromise is an annual wine festival in Tbilisi dedicated to natural wine. It is normally held on the first weekend of May. From 2023, the festival is held over two days instead of just one. And you know what that means – more wine!

Natural Wine Association members gather at Silk Factory Studio in Tbilisi to show off their latest wines from the new harvest. This is a ticketed event; a two-day pass costs 50 GEL.

More details and tickets on the Natural Wine Association Facebook Page.

The New Wine Festival

• Date: May 11, 2024 (TBC)
• Location: Tbilisi

When spring arrives in Georgia, winemakers crack open last year’s clay qvevri for the first taste of the previous harvest. The New Wine Festival is a chance for winemakers to come together, sample each other’s new bottles, and share their creations with the public.

The all-you-can-drink festival is normally held in the middle of May in Mtatsminda Park. More than a hundred vintners from all around the country gather to present their wines, with a food market and live music to accompany.

Independence Day

• Date: May 26, 2024 (confirmed)
• Location: Tbilisi & nation-wide

May 26 is Independence Day in Georgia and an official public holiday. It commemorates the adoption of the Act of Independence in 1918, which ushered in the short-lived Democratic Republic of Georgia.

Events are held around the country in commemoration. In Tbilisi, part of Rustaveli Avenue is closed off for a military parade, a big food and craft market, live music and fireworks display.

June in Georgia

WinExpo Georgia

• Date: June 1-2, 2024 (TBC)
• Location: Tbilisi

Now in its 16th year, WinExpo is the only international trade fair for wine and spirits in the Caucasus. Around 100 exhibitors attend, including small family wineries.

In 2022 and 2023, the event was held outdoors at Expo Georgia. Normally it takes place on the first or second weekend in June. More info here on the WinExpo website.

Tbilisi Cheese Festival

• Date: June 2, 2024 (TBC)
• Location: Mtatsminda Park

Researchers have documented more than 250 cheese varieties in Georgia, most of them native to the mountain regions. In previous years a special cheese festival was held in Akhmeta in Pankisi Valley to celebrate Tushetian guda. But it has not been held for a while now.

This larger Cheese Festival in the capital is staged to honour the country’s entire larder. Founded in 2015, it sees dairy producers and artisan cheesemakers descend on Tbilisi to showcase their products, including rare cheese types such as tenili pulled cheese from Samtskhe-Javakheti, and rich guda cheese from Tusheti.

In recent years, cheesemakers from Armenia and Azerbaijan have also joined the fun.

The festival is free to attend and alongside tastings, features live music and performances. Find more information on the 2023 event Facebook Page.

The Abano Pass opens

• Date: ~ June 10, 2024 (TBC)
• Location: Tusheti

The high mountain road to Tusheti is completely closed in winter and normally reopens in June, marking the official start of the season.

In mid-May, families move back to their high-altitude villages, and preparations are made for the start of trekking season. Note that some guesthouses don’t open until July.

The transhumance, where shepherds make the month-long journey by horseback from Shiraki/Vashlovani back up to Tusheti – taking their flocks with them – is an incredible spectacle.

Some agencies including Caucasus Adventure Tours organise tours to observe the Tusheti Horse Drive. Come October, they make the journey back down the pass.

The exact date changes year to year depending on the weather. Remember, the Abano Pass is a dangerous road that requires a robust car and an experienced driver.

Lomisoba

• Date: June 26, 2024 (TBC)
• Location: Lomisi

Held annually on the seventh Wednesday after Easter in Lomisi, a village in the Greater Caucasus near Gudauri and close to South Ossetia (Tskhinvali/Samachablo), Lomisoba is a folk festival that combines Pagan, pre-Christian and Christian traditions.

The festival involves sacrificing sheep and is quite controversial as a result – often animal rights activists hold demonstrations on the day. Read this first-hand account of the festival before you go.

Lomisi is located in the mountains off the Georgian Military Highway.

Start of the hiking season in high mountain regions

• Date: Mid June-September, 2024
• Location: Svaneti, Juta, Truso, Khevsureti, Racha, etc.

June is generally considered the start of hiking season in Georgia’s high mountain regions, when all mountain passes are open and trails become accessible.

Georgian Street Food Festival

• Date: Every weekend throughout June, 2024
• Location: Tbilisi

Organised by Taste Tbilisi, this food festival is now in its fifth year. Dozens of vendors gather in Dedaena Park near the Dry Bridge Market on Saturdays and Sundays from 2pm until late. Expect Georgian street food, international eats, and of course plenty of wine.

More details on the Taste Tbilisi Facebook Page.

July in Georgia

Art-Gene Fest

• Date: July 2024 (confirmed, final dates TBC)
• Location: Tbilisi Open Air Museum of Ethnography

The Art-Gene Festival takes place every summer at the Open Air Museum of Ethnography in Tbilisi. The festival will take place again in 2024, though dates are yet to be locked in. In previous years, the festival has been held over two weekends (six days in total) from mid to late July.

This wonderful outdoor museum consists of traditional houses relocated from around Georgia – come festival time, it bursts to life with traditional crafts, culinary demonstrations and wine-making displays from the different regions.

Folk music, crafts, contemporary art and dance are centre stage. Festivities run from late afternoon until evening, and normally the Sukhishvili National Ballet makes an appearance.

Tickets normally cost 29-45 GEL and can be purchased online through TKT.GE.

Blues Fest Lagodekhi

• Date: July 20, 2024 (TBC)
• Location: Lagodekhi

This popular music festival founded by Victor Kervalishvili and Natalia Kalandadze brings blues luminaries from the USA to Georgia, inviting them to jam out on stage and perform with local musicians.

After a pause, the festival resumed in 2022 and has traditionally been held in the middle of July. The venue, ‘Blues Village’ AKA Lagodekhi, is located in Kakheti region, close to the beautiful Lagodekhi Protected Areas national park.

Black Sea Jazz Festival

• Date: July 26-29, 2024 (TBC)
• Location: Batumi

One of Georgia’s biggest music festivals, Black Sea Jazz brings together local and international acts from a range of genres, including jazz, hip-hop and soul.

The festival lasts several days and is held on stages in Batumi, with smaller performances at venues up and down the Black Sea coast.

In 2022, it was held in mid-August and in 2023, the festival took place on the last weekend of July.

Kvirikoba (Lagurka)

• Date: July 28, 2024 (confirmed)
• Location: Svaneti

One of the biggest folk festivals in Svaneti region, Kvirikoba takes place on July 28, the anniversary of the martyrdom of St. Kvirike and St. Ivlita.

Celebrations take place at the local church in the village of Kala (between Mestia and Ushguli), and include liturgies, animal sacrifices, and Svan blessings.

In the afternoon, villagers compete to see who can haul a massive church bell and go head to head in boulder tossing, called sajildao qvis atseva.

Sukhishvili summer season

• Date: July 2024
• Location: Tbilisi

Sukhishvili, Georgia’s national ballet company, usually returns home to Tbilisi in July for a short run of performances. If you get a chance to see them in person, don’t pass it up – it’s truly mesmerising.

In recent years they have been performing at Takara, a purpose-built outdoor stage 30 minutes from Tbilisi.

Tickets are available through TKT.GE. You can also see Sukhishvili in Tbilisi in September, when the troop returns from their annual summer tour of Europe.

Rokva Music Festival

• Date: (Not held in 2023; TBC for 2024)
• Location: Shovi, Racha

Rovka is a music festival that takes place in the mountain resort of Shovi in Racha. In 2022, it was held on the weekend of July 29-31. In 2023, the festival did not take place. No announcements have been made for 2024 yet.

Dozens of local and international artists gather for three days of live music performances on outdoor stages, with an emphasis on alternative and electronic music.

August in Georgia

Shuamtoba

• Date: August 7-8, 2024 (TBC)
• Location: Beshumi, Upper Adjara

On the first weekend of August, Beshumi in Upper Adjara hosts the Shuamtoba festival, which pays tribute to the region’s heritage. Like Tushetoba, it features horse racing and folk music along with regional food and wine, and a display of traditional costumes.

Beshumi is located 2 hours from Akhaltsikhe or 4 hours from Batumi. In 2023, it was held on August 2-23. The festival normally kicks off at midday – for an idea of what to expect in 2024, see the 2023 program here.

Atnigenoba (Atengenoba)

• Date: Throughout the month of August, 2024
• Location: Tusheti & Khevsureti

Atnigenoba is the collective name for the festivals that take place across villages in Tusheti and Khevsureti throughout the summer. Tradition dictates that festival season commences 100 days after Easter Sunday, which will be Tuesday August 13 in 2024.

This is a roving cycle of feasts that moves from place to place throughout the month of August (and potentially into early September). If you’re visiting Tusheti on a weekend, you will find there are horse competitions and other festivities happening in at least one village.

Days that are more tourist-focused, for example Tushetoba in Omalo, feature horse riding and khinkali-making, Tushetian embroidery and felt work demonstrations, folk song performances and more – all against a backdrop of stone towers and mountain panoramas.

Every year on August 19, Tusheti (and some other mountain regions) celebrates Peristsvaleba. This auspicious day marks the end of summer and the start autumn. In honour of the changing colours, it is a tradition to smear a sign of the cross on one’s forehead (Ash Wednesday style) with juice from forrest berries.

Photographer Magdalena Konik leads small group tours to Tusheti around Peristsvaleba that are specially focused on the festival and other regional traditions. Contact her through Facebook for more details.

Dates are normally finalised a few weeks in advance. Follow Tusheti National Park on Facebook for updates.

Bakhmaro Horse Race (Bakhmaros Doghvi)

• Date: August 19, 2024 (TBC)
• Location: Bakhmaro, Guria

Held in Bakhmaro, one of Guria’s two high mountain resorts, Bakhmaros Doghvi or the ‘Bakhmaro Cup’ is all about the region’s horse racing traditions. Riders from around Guria gather to test their mettle, completing a circuit race around the mountain.

The event marks the end of the high summer season and coincides with the Feast of the Transfiguration.

KefalFest

• Date: August 17, 2024 (TBC)
• Location: Poti

This summer festival is held on Maktakva Beach and around the Golden Lake just outside the Black Sea city of Poti. Geared towards families, it includes watersports, scavenger hunts and other kid-friendly activities, plus concerts and a fishing competition.

As with all Georgian festivals, there is plenty of food (in this case Megrelian cuisine) plus a small market showcasing handmade products.

Shatiloba

• Date: Late August/early September, 2024 (TBC)
• Location: Shatili, Khevsureti

The historic mountain region of Khevsureti north of Tbilisi gets its turn to celebrate local culture with Shatiloba, a festival held in the area’s oldest village, Shatili.

Khevsur stone houses are recruited to host the fair, which includes folk song and dance, craft displays, food, horse riding and wrestling.

Kolkhoba

• Date: Late August/early September, 2024 (TBC)
• Location: Sarpi, Adjara

This cultural festival is dedicated to the Laz, a group who live in southwestern Georgia and northeast Turkey along the Black Sea coast. The Laz trace their ancestry back to ancient Colchian tribes and worship the sea.

Boat-building, traditional culinary skills, music and theatre, and other elements of Laz culture are on display for Kolkhoba, held in the town of Sarpi near the Turkish border.

Tsinandali Festival

• Date: August 31-September 9, 2024 (confirmed)
• Location: Tsinandali, Kakheti

One of Georgia’s most prestigious music festivals, the Tsinandali Festival has been held at the historic Chavchavadze Estate outside Telavi in Kakheti every September since 2019.

For 10 days, outdoor stages and halls host a gamut of world-class classical musicians from around the globe as well as composers, conductors and scholars. The festival aims to ‘create opportunities for young musicians from the Caucasus to explore the world of music and advance their musical education’.

The festival is open to the public, with a lengthy program of concerts and other music and wine-themed events.

Learn more about the Tsinandali Festival here on the official website.

September in Georgia

Rtveli in Eastern Georgia

• Date: September 7 until mid October, 2024 (exact dates TBC)
• Location: Kakheti & Kartli

Autumn in Georgia is an auspicious time of year, especially in September when the annual grape harvest commences. Eastern Georgia’s Kakheti region takes its turn first, kicking off the Rtveli with mass picking events, grape pressing, feasting, song and dance.

In 2022 and 2023, the harvest started quite early – late August and early September for some vineyards. For 2024, I expect that events will be planned starting from September 7/8, signalling that the grape harvest will take place from the first weekend of September onwards.

The whole country is engulfed in a festive atmosphere during the harvest period, which lasts until early October in the east and continues on until November in the west (see the next section).

For more information, read my full guide to Rtveli in Georgia, including a list of wineries that host special events and Rtveli wine tours from Tbilisi.

Arts & culture season in Tbilisi

• Date: September-December, 2024
• Location: Tbilisi

Late autumn and winter in Tbilisi is the best time to see a show as performers come home after touring in the summer. Highlights include a ballet or opera performance at the theatre on Rustaveli, and an adults-only puppet show at the iconic Gabriadze Theatre in the Old Town.

There are arts festivals in Tbilisi throughout the months of September, October, November and December. These include: Autumn Tbilisi at the Djansug Kakhidze Music Centre with symphonic, big band and orchestral performances (late September); the Tbilisi Baroque Festival (November); the International Festival of Theatre (September/October); the Tbilisi International Film Festival (November/December); and more.

Use the TKT.ge website to search for events and buy tickets online.

Batumi Birdwatching festival

• Date: Mid to late September, 2024
• Location: Batumi & the Black Sea Coast

Now in its 10th year, the annual Batumi Birdwatching Festival brings experts, volunteers and mad birdwatchers from across the world together for four days of birding in the wetlands and forests along the Black Sea Coast.

In 2023, the program included a combination of lectures and field trips to popular sites (Chorokhi Delta, Lake Paliastomi) around Batumi.

The festival is well-organised and very reputable. It coincides with the peak of the autumn birding season in western Georgia. More information here on the website.

Velvet season on the Black Sea Coast

• Date: Mid to late September, 2024
• Location: Batumi & the Black Sea Coast

‘Velvet season’ is the short window of time when the summer crowds depart the beach, but conditions are still ideal for sunbathing and swimming.

The days and weeks after September 15 when school resumes are a great time to visit Batumi or the black-sand beaches further up and down the coast, as prices drop and it’s much easier to find a spot to spread your towel.

October in Georgia

Tbilisoba

• Date: October 5-6, 2024 (TBC)
• Location: Tbilisi

Tbilisoba is the biggest event on Georgia’s cultural calendar. The two-day festival takes over the entire city with food markets and pop-up handicraft bazaars, vintage car displays, big band performances, folk dance, and more.

Tbilisoba celebrates the capital’s diversity and showcases produce and traditions from all over Georgia. It’s normally held over a weekend in early October (in 2023 the festival took place on September 30-October 1, and in 2022, the dates were October 1-2).

The 2023 edition focused on three venues, Rike Park, Orbeliani Square, and the State Palace of Ceremonies.

This is definitely not one to miss.

Rtveli in Western Georgia

• Date: October-November, 2024
• Location: Imereti, Racha, Guria, Adjara & Samegrelo

The grape harvest starts in warm, humid Western Georgia around mid October and lasts as late as November in some areas.

As in Kakheti, larger wineries and some smaller family vineyards often open their gates to visitors who want to participate in the Rtveli.

Svetitskhovloba (Mtskhetoba)

• Date: October 14, 2024 (confirmed)
• Location: Mtskheta

Svetitskhovloba (Mtskhetoba) is held in honour of Georgia’s former capital, Mtskheta, every year on October 14. It is an official public holiday in Georgia.

Festivities take place on the streets of Mtskheta and centre on the 11th-century Svetitskhoveli Cathedral. Mtskhetoba has a more reverent tone compared to some other Georgian festivals of the same ilk.

The Catholicos-Patriarch hosts a ceremony for pilgrims and a mass-baptism as part of the festivities. Song and dance performances and a food market are staged in the square outside the cathedral.

The Tusheti Transhumance

• Date: Mid October, 2024
• Location: Tusheti & the Alazani Valley

What goes up must come down! In preparation for winter, Tushetian shepherds travel back down into the Alazani Valley to wait out the colder months, bringing their thousands-strong flocks of sheep with them.

For the Tush community, this is an auspicious time of year steeped in tradition. If you’re lucky enough to be in the area, you can stand back and witness the spectacular mass migration.

Wine Days Festival

• Date: Mid October, 2024 (TBC)
• Location: Nation-wide

Held for the first time in 2022, Wine Days Georgia is a roaming festival that takes place all over the country in celebration of diverse winemaking traditions.

In 2023, events were held simultaneously from October 7-15 in more than 20 towns and cities – including Telavi, Borjomi, Marneuli, Ozurgeti, Ambrolauri, Gori, Dedoplistskaro, Tsageri, Martvili, Baghdati, Zugdidi – and more.

Dates for 2024 should be similar.

Tbilisi Ethno Fest

• Date: Mid October, 2024 (TBC)
• Location: Tbilisi

Held at Expo Tbilisi, the Tbilisi International Summit of Crafts and Design (AKA Ethno Fest) is a celebration of Georgian handicrafts. Makers, designers and retailers gather for three days of exhibitions, talks and festivities, with a big maker’s market where you can purchase beautiful items direct from the source.

In 2022, Tbilisi Ethno Fest was held on October 14-16.

Bread Festival

• Date: October 19, 2024 (TBC)
• Location: Akhaltsikhe

Held every autumn on the grounds of Rabati Castle in Akhaltsikhe, the Bread Festival is organised by Samtskhe-Javakheti DMO and Elkana, a Georgian NGO dedicated to bio farming.

Featuring baking demonstrations and an all-you-can-eat buffet of bread, traditional sweets such as kada and more, the day celebrates endemic Georgian wheat varieties, local legumes, artisanal cheeses, and other regional food products.

Historic Car Fest

• Date: October 27, 2024 (TBC)
• Location: Tbilisi

If you’re a fan of vintage cars and especially Soviet-built automobiles, don’t miss this retro car festival held in Tbilisi. There is a second chapter held in Telavi city in spring.

Run by the Association of Historic Automobiles of Georgia, the auto exhibition also includes live music and other events.

The festival is free to attend and normally starts from midday at First Republic Square. Find more details here on Facebook.

Hurma harvest season

• Date: From late October, 2024
• Location: Samegrelo & Western Georgia

As autumn draws to a close, all across Georgia people set about pickling and preserving fruit and veg for the winter. One of the most spectacular displays is in Western Georgia’s Samegrelo region, where orange persimmons (hurma) are harvested en masse.

Every household gets involved with picking, peeling and processing. The hurma are then strung up on long cords and hung to dry on balconies and stairways, creating a beautiful display of orange orbs.

This is the perfect time to visit Karma Hostel in Martvili, where the hurma harvest season and all its joy is wholeheartedly embraced.

November in Georgia

Feast of the 100,000 Holy Martyrs of Tbilisi

• Date: November 13, 2024 (confirmed)
• Location: Tbilisi

One of the Orthodox Church’s most important Feast Days and impressive spectacles, the Day of the 100,000 Holy Martyrs commemorates the city folk who lost their lives safeguarding Tbilisi from a Persian invasion in 1227.

A special open-air liturgy led by the Patriarch of Georgia is held on Metekhi Bridge in the Old Town. Thousands of people pile onto the bridge to pay their respects – the crowd is always huge, and the crush of people can be quite intimidating.

You will also see people throwing flowers into the Mtkvari to honour the martyrs who were tossed into the river.

Gandagana

• Date: November 23-24, 2024 (TBC)
• Location: Batumi

The Gandagana takes its name from a traditional Adjarian dance. Lasting two days, this festival is a tribute to rural tourism and aims to recreate a village atmosphere in the heart of Batumi city.

Five Adjarian towns/villages, Kobuleti, Khelvachauri, Keda, Shauhevi and Khulo, are showcased, with vibrant displays of regional food, wine and produce, song, dance and costume.

In 2023, the event was held on November 25-26 and in 2022, the event took place on November 20.

Tangerine Fest

• Date: November 23, 2024 (TBC)
• Location: Tsikhisdziri

Tangerines (mandarines) are a way of life in Western Georgia, particularly along the Black Sea Coast. On the heels of winter, the tangerine harvest takes over the region and you will see citrus of all shapes and sizes slowly filter its way into the country’s marketplaces.

This year, Castello Mare Hotel in Tsikhisdziri (near Kobuleti) is hosting a Tangerine Fest to celebrate the tradition of the harvest. The day will feature a Georgian dance recital and a showcase of delicious tangerine-based products including cake and jam.

The event is free to attend. In 2023, it was held on November 18.

December in Georgia

Amerimeri Natural Wine Festival

• Date: December 4, 2024 (TBC)
• Location: Tskaltubo

Amerimeri is a special wine festival dedicated to vineyards and vintners in Imereti, Georgia’s second-biggest wine region after Kakheti. It is organised by the Natural Wine Association and exclusively showcases winemakers from around the country who use organic grapes.

If you happen to be visiting Kutaisi, it’s well worth the short detour. In 2024, the festival was held on the first Saturday of December at Legends Spa Resort in Tskaltubo. This is a ticketed event – entrance costs 20 GEL.

New Year’s Eve

• Date: December 31, 2024 (definitely confirmed!)
• Location: Tbilisi & nation-wide

The night of December 31 is the biggest celebration on Georgia’s Christmas calendar, superseding Orthodox Christmas. Festive markets spring up in the city from mid-December along with elaborate light displays. The celebration culminates with a raucous NYE fireworks display that lasts all night long.

If you like to party, Tbilisi is the best place to ring in the New Year, with the largest and loudest fireworks extravaganza (managed by everyday Tbilisians who set off crackers from street corners, parks and apartment balconies), a concert and other events.

Smaller celebrations are held in Batumi, Kutaisi, Gudauri, and beyond.

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Summary of festivals by city

Festivals in Tbilisi & around

• February: Berikaoba (Kakheti)
• May: Zero Compromise
• May: The New Wine Festival
• June: WinExpo Georgia
• June: Tbilisi Cheese Festival
• June: Georgian Street Food Festival
• July: Art-Gene Fest
• August/September: Tsinandali Festival (Kakheti)
• October: Tbilisoba
• October: Svetitskhovloba (Mtskheta)
• October: Wine Days Georgia
• October: Tbilisi Ethno Fest
• October: Historic Car Fest

Festivals in Kutaisi & around

• May: Kutaisoba
• October: Wine Days Georgia (Kutaisi city, Baghdati & more)
• December: Amerimeri (Tskaltubo)

Festivals in Batumi & on the Black Sea Coast

• April: Batumoba
• July/August: Black Sea Jazz Festival
• August: Shuamtoba (Beshumi)
• August: Kefalfest (Poti)
• August/September: Kolkhoba (Sarpi)
• September: Batumi Birdwatching Festival
• November: Gandagana
• November: Tangerine Fest (Tsikhisdziri)

Festivals in the Greater Caucasus Mountains

• February: GEMO Fest Mestia (Svaneti)
• February: Lamproba (Svaneti)
• July: Kvirikoba (Svaneti)
• July: Rokva Music Festival (Racha)
• August: Atnigenoba (Tusheti & Khevsureti)
• August: Tushetoba (Tusheti)
• August: Shatiloba (Khevsureti)

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Summary of festivals by category

Wine festivals in Georgia

• May: Zero Compromise (Tbilisi)
• May: The New Wine Festival (Tbilisi)
• June: Bolnisi PDO Wine Festival (Bolnisi)
• June: SuperNatural Wine & Food Festival (Tbilisi)
• July: WinExpo Georgia (Tbilisi)
• August: Black Sea Wine Festival (Batumi)
• September-November: Rtveli wine harvest (Kakheti & around Georgia)
• October: Wine Days Georgia (20+ cities & towns around the country)
• October: Terjola Wine Festival (Terjola)
• October: Gurjaani Wine Festival (Gurjaani)
• December: Amerimeri (Tskaltubo)

Food festivals in Georgia

• February: GEMO Fest Mestia (Svaneti)
• June: Georgian Street Food Festival (Tbilisi)
• June: Tbilisi Cheese Festival (Tbilisi)
• October: Bread Festival (Akhaltsikhe)

Cultural festivals in Georgia

• April: Batumoba (Batumi, Georgia)
• May: Lelo Burti (Guria)
• May: Kutaisoba (Kutaisi)
• July: Kvirikoba (Svaneti)
• August: Peristsvaleba (Tusheti, Pankisi & elsewhere)
• August: Tushetoba (Tusheti)
• August: Shatiloba (Khevsureti)
• August: Shuamtoba (Beshumi, Adjara)
• August: Bakhmaro Doge (Bakhmaro, Guria)
• August/September: Shatiloba (Shatili, Khevsureti)
• August/September: Kolkhoba (Sarpi, Adjara)
• October: Tbilisoba (Tbilisi)
• October: Svetitskhovloba (Mtskheta)
• November: Gandagana (Batumi)

Pre-Christian or Pagan festivals in Georgia

• February: Lamproba (Svaneti)
• February: Berikaoba (Kakheti)
• June: Lomisoba (Lomisi)
• July: Kvirikoba (Svaneti)
• Various dates: Chiakokonoba (various locations)

Music festivals in Georgia

• July: Rovka Festival (Shovi, Racha)
• July: Blues Fest Lagodekhi (Lagodekhi)
• July/August: Black Sea Jazz Festival
• August/September: Tsinandali Festival (Kakheti)
• September: Autumn Tbilisi at Djansug Kakhidze Music Centre
• November: Tbilisi Baroque Festival (Tbilisi)

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What is your favourite festival in Georgia? Which of these celebrations are you most eager to see?

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