Next: 24 Jun 2027
Inti Raymi
The Inca festival of the sun, restaged each 24 June at Sacsayhuamán above Cusco.
When is Inti Raymi in 2027?
Inti Raymi 2027 is on Thursday, 24 June 2027. Other years: 2026, Wednesday, 24 June 2026; 2028, Saturday, 24 June 2028.
About Inti Raymi
Inti Raymi, "festival of the sun" in Quechua, was the main ceremony of the Inca Empire, held at the winter solstice in the southern hemisphere to honour Inti, the sun god, and ask for the return of light and a good harvest. It was banned by the Spanish in 1572. In 1944 it was revived as a theatrical re-creation, on 24 June in Cusco. Hundreds of actors in Inca dress, led by an actor playing the Sapa Inca, the emperor, walk from the Qorikancha, the temple of the sun, through the main plaza to the fortress of Sacsayhuamán, where speeches in Quechua and rituals, including the offering of coca leaves and chicha, are performed. Many people of the Andes also celebrate the solstice privately in other ways.
Inti Raymi dates: 2026, 2027, 2028
| Year | Inti Raymi date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Wednesday, 24 June 2026 |
| 2027 | Thursday, 24 June 2027 |
| 2028 | Saturday, 24 June 2028 |
What is eaten
- chicha de jora
- cuy
- pachamanca
Traditions of Inti Raymi
Also part of it, and being written: Sacsayhuamán (The site of the ceremony.), Qorikancha (The temple of the sun.).
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background: "Inti Raymi" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Inti: Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala, Public domain, source