The Best Armenia Festivals and Events [2020]

Tolma Festival

Every year food lovers from Armenia and beyond will gather around Zvartnots temple to celebrate and eat as many tolma as possible. Tolma is a stuffed vegetable dish that is common in Armenia and surrounding regions. This annual event is all about cooking and eating, as Armenian tolma-makers gather to prepare tolma using forgotten and rare recipes. During the Festival, visitors have the chance to taste more than 60 types of tolma filled with lamb, lenten, mushroom, basturma, and countless other ingredients.

Date: May 24, 2020
Location: Around Zvartnots temple

Rafting Fest

The first Rafting Fest in Armenia to take place on May 30-31, 2020 in Lori Province.

This event will bring together experienced rafting guides from 14 countries around the world, making Rafting Fest unique. The Armenian Tourism Rafting Federation is ready to serve over 1,000 participants during the fest.

Date: May 30-31, 2020
Location: Tumanyan Town, Lori Region

©Asatur Yesayants

Sheep Shearing Festival

Do you ever wonder where wool comes from? At the annual Sheep Shearing Festival in Syunik’s Khot village, visitors can experience the thousands of years old tradition of shearing sheep to produce wool yarns. Traditionally these yarns were then used to weave carpets and other textiles for practical use. Watch locals participate in shearing competitions, buy wool and other locally-made products, enjoy music and dance, and try homemade food and drinks unique to the region.

Date: June 6, 2020
Location: Khot, Syunik region

Haybuis Festival

Ask any Armenian—herbs are essential to any meal. The Festival is held in one of the most picturesque places of Armenia – the Apaga resort located in Yenokavan, Tavush region, an area known for its beautiful forests and mountains. Visitors learn about Armenian herbs and different methods of using them, including their healing properties. There is also a herbal tea party, educational games to learn about forest biodiversity, master cooking classes and other activities for children.

Date: June 27, 2020
Location: Yenokavan

Color Festival Yerevan

Inspired by Holi, a popular Indian festival with ancient Hindu roots, the Color Festival in Yerevan celebrates the arrival of the festive and joyous summer season. A free-for-all festival of colors, visitors should expect to smear and be smeared with a rainbow of colorful powders while meeting friends and dancing to music played by local DJs. Surely the most colorful event in June, the festival, which takes place on Mashtots Avenue, brings a playful start to summer holidays

Date: June 14
Location: Megamall, Yerevan

Edible Plants in Armenian Cuisine

Hosted on a highland plateau in the picturesque village of Dsegh—Tumanyan’s birth place—the “Edible Plants in Armenian Cuisine” Festival celebrates the use of foraged indigenous greens and herbs in Armenia’s cuisine. During the festival visitors will explore exhibitions and can sample traditional dishes made with the edible plants of the Lori region. Families will enjoy dramatized performances, music and dance programs, as well as traditional Armenian games.

Date: July 11, 2020
Location: Dsegh

Sail of Hope Bard Festival

Huso Aragast, which means “Sail of Hope,” is a music festival, named after a very famous Armenian song. The Festival provides visitors with an opportunity to discover new names in the music industry and gives musicians the chance to write, present, and promote new works. The festival takes place at Wishup shore of Lake Sevan and closes with an evening near the campfire.

Date: July 17-19, 2020
Location: Sevan

International Tango Festival

Dancers from all over the world travel to Armenia to participate in the Tango Festival, organized by Yerevan-based La Vida Del Tango Argentino school. The festival, which celebrates the cultural heritage of this globally-celebrated dance, includes two weekends of workshops, milongas, after-parties, and guided tours of Yerevan and visits to Armenia’s regions. Visitors can learn to tango in special masterclasses taught by maestros, participate in a grand opening on the rooftop of the hotel 14th Floor, and enjoy concerts and dance performances in Aram Khachatryan hall.

Date: July 24, 2020
Location: Yerevan

Yell Birthday Fest

Yell Extreme Park is one of the most picturesque locations in Armenia, nestled in forested hillsides of Yenokavan, Tavush region. Visitors can experience activities like horseback riding, paragliding, mountain climbing, mountain biking, and the famous zip line at Yell Extreme Park all year long, but the most exciting time to visit the Park is for its festival, held in July.

Date: July 25, 2020
Location: Yenokavan

Blueberry Festival

Blueberry festival Savor the sweet flavors of blueberry season Join the village of Margahovit to celebrate blueberry season with the first ever Blueberry Festival! The festival, hosted by Armenia Tree Project, includes eco-friendly, locally-grown organic foods and products and promotes blueberry cultivation and ecotourism in the village. In addition to tasting Margahovit’s delicious blueberries, visitors will enjoy a summer day in the village, listening to live music, participating in children’s activities, and making arts and crafts. Adventurous visitors can explore the surrounding scenery with hiking and bird watching tours.

Date: July 25, 2020
Location: Margahovit

Sevan International Music Festival

The Sevan Music Festival unites young people from Armenia and around the world through music. The Festival, features performances, but also invites visitors to participate and perform. The Festival, which takes place on the beachy shores of crystal-blue Lake Sevan, signifies the true beginning of summer, where visitors can enjoy the swimming or taking boat tours. Whether you’re a musician or just looking for a unique way to kick off your summer, grab your guitar and head to the Sevan Music Festival for a perfect escape.

Date: August 01-02, 2020
Location: Sevan

Honey and Berry Festival

The Honey and Berry Festival is a two-day festival in Berd, dedicated to promoting agriculture, beekeeping, arts and crafts, and tourism. The Festival opens with a jazz concert. Visitors can taste and buy local honey and berries in all their forms and types, admire and purchase handmade crafts. With trampolines and games, this Festival is fun for the whole family.

Date: August 8-9, 2020
Location: Berd

DiliTon Festival

On the last Sunday of every summer month, local cooks and artisans of Dilijan and six surrounding villages come together for DiliTon, a local fair showcasing the cultural heritage of the region. Visitors can learn folk dances, try their hand at making crafts, participate in games and competitions, and of course taste the wide variety of local dishes. DiliTon, organized by YCCD, aims to promote employment opportunities for locals through community-based tourism

Date: August 15, 2020
Location: Dilijan

 Gutan Folk Music-Dance Fest

Throughout history, music and dance have served to bind the Armenian community together and create new identifies while paying homage to traditions of the past. Each year, musicians and dancers from allover Armenia come together in Cafesjian Center for the Arts to participate in the Gutan Folk Music and Dance Festival, with performances from each of the different regions of the country. The festival, which aims to preserve and disseminate traditional songs and dances, brings together young and old to celebrate and learn together. Visitors can take part in the fun, singing along and learning traditional Armenian dance.

Date: August 21
Location: Yerevan, Cafesjian Sculpture Garden

Barbeque Festival

You can smell The Pan-Armenian Khorovats (Barbecue) Festival long before you arrive. With flavorful meat and vegetables slow roasting over hot coals, you’ll never think of barbecue the same way again. Visitors can taste pork, beef, mutton, fish and vegetable barbecues followed by the award ceremony for best flavor, best look, and best concept.

Date: August 22, 2020
Location: Akhtala, Lori Region

Yerevan Wine Days

Yerevan Wine Days is an annual street festival gathering the true oenophiles on Saryan Street – a bustling hub of Yerevan’s young and innovative wine scene. The two-day event features Armenian wine tasting with complimentary appetizers and cheese selections from local vintners and restaurants. Visitors feast on wine and food while enjoying Armenian jazz and local DJs. Yerevan Wine Days attracts thousands of visitors from around the world, including international food bloggers and avid enogastronomic tourists.

Date: September 4-5, 2020
Location: Yerevan

Arts and Crafts Festival

The Arts and Crafts Festival, held in Dilijan, promotes regionally specific arts and crafts, including decorative arts like pottery, blacksmithing, woodworking, and national cuisine. Visitors can also catch a glimpse of carpet-weaving techniques and view different types of Armenian carpets – some from museum collections brought out for open air display. This Festival is the perfect place for travelers to enjoy a mixture of traditional and contemporary Armenian culture.

Date: September 5, 2020
Location: Dilijan

Yerevan Music Night Fest

Yerevan Music Night brings together music lovers and insures them with a positive mood on Charles Aznavour Square. During the evening citizens and city guests attend concerts, performed in various music styles and genres and enjoy performances by the best artists.

Date: September 12, 2020
Location: Yerevan

Armenia on the Crossroad of Peace

This multi-day and multi-city Festival promotes peace and cultural understanding. Festival serves as both a national festival and a cultural exchange program, establishing relationships between participating nations and promoting cultural heritage. Participants from different countries present their traditional culture, including songs, dances, musical instruments, national costumes and handmade crafts – an excellent opportunity to satisfy your inner cultural geek and enjoy yourself among talented people from all over the world.

Date: September 24-26, 2020
Location: Byurakan, Yerevan, Pambak

1000 Years of Village Life Festival

The 1000 Years of Village Life Festival is all about rural traditions where visitors can become familiar with, enjoy and participate in a rural lifestyle, spend a day with a family in a village house and participate in activities like beekeeping and honey extraction, rope weaving, wool processing and carpet weaving. Visitors also have plenty of opportunities to enjoy local cuisine, including delicious barbecued corn and local potatoes.

Date: September 27, 2020
Location: TBD

My Handmade Armenia Festival

My Handmade Armenia presents a wide range of handmade goods crafted by artisans from across Armenia. Visitors have the opportunity to enjoy artisan demonstrations, participate in interactive craft workshops, and of course shop the wide range of beautiful artisan-made items. My Handmade Armenia festival presents craft traditions from Armenia’s regional communities such as wood and stone carving, textile art, embroidery, carpet weaving, pottery, and blacksmithing.

Date: September 26-27, 2020
Location: Yerevan

Tea and Coffee Festival

The Tea and Coffee Festival in Yerevan brings together tea and coffee lovers at Swan Lake – one of the most beautiful public spaces in Yerevan. Visitors stroll around the lake on a crisp autumn day, sampling both well-known and new brands of tea and coffee. The wide selections of herbs, berries and fruit teas offer an opportunity to enjoy the flavorful produce of Armenia’s highlands long after the summer has gone. Visitors can sample and purchase tea and coffee while learning about their production.

Date: October 2-3, 2020
Location: Yerevan

Areni Wine Festival

Each October Armenian winemakers and tens of thousands of visitors gather in Areni village to celebrate the harvest and heritage during the annual Areni Wine Festival. Join the festivities, located at the base of a stunning cliff facing scenic Areni village. The festival includes a parade of winemakers, competitions, folk music and dances, local vendors selling crafts and foods, and—most importantly—a lot of wine tasting.

Date: October 3, 2020
Location: Areni