Inti Raymi Festival is the largest festival in Cusco and lasts one full week. The festival takes place during South America’s winter solstice (June 24) and it is in honor of The Sun God which the Inca’s believed to be the most important God of all. To be specific, the Inca’s actually worshiped the sun rays not the sun itself.
Band on Plaza de Armas
Cusco’s main plaza or La Plaza de Armas turns into a colorful and energizing party. There are many dancers with different costumes each representing a different part of Peru’s history and culture.
Dancers at the Inti Raymi Festival
This little boy was just too cute for words and I could not stop taking photos of him. He was walking way ahead of his group stealing the show with his bright outfit and adorable face.
Little Boy at the Inti Raymi Festival
This was another band marching down the streets of Cusco playing lively music with pride.
One of Many Bands at the Inti Raymi Festival
These women really knew how to make their dresses flow in the air as they turned their bodies to dazzle the crowd.
Female Dancers at the Inti Raymi Festival
The men in the picture were very comical with their drunken dance and cheerfulness.
Campesinos Dancers at the Inti Raymi Festival
This group of men were extremely active and expressive with their dance. I wondered how they kept their energy up during the entire parade.
Male Dancers at the Inti Raymi Festival
Political expression also played a roll in the Inti Raymi festival in the form of floats created by different local groups. One of the main topics depicted in the floats was the current issue with natural gas.
It was such an enriching experience being able to partake in the celebration of Inti Raymi during our visit to Cusco.
Wow, that looks like so much fun! I love the buildings in the background.
Very cool costumes and looks like a really interesting festival. I want to buy that little boys entire costume, especially the feather hat!
Spectacular images guys! WOW! Looks like loads of fun.
I think it is a Little girl, she is wearing
a dress. Great picture!
It was a spectacular festival that is a week long. It’s a little boy wearing the outfit with the feather and he does look good. He was enjoying being in the parade, but I am not sure if he was in the right location. He seemed a little confused, but the crowd loved him.
Beautiful shots. Festivals are such a great way to experience culture first hand.
Love the indigenous costumes, so colourful.
The images take me right there, I feel as If I’ve been myself. Nicely done!
I remember this being the longest parade I have ever seen! I started watching at 0900 and at 11PM, when I was going to bed, I could still hear the music and parading going on! Amazing!!
It is pretty crazy. There is so much energy and practice that goes into this event. Quite the thing to see.
How much of the Cuzco Days parade did you get to see? I couldn’t believe that sucker went from early morning until about 3 AM the next! Man they know how to party!
The entire week was filled with chaos. We caught a few different things each day. It was an incredible display of costumes, dancing and music.
Very colorful pics! I was also at this festival last year, what a party! Did you get up to Saqsayhuaman? We didn’t go inside because the tickets were too expensive for us, but we watched up there from a distance. Its amazing, and I can’t wait for it again this year!
We did get to Sacsayhuaman and many other ruins. You can see them in this article: http://2backpackers.com/3980/south-america/cusco-beyond-machu-picchu/
I read your other article, you guys take great photos! I meant during Inti Raymi, there is a huge ceremony up at Sacsayhuaman, and its like 80 bucks for the tickets. They sacrifice a goat and its quite a spectacle.
Oh, I didn’t know about that. We probably would have skipped it anyway if it was $80. We splurged on the Cusco Turismo Ticket. Thanks for the compliments on the photos.