June is the official month of celebration in Cusco. You should feel fortunate if you’re lucky enough to visit this timeless city this summer. You’ll have the opportunity to get to know the Andean culture profoundly and to share the joy of all Cusquenians that fill the streets of the historical center to celebrate.
We’ve revised the official program of activities that will take place in Cusco in June, and of 175, we’ve chosen 5 you can take advantage of during your time here. Are you ready?
1. Competition of traditional dances of Cusco organized by secondary school students
- Starting at 10:00 AM
- Plaza de Armas of Cusco
Impressive parades characterize the festivals of Cusco. So almost daily, thousands of Cusquenians get together in the Plaza de Armas to watch dozens of groups in the parade who demonstrate the best traditional dances of the region, all dressed in colorful Andean costumes. Every day you will see different categories: kindergarten, elementary schools, secondary schools, institutes, and universities. However, the most impressive parade is usually from secondary schools. Schools of young people between 14 and 17 years old compete for first place. The competitiveness between schools can be really intense, and this guarantees an incredible spectacle.
2. Cusco Lights and Sounds
- Starting at 7:00 PM
- Plaza de Armas of Cusco
This is the largest outdoor concert in the city. In the Plaza de Armas, in front of the cathedral, a vast stage is built where various bands and artists play live music. Crowds fill the Plaza de Armas of Cusco to see the concert and the spectacle of fireworks visible from many places in the city.
3. Parade of gigantic sculptures by the Art School of Cusco
- Sunday, June 16
- Starting at 10:00 AM
- Plaza de Armas of Cusco
This is one of the most exciting activities of the whole month. The students of the Art School present dozens of giant sculptures that not only make people laugh but they also contain profound messages of criticism of Peru’s political and social situation. After the parade, the best sculptures usually are exhibited in the Plazoleta Espinar so you can take photos of them.
4. Inti Raymi
- Starting at 10:00 AM
- Temple of Qorikancha, Plaza de Armas, Saqsayhuaman
Every year, the Winter Solstice is June 21st. This means that the planet is found in its position farthest from the sun. According to the Andean culture, this was the opportune moment to return the sun. Because of this, it didn’t keep escaping, they tied it to the earth with a ritual ceremony. In actuality, this ceremony is played out by thousands of actors and musicians who come together with the Inca and the Coya from the Temple of Qorikancha toward the Plaza de Armas. There, the Inca talks with the city government about the future of the town of Cusco. After that, they leave for Saqsayhuaman to sacrifice a llama. Don’t worry; in the actuation, no animal is harmed.
5. Andean Corpus Christi
- Starting at 11:00 AM
- Plaza de Armas of Cusco
The ancient Andeans transmitted many encrypted messages in the traditions the Spaniards imposed on their arrival to this territory. A clear example of this is the festival of Corpus Christi that, despite seeming Catholic, in reality, has a profound Andean meaning. They say that the Incas used to have processions of their emperors’ mummies, and the Spaniards, seeing this, imposed Catholic saints to destroy this important tradition, replacing it with another. Besides this, during the celebration, you can enjoy a typical dish called Chiriuchu, a cold meal containing unusual ingredients from various regions of the country, as well as a cold beer.
Featured image: Municipalidad del Cusco
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