What Is Inti Raymi?
Inti Raymi — the Festival of the Sun (from the Quechua 'inti' for sun and 'raymi' for festival or ceremony) — was the most important of the Inca Empire's religious festivals. Held annually at the winter solstice (June 24 in the Southern Hemisphere), it marked the beginning of the Inca new year and honoured Inti, the sun god — the most sacred deity in the Inca cosmology and the divine ancestor of the Sapa Inca (the emperor). The Spanish banned the ceremony in 1535 as part of their religious suppression. In 1944, Peruvian actor Faustino Espinoza Navarro reconstructed the ceremony based on historical accounts by the Inca chronicler Garcilaso de la Vega, and it has been performed annually since — growing into the most elaborate theatrical event in South America, attended by 100,000+ people and broadcast nationally.
The Three Ceremony Locations
The modern Inti Raymi unfolds across three sites on June 24th, in sequence. The ceremony begins at the Qorikancha (the Temple of the Sun in Cusco's city centre) at approximately 9am — the 'Sapa Inca' (played by a professional Cusqueño actor selected years in advance) receives the sacred vessels of chicha and initiates the ceremony. The procession then moves to the Plaza de Armas (the main square of Cusco) for a mid-ceremony public performance at approximately 10am. The main ceremony — the most elaborate and publicly attended section — takes place at Sacsayhuamán fortress above Cusco from approximately noon to 2pm. This is the section that requires tickets.
Inti Raymi Tickets 2026
The Sacsayhuamán ceremony requires tickets divided into three zones. Zone A (Sector A — grandstand seating closest to the main ceremony stage): $60–80, limited availability, book through the official Empresa Municipal de Festejos del Cusco (EMUFEC) website from January–February. Zone B (Sector B — open grandstand, good view): $40–55, more available, same booking channel. Zone C (general standing area): $20–35, the largest section. The Plaza de Armas and Qorikancha sections are free to observe from public areas — arrive by 8:30am to secure a position for the Qorikancha ceremony. Note: Sector A and B tickets are in high demand; book as soon as they go on sale.
Festival of the Sun Peru: What You'll See
The Sacsayhuamán ceremony involves approximately 500 performers in elaborate Inca-period costumes reconstructed from archaeological records — feathered headdresses, gold and silver ornaments, multicoloured tunics, and the regalia of the Inca court. The ceremony recreates the Sapa Inca's address to the sun, the sacrifice of a llama (represented symbolically — no animal is actually killed), the distribution of chicha to the court, and the ceremonial dances of the different regions of Tawantinsuyu (the Inca Empire). The setting — the massive Inca stonework of Sacsayhuamán against the Andean sky, with Cusco visible below in the valley — is extraordinary.
Cusco Week: The Full Festival
Inti Raymi is the centrepiece of Cusco Week (Semana del Cusco, June 22–29) — a full week of processions, music, dance, and celebration throughout the city. The week begins with Corpus Christi (June 22) — a Catholic festival that brilliantly blends with pre-Columbian traditions, with the effigies of 15 saints paraded through Cusco's streets in a display that has Inca and Spanish elements inextricably combined. Accommodation in Cusco fills completely for Inti Raymi; book hotels and flights at least 3 months ahead, and 6 months for the best options. Many visitors combine their Inti Raymi experience with a visit to nearby Machu Picchu, making this an ideal time to explore Peru's incredible Inca heritage.
