Kazakhstan hosts three internationally recognized annual events that draw foreign participants: the Astana Marathon, established in 2015 and held each May in the capital, which attracts approximately 15,000 runners across various distance categories; the Nomad Games, first hosted by Kazakhstan in 2024 in Astana after rotating through other Central Asian nations, featuring traditional sports including kokpar (horseback competition over a goat carcass), horseback archery, and wrestling variants; and the Spirit of Tengri festival, held annually since 2013 at different steppe locations, focusing on traditional throat singing, epic poetry performance, and nomadic cultural demonstrations. The Astana Marathon course passes through the government district including Bayterek Tower and the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation. The 2024 Nomad Games hosted competitors from 89 countries across September 8-13, with events at multiple venues including a purpose-built hippodrome. Spirit of Tengri typically occurs in June, with recent editions held near Almaty and in the Ulytau region of central Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan celebrates Nauryz, the Persian New Year marking the spring equinox on March 21, as its largest cultural observance, with official public holidays extending March 21-23. During Nauryz, cities and villages erect yurts in public squares, prepare traditional foods including nauryz kozhe (a soup containing seven ingredients representing abundance), and organize traditional games such as kokpar demonstrations and wrestling matches. The holiday predates Islam in the region and reflects Zoroastrian influence on Central Asian culture. Almaty's main Nauryz celebration occurs in Panfilov Park and Republic Square, while Astana holds events along the Yessil River embankment. The holiday was suppressed during Soviet rule from 1926 to 1988 and restored as an official celebration in independent Kazakhstan in 1991.
Independence Day on December 16 commemorates Kazakhstan's declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The capital Astana hosts a military parade on Republic Square and evening concerts at the Kazakhstan Central Concert Hall. Almaty holds celebrations in Republic Square with fireworks visible across the city. The holiday became a one-day observance in 2022 after previously extending December 16-17. Government buildings display the sky-blue flag with golden sun and eagle during the week surrounding the holiday. The day typically sees announcements of state awards and presidential addresses broadcast nationally.
Victory Day on May 9 honors the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, observed across Kazakhstan with particular significance in cities that contributed substantially to Soviet war production. Karaganda, which produced coal and metals for the war effort, holds a large procession along Bukharzyrau Avenue. The Panfilov Heroes Memorial Park in Almaty commemorates the Panfilov Division, primarily composed of Central Asian soldiers, which fought in the defense of Moscow in 1941. Approximately 1.2 million Kazakhstanis served in Soviet forces during World War II, with official Soviet records documenting 410,000 deaths. Victory Day observance includes the Immortal Regiment march where participants carry photographs of relatives who served, a practice adopted from Russia beginning in 2015.
The Republic Day holiday on October 25 marks the 1990 Declaration on State Sovereignty, issued before full independence. This remains a public holiday primarily observed with reduced business hours and bank closures rather than large public events. Some government institutions hold commemorative meetings, but the holiday draws less public participation than Independence Day or Victory Day.
Kurban Ait (Eid al-Adha) is observed as a public holiday on dates following the Islamic lunar calendar, falling approximately 70 days after Ramadan. The holiday involves ritual animal sacrifice, typically sheep or cattle, with meat distributed to family, neighbors, and the poor. The Hazrat Sultan Mosque in Astana and the Central Mosque in Almaty hold morning prayers attended by thousands. Kazakhstan's Ministry of Agriculture reported 1.8 million livestock prepared for sacrifice during the 2023 observance. The date shifts approximately 10 days earlier each year in the Gregorian calendar, with 2025 observance expected around June 6.
Oraza Ait (Eid al-Fitr) marking the end of Ramadan is celebrated as a one-day public holiday with morning prayers, family gatherings, and preparation of traditional foods including baursak and various meat dishes. The holiday occurs on the Islamic lunar calendar, falling in March or April in recent years. Public celebrations are smaller than Kurban Ait, with observance centered on mosque attendance and private family meals rather than large public gatherings.
The Turkic Council summit rotates among member states (Kazakhstan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and observer Turkmenistan), with Kazakhstan hosting in 2021 in Turkistan and earlier summits in Astana. These gatherings of heads of state focus on economic cooperation and cultural exchange among Turkic-speaking nations. When Kazakhstan hosts, sessions occur at the Ruh Ordo cultural complex in Turkistan near the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. The summits typically span two days and include signing of cooperation agreements, though they generate limited public events beyond official sessions.
Kazakhstan has hosted international sports competitions including the 2011 Asian Winter Games in Astana and Almaty, which required construction of Alau Ice Palace in Astana and upgrades to Medeu skating rink near Almaty. The country regularly hosts stages of cycling's Tour of Almaty, established in 2013, which attracts UCI-registered professional teams each September or October for a five-day stage race through the Ile-Alatau Mountains. Kazakhstan hosted preliminary matches for the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division I Group A in Nur-Sultan, with games at Barys Arena.
The Almaty Marathon, separate from the Astana Marathon, occurs annually in April and follows a course from the First President's Park through central Almaty. Established in 2012, it draws approximately 10,000 participants across marathon, half-marathon, and shorter distances. The course passes Zenkov Cathedral, the Central State Museum, and Republic Square before finishing at Astana Square. Course elevation changes approximately 200 meters from start to finish due to the city's foothill location.
Cultural observances tied to the nomadic calendar include the spring livestock migration and autumn return, though these are working events for herding families rather than organized public celebrations. Some rural areas mark the first spring migration with small gatherings where beshbarmak is prepared from newly available meat, but these remain localized family and community events without fixed dates. The tradition has continued in rural areas of Almaty, Zhambyl, and Turkistan regions where transhumance persists as an economic practice.
Kazakhstan does not host recurring international film festivals or major music festivals with multi-year track records comparable to established events in neighboring countries. The Eurasia International Film Festival operated irregularly in Almaty between 1998 and 2010 but has not convened since. Occasional one-time concerts by international performers occur at the Kazakhstan Central Concert Hall in Astana or Almaty Arena, but these are individual commercial events rather than annual festivals.
City days are celebrated in major urban centers on varying dates: Almaty Day on the second Sunday in September, Astana Day on July 6, and Shymkent Day in September, dates determined by local administration. These involve local concerts, street fairs, and fireworks but do not typically attract visitors from outside the region. Almaty Day programming includes performances at the Republic Palace of Schoolchildren and outdoor stages in Gorky Park. Astana Day marks the 1997 designation as capital with official ceremonies and a concert near Bayterek Tower.
The Mangystau region hosts small-scale religious pilgrimages to underground mosques including Beket-Ata and Shopan-Ata throughout the year, with increased visitor numbers during Ramadan and around Kurban Ait. These are individual or small family pilgrimages rather than organized mass events. The journey to Beket-Ata Underground Mosque requires four-wheel-drive vehicles and crosses approximately 80 kilometers of desert from Aktau, limiting accessibility for casual visitors.