Calendar / Golden Eagle Festival
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Witness / Attend in Bayan-Olgii
Golden Eagle Festival
Oct 3–4, 2026ConfirmedGolden Eagle Festival 2026
Scheduled and sanctioned by Mongolian Eagle Hunters' Association.
Why go
The Golden Eagle Festival is where Bayan-Olgii's Kazakh berkutchi bring their birds down from the mountains to compete. Held on the first weekend of October outside Olgii, it gathers up to eighty eagle hunters in fox-fur hats and embroidered coats to show how their golden eagles answer a call from the ridgeline, dropping to the fist in timed trials. Around the falconry come horseback games: kokpar, a tug-of-war over a goat carcass, and kyz kuar, where a rider chases a woman on horseback. A smaller festival at Sagsai runs in September. The tradition of eagle falconry was recognised by UNESCO in 2010, and this is the event that keeps it public and alive. The far-western setting, a long flight or drive from Ulaanbaatar, is part of why it still feels like a working gathering rather than a show.
When it runs
The main Golden Eagle Festival runs on the first weekend of October outside Olgii, Bayan-Olgii, with a smaller Sagsai festival in September. Upcoming: 3-4 October 2026; first weekend of October 2027.
- Oct 3–4, 2026ConfirmedGolden Eagle Festival 2026
- Oct 2–3, 2027ExpectedGolden Eagle Festival 2027
Dates read confirmed where the organizer has published them, and expected where we've projected the recurrence. Always verify with the organizer before booking.
What to expect
The main festival is held on the first weekend of October, with the smaller Sagsai festival in September. Bayan-Olgii is reached by domestic flight from Ulaanbaatar to Olgii, and October is cold with the chance of early snow, so bring serious layers. Book well ahead: flights, guides and festival-week beds in Olgii are limited.
Getting there & around
Access is a domestic flight from Ulaanbaatar to Olgii, then a short drive to the festival ground; flights are limited and sell out around the festival, and delays are common. Nights are cold and accommodation is basic gers or small hotels. A local operator arranges flights, permits, festival entry and family stays with eagle hunters.
Where it happens
Bayan-Olgii, Mongolia.
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