Calendar / Rupununi Rodeo
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Witness / Attend in Lethem
Rupununi Rodeo
Mar 26–28, 2027ExpectedRupununi Rodeo 2027
Run by Rupununi Livestock Producers Association, with published dates and a real program.
Dates & details verified against: Official city source ↗
Why go
The Rupununi Rodeo is the wildest weekend in Guyana's interior, and nothing else on the calendar shows this side of the country. Every Easter the savannah town of Lethem, hard on the Brazilian border, fills with vaqueros, the Amerindian and Brazilian-influenced cowboys who work the great cattle ranches of the south, for two days of bull riding, bronco riding, wild-cow milking, barrel racing and bareback events. It began in the 1980s as a working ranchers' meet and has grown into one of the country's biggest cultural tourism events, drawing thousands who camp, dance to Brazilian forro and Guyanese soca through the night, and eat savannah beef off open fires. Beyond the arena it is a window on the ranching heritage the McTurks, the Melvilles and the Wapishana and Makushi communities built out here, a frontier culture of horses and open grassland that feels closer to the Brazilian Pantanal than to coastal Georgetown. Come for the riding, stay for the savannah under a sky with no light for a hundred miles.
When it runs
Held every Easter weekend at Lethem in the Rupununi savannah. The 2026 rodeo ran 3 to 5 April; the 2027 edition is expected over the Easter weekend in late March.
- Mar 26–28, 2027ExpectedRupununi Rodeo 2027
- Ran Apr 3–5, 2026Rupununi Rodeo 2026
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 rodeo runs over the Easter long weekend, so the dates move each year with Easter; the 2026 edition was 3 to 5 April, and 2027 falls in late March. It coincides with the tail of the dry season, when the savannah is firm and hot and the roads are open. Days are fierce in the sun and nights can be cool, so bring shade, water and a light layer for the dancing. Lethem's limited beds sell out months ahead and airfares from Georgetown spike, so book flights and rooms early or plan to camp.
Getting there & around
Lethem is reached by a roughly hour-long scheduled flight from Georgetown or a long, rough overland drive of a day or more through Iwokrama and the Rupununi. Over Easter both fill up: flights are added but sell out, and accommodation ranges from small guesthouses to camping grounds set up for the event. Many visitors base at a Rupununi ranch or lodge and travel in for the days of the rodeo. The town sits on the Brazilian border opposite Bonfim, so passports and cash are worth having to hand.
Where it happens
Lethem, Guyana.
Want to go? The full Lethem guide: conditions, logistics, providers →