Calendar / Tapati Rapa Nui
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Music & Culture Festivals in Easter Island
Tapati Rapa Nui
Feb 2–13, 2027ExpectedTapati Rapa Nui 2027
Organized by Municipalidad de Rapa Nui, which publishes the official dates and program.
Dates & details verified against: Source ↗
Why go
Tapati Rapa Nui is the most important cultural festival in eastern Polynesia and a genuine community event rather than a staged show: for two weeks each February the island's clans back rival queen candidates through ancestral competitions, haka pei riders tobogganing volcano slopes on banana trunks at highway speed, the Tau'a Rapa Nui triathlon paddled in reed craft across the Rano Raraku crater lake, body-painting, dance, and song contests judged by the town. The 58th edition runs February 3-14, 2026. You share the island with the festival rather than buying a ticket to it, and the moai watch the whole thing.
When it runs
Held annually across the first two weeks of February
- Feb 2–13, 2027ExpectedTapati Rapa Nui 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.
These dates aren't confirmed yet.
Feb 2–13, 2027 is our best read from the pattern, not an announcement. Leave your email and we'll message you the day the real dates land. One email, that's the whole deal.
What to expect
Held annually across the first two weeks of February; the 2026 edition runs February 3-14. High-summer Polynesian weather. Most events are free and open; the constraint is the island itself, which saturates during festival weeks. There is no central ticket office; programming is published by the municipality and relayed by local operators.
Getting there & around
Fly LATAM from Santiago (SCL) to Mataveri (IPC), about 5.5 hours. Flights and lodging for early February book out six to twelve months ahead. The Rapa Nui entry form and national park ticket are required for all visitors.
Where it happens
Easter Island, Chile.
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