In Cusco, June is not just a month. It’s a permanent festival. Every day, the city dances, sings, prays, or laughs. This month is a vibrant celebration of Andean identity, blending Inca traditions, Catholic faith, and joyful popular culture. Here’s the day-by-day program, so you don’t miss a thing of this one-of-a-kind cultural explosion.
June 1 – Offering to the Pachamama
The month begins with an offering to Mother Earth, Pachamama. This ancestral Andean ceremony is a powerful moment of respect and spiritual connection with nature. Coca leaves, alcohol, seeds, and sweets are buried to thank the earth for her generosity. It’s a symbolic way to ask for her blessing for the coming month and a reminder that all the upcoming celebrations rest on the balance between humans and nature.
June 7 – Flag Day and Corso de Luces
On June 7, Cusco celebrates Peru’s National Flag Day, a patriotic event honoring the national symbols. At nightfall, the city lights up with the Corso de Luces. This nighttime parade blends light, dance, music, folklore, and dazzling costumes, creating a mesmerizing atmosphere. The whole city becomes a visual storybook where traditions come alive under the stars.
June 8–16 – Cusco’s Youth Take the Stage
Each day during this period, a university or institute takes over the Plaza de Armas, presenting traditional dances, music, and cultural performances.
- June 9: Technological, pedagogical, and music institutes open the festivities with their artistic talents.
- June 10–13: Each day spotlights a different university, from Universidad Andina to Universidad Continental, showcasing choreography, symbolism, and costumes—sometimes in contemporary interpretations.
- June 14: A fun and touching day with a costumed dog parade, beloved by families, followed by Peru’s official salute to the city of Cusco—a ceremonial event full of meaning.
- June 15: The University of the Arts dazzles with a colorful allegorical parade.
- June 16: Inca Garcilaso School organizes a folkloric dance parade, lovingly prepared by students and teachers.
June 17–20 – School, Faith, and Tradition
- June 17: Primary school children proudly parade in homemade traditional costumes. A charming way to transmit culture from a young age.
- June 18–19: Corpus Christi is one of Peru’s biggest religious celebrations and certainly the most emblematic in Cusco. Introduced by the Spanish in the 16th century, it merged deeply with Andean traditions.
Before the conquistadors arrived, the Incas held a similar procession during the winter solstice, carrying the mummies of their former rulers through the city. These were displayed to honor the ancestors and connect them with the living. With colonization, the mummies—considered too barbaric—were symbolically replaced by statues of saints and virgins, each representing a neighborhood or community.
Today, fifteen majestic statues are carried through the streets to the cathedral, accompanied by traditional music groups, colorfully dressed carriers, and a moved crowd. The streets are covered with flowers, incense, and intricate plant carpets. The mood is both solemn and festive, deeply rooted in Cusco’s identity.
- But Corpus Christi is also tasted. Its emblematic dish is Chiriuchu, a cold plate that tells Peru’s story: cuy (guinea pig) and corn from the Andes, mountain cheese, dried fish and seaweed from the coast, eggs, and sausages. This eclectic mix reflects the spirit of Corpus Christi: a celebration where the sacred meets the popular, where pre-Hispanic legacy and Catholic tradition come together.
- June 20: High school students perform dynamic dances inspired by Peru’s diverse regions. A continuation of cultural education.
June 21 – Winter Solstice & Light Show
The winter solstice marks the most important cosmic moment of the year for the Incas. It was a time of rituals and offerings to ensure good harvests. Today, it is still celebrated with intensity. At night, a spectacular sound-and-light show ignites the city, immersing the audience in a sensory journey through the Andean cosmos.
June 24 – Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun
June 24 is the highlight of the month: Inti Raymi, Cusco’s most spectacular and iconic celebration. This ancient Inca ceremony honors the Sun God, Inti, during the winter solstice. Today’s historical reenactment attracts thousands of spectators from around the world and unfolds in three acts:
- Qoricancha: At sunrise, the High Priest and the Inca open the ceremony.
- Plaza de Armas: The Inca greets the people and receives envoys from the four corners of the empire (the “suyos”).
- Sacsayhuamán: The main stage hosts the great performance with dances, speeches, symbolic sacrifices, and invocations to the elements.
Inti Raymi is not just folklore—it’s a profound expression of identity, cultural transmission, and spiritual intensity. It’s where the pride and strength of the Inca legacy shine in all their splendor.
June 26 – The Octave of Corpus Christi
Eight days after Corpus Christi, the saints’ statues return to their parishes in a smaller but equally solemn procession. It marks the spiritual closure of the month’s religious cycle.
June 29 – Saints Peter and Paul
The month ends with a more intimate yet respected religious celebration: the feast of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, pillars of Christianity. Masses, processions, and small concerts take place in several neighborhoods.
June in Cusco – A Month of Emotions and Living Heritage
June in Cusco is not like any other month. It’s a special time when the entire city seems to vibrate with drums, dances, and ancestral celebrations. To fully enjoy it, one must slow down, observe, listen… and sometimes simply let go.
Forget European expectations of punctuality or silence: here, the streets become living stages, schools parade proudly, saints leave their churches, and dishes tell stories.
It’s a month where daily life turns into celebration, where every day is a chance to honor identity, culture, and faith. So if you’re in Cusco in June, take your time. Time to live, discover, and feel. And above all, let yourself be carried away by the festive and warm soul of the Andes.
