Festivals in KPK: A Month-by-Month Calendar

The main festivals in KPK are the four Kalash festivals in Chitral (Chilam Joshi in mid-May, Uchal in August, Pul in the autumn and Chaumos in December), the Shandur Polo Festival in June or July, and in Upper Chitral, when they are held, the Qaqlasht festival in spring and the Broghil festival in late summer. In winter, the Swat Snow Festival at Malam Jabba celebrates the ski season. Almost every date moves from year to year, so treat any calendar, including this one, as a guide and confirm before you book.

This guide goes through the year month by month, explains how the dates are set, and ends with etiquette, safety and how to choose which festival to plan around.

How festival dates are set

Three different calendars decide the dates. The Kalash festivals follow the Kalasha's own agricultural and ritual calendar, and their elders fix the exact days each year, so they can shift by a few days. Government-run festivals, such as Shandur, Qaqlasht and Broghil, are announced by the KP tourism authority (kptourism.com) and the district administration, often only a few weeks ahead, and they move to avoid Muharram, elections or bad weather. Eid and Islamic events move about 11 days earlier every year with the lunar calendar.

That last point matters for planning. In 2027 Eid ul Adha is expected around 16 or 17 May, subject to the moon, which is very close to Chilam Joshi, so expect the Kalash valleys to be unusually crowded that week.

Spring: Qaqlasht, Rahman Baba and Chilam Joshi

Qaqlasht festival, April

Jashn-e-Qaqlasht is a four-day spring festival on the Qaqlasht meadows, at about 2,500 metres near Booni in Upper Chitral. It has roots in Khowar culture, was revived in 2003, and after a pause returned in April 2025 with polo, archery, football, volleyball, tug-of-war, food stalls and music. It was not held in 2026; the KP government said the provincial sports department would organise it from 2027. Watch for an announcement in March.

Rahman Baba's urs, April

Each April, devotees gather at the shrine of Rahman Baba, the best-loved Pashto Sufi poet, at Hazarkhwani on the edge of Peshawar. The urs brings recitations of his poetry, a Pashto mushaira and music. It is a devotional event rather than a tourist festival, and visitors should dress and behave accordingly.

Chilam Joshi, mid-May

Chilam Joshi, the Kalash spring festival, usually falls around 13 to 16 May and moves through Rumbur, Bumburet and Birir over several days. It welcomes the spring with prayers for the wellbeing of the livestock, songs, dancing in the village dancing grounds, and women in new dresses. It is the most visited Kalash festival by far. Our Chilam Joshi guide covers the days, the rituals and how to plan the trip.

Summer: Shandur, Broghil and Uchal

Shandur Polo Festival, June or July

The Shandur Polo Festival is played on the Shandur Pass at around 3,700 metres, on what is often called the highest polo ground in the world, between teams from Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan. Traditionally it was held from 7 to 9 July, but recent festivals have moved earlier to avoid Muharram, and in 2026 it ran from 11 to 13 June. The date for 2027 will be announced in spring. Visitors camp on the plateau or stay in the valleys below, and nights are freezing even in summer. Our Shandur Polo Festival guide covers camping, the matches and the roads.

Broghil festival, July to September

The Broghil festival is held in the Broghil valley, at more than 3,500 metres at the northern tip of Upper Chitral, where Chitral meets Afghanistan's Wakhan corridor. Wakhi herders play yak polo, horse and donkey polo and buzkashi, and there are yak races, a livestock show, Wakhi food and handicrafts. It does not run every year and its dates move: in 2023 it was held in early September, and in 2026 the KP government announced it for July. Our Broghil Valley guide explains how remote it is.

Uchal, August

Uchal is the Kalash summer festival, giving thanks for the wheat and barley harvest. It is celebrated in Bumburet and Rumbur, usually around 20 to 22 August, with dancing through the night. It is smaller and quieter than Chilam Joshi, and fewer outsiders go.

Autumn: Pul

Pul is celebrated only in Birir, the most southerly of the three Kalash valleys, in the autumn, usually between late September and mid-October, to mark the walnut and grape harvest. Birir celebrates it instead of Uchal. It is the least known of the Kalash festivals to visitors, and dates are best confirmed locally in Chitral.

Winter: Chaumos and the Swat Snow Festival

Chaumos, 7 to 22 December

Chaumos is the Kalash winter solstice festival and the most important of their year, running for about two weeks from around 7 to 22 December. The first week is for the Kalasha only, with rituals of purification, and outsiders should not expect to take part. The second week is public, with dancing, music, bonfires and sacrifices, sometimes in snow. Tourists rarely come because of the cold and the roads. Our Chaumos guide explains which days visitors can attend.

Swat Snow Festival, January to February

The Swat Snow Festival is organised at Malam Jabba when the snow is good, to promote the ski season and winter tourism in Swat; the 2026 edition ended on 15 February. Its timing depends entirely on snowfall, and Kalam has hosted snow festivals in past winters too.

Festival etiquette, especially in the Kalash valleys

• Ask before you photograph anyone, especially women and girls, and accept a no. Never photograph inside homes or sacred places.
• Keep off the dancing ground unless you are invited in, and don't touch shrines, altars or ritual objects.
• Respect the private days. The first week of Chaumos is closed to outsiders.
• Dress modestly and follow what local people and the police ask of you.
• Book early. Guesthouses in Bumburet, and camping at Shandur, fill up quickly in festival weeks.

Is it safe to go to festivals in KPK?

Most of these festivals take place in areas with serious security warnings. The UK government currently advises against all travel to the Kalash valleys and the N-45 road to Chitral through Dir, to Peshawar, to Swat, and to anywhere within 10 miles of the Afghan border, which includes Broghil. In September 2023 militants crossing from Afghanistan attacked border posts in Chitral, and on 2 August 2026 a suicide bombing at a peace rally in Kabal, Swat, killed 17 people.

Pakistani visitors still attend these festivals in large numbers, and security is usually heavy on the main days. Check local news and current police advice before you set out, register at checkposts as asked, and travel in daylight. For Shandur, coming from Gilgit through Phander avoids the road through Dir, and Gilgit-Baltistan is not on the UK's list; see our guide to Gilgit to Shandur. Overseas visitors should know that their government's advice may say not to go, and that travelling against it can void travel insurance.

Which festival should you plan around?

• For culture: Chilam Joshi in May, if you can cope with crowds, or Uchal in August if you want it quieter.
• For spectacle: the Shandur Polo Festival, with a camp on the plateau.
• For remoteness: the Broghil festival, for experienced travellers with time.
• For snow: the Swat Snow Festival at Malam Jabba.

Build in spare days either side, because dates move and mountain roads close. If you want a trip planned around a festival, send us your dates and we will check the latest announcements with you.

Frequently asked questions