Eagle Festival in Mongolia

The Golden Eagle Festival (Бүргэдийн наадам, Burgediin Naadam) is an annual traditional festival in Bayan-Ulgii Province. The festival the best option for photographers and who love adventure tours. Traditionally, at the Eagle Festival, Kazakh eagle hunters celebrate their heritage and compete to catch small animals such as foxes and hares with specially trained Golden Eagles. That is showing the skills of birds and trainers. This is a colorful and picturesque event attracting the best hunters and their birds.

The Eagle festival has organized by the local Kazakh community and the Berkut Association. The festival organized to preserve and protect the Kazakh’s traditional culture.

Bayan-Ölgii province where the festival is held is extremely west of Mongolia, separated from Kazakhstan by a 40km strip of Russian and Chinese mountains. Mongolia’s winters are long and harsh, with temperatures around -20°C to -45°C degrees. There are over 120 golden eagle trainers and around 80 of them compete on the eagles festival actively every year.

For more than two centuries, Kazakh eagle hunters have hunted on horseback with trained golden eagles. Across mountains and steppes, a large variety of animals are hunted for their fur, including rabbits, marmots, foxes, and even wolves. This fur is an integral part of traditional Kazakh (Qazaq) clothing.

Golden Eagle Festival 2023

October 2023

30th of Sep. – 1st of Oct.

September 2023

17th – 18th

March 2024

Not ready yet

How many places in Mongolia celebrate the Golden Eagle festival?

The Eagle festival in Bayan-Ulgii province at the first weekend of October
Sansai Golden Eagle Festival – mid-September
Altai Khazak Eagle Festival – mid-September

  • Eagle Festival in Mongolia
    Eagle hunters riding to the Festival
  • Eagle festival in Mongolia
    Eagle hunters on parade
  • Eagle Festival in Mongolia
    Eagle hunters on parade
  • Eagle Festival in Mongolia
    Eagle hunter spoiling his eagle
  • Eagle Festival in Mongolia
    Eagle hunters riding after the festival
  • Eagle Festival in Mongolia
    Eagle hunter

What you will expect to see at eagle festival?

  • Meet Golden Eagle and Eagle Hunters
  • Enjoy the gorgeous skill of the Eagle
  • Watch a fun horse race
  • Visit real eagle hunter’s family
  • Do horse riding
  • Enjoy a traditional Kazak folk concert
  • Competition of hunters
  • Enjoy the traditional parade
  • Take a picture of an eagle and beautiful nature
  • Experience the hospitality of Kazak tradition

Nowadays Golden Eagle Festival is an unforgettable event in Asia, especially in Mongolia.

THE SCHEDULE OF GOLDEN EAGLE FESTIVAL 2022

1st of October 2022

  • Registration of Eagle Hunuters
  • Opening ceremony
  • Competition to see which eagle has been well trained by the owner. After passing the first round, the assessment of the hunters proper outfit and horse tackles.
  • Lunch break (13:00 to 14:00)
  • Continuation of the competitors.
  • Camel race
  • Uriankhai Archery competition
  • “Tenge ilu” the competition to snatch coins from the ground
  • Musical performance / at the Central Theater in Olgii/

2nd of October 2022

  • “Shirga” competition to see , if eagles can land on the prey properly and faster
  • Lunch break (13:00 to 14:00)
  • “Kiz Kuar” Kazakh traditional game
  • “ Kokpar” tug of war with an animal skin
  • Closing ceremony of the eagle festival

© 2023 – Mongolian Eagle Hunters association

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