Azerbaijan is a country where every season brings lively events, traditional celebrations, and world-class music gatherings. From the mountains of Gabala to the old streets of Baku, you can experience ancient customs and modern culture. The best way to enjoy these cultural festivals in Azerbaijan is to have your car. When you rent a car, you can follow your own schedule, visit several cities, and explore towns where festivals take place. We have created a guide to some of the best festivals in Azerbaijan, giving you all the details you need to plan your travels around them.
Novruz Bayram is one of the most important and oldest festivals in Azerbaijan. It marks both the Persian New Year and the arrival of spring. The festival has deep roots in Zoroastrian traditions. It symbolizes renewal, rebirth, and the start of a fresh year. Across the country, families prepare their homes in the days before Novruz, cleaning thoroughly, decorating with colorful flowers, and setting tables with traditional dishes. Special foods include pakhlava, samsa pastries filled with meat or greens, and piti, a rich lamb stew.
One of the most striking customs you will see is jumping over bonfires. This ritual, performed in the days leading up to the holiday, is believed to burn away misfortune and welcome good luck for the year ahead. The celebration spills into public squares in Baku, where concerts, dance performances, and parades create a lively atmosphere. The capital’s parks and boulevards are full of music, traditional games, and street food. If you plan your Azerbaijan festival road trip in March, you can experience the festival’s different sides. You can spend one day enjoying the large-scale events in Baku and the next day driving to nearby villages to witness more traditional celebrations.
Gurban Bayram, also known as Eid al-Adha, is one of the most important religious events in Azerbaijan. It honors the story of Prophet Ibrahim’s devotion, remembered for his willingness to sacrifice his son before God provided a ram instead. The festival is deeply tied to values of generosity, faith, and community spirit. During this time, families sacrifice an animal, most often a sheep or goat. The meat is carefully divided into three portions, one for the household, one for relatives and friends, and one for those in need. If you visit during Gurban Bayram, you will see mosques filled with worshippers, families hosting large meals, and neighbors exchanging visits.
Ramazan Bayram marks the joyful end of a month-long fast during Ramadan. After 30 days of abstaining from food and drink from sunrise to sunset, families welcome the festival with deep gratitude and celebration. Streets are decorated with lights, mosques are filled with worshippers, and homes are open to neighbors and guests. Families prepare abundant meals, offering visitors traditional sweets, tea, and festive dishes. It’s common to exchange small gifts while making rounds to greet relatives, friends, and neighbors. In Baku, the evenings are alive with music, illuminated streets, and open-air gatherings where locals and visitors mingle.
The Baku International Jazz Festival is one of Azerbaijan’s most celebrated cultural events, drawing artists and jazz lovers worldwide. Founded by local jazz musician Rain Sultanov, it showcases a mix of classic jazz, avant-garde performances, and the unique jazz mugham stle. It’s a fusion of traditional Azerbaijani mugham with modern jazz elements.
Concerts take place in theaters, cultural centers, and sometimes in open-air venues. Beyond the performances, you can visit art exhibitions and photography displays connected to the festival. Young musicians can also learn from renowned performers through workshops and jam sessions. Don’t miss this festival if you plan your Azerbaijan festival road trip in autumn. With a car, you can easily combine evenings at the festival with sightseeing in Baku’s Old City, visits to the Flame Towers, and walks along the scenic waterfront boulevard.
The Gabala International Music Festival transforms this scenic mountain town into a stage for world-class performances each summer. Founded in 2009, it attracts orchestras, soloists, and musicians from across the globe. The program features a variety of stles, from classical and chamber music to jazz, with works by celebrated composers such as Rachmaninoff, Brahms, and Hajibeyov.
A highlight of the festival is the piano competition for young talents, where emerging artists perform alongside established names. Many concerts are held in open-air settings. You can rent a car in Gabala to easily reach the location. Also, you can explore nearby attractions such as Tufandag Mountain Resort and Nohur Lake with your car.
The Pomegranate Festival is one of Azerbaijan’s most colorful harvest celebrations. It turns Goychay into a lively showcase of this fruit’s cultural and agricultural importance. Held annually since 2006, the event highlights the pomegranate as a symbol of fertility and abundance. Streets and squares are decorated with bright displays of different pomegranate varieties. At the same time, stalls offer a range of pomegranate-based products, from fresh juice and jams to syrups, wine, and even grenadine.
The festival’s program is as rich as its flavors. You can watch traditional dances, enjoy parades featuring local schools and community groups, and participate in competitions. In 2020, the Pomegranate Festival was added to the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, making it one of the best festivals in Azerbaijan.
The Apple Festival in Guba is one of Azerbaijan’s most important agricultural events. Itcelebrates the region’s reputation as the country’s largest apple producer. Guba’s climate and rich soil help grow over 40 kinds of apples, from crisp green ones to sweet deep red ones. The festival brings together local farmers, gardeners, and food producers to showcase their best harvests and products.
During the event, you can see extensive displays of fresh apples alongside apple-based goods such as jams, compotes, juices, and dried fruit. Competitions like “the biggest apple” and “the best apple jam” add a competitive edge. The entries are judged for size, flavor, and quality. These contests are taken seriously by growers. Winning can increase their recognition and market value for the year.
The Gara Garayev International Music Festival is a prestigious cultural event honoring one of Azerbaijan’s most influential composers. The festival is co-organized by the Ministry of Culture and Azerbaijan’s Permanent Mission to UNESCO. It brings together musicians from many countries to perform a mix of classical pieces and modern works. The program often features open-air concerts in Gabala’s scenic surroundings. You can also attend photo exhibitions and watch screenings of documentaries that explore Garayev’s life.
The Uzeyir Hajibeyov International Music Festival is a ten-day annual event that celebrates the life and works of Uzeyir Hajibeyov. He is the father of Azerbaijani classical music. Held every September, it brings together musicians from Azerbaijan and abroad to perform his operas, symphonic compositions, mugham works, and other traditional and contemporary music forms. Beyond performances, the festival also includes scientific conferences to preserve and promote Azerbaijan’s musical heritage.
The Hazelnut Festival celebrates one of Azerbaijan’s most important crops in the town known as the country’s “hazelnut capital”. First held in 2017, the event takes place every autumn in Zaqatala. This is a district in the northwest famous for its fertile orchards and high-quality nut production. The festival showcases a variety of hazelnuts, along with other regional products like chestnuts and walnuts. During your visit, you can tour processing plants to see how hazelnuts are prepared for domestic and international markets. You can walk through orchards and enjoy cultural performances reflecting local heritage. The festival also features exhibitions of handicrafts and painting.
The Maiden Tower International Art Festival is a cultural event that celebrates Baku’s Maiden Tower, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since 2010, artists from Azerbaijan and worldwide have gathered in the Old City to create and exhibit works inspired by this historic monument and the endangered gazelle, a species the festival also aims to protect.
The narrow streets of Icheri Sheher become an open-air gallery, with paintings, sculptures, and decorative art displayed alongside the ancient walls. The event is further enriched by music, dance performances, and stalls offering traditional crafts and handmade goods. With a car, you can easily visit the festival and other Baku attractions, such as the Carpet Museum, Flame Towers, and Highland Park.
Exploring Azerbaijan through its festivals is one of the best ways to connect with its people, traditions, and landscapes. From the spring joy of Novruz to the jazz rhythms of Baku, each event offers a new reason to travel. Rent a car in Azerbaijan with Final Rentals to plan your trip around the festival dates and see several places in one journey.
