Events

Special Tour
Israel

August 2026

August in Israel means long, warm evenings and a packed festival calendar — from open-air concerts to a meteor shower over the desert. Here’s what’s on this month, whether you’re planning a trip around it or just want to see what your clients might catch while they’re there.

Festivals & Culture

  • The Israel Festival, Jerusalem (through August 1st) — the city’s flagship performing arts festival, wrapping up its run with theatre, dance, and music across Jerusalem’s cultural venues.
  • Sounding Jerusalem Festival (early August, dates TBC) — a celebration of sound and experimental music staged around the city.
  • Jerusalem Arts and Crafts Fair (early–mid August, dates TBC) — local artisans showcase handmade work in an open-air market setting.
  • Israeli Animation Festival, Tel Aviv (early August, dates TBC) — screenings and showcases spotlighting Israeli animators.
  • Karmiel Dance Festival (August 4th–6th) — one of the country’s largest dance events, drawing performers and audiences to the Galilee.
  • Jerusalem Puppet Festival (mid–late August, dates TBC) — family-friendly puppetry performances held across the city.
  • Gilboa Hot Air Balloon Festival (mid-August, dates TBC) — balloons take to the sky over the Gilboa region.
  • Safed Klezmer Festival (mid-August, dates TBC) — traditional Jewish klezmer music fills the streets of the historic artist town of Safed.
  • Jerusalem Beer Festival & Jerusalem Cocktail Festival (late August, dates TBC) — a evening of local and international drinks in the capital.
  • Red Sea Jazz Festival, Eilat (late August, dates TBC) — jazz musicians from Israel and abroad perform against the Red Sea backdrop.
  • Jerusalem Season of Culture (throughout August) — an ongoing series of contemporary art and performance events across the city.
  • Tel Aviv Biennale 2026 (throughout August) — a citywide exhibition of crafts and design.
  • Perseids Meteor Shower, Mitzpeh Ramon (August 12th–13th) — one of the best stargazing spots in the country for catching this annual meteor shower, away from city light.

September 2026

September brings a welcome break from the summer heat — coastal temperatures ease into the mid-to-high 20s (°C), and Jerusalem stays a touch warmer. It’s also the start of the High Holidays, with Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot all falling this month, alongside a full slate of arts and culture events.

Holidays

  • Selichot in Jerusalem (September 5th–11th) — the traditional pre-Rosh Hashanah penitential prayers, observed with late-night gatherings around the Old City.
  • Rosh Hashanah (September 11th–13th) — the Jewish New Year, marked across the country with holiday traditions and family gatherings.
  • Yom Kippur (September 20th–21st) — the Day of Atonement, Israel’s most solemn holiday, when the country largely comes to a standstill.
  • Sukkot (begins September 25th, running into October) — the Feast of Tabernacles, celebrated with sukkah-building and festivals in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, the Negev, the Dead Sea, the Galilee, and Safed.

Festivals & Culture

  • Free Opera in the Park, Tel Aviv (early September, dates TBC) — an open-air opera performance in Yarkon Park.
  • OFFTLV Visual Design Festival, Tel Aviv (September 7th–8th) — a showcase of visual and graphic design work.
  • International Chamber Music Festival, Jerusalem (mid-September, dates TBC) — chamber ensembles from Israel and abroad perform across the city.
  • Jerusalem Biennale (September 24th–November 12th) — a citywide contemporary art exhibition running well into the fall.
  • Arab Cultural Days Festival, Haifa (mid-September, dates TBC) — a celebration of Arab culture, music, and art in Haifa.
  • Tel Aviv Coffee Festival (mid-September, dates TBC) — coffee roasters and cafés showcase their craft.
  • Loving Art Making Art, Tel Aviv (mid-September, dates TBC) — a community arts event.
  • Paprika Festival (late September, dates TBC) — a food and culture festival.
  • Tamar Festival (late September, dates TBC) — a music festival held in the Judean Desert.
  • Tel Aviv Biennale 2026 (throughout September) — the citywide crafts and design exhibition continues.

October 2026

October opens with the tail end of Sukkot and moves through a busy stretch of holidays, film festivals, and outdoor events as the weather cools further — a good month for both cultural travel and desert excursions.

Holidays

  • Sukkot (through October 2nd) — the Feast of Tabernacles continues into the first days of the month, with celebrations across Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, the Negev, the Dead Sea, the Galilee, and Safed.
  • Simchat Torah (October 2nd–3rd) — marking the completion of the annual Torah reading cycle, observed with dancing and celebration in synagogues nationwide.

Festivals & Culture

  • Jacob’s Ladder Festival (early October, dates TBC) — a folk and acoustic music festival held outdoors in northern Israel.
  • Jerusalem March (early October, dates TBC) — an annual parade and march celebrating Jerusalem, drawing participants from Israel and abroad.
  • Oktoberfest, Tel Aviv (early October, dates TBC) — a beer festival in the German tradition, Tel Aviv–style.
  • International Storytelling Festival, Givatayim (early October, dates TBC) — storytellers from Israel and abroad perform.
  • Red Sea Beer Festival, Eilat (early October, dates TBC) — a beer festival on the shores of the Red Sea.
  • Haifa International Film Festival (early–mid October, dates TBC) — one of Israel’s major film festivals, screening local and international cinema.
  • Abu Gosh Music Festival (mid-October, dates TBC) — vocal and choral music performed in Abu Gosh and Tel Aviv.
  • Comedy for Koby Tour (mid-October, dates TBC) — a biannual stand-up comedy tour held across the country.
  • InDNegev Festival, Negev Desert (October 15th–17th) — an independent music festival held in the desert.
  • Imagine Purim Desert Carnival (October 22nd–24th) — a desert arts and music gathering.
  • Be’er Sheva Science Festival (mid-October, dates TBC) — science-focused programming and exhibits in Be’er Sheva.
  • TLVFest (Tel Aviv International LGBTQ Film Festival) (late October, dates TBC) — LGBTQ cinema screened across Tel Aviv.
  • Tel Aviv Night Run (late October, date TBC) — a nighttime road race through the city.
  • Israel Mobile Summit, Tel Aviv (October 29th) — a tech and mobile industry conference.
  • Tel Aviv Biennale 2026 (throughout October) — the citywide crafts and design exhibition continues.

November 2026

November is a quieter month on the holiday calendar, which makes room for some of Israel’s most focused arts events — film, photography, and music festivals that draw crowds from across the region and beyond.

Festivals & Culture

  • Arava Film Festival (November 5th–14th) — an outdoor film festival held in the Arava desert region.
  • Jerusalem Oud Festival (mid-November, dates TBC) — a celebration of Middle Eastern and world music centered on the oud.
  • Chamber Music Festival, Eilat (mid-November, dates TBC) — chamber ensembles perform in Israel’s southernmost city.
  • International Music Showcase Festival, Jerusalem (mid-November, dates TBC) — emerging and established artists perform across Jerusalem venues.
  • PHOTO IS:RAEL International Photography Festival, Tel Aviv (late November, dates TBC) — photography exhibitions held at the Jaffa Port.
  • Midburn Festival (late November, dates TBC) — Israel’s regional Burning Man-affiliated arts and community gathering.
  • Tel Aviv Biennale 2026 (throughout November) — the citywide crafts and design exhibition continues.

December 2026

December is one of the busiest months on the calendar, with Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve all falling within a few weeks of each other — plus a steady run of film, music, and food festivals to round out the year.

Holidays

  • Hanukkah (December 4th–12th) — the Festival of Lights celebrated across the country, with events in northern Israel, Jerusalem, and Tel Aviv, including the Holiday of Holidays celebration in Haifa.
  • Christmas Eve in Bethlehem (December 24th) — Midnight Mass and holiday celebrations in Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
  • Christmas (December 25th) — marked with Christmas markets in Nazareth and Jerusalem, and a tree-lighting ceremony in Jaffa, alongside broader Christmas celebrations across the Holy Land, Nazareth, Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem.
  • New Year’s Eve (December 31st) — celebrated with parties across Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Festivals & Culture

  • Jewish Film Festival, Jerusalem (mid-December, dates TBC)
  • Light up Tel Aviv (mid-December, dates TBC) — a citywide light and art installation festival.
  • Tel Aviv Jazz Festival (mid-December, dates TBC)
  • Taste of the Galilee Food Festival (mid-December, dates TBC)
  • Docaviv Negev Documentary Film Festival (mid-December, dates TBC)
  • Local Testimony and World Press Photo Exhibition, Tel Aviv (mid-December through February, dates TBC) — an extended photography exhibition running well past the holiday season.
  • Utopia Science Fiction Festival, Tel Aviv (late December, dates TBC)
  • Pianos in Jerusalem Festival (late December, dates TBC)
  • Winter Lights at the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens (throughout December) — part of the city’s broader December holiday programming.

Information is current at the time of publication and is subject to change without prior notice.

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