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Bogota’s events calendar reflects its role as Colombia’s cultural engine: free rock festivals drawing 300,000 people, one of the world’s largest theater festivals, and a Christmas light display that covers entire neighborhoods. For a complete overview, see our Bogota travel guide. Here is the annual calendar of major events in Bogota, with dates, locations, and what to expect at each.
Bogota Events and Festivals: January to March
Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro (March, Even-Numbered Years)
The Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro is one of the largest theater festivals on the planet. Held in even-numbered years (next: March 2028), the 17-day event brings 200+ companies from 30+ countries to perform across Bogota’s theaters, parks, plazas, and streets. The program spans classical theater, experimental performance art, circus, dance, and street theater. Roughly 40% of performances are free and take place in public spaces; ticketed shows range from 20,000 to 150,000 COP. The main venues are the Teatro Colón (Calle 10 #5-32), Teatro Jorge Eliécer Gaitán (Carrera 7 #22-47), and the open-air Media Torta amphitheater in La Candelaria. Book tickets online at tuboleta.com once the schedule is published (typically February). During the festival, La Candelaria becomes a pedestrian party: street performers, food stalls, and spontaneous parades fill the cobblestone streets until late. See our Bogota weather by month for more.
Bogotá International Book Fair (FILBo, April or May)
FILBo runs for two weeks each spring at Corferias convention center (Carrera 37 #24-67), drawing 500,000+ visitors. Each edition honors a guest country: recent editions have featured South Korea, Portugal, and Mexico. The fair combines publisher booths, author signings, panel discussions, and a dedicated children’s pavilion. Entry costs 11,000 COP for adults, 8,000 COP for students. Hours: typically 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM weekdays, until 9:00 PM weekends. TransMilenio station Corferias serves the venue directly. Even if you don’t read Spanish, the visual arts and design sections are worth browsing, and the food court does a solid bandeja paisa. Check feriadellibro.com for exact dates (usually late April to early May). See our best time to visit Bogota for more.
Bogota Events and Festivals: July and August
Rock al Parque (July)
Rock al Parque is Latin America’s largest free rock festival, held over three days in July at Simón Bolívar Metropolitan Park. The lineup mixes Colombian bands with international headliners on four stages and draws 300,000+ attendees across the weekend. Past acts include Aterciopelados, Molotov, and Sepultura. Entry is completely free. Food and beer tents line the perimeter (domestic beer runs 6,000 to 8,000 COP), and the atmosphere is remarkably well-organized given the crowd size. Dates are announced 8 to 10 weeks ahead on rockalparque.gov.co. The park gates open at 11:00 AM and music runs until 10:00 PM. Use TransMilenio to get there: Salitre-El Greco station is a 10-minute walk. Do not drive: parking is nonexistent and surrounding streets gridlock by 2:00 PM. Bring sunscreen, a hat, and cash in small bills for food vendors. See our things to do in Bogota for more.
Festival de Verano (August)
The Festival de Verano (Summer Festival) runs for 10 days in early August across multiple city parks. Events include outdoor concerts, amateur sports tournaments (ultimate frisbee, beach volleyball, skateboarding), dance workshops, and the Festival de Cometas (kite festival) where hundreds of kites fill the sky over Simón Bolívar Park. Most events are free. The festival was launched in 1997 to promote Bogota’s public parks and has grown into a city-wide celebration. The full program is posted on culturarecreacionydeporte.gov.co about three weeks beforehand. August weather is relatively dry (45 mm rain, 15 rain days), making this one of the best months for outdoor events. See our Bogota neighborhoods guide for more.
Bogota Events and Festivals: September to December
Jazz al Parque (September)
Jazz al Parque is a free two-day jazz festival in September, also at Simón Bolívar Park. The lineup covers straight-ahead jazz, Latin jazz, fusion, and big band performances by Colombian and international musicians. It is smaller than Rock al Parque (around 50,000 attendees) and skews toward an older, more relaxed crowd. Bring a blanket and a picnic. Dates and lineup are posted on jazzalparque.gov.co. See our where to stay in Bogota for more.
Bogoshorts (December)
Bogoshorts is Latin America’s biggest short film festival, held over 10 days in early December. Screenings take place at independent cinemas including Cinemateca de Bogotá (Carrera 3 #19-10), the Jorge Eliécer Gaitán Theater, and pop-up venues. Categories include fiction, documentary, animation, and experimental. Many screenings are free; ticketed ones cost 10,000 to 20,000 COP. The festival also runs industry panels and workshops for filmmakers. Full program at bogoshorts.com by mid-November. See our Bogota travel tips for more.
Christmas Lights (Alumbrado Navideño, December to Mid-January)
Bogota’s Christmas lights are a serious production: millions of LED bulbs cover parks and plazas citywide from early December through the second week of January. The main displays are at Parque Nacional, Plaza de Bolívar, and Parque de la 93. The lights switch on around 6:00 PM and stay lit until midnight. The official lighting ceremony (early December) draws huge crowds at Plaza de Bolívar with live music. Ciclovía extends its hours on select December Sundays for nighttime cycling under the lights. Monserrate runs its funicular on extended hours during the season for night views of the illuminated city below. This is peak tourist season: book hotels 4 to 6 weeks ahead and expect higher rates.
Bogota Events and Festivals: Recurring Weekly and Monthly
Ciclovía (Every Sunday and Holiday)
Every Sunday and public holiday from 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM, 127 km of Bogota’s streets close to cars. Over a million residents come out to bike, jog, walk, and skate. The main north-south corridor runs along Carrera 7 and connects Usaquén in the north to the city center. Bike rentals are available along the route from 10,000 COP per hour. See the full route map at idrd.gov.co.
Usaquén Flea Market (Every Sunday)
The Usaquén flea market runs Sundays 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM around the colonial plaza of Usaquén (Carrera 6a with Calle 119). Artisan stalls sell handmade jewelry, Wayuu mochila bags, leather goods, paintings, and antiques. Food stalls serve lechona, arepas, and fresh juices. Best to arrive before 11:00 AM before the crowds thicken.
