If you’re planning a trip and want to experience the city beyond the usual sightseeing, timing your visit around festivals in Tbilisi can add a completely different layer to your stay. From wine and food festivals to book fairs, concerts, and cultural gatherings, Tbilisi hosts events throughout the year that are easy to join, even if you’re only in the city for a few days.
I’ve put this guide together to help you figure out what’s on when you’re in town without chasing all over the internet. Below, you’ll find the most consistent festivals and events in Tbilisi, grouped by type, with practical notes on when they usually happen and what to expect, so you can plan around or simply stumble into something interesting while exploring the city.
How Tbilisi Festivals Work
Most of the events outlined here are annual and follow a similar rhythm each year, though exact dates can shift slightly. Festivals are typically scheduled around weekends and public holidays to attract more crowds, and last 2-4 days. Some start on Thursdays or Fridays and continue through the weekend.
Many events in Tbilisi are free, especially food markets, some cultural festivals, and outdoor celebrations. Mtatsminda Park, Expo Georgia, and the Botanical Garden are the most popular venues for organizing and hosting a large share of festivals, followed by “Stall” and a few other smaller initiatives.
Festivals that require an entrance fee usually offer early-bird discounts and sell tickets on local platforms such as TKT.ge or Biletebi.ge. Some events also sell tickets at the door, but they are usually more expensive than those bought in advance.
Major Annual Festivals in Tbilisi
Tbilisoba
• Date: First weekend in October
• Location: Old Town, Rike Park, Orbeliani Square
• Entrance: FREE
Tbilisoba is the city’s biggest celebration and one of those weekends when Tbilisi feels fully turned outward. Usually held in the first weekend of October, this festival brings together food stalls, wine producers, folk performances, artisans selling handmade products that can easily double as your Georgian souvenirs, concerts, regional displays, and farmers bringing their homemade produce to a few neighborhoods.
The main action, with big decorations, ornaments, and concerts, is often centered on Abanotubani (Old Tbilisi), Rike Park, and Orbeliani Square.
Expect lots of crowds, especially from the afternoon onwards. Locals treat it as a proper city holiday, so you’ll see families wandering between stalls, people queuing for churchkhela or grilled mtsvadi, and simply enjoying the weekend. It’s one of those loud, busy, and chaotic events in Tbilisi, but a lot of fun for visitors who want a glimpse of local celebrations.
If you’re planning a trip in autumn, Tbilisoba is an easy one to add to your itinerary. The weather is usually mild, the city is covered in fall foliage, and the long daylight still allows you to enjoy wandering the iconic Tbilisi landmarks and sights.
New Wine Festival
• Date: Second weekend in May
• Location: Mtatsminda Park
• Entrance: FREE
• More info: Facebook page
The New Wine Festival is one of the most anticipated Tbilisi events of the year, especially if you’re curious about Georgian wine. Held in spring, this open-air festival brings together dozens of small and medium wineries from across the country, many of whom pour wines you won’t easily find in shops or restaurants.
The focus here is on all kinds of wine, whether made in qvevri, stainless steel tanks, small or large production, mass factories, or family wineries. You can walk from table to table, talk directly to winemakers, taste different styles, and buy bottles on the spot. The atmosphere is social rather than formal, making it approachable even if you’re not a wine expert.
I often recommend timing a trip around this festival because spring in Tbilisi is already pleasant, and the event itself gives you a quick overview of Georgia’s wine scene.
If wine is a big part of your travel plans, there are plenty of other wine festivals in Tbilisi and across Georgia worth checking out or planning your trip around.
Tbilisi Open Air Festival
• Date: Mid-June
• Location: Lisi Wanderland
• Entrance: Ticketed
• More info: Facebook page
Tbilisi Open Air is the largest music festival in Tbilisi and a clear highlight of the summer calendar. Usually held in mid-June, it brings international and local artists together for three days of live music, food trucks, and open-air stages in a field near Lisi Lake.
The festival starts in the afternoon, so people come early, stay late, and treat it as a full-day experience in nature rather than just a single concert. Even if you’re not familiar with all the artists, the atmosphere alone makes it worth checking out.
You might even discover some modern Georgian bands that also have a few English-language songs, such as LOUDSpeakers or Belforf Falls.
Art Gene Folk Music Festival
• Date: July (dates vary each year slightly)
• Location: Ethnographic Museum of Tbilisi
• Entrance: Ticketed
• More info: Facebook page | Website
Art Gene is one of the most important folk and traditional music festivals in Georgia. Held over several summer evenings, it brings together folk ensembles, polyphonic singers, dancers, and craftspeople from different regions, turning the Ethnographic Museum into a living showcase of Georgian traditions.
What makes Art Gene special is its setting and pace. Performances mainly take place on the open-air stage, but other mini-arrangements and concerts are spread across the museum’s vast space.
It never feels rushed or overcrowded, and the audience is a mix of locals and visitors who are genuinely interested in traditional culture.
Tbilisi Jazz Festival
• Date: Early May
• Location: Varies each year
• Entrance: Ticketed
• More info: Facebook page
Tbilisi Jazz Festival has been part of the city’s cultural calendar for decades and remains one of the most established music events in Tbilisi.
Each year, it brings internationally known jazz musicians of various genres and usually mixes classic jazz, contemporary interpretations, and experimental sounds. Concerts are well organized, and the vibe is lively.
If you love jazz and are in Tbilisi during spring, attending one of the concerts or all of them can be a fun way to spend an evening in the city.
ZEG Storytelling Festival
• Date: June 19-21, 2026
• Location: Honore Restaurant
• Entrance: Ticketed
• More info: Facebook page | Website
ZEG is a relatively new festival, but it has quickly become one of the most talked-about creative gatherings in the city. Focused on storytelling in its broadest sense, the festival brings together journalists, writers, filmmakers, photographers, activists, and creatives from Georgia and abroad.
Talks, panels, film screenings, and workshops take place across multiple rooms, often spilling into informal discussions long after sessions end. The topics range from media and culture to social change and personal narratives, making it engaging even if you don’t work in a creative field.
If you’re interested in ideas, conversations, and creative exchange rather than performances alone, this festival offers a different but very rewarding way to experience the city.
International Film Festival
• Date: Late November or early December
• Location: Amirani Cinema
• Entrance: Ticketed
• More info: Facebook page
Tbilisi International Film Festival is one of the city’s longest-running cultural events and an important platform for both Georgian and international cinema. Each year, the festival presents a curated selection of European and international films alongside a strong lineup of new Georgian productions.
The program is traditionally divided into thematic sections that focus on different national cinemas and perspectives, while a dedicated Georgian Panorama highlights recent local feature films and documentaries.
Screenings are often accompanied by discussions and jury selections that recognize standout Georgian work across fiction and documentary categories.
While the scale of the festival can vary from year to year, its focus remains consistent: artistic freedom, human stories, and socially engaged filmmaking. This is a good opportunity to experience cinema in a local context rather than just through commercial releases.
It works particularly well for early winter visits when evenings are cooler, it gets dark earlier, and you need more indoor activities.
Tbilisi International Festival of Theater
• Date: From late September to mid-October
• Location: Various theaters across Tbilisi
• Entrance: Ticketed
• More info: Facebook page | Website
The Tbilisi International Festival of Theater brings together international and local productions, turning the city’s theaters into busy cultural hubs for several weeks.
The program usually includes contemporary plays, experimental performances, and reinterpretations of classical works, often staged in both traditional theaters and alternative spaces.
You don’t need to understand Georgian to enjoy many of the performances, as physical theater, visual storytelling, and international productions play a big role. Some shows are subtitled, while others rely more on movement and staging.
Europe Days
• Date: May (usually within the first week or so)
• Location: Expo Georgia
• Entrance: FREE
• More info: Facebook page | Official website
Europe Days in Tbilisi is a large, open-format public festival that focuses on culture, education, dialogue, and everyday connections between Georgia and European countries. It’s set up as a full-day event with multiple pavilions and themed spaces you can move through at your own pace.
You can explore country stands representing EU member states, learn about education programs, youth initiatives, development projects, and cultural exchanges, and join talks or discussions led by speakers from Georgia and Europe.
There are also exhibitions, interactive installations, and activities for both adults and kids, making it an easy stop if you’re traveling as a family.
Food and crafts are a big part of the day, with regional Georgian products and artisan stalls set up outdoors, where you can learn more about the country’s farm produce or even get some of the unique Georgian souvenirs to take home.
Christmas Markets in Tbilisi
• Date: Mid-December to early January
• Location: Various locations across the city
• Entrance: FREE
• More info: My blog post
Christmas markets and New Year celebrations are among the most anticipated major annual Tbilisi events, especially for travelers visiting toward the end of the year. From mid-December onward, festive villages, seasonal markets, and light installations appear across the city, creating a completely different atmosphere from the rest of the year.
What you’ll find at these markets goes well beyond food stalls. There are local craft stands, mulled wine and seasonal sweets, small concerts, kids’ activities, and pop-up performances that make it easy to spend an evening without a plan.
Locations and layouts change slightly every year, so it’s worth checking my Christmas in Tbilisi guide for exact locations, as well as Georgia’s quirky Christmas and New Year customs and traditions.
Winter is also a great time to experience the city at a slower pace, with museums, cafés, and wine bars becoming natural extensions of the festive program. If you’re planning a cold-season visit, I recommend pairing the markets with my winter in Tbilisi guide for practical tips and seasonal ideas.
Drink and Food Festivals in Tbilisi
Various Wine Events in Tbilisi
• Date: Throughout the year
• Location: Various places across Tbilisi
• Entrance: FREE and ticketed
• More info: My blog post
From late spring, the city slips into wine mode, and you’ll notice how often tastings, pop-ups, and open-air festivals start appearing on the calendar.
May usually hosts several wine-focused gatherings around the city. These range from natural wine festivals and small-producer showcases to larger public tastings where dozens of wineries pour side by side.
These events are very relaxed, and you don’t need prior knowledge, although it helps to familiarize yourself a bit with Georgian wine. Winemakers are friendly and open to talking about their products and methods.
Expect to try wines from different regions in one afternoon, but pace yourself. Pours are big and generous. Take breaks in between, fill your stomach with local food from the stalls, and then continue.
Because there are so many wine festivals throughout the year, and they differ significantly in style and scale, I’ve put together a separate, detailed guide to Wine Festivals in Georgia covering each one.
Georgian Bread Festival
• Date: End of September
• Location: Tbilisi Botanical Garden
• Entrance: FREE, but you pay an entrance fee to the Botanical Garden (4 GEL)
• More info: Facebook page
The Georgian Bread Festival, held at the Botanical Garden, focuses on Georgia’s long relationship with grain, wheat, and bread-making traditions, which were inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2025. The festival combines food, history, and hands-on experiences.
You can explore displays of Georgian endemic wheat varieties, learn how bread-making evolved across different regions, and see old photographs and traditional clothing linked to bread culture.
There’s always a working bakery on-site, so the smell of freshly baked tone bread follows you around the garden. Tastings are a big part of the festival, with a variety of Georgian breads, wines, and regional specialties available throughout the day.
Cheese Festival
• Date: Usually held in early June
• Location: Mtatsminda Park, central square
• Entrance: FREE
• More info: Facebook page
The Cheese Festival at Mtatsminda Park is a favorite among locals, and for good reason. Set high above the city, it brings together cheese producers from different regions of Georgia, offering a chance to taste and buy a wide range of styles, from familiar classics to more experimental varieties you won’t easily find elsewhere.
It focuses on fresh cheeses and open-air browsing, with music playing in the background and plenty of space to move between stalls.
In autumn, the festival is sometimes held as a cheese-and-hot-drinks edition, with producers returning with fondue-style dishes, mulled wine, and warming drinks suited to cooler weather.
Tbilisi Coffee Festival
• Date: Late September or early October
• Location: Venue changes
• Entrance: Ticketed
• More info: Facebook page
The Tbilisi Coffee Festival is a gathering place for everyone interested in coffee, from casual drinkers to industry professionals. It brings together local and international coffee brands, roasters, and equipment suppliers under one roof, many of which supply some of my favorite coffee places in Tbilisi.
It’s not a huge event, but the program is packed, going well beyond simple tastings. You can join cupping sessions, watch coffee championships, take part in workshops and masterclasses, or just spend time in the Roaster Village discovering different roasting styles.
Some vendors offer complimentary coffee, while others might charge a fee to taste. There is also a food court, music, and a kids’ area.
Beer Festival
• Date: Summer and autumn
• Location: Deda Ena Park
• Entrance: FREE
• More info: Facebook page
The Beer Festival at Deda Ena Park takes place twice a year and has become one of the city’s most relaxed outdoor food-and-drink events. Both the summer and autumn editions follow a similar format, turning the park into a casual gathering spot focused on Georgian beer, street food, and live entertainment.
Expect a wide selection of beers from across Georgia, including traditional styles and newer craft producers. The setup is informal, with plenty of space to move around, sit with friends, and take part in games or small activities happening throughout the day.
Music performances usually run alongside the tastings, giving the festival a laid-back, social feel.
Whiskey Festival
• Date: May 16-17, 2026
• Location: Sheraton Grand Metechi Palace
• Entrance: Ticketed
• More info: Facebook page | Official website
The Whiskey Festival is one of the more specialized Tbilisi festivals, bringing together whiskies, gins, brandies, and craft spirits from around the world. It’s designed as a full-day tasting experience, with visitors moving between pop-up bars, brand stands, and themed corners hosted by producers and distributors.
Alongside tastings, the festival usually includes masterclasses and guided sessions where experts talk through different styles, production methods, and tasting techniques.
There is also a food court and music throughout the day. Some editions include a VIP area for those who want a quieter space and access to rarer bottles.
Ice Cream Festival
• Date: Mid-July
• Location: Mtatsminda Park, central square
• Entrance: FREE
• More info: Facebook page
The Ice Cream Festival is one of those light, easy events that fit perfectly into your Tbilisi summer itinerary, especially on hot days when everything revolves around finding shade and something cold.
For a day, the park’s central square fills with ice cream stands offering everything from classic scoops to more playful and seasonal flavors.
The festival usually attracts local ice cream brands alongside familiar favorites, making it a good chance to sample several styles in one place.
There is music, simple entertainment, and activities aimed at families, but you don’t need to plan around a schedule. It’s more of a drop-in event than a full-day commitment.
If you can’t make it to the festival, don’t worry. I’ve rounded up some of the best ice cream places in Tbilisi for you to cool down.
Book and Photography Events in Tbilisi
Tbilisi Book Days
• Date: Mid-November
• Location: Expo Georgia
• Entrance: FREE
• More info: Facebook page
Tbilisi Book Days is one of the most popular literary events and a favorite among locals. For three days, one of Expo Georgia’s pavilions becomes a book-focused space where publishing houses, bookstores, writers, and literary critics come together under one roof.
Although the main part of the exhibition is devoted to local publishing houses, you’ll also find English-language books either about Georgia or from various English-language bookstores.
You can browse new releases and take advantage of discounts that make it tempting to leave with a much heavier bag than planned.
Because it gets extremely busy, especially in the afternoon and on weekends, I prefer to go early in the morning as soon as the doors open, or on a workday, to avoid weekend crowds.
Tbilisi Book Fair
• Date: Mid-April
• Location: Expo Georgia
• Entrance: FREE
• More info: Facebook page
The Tbilisi Book Fair is very similar to Tbilisi Book Days but held at a different time of the year. Here, large and small publishers, independent bookstores, and cultural organizations present their books and catalogues.
Like the other book festival in Tbilisi, this one also features English-language books, so it’s not catered only to locals.
Beyond browsing and buying books, often at discounts you won’t find elsewhere, the fair also includes artisanal and handmade thematic products that can easily become your Georgian souvenir to take home.
Kolga Photo Festival
• Date: Mid-May
• Location: Various galleries and open spaces
• Entrance: FREE and ticketed
• More info: Facebook page
The Kolga Photo Festival in Tbilisi is part of a larger European photography festival network but hosted in the city’s galleries and open spaces. The program includes exhibitions, workshops, and interactive photo projects, making it interesting for both photography enthusiasts and casual visitors.
The festival is not huge in scale, but its focus on contemporary photography and visual storytelling often makes it feel cutting-edge and worth a visit.
Cultural and International Festivals in Tbilisi
Tbilisi Fashion Week
• Date: Late March or early April
• Location: Tbilisi Design Factory and other venues
• Entrance: Ticketed
• More info: Facebook page
Tbilisi Fashion Week has gained international attention as one of the most prominent fashion events in Eastern Europe. It highlights local designers, fashion students, and international collaborations.
The festival usually includes runway shows, exhibitions, talks, and workshops focused on fashion, textile design, and styling. Even if you’re not a fashion insider, it’s a visually rich experience and a good way to explore the city’s creative community.
Tbilisi Architecture Biennale
• Date: September-October (dates vary)
• Location: Various venues across the city
• Entrance: FREE
• More info: Facebook page
The Architecture Biennale explores contemporary architecture and urban planning through exhibitions, tours, and discussions. It often highlights both local projects and international collaborations.
You don’t need to be an architect to enjoy the festival. Many installations are interactive, walkable, and creatively staged in public spaces across Tbilisi, making it easy to stumble into something fascinating even as a casual visitor.
Tbilisi Open Film Festival
• Date: August (dates vary)
• Location: Outdoor venues and cinemas
• Entrance: FREE and ticketed
• More info: Facebook page
This festival is more experimental than the International Film Festival, featuring outdoor screenings, independent productions, and discussions with filmmakers.
Tips for Attending Festivals in Tbilisi
1. Check the official festival website or Facebook page for exact dates, as they sometimes shift from year to year.
2. Arrive early to avoid crowds, especially at free events like Tbilisoba, wine festivals, or Christmas markets.
3. Bring cash. Many smaller vendors and local artisans accept only cash.
4. Wear comfortable shoes. Many festivals involve walking across parks, squares, or streets.
5. Consider public transport or taxis. Parking near major festival venues can be challenging.
6. Take a reusable water bottle. Even in cooler months, walking between stalls and activities can be tiring.
7. Enjoy local food. Festivals are a great way to try Georgian street food, from khachapuri to churchkhela, without having to go to a restaurant.
8. Keep an open schedule. Some of the best experiences come from stumbling into unexpected concerts, exhibitions, or pop-up activities.
Blog by Baia Dzagnidze for RedFedoraDiary.com
