- Festivals
- Naadam
- Culture
Naadam is Mongolia's great summer festival, a celebration of what are known as the three manly games: wrestling, horse racing and archery. Women and girls have long competed in archery, and children ride in the races, so the name undersells it. It is the most anticipated event of the year, and for many families it marks the heart of summer.
The national celebrations take place in Ulaanbaatar, usually from 11 to 15 July, with the main public holiday days falling at the start. Dates can shift slightly from year to year, so always check the official schedule for your year before booking flights.
Where to watch: city or countryside
You have two broad choices.
The national Naadam in Ulaanbaatar opens with a spectacular ceremony at the central stadium: mounted troops, the arrival of the nine horse-tail banners, music, dancing and a stadium full of people. Wrestling begins straight afterwards. It is big, colourful and crowded, and tickets for the opening ceremony are in high demand.
Local Naadams take place in provincial and district centres throughout the summer, often on different dates. These are smaller, slower and far more intimate. You will stand close enough to hear wrestlers breathing, chat with the families of jockeys and probably be handed a dumpling or two. Many travellers come away saying these were the highlight.
The best approach is often both: the opening ceremony in the city, then a local festival out on the steppe.
The three games
Wrestling
Wrestlers wear a tight open-fronted jacket, briefs, and boots with upturned toes. There are no weight classes and no time limits. A bout ends when any part of the body other than the feet or hands touches the ground. Before and after each bout, wrestlers perform the eagle dance, arms spread wide, and the winner passes under the raised arm of the loser.
Titles earned over a career, such as falcon, elephant, lion and titan, carry enormous prestige and stay with a wrestler for life.
Horse racing
The races are run across open country, not around a track, over distances that can exceed 25 km depending on the age of the horses. The jockeys are children, often between about seven and twelve, riding light and fast. The finish is wild: horses thundering out of a dust cloud, crowds surging forward to touch the winners for luck, and the sweat of a champion horse treated almost as a blessing.
Race sites are usually some distance from the city stadium, and getting there and back takes planning. A good guide makes all the difference here.
Archery
Archery is the most approachable of the three, and often the most peaceful. Archers in traditional dress shoot at small leather targets laid on the ground, while judges at the far end sing out the result of each shot with raised arms. Watch for a while and you will start to read the rhythm of it.
Beyond the games
Naadam is also a giant picnic. Families gather in their best deels, stalls sell khuushuur, the fried mutton pastries that are the festival's signature food, and the ankle-bone shooting competitions draw a dedicated crowd. Evening concerts and fireworks in the city carry on the mood.
Naadam is not a show put on for visitors. You are a guest at the country's own party, and the more you treat it that way, the more it gives back.
Practical tips
- Book early. July is peak season, and flights and city hotels fill months ahead.
- Expect crowds and traffic in Ulaanbaatar during the main days. Allow plenty of time for every journey.
- Bring sun protection. You may be outdoors all day on exposed ground. A hat, sunscreen and water are essential.
- Pack a warm layer. Evenings can turn cool fast, even in mid-July.
- Carry small cash in tögrög for food stalls and souvenirs.
- Ask before photographing people, especially families and young jockeys, and stay well back from the race finish line where horses arrive at full gallop.
Etiquette for visitors
Respect the space around the wrestling ground and do not cross the arena during bouts. At local festivals you may be offered airag, fermented mare's milk, or a share of food. Accept with your right hand, take at least a sip or a taste, and say thank you. If you do not drink alcohol, it is fine to touch the bowl to your lips and pass it back.
Dress respectfully; there is no formal dress code, but locals turn out in their finest, and a tidy outfit is appreciated.
Fitting Naadam into a longer trip
Most people combine Naadam with a journey into the countryside. A classic pattern is to arrive a few days before the festival, head out to Terelj or the central steppe for a local Naadam, return for the opening ceremony in the capital, then strike out for the Gobi or the Orkhon valley once the crowds disperse.
Because dates are fixed around the national holiday, departures sell out first. If Naadam is your reason for going, tell us early, and we will build the rest of the trip around it.
