Festivals Held Across Israel Each Sukkot
August 19th 2013
Since the intermediate days of Sukkot are vacation days for most Israelis, annual festivals are held all over the country. Virtually all of the country’s top production outfits, cultural institutions, performance troupes and niche interest enthusiast societies spring into action each fall. Here is a sampling of some of the most captivating festivals held each Sukkot in Israel, from Mitzpe Ramon in the south to Haifa in the north.
Tamar Music Festival at the Dead Sea – Featuring a combination of Israeli and international musicians, this four-day festival combines world-class popular music performances with the stunning desert landscape of the Dead Sea area.
Sukkot Dance Festival at Adama in Mitzpe Ramon – If dance is your thing, the three-day Dance Festival in Mitzpe Ramon in the Negev desert offers workshops and classes at multiple skill levels, evening dance performances and dance parties that last all night. Overnight camping is available in the nearby Adama Garden.
Gilboa Balloon Festival – One of three ballooning festivals held around Israel during Sukkot, the Gilboa Balloon Festival is held in Ma’ayan Harod National Park in the Galilee. The festival is a gathering place for hot air balloon pilots from all over the world. Besides the picturesque setting and colorful balloons, the festival organizers go all out to make sure the event is filled with fun for the whole family by including food stands, live performances, concerts, movie screenings and more.
Abu Ghosh Music Festival – If you’re a fan of vocal music, you won’t want to miss the Abu Ghosh Music Festival. Held in two historic churches in the pastoral Christian Arab Village of Abu Ghosh on the main Tel Aviv-Jerusalem road, the festival attracts choirs from all over the world. Performances are held four or five times each day over the course of the multi-day festival.
Prog Stage Festival – If progressive rock music is more your style, you’ll want to find time to attend the Prog Stage Festival at Dugal Beach on Lake Kinneret. Begun in 2011 in an effort to cohesively showcase Israeli and international progressive rock banks to the Israeli public, the festival puts a huge emphasis on providing festival-goers with the highest quality sound.
Haifa Film Festival – While many are partial to the Jerusalem Film Festival, which takes place each summer, The Haifa Film Festival is considered by true aficionados to be the premier international film-themed event in Israel. Founded in 1983, the event offers hundreds of screenings of award-winning Israeli and international films. Nearly 300,000 people attend events at the festival each year during Sukkot.
