By The Visit Israel Editorial Team · Last updated
Guided cultural tours and evening experiences alongside Israel's festival calendar — from Jerusalem Old City by night to Galilee wine-and-music days. Book ahead for festival-week availability.
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Browse culture & festival toursvia GetYourGuide
Rooms in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Eilat sell out fast during the major festival weeks. Booking.com covers hotels, guesthouses, and Negev desert lodges — all useful depending on which event you are attending.
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Check festival-period availabilityvia Booking.com
Whether or not you are attending Meteor Festival, the Negev desert at night — Mitzpe Ramon crater, Bedouin camps, stargazing sessions — is among Israel's most memorable experiences. Available year-round.
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Browse Negev night experiencesvia GetYourGuide
Israel packs an extraordinary range of live music and arts festivals into its annual calendar — from international-calibre electronic music on the edge of a desert crater to intimate classical concerts against the backdrop of the Dead Sea, and a massive free light-art festival that transforms Jerusalem’s Old City for ten nights each June.
This guide covers what each major festival is actually like to attend — logistics, ticket tips, what to pack, and how to combine festival visits with the surrounding sights.
| Festival | When (approx.) | Where | Admission | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meteor Festival | September | Negev desert / Ramon Crater | Paid (₪450–900+) | Electronic music, camping, desert |
| Jerusalem Festival of Light | June (~10 nights) | Jerusalem Old City | Free (main route) | All ages, photography, atmosphere |
| Tamar Music Festival | October | Dead Sea shores | Paid (₪150–400) | Classical + world music |
| Red Sea Jazz Festival Eilat | November | Eilat North Beach (open-air) | Paid (₪150–600+) | Jazz, world music, Red Sea setting |
| Tel Aviv International Jazz Festival | May | Multiple TLV venues | Mix of free + paid | Jazz, urban, city culture |
| Eilat Chamber Music Festival | December | Eilat venues | Paid (₪80–250) | Classical, Red Sea winter sun |
| Red Sea Guitar Festival Eilat | February or March | Eilat Red Sea waterfront | Paid (₪80–200) | Guitar across genres, shoulder-season Eilat |
| Fattal Rock Festival Eilat | June | Eilat North Beach (Fattal Hotels) | Hotel package / IsraTicket | Israeli rock, Red Sea beachfront |
| Arad Music Festival | Late August | Arad city, Negev | Free or low-cost | Hebrew music, community gathering, Negev |
| Purim Celebrations (TLV) | Feb/March | Dizengoff Square, Tel Aviv | Free | Costume culture, street party |
Dates shift each year. Jewish calendar interactions (Rosh HaShanah, Sukkot, Purim timing) mean all autumn and spring festivals adjust by one to several weeks annually. Always verify with the official festival site before booking travel.
Ramon Crater, Negev Desert · September · 3–5 days
Meteor is Israel’s flagship electronic and ambient music festival, held on or near the rim of Makhtesh Ramon (Ramon Crater) — a natural erosion crater 40 kilometres long and 8 kilometres wide, certified as the Middle East’s first International Dark Sky Park. The combination of world-class DJ and live acts with one of earth’s most otherworldly landscapes has made Meteor internationally recognised in the festival world.
The main stage overlooks the crater rim. Sunrise sets — performed as the Milky Way fades and the crater fills with morning light — are among the most talked-about moments of the Israeli festival calendar. Alongside the headline electronic acts, Meteor programmes ambient stages, yoga at dawn, visual art installations, and desert meditation sessions.
The festival runs over three to five days and includes on-site camping. Desert nights at 900 metres altitude are cold even in September (temperatures can drop below 10°C after midnight), so a warm sleeping bag is non-negotiable. The terrain is rocky; bring proper footwear.
Tickets are sold via meteorfestival.co.il. They sell out — often months in advance. Buy as soon as dates and tickets are announced (typically spring/summer of the festival year). Prices have historically ranged from ₪450 for a weekend pass to ₪900+ for the full multi-day camping experience; verify current prices on the official site.
Transport to the crater rim is easiest via the official festival shuttle buses from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem — public transport to the Negev crater rim is not practical for this event. The nearest town is Mitzpe Ramon, roughly 10 kilometres from the main site; some visitors stay there and shuttle in.
Cross-link: Mitzpe Ramon & Ramon Crater guide · Negev desert stargazing
Jerusalem Old City · June · ~10 nights · FREE (main route)
The Jerusalem Festival of Light is one of the largest urban light-art events in the world. Each June, international artists from France, Germany, the UK, Israel, and beyond use projection mapping, LED sculpture, and light installations to illuminate the Old City’s stone walls, narrow alleys, churches, mosques, synagogues, and 2,000-year-old Herodian streets. Entry to the main walking route is completely free.
The route runs roughly three kilometres through all four quarters of the Old City — the Christian Quarter, Muslim Quarter, Armenian Quarter, and Jewish Quarter — and includes Jaffa Gate and the Tower of David moat. The most dramatic projections typically cover the Tower of David itself, which serves as the largest “canvas” of the festival. A premium ticketed show is often staged at the Tower of David (separate from the free route); check festivaloflight.co.il for the current year’s premium programme.
The festival operates nightly from approximately 9pm to midnight over its ten-day run. Weekday evenings are significantly less crowded than weekends; the first and last nights tend to be quieter than the middle days.
Cross-link: Jerusalem Old City visitor guide · Israel evening activities guide · Israel events & festivals calendar
Dead Sea shores · October · 3–4 days
Tamar is Israel’s premier classical and world music festival, held on an open-air stage at the edge of the Dead Sea. The combination of high-quality acoustic music and the surreal landscape of the Dead Sea salt flats — 430 metres below sea level, ringed by the Judean Desert and the mountains of Jordan — creates an atmosphere unlike any other classical festival in the world.
Performances take place on an outdoor stage in the late afternoon and evening, when the desert light turns golden and the Dead Sea surface reflects the Jordan mountains opposite. The programming combines Israeli orchestras and chamber ensembles with international soloists and world-music acts.
Many visitors combine the festival with a morning float in the Dead Sea (Ein Bokek beach is minutes from the main stage area) and an early-morning visit to Masada — the cable car opens before the heat of the day, and the fortress is at its best in the golden morning light.
Tickets are sold via tamarmusicfest.com. Prices have ranged from approximately ₪150 to ₪400 depending on the concert and seating area. The festival village typically includes food stalls, wine, and artisan vendors alongside the music programme.
Accommodation options near the stage are the Ein Bokek resort hotels (several 4- and 5-star properties directly on the Dead Sea shore). Book significantly in advance for festival dates — the hotels here are the only accommodation in the area.
Cross-link: Dead Sea visitor guide · Masada visitor guide · Israel wellness & spa guide
Eilat North Beach · November · 4 nights
The Red Sea Jazz Festival has run each November since 1987, drawing 70,000 attendees across four open-air nights on Eilat’s Red Sea waterfront. International jazz headliners and Israel’s leading improvisers perform on the King Beach and Sultan Beach stages, with the Jordanian and Saudi hills visible across the water. With 30+ concerts across the four evenings, the programme runs deep — clashing sets and spontaneous stage-hopping are part of the experience.
November is one of Eilat’s best months: daytime temperatures of 28–30°C, Red Sea water at 23–24°C, and Israeli school holidays not yet in effect. Snorkelling at the Coral Beach Nature Reserve, a Red Canyon hike, and a Timna Park visit round out a festival trip.
Tickets are sold via the official festival website. Single-evening passes and four-night multi-day passes are typically on sale from September; the Saturday-night finale is the first to sell out. Past editions have ranged from approximately ₪150 for a single-night standing ticket to ₪600+ for multi-day VIP — check the official site for current 2026 prices.
Ramon Airport (HRL), 18 km north of Eilat, handles domestic flights from Ben Gurion Airport (45–55 minutes). Book return flights at the same time as your hotel: festival-weekend evening departures sell out early. North Beach hotels are the most convenient base — walking distance to both headline stages.
Full guide: Red Sea Jazz Festival Eilat 2026 — 2026 dates, stage map, ticket types, hotel strategy, and Eilat daytime activities.
Cross-link: Eilat travel guide · Eilat hotels guide · Israel in November
Multiple venues across Tel Aviv · May · 5–7 days
The Tel Aviv Jazz Festival brings international and Israeli jazz artists to clubs, auditoriums, and outdoor stages across the city for roughly a week each May. A mix of free street performances and ticketed evening concerts makes it accessible at any budget.
Free daytime and early-evening performances take place in public spaces — Habima Square, Rothschild Boulevard, and the Tel Aviv Port have all hosted open-air stages in recent editions. Ticketed concerts at venues such as the Charles Bronfman Auditorium, Beit HaAmudim, and various TLV jazz clubs run in the evenings and can sell out for headline acts.
The festival’s urban, street-level character makes it easy to encounter live music by accident while exploring the city — a distinctive quality compared to destination festivals requiring travel.
Check the official festival website (search “Tel Aviv Jazz Festival” + current year) for the programme and ticket links. Israeli ticketing platforms Leaan (leaan.co.il) and IsraTicket (israelticket.co.il) also list tickets for major Israeli festivals. Headline ticketed concerts should be booked in advance; free performances require no advance planning.
Cross-link: Tel Aviv nightlife guide · Tel Aviv neighborhoods guide · Israel evening activities
Multiple venues in Eilat · December · 5 days
Israel’s southernmost festival brings classical chamber music to Eilat — Israel’s Red Sea resort city — each December. The combination of fine chamber performances in intimate indoor venues and Eilat’s year-round sunshine makes this a popular choice for music-loving tourists who want warm December weather alongside cultural programming.
Concerts are held in smaller auditoriums, hotel performance spaces, and occasionally on Red Sea waterfront stages. The repertoire covers traditional chamber repertoire alongside Israeli contemporary compositions. December is one of Eilat’s best months: dry, sunny, around 22–25°C, with excellent conditions for snorkelling or diving alongside festival evenings.
Tickets are available via eilatfestival.co.il (verify current site for the festival). Prices have typically ranged from ₪80 to ₪250 per concert. Eilat accommodation — particularly for the popular December–January winter sun period — should be booked well in advance.
Full guide: Eilat Chamber Music Festival visitor guide — dates, venues, programme, ticket types, and Eilat hotel strategy for the festival season.
Cross-link: Eilat travel guide · Eilat diving & snorkelling · Best time to visit Israel
Eilat Red Sea waterfront · February or March · multi-evening
Eilat’s dedicated guitar music festival takes place annually in February or March — part of the city’s year-round music festival calendar alongside the Fattal Rock Festival (June), Red Sea Jazz Festival (November), and Eilat Chamber Music Festival (December). The festival features Israeli guitarists and international guest artists across genres including rock, blues, acoustic fingerstyle, and world music, with open-air and amphitheatre stages on Eilat’s Gulf of Aqaba waterfront.
Evening concerts run over several festival nights against the Red Sea backdrop, with the Jordanian and Saudi mountains visible across the Gulf. The February–March timing gives the festival ideal outdoor weather: 27–30°C, calm seas, and Eilat’s shoulder-season pricing. Unlike the Red Sea Jazz Festival’s scale of 70,000 attendees, the guitar festival is a more focused, music-enthusiast event — concentrated around the instrument and its varied genres.
Tickets are available via IsraTicket (israelticket.co.il) and Leaan (leaan.co.il). Historical single-evening prices have ranged from approximately ₪80–200; multi-night passes offer better value. Exact dates are confirmed 2–4 months before each year’s event — check eilat.city for current-year dates. February and March are Eilat’s shoulder season: hotels offer better rates than July–August, with good North Beach availability when booked 6–8 weeks ahead.
Full guide: Red Sea Guitar Festival Eilat visitor guide — dates, venue format, ticket types, February/March Eilat weather, and travel logistics.
Cross-link: Eilat travel guide · Eilat diving & snorkelling · Red Sea Jazz Festival Eilat
Eilat Red Sea waterfront · June · 3 evenings
The Fattal Rock Festival is an annual Israeli rock weekend at Eilat’s North Beach, organised by the Fattal Hotels Group and staged across their beachfront properties — the Royal Beach and Club Hotel Eilat. Unlike the municipally-run Jazz and Guitar festivals, the Rock Festival is built into Fattal’s hotel programme: staying at either Fattal property during festival week typically includes festival access as part of the hotel package.
Israeli rock and pop-rock headliners perform across three evenings on outdoor waterfront stages facing the Gulf of Aqaba, with the Jordanian and Saudi mountains visible across the water. Chanan Ben Ari — one of Israel’s most commercially successful rock artists — headlined the 2026 edition. The June timing places the festival in ideal outdoor-concert weather: warm evenings of 26–28°C with no rain and a calm Red Sea.
The primary access route is a Fattal hotel package at the Royal Beach or Club Hotel Eilat, which typically includes festival access. Standalone external tickets are sometimes available via IsraTicket (israelticket.co.il) — check fattal.co.il for the current year’s package format and IsraTicket for standalone availability. Exact June dates are confirmed by Fattal Hotels Group each year; the 2026 edition ran June 11–13.
Full guide: Fattal Rock Festival Eilat visitor guide — dates, headliners, hotel package access, June Eilat conditions, and day-trip planning.
Cross-link: Eilat travel guide · Eilat diving & snorkelling · Israel in June
Arad city, Negev · Late August · Free or low-cost
The Arad Music Festival is one of Israel’s oldest and most beloved cultural events — an annual late-August gathering in the Negev desert town of Arad that has run continuously since 1982. For three days, the festival fills Arad’s open-air stages with Hebrew-language Israeli music: folk, mizrahi, rock, and contemporary singer-songwriters performing exclusively in Hebrew to a predominantly Israeli audience.
Unlike the other festivals on this page, Arad is not a commercial event. Entry has historically been free or very low-cost — the community-festival model is central to its identity. The programme is built around Hebrew musical identity: shira b’tzibbur (communal singing circles), beloved Israeli artists, and the folk traditions that shaped Israeli musical culture, rather than international headliners or global pop. Tens of thousands of Israelis attend across the three days, making it one of the most-attended summer cultural events in the country.
The festival is held on Arad’s dedicated open-air grounds, within the town itself. Arad sits at approximately 600 m elevation — noticeably cooler than the Dead Sea valley below, though late-August daytime temperatures still reach 35–38°C. Evening concerts are considerably more comfortable.
The Dead Sea En Bokek resort strip (25–35 km east via Route 31) is the most practical base for international visitors: a 30–40 minute drive puts you at the festival and back at a mineral-pool hotel for the rest of the day. Beer Sheva (45 km west) connects by Egged bus (lines 380/389).
Full guide: Arad Music Festival visitor guide — dates, music programme, practical tips for August in the Negev, and combining with Dead Sea and Masada.
Cross-link: 3 days in the Negev itinerary · Dead Sea visitor guide · Mitzpe Ramon guide · Israel in August
Kibbutz Kfar Blum, Upper Galilee · December 31–January 2 (winter) and May (spring) · Ticketed (All-In)
Jacob’s Ladder is Israel’s longest-running folk and world music festival — described by its organisers as “Israel’s Friendliest Music Festival” — held twice yearly at the Pastoral Hotel, Kibbutz Kfar Blum, on the banks of the Jordan River in the Upper Galilee. The festival’s musical scope is deliberately broad: folk, bluegrass, world music, Irish jigs, country rock, blues, and bagpipes.
The All-In Ticket covers all main stage performances, music workshops, wellness sessions (Tai Chi, Chi Gong, yoga), guided nature walks in the Hula Valley, jam circles, and children’s activities. Unlike the large-scale commercial festivals on this page, Jacob’s Ladder is an intimate, participatory gathering — informal sessions and workshop music are as central as the main stage programme.
Two annual editions:
Verify current dates and artist lineup at jlfestival.com — both are announced in the months before each edition.
Full guide: Jacob’s Ladder Festival visitor guide — both editions, Kfar Blum setting, getting there from Tel Aviv and Haifa, accommodation options, and what to pack for winter Galilee.
Cross-link: 3 days in Galilee · Galilee region guide · Kibbutz hotels Israel · Israel in December
Dizengoff Square, Tel Aviv · February or March · Free
Purim is a Jewish holiday celebrating the deliverance of the Jewish people as described in the Book of Esther. In Tel Aviv, it has evolved into Israel’s most vibrant secular celebration: an entire city in costume, with the epicentre at Dizengoff Square.
The celebration runs from the evening before Purim (Purim Eve) through the following day. Dizengoff Square hosts a free outdoor stage with live music, DJ sets, and a costume competition — families with children during the day, adults through the evening into the night. The surrounding streets — Dizengoff Street, Ibn Gabirol, Rothschild Boulevard — fill with costume-clad revellers moving between bars and house parties.
No single platform covers all Israeli festivals. The main resources:
Book accommodation as soon as festival dates are confirmed — not when you buy the festival ticket. Jerusalem and Eilat hotels near major festival sites can be fully booked months in advance.
Meteor Festival (Negev): Official festival shuttles from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem are the standard option. Renting a car from DiscoverCars and driving the 230km from Tel Aviv (via Route 40 through the Negev) is practical but requires parking arrangements at the festival site — check the current year’s car-park logistics on the festival website.
Tamar Festival (Dead Sea): A rental car from Jerusalem (90 minutes via Route 1 East + Route 90 South) is the most practical approach. There is no convenient public transport to the Ein Bokek festival area.
Eilat (all events): Fly from Ben Gurion Airport (El Al, Arkia, and Israir; 45–55 minutes) or drive (4.5–5 hours from Tel Aviv via Route 40). The Eilat bus from Tel Aviv takes 5–6 hours — practical for a multi-day festival stay, less so for a single night.
Israel’s major tourist areas — Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, Eilat — have operated normally throughout 2025–2026. Music festivals in these areas have continued with standard Israeli security arrangements (bag checks at entrances, security personnel on-site).
Always check your home government’s current travel advisory before travelling to Israel. The Is Israel safe to visit? guide covers the security context in more detail.
Meteor Festival typically takes place in September on the rim of Ramon Crater (Makhtesh Ramon) in the Negev desert. The exact dates shift by one or two weeks each year and are announced a few months in advance — check meteorfestival.co.il for the current year's confirmed dates. The festival runs over three to five days and includes camping on the crater rim. Tickets sell out, sometimes months ahead: buy as soon as dates are announced.
The main walking route through the Old City is free — no ticket is required. You simply arrive at the Old City during the festival's nightly operating hours (typically around 9pm to midnight) and walk the illuminated route. Some premium experiences, such as the Tower of David light show or specific indoor installations, may carry a separate charge. Check festivaloflight.co.il for the current year's programme. The festival runs for about ten consecutive nights each June.
Each festival sells tickets independently — there is no single Israel-wide ticketing hub. Meteor Festival tickets are sold via the official meteorfestival.co.il site; Tamar Festival through tamarmusicfest.com; Eilat Chamber Music Festival through eilatfestival.co.il; Tel Aviv Jazz through the official festival site. Many also list tickets on IsraTicket (israelticket.co.il) or Leaan (leaan.co.il), the two main Israeli ticketing platforms. Buy well in advance for Meteor and the Tower of David show, which both sell out. Ticket prices are correct only via official channels — verify before purchasing from third-party resellers.
The festival takes place in the Negev desert at roughly 900 metres altitude. Even in September, desert nights are cold — sometimes below 10°C after midnight. Bring a warm sleeping bag, layers, and a tent designed for wind (the crater rim can be gusty). A reusable water bottle is essential: the site has water stations but queues can form. Sturdy footwear matters since the terrain is rocky. The nearest town is Mitzpe Ramon, about 10 kilometres from the main stage area. Official shuttle buses from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem are the practical transport option — check the festival website for the current shuttle schedule.
The Tamar Festival is held at the Dead Sea shores (typically the Ein Bokek area) each October, usually over a long weekend of three or four days. Dates change slightly from year to year — check tamarmusicfest.com for confirmed dates. The acoustic quality in the desert silence is remarkable, and many visitors combine the festival with a morning float in the Dead Sea and a visit to Masada (30 minutes by car).
It varies. The Jerusalem Festival of Light is entirely family-friendly — it is a free, outdoor, walking experience that children enjoy. Tamar Festival and the Eilat Chamber Music Festival are suitable for older children with an interest in classical music. Meteor Festival is an electronic music event primarily aimed at adults; the late-night programme and camping format make it less practical for young children. The Tel Aviv Jazz Festival has daytime free street performances that families can enjoy alongside the evening ticketed shows.
By The Visit Israel Editorial Team · Last updated