Festivals and Events in Nairobi: 5 to Know

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5 real Nairobi events, dates to double-check

Kenya’s calendar has a few genuinely well-established fixtures worth planning around, alongside recurring festival brands whose exact dates shift year to year. None of these are confirmed enough here to book flights around blindly, treat the specifics as a starting point and confirm current listings closer to your trip. None of them override the safety basics either, a public holiday or a big race weekend means bigger crowds downtown, and bigger crowds are exactly where pickpocketing risk goes up, so budget a little extra caution alongside the extra excitement.

  1. Jamhuri Day, December 12. Kenya’s independence day, marking the December 12, 1963 flag-raising at what’s now Uhuru Gardens, celebrated with parades, speeches, and public events across the city. Expect closures and crowds around central venues.
  2. The Nairobi Marathon. An annual road race through the city, typically run in the back half of the year, that draws both serious runners and charity fundraisers (exact 2026 date and route, verify). Hotels near the start/finish area fill up fast on race weekend.
  3. Safari Rally Kenya. A round of the World Rally Championship, revived on the WRC calendar in 2021, run mostly around Naivasha and Nakuru rather than inside Nairobi itself, but Nairobi is the usual base for travelers following it (exact 2026 dates, verify).
  4. Koroga Festival. A recurring Kenyan food-and-live-music festival brand with a genuine following, typically staged outdoors with local and East African acts (current 2026 schedule, verify).
  5. Blankets & Wine. A long-running outdoor live-music event series across East Africa, including Nairobi, usually a monthly or occasional Sunday-afternoon picnic-style show (current 2026 dates and venue, verify).

Read more: our Nairobi travel tips guide has the practical safety and money basics that apply on any of these dates, crowds are also when pickpocketing risk goes up, so keep valuables close at any large public gathering.

If your dates land on Jamhuri Day or a marathon weekend, check Nairobi hotel availability on Booking.com early, and for a guided cultural angle on Kenyan music and food outside festival season, browse Nairobi culture tours on GetYourGuide .

For what else fills the calendar outside these dates, see our main Nairobi guide and the things to do guide . If in doubt on a specific date, a quick search for the event name plus the current year beats trusting any single list, festival schedules here move.