Art-Gene Folk Festival
A folk music, craft and food festival held among the historic houses of Tbilisi's open-air ethnographic museum.
Open Air Museum of EthnographyPhoto: Jonathan Cardy, CC BY-SA 3.0Art-Gene was founded in 2004 to celebrate Georgia's regional traditions, from polyphonic singing to woodcarving and felt making. For several days the wooden and stone houses of the open-air ethnographic museum, above Turtle Lake, become stages for village choirs, dance groups and modern bands with folk roots. Craftspeople sell their work and regional cooks serve dishes from across the country.
Evenings are lively, with headline concerts after sunset. In 2026 the festival ran from 23 to 26 July, with four-day and single-day tickets.
- Combine it with Turtle Lake and a cable car ride from Vake Park.
- Bring cash for craft stalls.
- Evening concerts finish late; arrange a taxi back down the hill.
Where to see it
Last checked Oct 2026 by the Maspindzeli team. Mountain conditions change: ask us before you go.
More in July and after
Tusheti's main summer feast cycle at the village shrines, with sheep sacrifice, beer brewing, horse races and song.
Jul 2027 (day to be announced)Black Sea Jazz Festival (Batumi)Batumi's summer jazz festival, which has brought international jazz, soul and funk names to the coast since 2007.
28 Jul 2027 (expected)Kvirikoba (Kala, Svaneti)Svaneti's most sacred feast, held at a remote 10th-century church above the village of Kala.