Nauryz (March 21–23)
The Kazakh New Year, celebrated at the spring equinox, is the biggest and most important festival in the country. It predates Islam by several thousand years — its roots are in Zoroastrian traditions — and was banned during the Soviet era before being revived with independence. Today it's a three-day public holiday.
In cities and villages alike, people set up yurts in public squares, prepare Nauryz kozhe (a soup made from seven symbolic ingredients), hold horse games and wrestling competitions, and dress in traditional clothes. In Almaty and Astana the celebrations are large-scale and worth catching. If you can be anywhere in Kazakhstan on March 22, be there.
Eagle Hunting Festivals
Berkutchi — eagle hunters — have been practicing their craft on the Kazakh steppe for at least 4,000 years. They train golden eagles to hunt foxes, hares, and wolves, a relationship that takes years to develop. UNESCO recognized the tradition as intangible cultural heritage in 2016.
Eagle hunting demonstrations and competitions are held in the Almaty region and western Kazakhstan, particularly in autumn when the birds are at their hunting peak. Several tour operators organize eagle hunting experiences from Almaty.
Kokpar
Not exactly a festival, but a spectacle worth knowing about. Kokpar (also called buzkashi in other Central Asian countries) is a traditional horseback game where riders compete to drag a goat carcass across a goal line. It's fast, violent, and deeply embedded in Kazakh culture. Matches are held at major national holidays and regional festivals; the atmosphere is raucous and the skill of the riders is extraordinary.
Independence Day (December 16)
Kazakhstan declared independence from the Soviet Union on December 16, 1991 — this is the national holiday celebrated most officially. Parades, concerts, and fireworks in the major cities.