Souq Okaz
Souq Okaz takes place Dates vary yearly (recent editions in summer; check Visit Saudi for the next season) in Taif, Saudi Arabia. The dress code is Modest, casual warm-weather dress; the site is largely open-air. Free to attend; budget up to 100 EUR per person for hospitality and extras.
A modern revival of the legendary pre-Islamic poetry and trade fair of Okaz, held on dedicated grounds outside the cool mountain city of Taif. Poetry competitions, crafts, theatre and heritage performances celebrate the deepest roots of Arabic literary culture - little known internationally but resonant across the Arab world.
- When
- Dates vary yearly (recent editions in summer; check Visit Saudi for the next season)
- Where
- Taif, Saudi Arabia
- Dress code
- Modest, casual warm-weather dress; the site is largely open-air
- Cost
- Free to attend; budget up to 100 EUR per person for hospitality and extras.
- Weather
- 20 - 32C, noticeably cooler than the lowlands at Taif's ~1,900m altitude
- When to book
- No advance tickets for general entry; confirm festival dates via Visit Saudi before planning travel
- Getting there
- TIF (Taif), ~30 min to the Souq Okaz site
- Where to stay
- Awaliv International Hotel Taif, Le Meridien Al Hada
- Official site
- https://www.visitsaudi.com
How to attend
General entry to the Souq Okaz grounds is free or low-cost, with some ticketed performances. Drive up from Jeddah or Mecca (about 1.5 - 2 hours) or base in Taif city. Dates shift year to year and editions have paused before, so verify the current season through Visit Saudi before booking anything.
No dates have been announced for the next edition and there is no working official ticket page, so there is nothing to book.
Insider tip
Pair the festival with Taif's rose farms and the Al Hada mountain road - the cool highland air is the reason Saudis summer here.
Get inside Souq Okaz
Booking matters here: no advance tickets for general entry; confirm festival dates via Visit Saudi before planning travel. Members track that window, what it really costs, and 573 more events across the season.
Free while in beta. One email when your invitation is ready, nothing else.