Since 2024 the festival has been held at Playtime Field in Nalaikh, not the Gachuurt Valley.
In the room
The experience
About 50 km from Ulaanbaatar, on the steppe at Playtime Field in Nalaikh, every July there is Playtime. The festival used the Gachuurt Valley from 2009 to 2023 and moved to Nalaikh in 2024. Three days of programming on a stage built into the grassland with the wind coming straight off the steppe and nothing behind it for two hundred miles. The lineup runs the entire Mongolian rock and indie scene plus an opening sacred-music programme that features throat-singing ensembles and morin khuur (horse-head fiddle) players. The camping is in gers. The food is mutton on coals. The night sky is the most-stars-per-square-mile sky in Asia.
Insider tip
Walk in knowing
The opening day's throat-singing programme often features the country's best khöömei vocalists. Don't skip it for the main rock stages.
Why it fits
Why it is in the atlas
Mongolia's only credible entry. Steppe-and-throat-singing slot, the only festival on Earth where you camp in gers and listen to the wind between sets.
Plan the trip
When to go, hours, getting there
Best time to go
Annual, three days in early July. Mongolian summer is the comfortable listening season. The opening day's throat-singing programme is the editorial peak.
Hours
Annual three-day festival, July. Camping on the steppe in gers. Daytime workshops and throat-singing 10:00 to 17:00; main rock and indie programme 17:00 to midnight.
Getting there
Fly Ulaanbaatar (UBN) and travel about 50 km to Playtime Field in Nalaikh. Check the festival's channels for shuttles from Ulaanbaatar centre.
Straight from the source
Official site and tickets
Dates, line-ups and tickets come from the organiser. Opens playtimefestival.com in a new tab.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Where is Playtime Festival?
Playtime Festival is in Nalaikh, Mongolia. Coordinates: 47.7725, 107.2536.
Is Playtime Festival open?
Since 2024 the festival has been held at Playtime Field in Nalaikh, not the Gachuurt Valley.
What kind of music is at Playtime Festival?
Playtime Festival programmes Indie, Rock, Mongolian Folk. Mongolia's flagship music festival, held since 2024 at Playtime Field in Nalaikh, about 50 km from Ulaanbaatar (Gachuurt Valley, 2009 to 2023). Three days each July.
When is the best time to visit Playtime Festival?
Annual, three days in early July. Mongolian summer is the comfortable listening season. The opening day's throat-singing programme is the editorial peak.
How do I get to Playtime Festival?
Fly Ulaanbaatar (UBN) and travel about 50 km to Playtime Field in Nalaikh. Check the festival's channels for shuttles from Ulaanbaatar centre.
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Stay
Book somewhere to stay nearby
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