Havana Carnival - In late February and early March features parades in front of the Capitolio or along the Malecón on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings.

Jornadas de la Cultura Camagüeyana - scheduled for the first two weeks of February.

Havana International Jazz Festival - happens every second year in February.

Semana de la Cultura celebrated in April in Baracoa.

Electroacoustic Music Festival in April in Varadero.

Romería de Mayo - during the first week of May in Holguin.

Fiestas Sanjuaneras - at the end of June in Trinidad.

Carnival is celebrated in Santiago de Cuba during the last two weeks of July and the first week of August to coincide with the holidays around July 26. Carnival marks the end of the sugar harvest and originated as a period in which the slaves were allowed to celebrate. For those 10 days the drum is king.

Festival of Caribbean Culture is celebrated in June or July in cities across Cuba.

Havana Festival of Contemporary Music - a ten day event in October.

Semana de la Cultura Trinitaria happens in Trinidad in late November.

International Festival of Latin American Film is held in Havana in December of each year.

Public Holidays

1 January - Liberation Day
1 May - Labor Day
25-27 July - Celebration of the National Rebellion
10 October - Day of Cuban Culture
Note that Christmas Day has been observed as a public holiday since the Pope's visit in 1997