- Tbilisoba is Tbilisi's annual city festival: a free, two-day street celebration with food and wine stands, concerts, folk dance and children's events in the Old Town and along the Mtkvari river.
- Tbilisoba 2026 took place on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 October, announced by Tbilisi City Hall about two weeks before.
- Since 2022 the festival has been held on a weekend at the turn of September and October; Tbilisoba 2027 is expected on the first weekend of October (likely 2-3 October 2027), to be confirmed by City Hall.
- Older guidebooks and some official pages still say the last weekend of October, which was the Soviet-era and 2000s tradition, not the current pattern.
- Pair it with the grape harvest in Kakheti and with Svetitskhovloba in Mtskheta on 14 October for a full autumn trip.
Tbilisoba is the yearly festival of Tbilisi, Georgia's capital, and in 2026 it was held on 3 and 4 October. For one weekend the city closes streets in the historic centre, puts up stages in parks and squares, and fills the riverbank with wine, grilled meat, churchkhela and music. Entry is free, and most of the crowd is local families rather than tourists, which is exactly what makes it fun to join.
The date moves every year and is announced only a few weeks ahead, which is why travel sites disagree about it. This guide gives the recent dates, the expected 2027 weekend, where the events take place, what to expect from the programme, and practical tips on crowds, transport and where to stay. We also show how to build a longer autumn trip around it, with the harvest in Kakheti and the Mtskheta feast day a short drive away.
When is Tbilisoba? 2026 and 2027 dates
Tbilisoba has no fixed calendar date. Tbilisi City Hall picks a weekend each year, and the mayor usually announces it at a municipal government meeting in September. In 2026 the festival ran on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 October, and the announcement came out on about 22 September.
For 2027, the recent pattern points to the first weekend of October, which would be Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 October 2027. Treat that as a forecast: the city has shifted the date before, most recently in 2025, when Tbilisoba moved forward to 20-21 September because local elections were scheduled for 4 October.
| Year | Tbilisoba dates | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1-2 October | First edition after a two-year pause |
| 2023 | 30 September - 1 October | Weekend straddling the two months |
| 2024 | 5-6 October | Rike Park, Orbeliani Square and Abanotubani |
| 2025 | 20-21 September | Moved early because of 4 October local elections |
| 2026 | 3-4 October | Spread over five zones in the historic centre |
| 2027 | Expected 2-3 October | Not yet announced; check City Hall in September 2027 |
What is Tbilisoba? A short history
The name simply means "Tbilisi day", in the same way that Mtskhetoba is the day of Mtskheta and Batumoba the day of Batumi. The first Tbilisoba took place on 28 October 1979 in Soviet Georgia, launched on the initiative of Eduard Shevardnadze, then the republic's Communist Party leader. It was framed as a celebration of the city's roughly 1,500 years and of the autumn harvest, and from the start villages and regions sent produce, wine and performers to the capital.
The festival lapsed during the turmoil of the early 1990s and returned in 1995. Through the 2000s it grew into a big harvest fair, with each region setting up stalls of its own wine, cheese and sweets. It was not held in 2020 and 2021: first because of the pandemic, then because the city redirected the budget to families affected by the Batumi building collapse in September 2021.
Today Tbilisoba is run by the city as a free public festival. It also has a formal side: each year City Hall names new honorary citizens of Tbilisi, usually at an evening ceremony broadcast live on television. In 2026 that ceremony was set for 8 pm on Sunday 4 October.
Where Tbilisoba takes place in Tbilisi
Events cluster in the old city on both banks of the Mtkvari river, all within a 20 to 30 minute walk of each other. The exact list of venues changes every year. In 2026 the city used five zones:
- Rike Park and Europe Square, on the left bank below Narikala: the biggest stage, food and wine areas and the evening concerts.
- The Metekhi Bridge area, linking the river zone with the bath district.
- Orbeliani Square in the Old Town, used in recent years for children's concerts, a market and wine stands.
- Gudiashvili Square, the restored nineteenth-century square in the Old Town.
- Leghvtakhevi, the narrow gorge with a waterfall above the sulphur baths.
In 2024 the main zones were Rike Park, Orbeliani Square and Abanotubani, the bath district, which hosted a craft and sales fair. Expect a similar mix in 2027: a large riverside zone for music and food, plus smaller squares in the Old Town for crafts, children's programmes and quieter performances.
What to do at Tbilisoba: food, wine and music
Eat and drink like a Tbilisi family
Food is the heart of the weekend. Look for mtsvadi (pork or veal skewers grilled over vine cuttings), khachapuri, kubdari from Svaneti, fresh churchkhela strung from stall roofs, and tklapi, the thin fruit leather. Early October falls right in the grape harvest, so young wine, grape juice and chacha are poured everywhere, and some years the city sets up a dedicated wine festival area in Rike Park.
Music, dance and theatre
Daytime stages tend to host folk ensembles, polyphonic choirs and dance groups in regional costume, plus children's concerts and sports activities. Evenings switch to Georgian pop and rock acts on the main stage, and in 2026 the programme in each zone closed with a concert or a theatre performance. An open-air cinema has featured in both 2024 and 2026.
Crafts and markets
Craft and entrepreneur markets sell enamel jewellery, felt, ceramics, carpets, honey and spices. Prices are often better than in the souvenir shops on Shardeni Street, and you can talk to the person who made the piece.
Tips for visiting Tbilisoba
- Check the programme a week before
City Hall publishes the full programme on its official website and social media shortly before the weekend. Concert times, venues and the honorary citizens ceremony all appear there. - Come early in the day
Saturday and Sunday afternoons get very crowded in Rike Park and on the bridges. Late morning is the easiest time to eat and browse, and the evening is for concerts. - Use the metro and your feet
Streets around the river and the Old Town are partly closed to traffic for the weekend, and Bolt prices rise. Avlabari metro station is a short walk down to Europe Square and Rike Park; Liberty Square station is closest to the Old Town zones. - Dress for a long day
Early October in Tbilisi usually means days around 20 to 22 C and cool evenings near 11 C. Wear shoes with grip for the cobbles and steep lanes, and bring a light jacket. - Mind pockets and children
Tbilisi is a safe city, but the riverside crowds at evening concerts are dense. Agree a meeting point, such as the Bridge of Peace, if you are in a group.
Where to stay for Tbilisoba
Stay within walking distance of the river and you will barely need transport all weekend. The Old Town around Abanotubani and Kala puts you between all the festival zones, but it is the loudest choice at night. Sololaki, just above Freedom Square, has quieter streets with nineteenth-century houses and is a 10 minute walk downhill to the action. Avlabari, on the left bank, is handy for Rike Park and has good views back over the Old Town.
Early October is high season in Tbilisi, with the harvest and conference traffic overlapping, so book rooms as soon as the date is announced. If you arrive mid-week, Vera and Marjanishvili are well connected by metro and usually cheaper. Our guide to things to do in Tbilisi covers the neighbourhoods in more detail.
Combine Tbilisoba with the harvest and other October festivals
Tbilisoba sits in the best stretch of the Georgian autumn, and it is easy to turn one weekend into a week or more:
- Rtveli, the grape harvest, usually runs from mid-September to mid-October in Kakheti. Families still pick by hand and press grapes in the cellar, and visitors are welcome to join in. Telavi, Sighnaghi and the villages of the Alazani valley are 2 to 2.5 hours from Tbilisi by car.
- Svetitskhovloba, or Mtskhetoba, falls every year on 14 October in Mtskheta, 25 km from Tbilisi, with a big liturgy at Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and a fair in town. It is a public holiday in Georgia.
- Autumn colour peaks in the mountains in early to mid October, so a day in Kazbegi is at its most photogenic before the first snow settles.
Because every Maspindzeli tour is private, it can start on any date and with any group size, so you can fit it around the Tbilisoba weekend once the city confirms it. Our guide to the best time to visit Georgia covers the rest of the autumn calendar.
Missed Tbilisoba? Tbilisi in October anyway
If your dates do not line up, October is still one of the best months in the city. The heat of summer is gone, the markets are full of pomegranates, persimmons, walnuts and new wine, and the wine bars pour their first young bottles from the harvest. Dry Bridge market and the Dezerter Bazaar are at their most colourful.
For a taste of the festival mood, look for village feast days around the country, or for a supra with a folk ensemble at a family restaurant. A short day trip to Mtskheta or a harvest day in Kakheti gives you the countryside side of the season that Tbilisoba brings to the capital.
Tbilisoba FAQ
When is Tbilisoba 2026?
Tbilisoba 2026 was held on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 October 2026, across five zones in Tbilisi's historic centre including Rike Park, Europe Square, Orbeliani Square, Gudiashvili Square and Leghvtakhevi.
When is Tbilisoba 2027?
The date is not announced yet. Going by 2022-2026, expect Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 October 2027. Tbilisi City Hall usually confirms the weekend in September.
Is Tbilisoba in late October or early October?
Both have been true. For much of its history it was a late-October event, and many guides were written in that era. The current habit, every year from 2022, is a weekend between 20 September and 6 October.
Is Tbilisoba free?
Yes. The street events, concerts and fairs are free and open to everyone. You pay only for food, drink and anything you buy at the stalls.
Where is the main Tbilisoba stage?
In recent years the largest stage and food area has been in Rike Park on the left bank of the Mtkvari, below Narikala Fortress, with more events in the Old Town squares and around Abanotubani.
Is Tbilisoba a public holiday?
It falls on a weekend, so most shops and restaurants stay open. Expect road closures in the centre, and note that 14 October, Svetitskhovloba in Mtskheta, is a national day off.
Is Tbilisoba good for children?
Yes. Daytime programmes include children's concerts, games and sports activities, and the riverside parks have space to run. Evenings are crowded and loud, so plan an early night with small children.
What should I eat at Tbilisoba?
Try mtsvadi grilled over vine cuttings, fresh churchkhela, khachapuri and regional cheeses, and taste the young wine of the new harvest. Many stands are run by producers from Kakheti, Imereti and other regions.
