It was the celebration of the winter solstice – the shortest day of the year in terms of the time between sunrise and sunset – and the Inca New Year, when the hours of light would begin to lengthen again. Celebrated on June 24, the Inti Raymi was the most important festival of the Inca Empire, as described by Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, and took place in the Haukaypata, the main square of Cusco.
Today, the festival is recognized as the second-largest festival in South America and the most important and well-attended celebration of the year in Cusco, attracting thousands of visitors from across Peru and around the world.