What's on in Juba, South Sudan through the year

Quiet — school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in January.

Still on: Dry season (1 Dec – 15 Mar)

Quiet — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Dry season (1 Dec – 15 Mar)

Busy — Easter holidays, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

• Holiday

  Easter holidays

  20 Mar – 28 Apr · usuallyEaster & Holy WeekClosures

  Good Friday through Easter Monday are all public holidays, so government offices and most businesses close for four days while the churches fill; permits and paperwork need to be done before or after the long weekend. Source ↗

Still on: Dry season (1 Dec – 15 Mar)

Busy — Easter holidays, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in April.

Still on: Easter holidays (20 Mar – 28 Apr (usually))

Busy — SPLA Day, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

• Hazard

  Rainy-season road cuts

  15 May – 31 Oct · usuallyFlood season

  Juba's own streets stay passable, but the dirt roads beyond turn to deep mud and floodwater, cutting off towns for weeks. Overland trips out of the capital are rarely realistic; flights are the practical way to reach other towns. Source ↗

• Holiday

  SPLA Day

  16 MayNational holidayClosures

  A public holiday for the founding of the liberation army in 1983. Offices shut; official events at the John Garang Mausoleum are sometimes scaled down or cancelled, so do not count on a parade. Source ↗

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in June.

Still on: Rainy-season road cuts (15 May – 31 Oct (usually))

Peak crowds — Independence Day, Martyrs' Day

• Holiday

  Independence Day

  8–10 JulNational holidayClosuresCrowded

  9 July, for the 2011 separation from Sudan. Ministries, banks and markets shut and the centre is closed off for the official parade; security around the city is visibly heavier for a few days either side. Source ↗

• Holiday

  Martyrs' Day

  30 JulNational holidayClosures

  A public holiday on 30 July, the anniversary of John Garang's death in 2005, remembering those killed in the long war for independence; offices shut and commemorations gather at his mausoleum in Juba. Source ↗

Still on: Rainy-season road cuts (15 May – 31 Oct (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Rainy-season road cuts (15 May – 31 Oct (usually))

Busy — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in September.

Still on: Rainy-season road cuts (15 May – 31 Oct (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in October.

Still on: Rainy-season road cuts (15 May – 31 Oct (usually))

Busy — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in November.

Busy — Christmas, school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it

• Season

  Dry season

  1 Dec – 15 Mar

  The months the dirt roads out of the city hold and overland movement is realistic at all. It gets hot and hazy towards the end, with dust off the Nile plain and smoke from the burning grass.

• Holiday

  Christmas

  24–26 DecClosuresCrowded

  A largely Christian city and the biggest family occasion of the year. Offices and most businesses close, the churches are full on the morning, and flights in and out fill for a fortnight beforehand. Source ↗