What's on in Yekaterinburg, Russia through the year

Busy — New Year holidays, school holidays in 7 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in January.

Still on: Ice sculpture season (20 Dec – 25 Feb (usually)), New Year holidays (31 Dec – 8 Jan)

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

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Ice sculpture season (20 Dec – 25 Feb (usually))

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

Nothing new starts in March.

Shoulder season — school holidays in 6 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in April.

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

Nothing new starts in May.

Busy — Ural Music Night, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

• Festival

  Ural Music Night

  20 Jun – 5 Jul · usuallyMajor festivalCrowded

  One night in late June when a few hundred stages appear across the city — courtyards, church steps, the tram depot — and everything is free until sunrise. The shortest night of the year is the excuse. Source ↗

Peak crowds — Ural Music Night, Tsar's Days procession

• Festival

  Tsar's Days procession

  15–19 JulMajor festivalCrowdedClosures

  On the night of 16–17 July, the anniversary of the Romanov killings, tens of thousands walk the twenty-one kilometres from the church built over the cellar out to the mine at Ganina Yama. Central roads close for it. Source ↗

Still on: Ural Music Night (20 Jun – 5 Jul (usually))

Busy — school holidays in 7 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

• Season

  Mushroom and berry season

  1 Aug – 25 Sep · usuallyForaging season

  The pine forest starts where the tram lines stop, and after the August rains half the city is out in it with buckets for boletes, chanterelles and lingonberries. Roadside sellers on the way in are the giveaway that it is on.

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

Nothing new starts in September.

Still on: Mushroom and berry season (1 Aug – 25 Sep (usually))

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

Nothing new starts in October.

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

Nothing new starts in November.

Busy — New Year holidays, school holidays in 7 of the markets that fill it

• Season

  Ice sculpture season

  20 Dec – 25 Feb · usuallyIce season

  Blocks cut from the ponds go up as a temporary town in the centre and stay solid until the thaw takes them, which is usually late February. It is lit at night, which is when most of the city is out anyway.

• Holiday

  New Year holidays

  31 Dec – 8 JanNational holidayClosuresCrowded

  The country takes the first week of January off, and here it is spent at the ice town built on the square by the dam — carved slides, a snow maze and a queue for hot food. A lot of ordinary places are shut all week. Source ↗