Abu Simbel Sun Festival 2025 in Egypt

The Sun Temple in Abu Simbel is a magnificent structure of the Pharaohs of Egypt. Twice a year, it becomes the venue for the Sun Festival—on the 22nd of February and exactly eight months later, on the 22nd of October. The sun’s rays illuminate the inner sanctum of the temple on these days.

Abu Simbel Sun Festival Ceremony

This incredible phenomenon gives a spectacular sight: the light that streams into the complex reflects on the statue of Ramses II and the Sun God’s seated statues, illuminating the entire place and highlighting the brilliant architecture. It’s interesting, but the sun illuminates statues of Amun-Re, Re-Herakhte, and Ramses, the god, while the statue of Ptah, the god of darkness, remains in the shadows.

From early morning, crowds of people assemble in the temple to watch the sunrise as it slowly creeps through the inner Hypostyle Hall and through to the sanctuary. Tourists from all across come to the much-celebrated Sun Festival. This unusual phenomenon proves the immense knowledge of astronomy and technology that ancient Egyptians applied to make such a construction.

After this spectacle, people move to the streets, where they perform traditional Nubian dances, live music and delicious food, continuing the celebration until the end of the day.

Abu Simbel Sun Festival Dates

The Abu Simbel Sun Festival takes place twice a year: on October 22 and February 22. It is believed that the temple was built so that the statue of Ramses II was illuminated by the sun's rays only two days a year—allegedly on the anniversary of Ramses' ascension to the throne and on his birthday, which fall on February 21 and October 21. But over time, the dates moved by one day.