buildwith.Sumpango giant kites
buildwith / experiences / sumpango-giant-kites
🪁 Americas · Guatemala

Sumpango Giant Kite Festival (Barriletes Gigantes)

USE/observe giant tissue-paper kites built by local barrilete groups.

Watch & buy localUse local gear
1 Nov 2026Next date
None listedNext deadline / key date
1 November (annual, Día de Todos los Santos)Usual timing
Sumpango, Sacatepéquez, GuatemalaWhere
01 · How to take part

Your way in

Attend; public kite-flying at the festival: Unconfirmed: no official source.

Watch & buy local

See giant kites built by local groups

Free entry. Local barrilete groups spend months building giant tissue-paper kites (UNESCO).

Use local gear

Fly a kite yourself

Public kite-flying at the festival: Unconfirmed: no official source.

You build or use
USE/observe giant tissue-paper kites built by local barrilete groups
Participation
Spectator+ / Use
Entry and deadlines
Free entry
Where
Sumpango, Sacatepéquez, Guatemala
02 · Dates

Dates and deadlines, Oct 2026 to Dec 2027

Usual timing: 1 November (annual, Día de Todos los Santos). Dates are only shown where a source publishes them; everything else is marked TBC.

  • 1 Nov 2026Sumpango Giant Kite Festival (Barriletes Gigantes)Held every 1 November (Govt of Guatemala). The 2026 programme isn't published yet. · sourceWatch & buy local
  • 1 Nov 2027Sumpango Giant Kite Festival (Barriletes Gigantes)Held every 1 November (Govt of Guatemala). · sourceWatch & buy local

See it on the calendar →

03 · Skills you'll need

Skills you'll need

What to learn and practise before you go. Each resource is marked Official or Community-accepted and names its publisher. Difficulty and prep time are our estimate.

Core skill

Understanding giant-kite (barrilete) construction: tissue-paper canvas, bamboo frame, fringes, tail and 'brakes'

Also useful:

  • Flying your own kite (public flying at the festival: Unconfirmed: no official source)
  • Crowd safety near giant kite launches
Difficulty our estimateBeginner (spectator plus your own kite)
Prep time our estimate1 hour reading; optional kite-making evening

Difficulty and prep time are Curiosta editorial estimates for a first-timer, not organiser figures.

Refresher

  1. Barrilete groups work from July to 31 October: they agree a design, scale it up, make the canvas from coloured tissue paper (papel de china), add a lined edge with cord, then lash it to a bamboo (caña de castilla) frame overnight on 31 Oct–1 Nov.
  2. Fringes and a tail give stability, and rope 'brakes' help control flight; giants (2–22 m) may be exhibited rather than flown.
  3. The kites carry community messages and honour the ancestors on All Saints' Day; treat the field and the nearby cemetery with respect.
  4. Watch launches from behind the marked lines: big kites can fall unpredictably.
  5. For your own kite: open space, back to the wind, gloves for strong pull, and never fly near the giant-kite area or power lines.

Practise before you go

  • Make a small hexagonal tissue-paper-and-bamboo kite at home to understand the technique.
  • Fly a simple kite in a park in gusty wind to practise control.
  • Read the Ministry of Culture's description of the technique (Spanish).

Safety notes

  • Stay behind lines at giant-kite launches.
  • Large crowds; plan transport and meeting points.
  • Respect the cemetery and the ceremonies on 1 November.

Resources

Officialofficial event site (Spanish)

Festival de Sumpango – barriletes gigantes

The organising committee's site: groups, history, programme updates.

Publisher: Comité Permanente de Barriletes Gigantes de Sumpango (organiser)

Officialofficial government article (Spanish)

Técnica de elaboración de los barriletes gigantes de Santiago y Sumpango

Step-by-step description of how the giant kites are designed and built.

Publisher: Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes de Guatemala

Officialofficial heritage listing (UNESCO)

Technique of making the giant kites of Santiago Sacatepéquez and Sumpango – UNESCO

English description of the craft and its meaning (inscribed 2024).

Publisher: UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Section

Officialofficial safety page (national association)

Kite Safety

General kite-field safety for flying your own kite.

Publisher: American Kitefliers Association (AKA), US national kite association

Note

The 2026 programme isn't published yet.

See also the skills guide: Kite basics → · All skills guides

04 · Check before you go

What we could and couldn't confirm

Before you book

  • Held every 1 November; the 2026 programme isn't published yet.
  • Costs are not listed on buildwith. Check them, and the latest dates, on the official site.