Each year, Villavicencio hosts the International "Joropo" Tournament (Festival Internacional del Joropo", an event founded in 1962 by Araucanian musician and composer Miguel Ángel Martín, which has become one of the most prominent and representative events of "llanero" culture and the most important music festival in the region.

During the tournament, there are singing competitions, performances on traditional instruments like the harp, "cuatro", and maracas, and joropo dance contests, where couples showcase their skill in this fast-paced dance with agile footwork.

In mid-October, taking advantage of the school recess week, although it has traditionally been celebrated in December, Villavicencio hosts the Llanero Festival (Festival Llanero), an event that pays homage to the rich and diverse culture of the Colombian eastern plains in all its varied expressions.

In November the municipality of Mesetas in the west of the department of Meta, about 130 kilometers from Villavicencio, celebrates its La Meseta de Oro Folkloric and Tourist Festival (Festival Folclórico y Turístico La Meseta de Oro), one of the most significant events in the local festive calendar and a celebration of the typical culture of the eastern Colombian plains.
 

Every March, the municipality of Cumaral, located in the foothills of the Meta plains, hosts the World Cowboy Festival (Festival de La Vaquería), an event held since 2007.

During the event, contestants from countries like Mexico, the United States, Panama, and various departments of the Colombian eastern plains compete in bull tailing, a traditional regional sport that involves taking down a bull by its tail, as well as in traditional cowboy rope events.

In October, the municipality of Granada celebrates its traditional "Llanera" Harvest Festival (Festival de la Cosecha Llanera), a celebration in which the people of this town in Meta pay homage to their culture and agricultural heritage.

The festival, celebrated for over 60 years and formally institutionalized in 1994, is known for its iconic float parade, where the residents of Granada showcase their talent by creating incredible animal figures using typical regional products.

At the beginning of the year, the Summer Festival (Festival de Verano Travesía Río Ariari) takes place in the municipality of Granada, one of the most anticipated events on the town's festive calendar.

The main event of the festival is the Ararí River crossing, a journey made on floats along the waters of this emblematic body of water in the region.

In July, Santa Marta celebrates its Sea Festival (Fiestas Del Mar), a highly anticipated event in the festive calendar of the Magdalena capital, featuring a diverse program of activities.

The festival includes a variety of sports, cultural, and recreational activities that attract both locals and tourists.

Every July the municipality of Ciénaga, Magdalena, celebrates the Guillermo de Jesús Buitrago Guitar Music Festival, a musical event declared Cultural Heritage of the Nation, founded in 1997 and named in honor of that great musician and composer from Ciénaga.
 
The central event of the festival is the competitions. One of the guitar trios is held in the children's, amateur and professional categories in which young and experienced guitarists compete showing their skill and versatility with the guitar. 

In January, the Caimán Cienaguero Festival (Festival Nacional del Caimán Cienaguero) is celebrated in the municipality of Ciénaga, one of the most representative festivities of the department of Magdalena and the entire Colombian Caribbean coast.

The festival originates from a local legend in Ciénaga, according to which, in the late 19th century, Tomasita, the daughter of a fishing family, was devoured by a caiman. In response, the inhabitants of Puebloviejo avenged her by killing the animal, which was then carried back to the fishermen’s house on a platform.

Every August, the municipality of El Banco in the south of Magdalena, surrounded by the Zapatosa and Chilloa swamps, hosts the National Cumbia Festival (Festival Nacional de La Cumbia), a celebration with forty years of tradition named in honor of maestro José Barros, a famous composer from El Banco, which pays tribute to this rhythm typical of the Colombian Caribbean.