Moscow Fish Week is an annual gastronomic festival held in late May and early June as part of the city’s Moscow Seasons program. Producers from the Black Sea coast to the Far East bring fish and seafood to chalets and a large fish market in the center, and the program adds special restaurant menus, cooking classes, concerts and fishing contests.
The central venues have been the passage between Manezhnaya Square and Revolution Square, Revolution Square, Klimentovsky Lane and Tverskoy Boulevard, with more sites in the districts. Entry is free, and the program, the venues and the dates change each year, so check the official city sources for the current edition.
Quick Facts
| Russian name | Фестиваль «Рыбная неделя» |
|---|---|
| Type | Recurring event |
| When | Every year in late spring, usually from late May into early June, as part of the city's Moscow Seasons festivals; the dates and venues change each year. |
| Typical duration | About ten days in late May and early June. |
| Address | The passage between Manezhnaya Square and Revolution Square, with other fish-market sites in central Moscow and the districts OpenStreetMap · Google Maps |
| District | Tverskoy |
| Metro | Okhotny Ryad (Sokolnicheskaya Line (Line 1, red), A central station beside Manezhnaya Square and the passage to Revolution Square, the usual fish-market site; the exit and the walking time were not verified) Ploshchad Revolyutsii (Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya Line (Line 3, dark blue), A central station at Revolution Square, the other end of the passage; the exit and the walking time were not verified) Teatralnaya (Zamoskvoretskaya Line (Line 2, green), A central station near Revolution Square; the exit and the walking time were not verified) |
| Admission | Entering the festival markets and venues is free. Fish, seafood and food are paid at the sellers' own prices, and restaurant menus are paid at the restaurants' own prices. |
| Best time to visit | Weekday afternoons are the quietest, and weekend afternoons the busiest. The festival runs in late spring, usually from late May into early June. Central venues open in the morning and close in the evening. Crowd patterns were not verified. |
| Last updated | October 7, 2026 |
Dates, programs and prices change from year to year. Always check the official website for the current edition.
Why Visit Moscow Fish Week?
The festival is a concentrated tasting of Russian seafood: smoked, dried, salted and fresh fish, wild salmon, Far Eastern sardines, crab and shellfish, often sold directly by producers who explain how it is caught and prepared. It is also a rare chance to try fish dishes cooked on the spot by chefs in free demonstrations and classes.
The program is also family-friendly, with entertainment, children’s competitions and street performances, and special fish menus in participating restaurants. Crowds are large on weekends, and prices were not verified. Visitors who do not eat fish will find little to buy, but the atmosphere and the side program remain.
What to Expect at Moscow Fish Week
The city sets up a fish market and a number of trade chalets on central squares and streets, with producers from many regions of Russia selling fish and seafood directly. In recent editions the festival has offered hundreds of kinds of fish and seafood, smoked, dried and freshly frozen, with a main fish market in the passage between Manezhnaya Square and Revolution Square, sometimes with an auction for small and medium-sized businesses.
The program usually adds free cooking classes and shows, special fish menus in dozens of restaurants, concerts including jazz, street theater, sports and, in some editions, fishing championships in city parks and paddle-board regattas on the Moskva River. Shops and retail chains across the city join in with discounts and tastings. Central venues are open daily until the evening. The program changes each year.
Highlights of Moscow Fish Week
The fish market between Manezhnaya Square and Revolution Square
The main market of the festival has been set up in the passage that links the two squares, with chalets selling smoked, dried, salted and fresh fish, caviar and shellfish from producers across Russia. It is the busiest site and the easiest to find. Prices were not verified. See the Moscow Spring Festival and Golden Autumn Festival in Moscow guides on this site for other seasonal food events.
Tip: Go in the early afternoon on a weekday for shorter queues.
Revolution Square
Revolution Square has hosted a market of its own, with wild Pacific salmon in several kinds and Far Eastern sardines in one edition, and an entertainment program with jazz and a street play. It sits next to the passage, so the two sites can be seen together. The venues change each year.
Tip: Ask sellers which fish is best for eating that day and how it is smoked.
Cooking classes and chef shows
The festival offers free cooking classes and shows where chefs prepare fish dishes and share techniques, for adults and children, with hundreds of classes in recent editions. Classes are usually first come, first served and held mostly in Russian. Check the current program for sites and times.
Tip: Arrive early for popular classes, since places are limited.
Special fish menus in restaurants
Dozens of restaurants across the city, in one edition fifty of the best, prepare special fish menus during the festival. This is a good way to try cooked fish without shopping. Participants and prices change each year, and none are given here. See the restaurant guides on this site for individual places.
Tip: Check the list of participants on the official city portal and book ahead.
Klimentovsky Lane and Tverskoy Boulevard
Smaller festival sites have been set up on Klimentovsky Lane in Zamoskvorechye and on Tverskoy Boulevard, with chalets, workshops and entertainment. They are less crowded than the central market. See the Zamoskvorechye and Tverskoy guides on this site.
Tip: Use these sites for a calmer visit when the central market is crowded.
Fishing championships and river events
In some editions the festival has held open fishing championships in city parks and paddle-board regattas on the Moskva River, with free rides and entertainment at the main sites. These sports events are usually for registered participants, while spectators can watch. See the How to take a Moskva River cruise guide on this site.
Tip: Check the sports schedule separately, since these events are held away from the central market.
What It Means for Your Visit
Fish Week is not a public holiday, so museums, shops and transport work as usual. The effects are local: central pedestrian areas and squares can be busy on weekends and warm afternoons, with queues at popular stalls and sections of the squares used for the market. In recent editions central venues have been open from about 11:00 to 21:00 on weekdays and from 10:00 to 21:00 on weekends, with district venues opening a little later, though hours change each year.
Fish is perishable, so buy late in the day if you will travel with it. Check the official city sources for the current dates, venues and hours, since they change every year.
Atmosphere
On a warm late-spring afternoon the passage smells of smoke and brine: ice-packed counters with silvery fish, red salmon fillets, glass jars of caviar, steaming kettles and grills at the food court. Sellers call out prices and cut samples, and families queue with paper bags.
Beyond the market there are jazz notes from a stage, a chef demonstrating in an open kitchen and children waiting for their turn at a contest. Weekend crowds are thick, and weekday mornings are calmer. The crowd varies by day and no figures were verified.
History of Moscow Fish Week
Fish Week is a gastronomic festival of the city of Moscow, part of the Moscow Seasons series of street events. It was first held in 2015 and became a regular event in late spring, with its fourth edition in 2018 at seven locations with almost 140 chalets and over a hundred kinds of smoked, dried and fresh fish and seafood.
In its early years the festival also became part of the larger Golden Autumn food cycle, when a fish site on Kuznetsky Most Street alone sold more than 70 tonnes of fish and seafood. In later spring editions the festival had seven venues, with about 100 species of fish brought by 50 enterprises from the Black Sea to the Far East, a fish market with an auction for small and medium-sized businesses, and free cooking classes and shows.
The city reported more than two million visitors in one spring edition. In 2022 and later, the festival grew to over a hundred fish markets and fairs, hundreds of kinds of fish, special menus in dozens of restaurants, hundreds of classes and activities such as fishing championships and paddle-board regattas. Those figures are historical and are not repeated as current.
Today Fish Week is held every year in late May or early June, and the dates, venues and program are announced by the city each season. It is part of the same family of festivals as Golden Autumn.
Tickets and Booking for Moscow Fish Week
There is no ticket for the festival: entering the markets and venues is free, and no booking is needed. Fish, seafood and food are paid at the sellers’ own prices, usually on the spot, and cooking classes are usually free but open on a first-come, first-served basis. Restaurants taking part set their own prices and may advise booking a table. The festival is organized by the city as part of Moscow Seasons, which publishes the dates, the venues and the list of participating restaurants a short time before it opens. Details change every year, so no program or prices are given here.
- Payment: foreign Visa and Mastercard cards are reported not to work in Russia, so bring rubles in cash for stalls, and the sanctions rules of your own country may restrict some Russian payment services, so check this yourself.
Rates for Russian citizens and concessions differ at ticketed events, so check the official city portal, mos.ru, for the current edition.
Get Tickets for Moscow Fish Week
How to Get to Moscow Fish Week
The central market is reached from Okhotny Ryad (Line 1), Ploshchad Revolyutsii (Line 3) and Teatralnaya (Line 2). The exits and walking times were not verified. For the other sites see the Tverskoy, Zamoskvorechye and Kuznetsky Most guides on this site. District venues are near their own metro stations.
- Metro: central stations are crowded in the evening; the metro guides on this site explain the lines.
- Taxi: the taxi apps guide of this site explains the options.
Accessibility
No accessibility information was found for the festival as a whole. The central squares and the passage are mostly level, as far as is known, but crowds and temporary chalets make movement difficult, so check conditions on site.
Food Nearby
The market and its food courts are the main place to eat, with grilled and fried fish, and participating restaurants serve special menus. No individual venue was verified for this guide, so check opening hours and the list of participants.
What to Bring
A light jacket and a rain layer for changeable late-spring weather, comfortable shoes, a cool bag for fish if you travel, and rubles in cash for stalls, since foreign cards are reported not to work.
Best Views and Photo Spots of Moscow Fish Week
An ice-packed fish counter
A chalet counter with silvery fish and red salmon on ice with the seller behind. It shows the market's main subject clearly.
Best time: Midday.
The passage between Manezhnaya Square and Revolution Square
A long covered walkway lined with chalets and people, seen from one end. The perspective shows the scale of the market.
Best time: Afternoon.
An open-air chef demonstration
A chef cooking fish at a counter with an audience around. Avoid close shots of children's faces.
Best time: Early afternoon.
Photography Rules
No general photography rules for the festival were found. Sellers and visitors may not want to be photographed, so ask first, and security zones near the Kremlin may restrict tripods and drones. Drone rules in Moscow are strict and were not checked.
Family Suitability
The festival suits families, with entertainment, children's contests, free cooking classes and street performances, though the market has a strong fish smell and is crowded on weekends. Stroller access on the squares is generally fine, though crowded chalets are tight.
Moscow Vibes Tips
- Go on a weekday afternoon if you want to taste and talk to sellers without the crowds.
- Ask for a taste of smoked fish before buying, since sellers usually offer small samples.
- Buy fish at the end of your visit if you will carry it for hours.
- Check the list of participating restaurants if you prefer a cooked fish menu to a market stall.
- Combine the market with Klimentovsky Lane or Tverskoy Boulevard for a less crowded site.
- See the Golden Autumn Festival in Moscow guide on this site for the larger autumn food festival that Fish Week once joined.
Explore Nearby Moscow Fish Week
Sights near Moscow Fish Week
Moscow Museum of Archaeologyabout 150 m away (~3 min walk) · typical visit: About 45 minutes to 1 hourMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
State Historical Museum Moscowabout 250 m away (~4 min walk) · typical visit: 2.5–4 hoursMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Vernadsky State Geological Museum Moscowabout 250 m away (~4 min walk) · typical visit: About 2 to 3 hoursMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Museum of the Patriotic War of 1812 Moscowabout 250 m away (~4 min walk) · typical visit: About 1.5 to 2 hoursMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Chekhov Moscow Art Theatreabout 400 m away (~7 min walk) · typical visit: About 3 hours for a performanceMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Lenin’s Mausoleum Moscow – about 450 m away (~8 min walk) · typical visit: 30–60 minutes including the queue; a few minutes insideMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Metro stations near Moscow Fish Week
Okhotny Ryad Metro Stationabout 100 m away (~2 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Teatralnaya Metro Stationabout 300 m away (~5 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Ploshchad Revolyutsii Metro Stationabout 450 m away (~7 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Restaurants and cafes near Moscow Fish Week
Belugaabout 50 m away (~1 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Grand Cafe Dr. Zhivagoabout 50 m away (~1 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Kappo Hiroki Arakawaabout 150 m away (~3 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Ikraabout 400 m away (~6 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Nightlife near Moscow Fish Week
Let's Rock Barabout 500 m away (~8 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Papa's Barabout 650 m away (~10 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Hotels near Moscow Fish Week
Hotel National Moscowabout 50 m away (~1 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
The Carlton Moscowabout 150 m away (~2 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Four Seasons Hotel Moscowabout 150 m away (~2 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Events and traditions near Moscow Fish Week
Golden Autumn Festival in Moscowabout 100 m away (~2 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Gardens and Flowers Festival in Moscowabout 100 m away (~2 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Moscow Traditions Festivalabout 100 m away (~2 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Related guides
Tverskoy: Tverskaya Street, Bolshoi Theatre and Pushkin SquareMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Kuznetsky Most: Moscow’s Old Shopping Street and French ShopsMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Zamoskvorechye: Pyatnitskaya Street, Ordynka and Old ChurchesMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Kitay-Gorod: Walls, Varvarka Street and What to SeeMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Patriarch’s Ponds: The Master and Margarita Pond and Its ParkMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Browse more: More in Tverskoy · All Entertainment · All Events & Holidays
FAQ: Moscow Fish Week
When is Moscow Fish Week?
Every year in late spring, usually from late May into early June.
Is it free?
Yes, entering the markets and venues is free.
Where is the main market?
In the passage between Manezhnaya Square and Revolution Square.
What can I buy?
Smoked, dried, salted and fresh fish, caviar and seafood.
Are there cooking classes?
Yes, usually free and first come, first served.
Do restaurants take part?
Yes, dozens offer special fish menus.
When was it first held?
In 2015.
Who organizes it?
The city, as part of Moscow Seasons.
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Last updated: October 7, 2026. Found an error or something out of date? Report it and we will check and fix it.
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