When to go · Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa in September
Mixed month. Rain easing; Meskel around 27 Sep brings crowds in Meskel Square.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Mixed
- Temperature
- 21° / 10°
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 14
- Crowds
- Medium
- Ethiopia overall
- Prices
- Medium
- Ethiopia overall
Verdict
Rain easing; Meskel around 27 Sep brings crowds in Meskel Square.
Weather in September
- Addis AbabaHighs around 21 °C, lows around 10 °C, rain on about 14 days
- Central highlands, Ethiopia · Addis Ababa, Bishoftu, Bale Mountains, and the northern plateaurainy
Mild all year at altitude (days 20–25 °C, cold nights); the big rains (kiremt) run June to September, with short rains around March–April.
Main rains season
Green, lush landscapes; the countryside at its most dramatic.
Watch: Heavy, sustained rain, especially Jul–Aug; plan indoor days.
New Year and Meskel season season
Yellow daisies bloom, the rains ease, and Enkutatash (New Year) and Meskel bring major festivals.
Watch: Accommodation can fill around Meskel (27 Sep).
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
Ethiopian New Year (Enkutatash)
11 September (12 in leap years) · Citywide
Yellow daisies (adey abeba) bloom around this time; families gather, songs and new clothes.
Meskel
27 September (26 in leap years) · Meskel Square
A huge bonfire (Demera) and procession the evening before, in the square that takes its name from the festival.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Ethiopia overall
- Medium
- Prices · Ethiopia overall
- Medium
Ethiopia overall: Rain tails off; Enkutatash (11 Sep) and Meskel (27 Sep) bonfires. Green hills, yellow meskel daisies.
What to pack
- A warm layer for the evenings
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast