Last Updated on June 29, 2021

What’s Happening in Israel for Yom Ha’Atzmaut 2019.

71st Independence Day celebrations in the main centers – Wednesday 8th & Thursday 9th May.  From 8pm when Yom Hazikaron comes to an official close, Israel’s 71st Independence celebrations will commence across the country.  Official ceremonies, fireworks, free concerts for the family on Wednesday night. Family picnics,  free museums, IDF bases open to the public and the Israel Air Force fly-over are some of the hi-lights.

Official ceremonies & free concerts

Please note:  The schedules and artists listed here may actually change or differ on the evening especially where an artist is scheduled to perform at multiple locations. Only the main attractions are included in this list.

This list is being updated daily as soon as the information comes in.

Afula

• Eyal Golan
• Mooki
• Yishai Rivo
• Shlomi Shabbat
• Dikla

Arad

• Monica Sex
• Kobi Affalelo

Ariel

• Dana International

Ashdod

• Eden Ben Zaken
• Noa Kyrel
• Stefan

Ashkelon

• Eden Ben Zaken
• Shlomi Shabbat
• Ma Kashur
• Dana International
• Shafita
• Idan Haviv
• Erez Lev Ari

Beer Sheva

• Idan Amadi
• Dudu Tassa
• Noa Kyrel
• Noy Feldan

Bet Shemesh

To be updated soon

Eilat

• Aviv Geffen
• Omer Hazan
• Ulive Band

Givatayim

• Shiri Maimon
• Meir Edri
• Subliminal

Haifa

• Neta Barzilay
• Tippex
• Infected Mushroom
• Eliad
• Moshe Peretz
• Michal Yannay
• Jane Bordeaux
• Paul Trank

Herzliyah

• Dudu Aharon
• Avri Lider
• Keren Peles

Hod Hasharon

• Nasrin Kadri
• Margol
• Mashina
• HaYehudim
• Micky Gavrielov

Holon

• Lior Narkis
• Revivo Project
• Tippex
• Skuzzy

Jerusalem

Mount Herzl – Official Celebration (By invitation only)

• 19:45 – Yizkor, Speaker of the Knesset, Candle lighting ceremony, Flag raising ceremony, Various dance troupes and IDF Choirs, Fireworks display. The ceremony will be televised on local TV channels.

Kotel HaMaravi (Western Wall)

•8:00pm Prayers and partying

Street parties and happenings all around Jerusalem.  Also appearing are:

• Hatikvah 6
• Sarit Hadad
• Dani Sanderson
• Dudu Aharon
• Regev Hod
• Itay Levi
• Aharon Razel

Karmiel

Kfar Saba

• Hanan Ben Ari
• Ethnix

Kfar Shmariyahu

Kiryat Bialik

• Moshe Peretz
• Rotem Cohen

Kiryat Ono

• Izhar Cohen
• Dafna Dekel

Maale Adumim

• Hatikvah 6
• Einat Saruf

Modiin, Maccabim, Reut

• Kobi Affalelo
• Nadav Gadg
• Tislan

Netanya

• Maya Buskila
• Izzi
• Dudu Aharon

Petach Tikva

• Subliminal
• Ultras
• Ethnix
• Hanan Ben Ari
• HaYehudim

Raanana

• Harel Skaat
• Eden Hason
• Maya Buskila
• Yonatan Margi
• Nurit Galron

Ramleh

• Yonatan Margi
• Omer Adam

Rehovot

• Gidi Gov
• Gil Wayne
• Skuzzi

Rishon LeZion

• Itai Levi
• Dana Lapidot
• Ethnix
• Revivo Project
• Rami Kleinstein
• Avri Lider

Ramat Gan

• Neta Barzilay
• Mariana Maximillian
• Itai Levi
• Mashina

• Mashina
• Subliminal
• Hanan Ben Ari
• Maya Buskila

Rosh HaAyin

Shoham

Tel Aviv

At the Rabin Square: “Hallelujah Eurovision” – prior  to Eurovision 2019 in Tel Aviv, a special show with the best songs and dances,  entertainment segments, and  clips that to be shown on huge screens and fireworks will paint the sky. Performances of Hadag Nachash, the Transistor Band, Ayfo HaYeled, Jimbo Jay. Participants: Nikki Goldstein, Hovi Starr, Raphael Dahan, Osnat Zano, Ilan Leibovitz and others.

At the Davidoff Park: The central stage in Jaffa for Independence celebrations with performances, fireworks and the central 2019 torchlighting ceremony. Shows by: Luli from the Children’s Channel, Gil Wayne’s project, Maor Edri and local bands.

Plenty of other activities will take place across the city.

Tivon

• Barry Sacharov

Tzfat

• Rita
• Shalom Assiag
• Ben Tzur

Yavne

• Shlomi Shabbat
• Liron Danino
• Eliana Tidhar

Zichron Yaakov

• Miki Gavrielov

More fun activities for Thursday, May 8th 2019

• Chill out on one of the best beaches in Israel
• Get your sport shoes on, your water bottles ready and take a family hike or walk along one of our many beautiful trails
• Settle down to a wonderful lunch at Israel’s top picnic spots
• Take advantage of the long weekend and visit a Nature Reserve
• Maybe visit one of these top nature sites

Cultural Activities

The Ministry of Culture & Sport as well as The Society for the Preservation of Heritage sites sponsor entrance to a selection of museums, heritage sites and visitor centers across Israel

Please call before you go – book, verify opening hours, guided tours and other details

Southern Israel

• Yad LaIsha HaLochemet in Nitzanim – Tel: 08-6727895
• The Open Museum in Negba  – Tel:  050-55605540
• From Holocaust to Revival Museum in Yad Mordechai  – Tel: 08-6720599 , 052-3923104
• The Water and Security Museum in Nir Am  – Tel: 050-5709042
• Mitzpe Gvulot – Kibbutz Gvulot  – Tel: 054-7919000
• Ben Gurion’s Desert Home (Sde Boker) – Tel: 08-6560469
• Maoz across from Gaza in Kibbutz Saad – Tel:052-3726644
• The Joe Alon Center for Bedouin Culture at Kibbutz Lahav  – Tel: 08-9913322
• The Revivim Museum named for Yosef Weitz – Tel:  08-6562570 \ 08-656263
• Metzudat Yoav, The Givati Museum – Tel:  08-6611316
• B’erot BaNegev Visitors’ Center – Kibbutz Alumim – Tel: 08-9937300

Jerusalem Area

• The Old Yishuv Court Museum – Tel: 02-6276319, 052-4002478
• Ammunition Hill Memorial Site – Tel: 02-5829392/3
• The Yellin House – in Motza – Tel: 052-4257345
• The Gush Etzion Visitors’ Center – Tel: 02-9935160
• The Tower of David Museum – Tel: 02-626533
• The Underground Prisoners Museum in Jerusalem – Tel: 02-6233166
• The Shai Agnon House – Tel: 02-6716498
• The Bank of Israel Visitor’s Center – advance booking required – Tel: 02-6552828,0 2-6552520, 02-6552718
• Alone on the Walls of Jerusalem – Tel: 02-6265906
• Menachem Begin Heritage Center –  Tel: 02-5652020 02-5652011
• Yad LaShiryon at Latrun – Tel: 08-9784321

Tel Aviv and the Center

• Independence Hall – Tel: 03-5106426,  03-5173942
• The Israeli Museum at the Rabin Center – advance booking required – Tel:.*4585
• Ben-Gurion House – 03-5221010
• The Jabotinsky Museum – Tel: 03-5287320
• The Joseph Bau House – Tel: 054-4301499
• Rokach House – for more info: – Tel: 03-5168042
• IDF Historical Collection Museum – Tel: 03-5172913 , 03-5161346
• The Etzel Museum – Tel: 03-525-3307
• The Hagana Museum –  Tel: 03-560862
• The Lechi Museum – Tel: 03-6820288
• The Etzel 1948 Museum – Tel: 03-5177180 , 03-5172044
• The Nachum Gutman Museum of Art – Tel: 03-5161970
• The Hosmasa Museum – Holon – Tel: 03-5050425
• The Mikveh Israel Visitors Center – advance booking required – Tel:  03-5030489
• The Rishon L’Tzion Museum – Tel: 03-9598862,  03-9598890
• The Eran Shamir Moshava Museum in Mazkeret Batya – Tel:08-9349525
• Ayalon Institute, Rehovot Tel: 08-9406552
• Weizmann House, Rehovot – Tel: 08-9343230

Northern Israel

• The Sliqim at Kfar Giladi – Tel:  052-2512915
• HaShomer House Museum – Tel:  04-6941565
• Tel Hai Courtyard – Tel: 04-6951333
• The Birya Fortress – Tel:  04-6922433
• The Restored Pioneer Village at Rosh Pinah – Tel:  04-6936913
• The Kinneret Courtyard – Tel:  04-6709117
• Naharayim Experience in Gesher – Tel:  04-6752685
• The Palmach Cave – Tel: 04-9898946 ,052-4471109
• The Historic Nahalal Police Station – Tel:  04-6415073
• The Nahalal “Sliq” – Tel: 052-3347194
• The Pioneer Settlers Museum – Kibbutz Yifat Tel:  04-6548974
• HaReut Museum – Tel:   04-6432810
• The Chaim Shturman House – at Kibbutz Ein Harud – Tel: 04-6486337 |  04-6486328
• Beit HaMeiri, Tsfat – Tel:  04-6921939
• The Tower and Stockade Museum at Hanita – Tel: 04-9859677
• The Jezreel Valley Train Museum – Kfar Yehoshua – Tel:  04-9534226
• Clandestine Immigration Boat Tour, Atlit – Tel:  04-9841980
• The Goara Museum of the Hagana – Tel:  04-9597402
• The Treasures in the Walls Museum, Akko. – Tel:  04-9911004
• The Underground Prisoners Museum, Akko – Tel: 04-9911375
• The Fisher House, Kiryat Ata – Tel:  04-8440207
• The Museum of the First Aliyah in Zichron – Tel:  04-6294777
• The Hannah Senesh House, Kibbutz Sdot Yam – Tel:  04-6364366   052-8795366
• The Gdudim House Museum – Tel: 09-8822212
• The Khan Museum, Hadera – Tel: 04-6322330 , 04-6324562
• The Haifa City Museum – Tel: 04-9115888  
• The Herman Struk Museum – Tel: 04-6359962 
• The National Maritime Museum – Tel: 04-853662 

Also

• The Israel Museum
• The Open Museum in Omer
• The Open Museum in Tefen
• The Open Museum in Tel-Hai
• Ramat HaNadiv in Zichron Yaakov

Israel Defense Force – IDF

Every year the Israel Defense Force allows members of the public access to some of the army, navy or air-force bases.  The bases listed below will be open on Thursday from 9 am – 2 pm

Navy Base

• Ashdod – together with the Ashdod Port

Army Bases

Northern Command

• Beit Hillel, Elika and Maalot

Central Command

• Hativa Merhavit – Shomrom & in the Beka
• Kiryat Arba, ‘Um Tzefa’, Karmi Tzur, Alfei Menashe, Givat Hatachmoshet (Jerusalem), Ariel & Shaked

Southern Command

• Machaneh Natan
• Matzadot Natan
• Matzadot Yoav
• Rahan and Sderot Bases

Air Force

• Ramat David
• Technical college
• Tel Nof
• Air Force Museum – Hatzerim

Israel Ground Forces – Infantry

• Latrun

Air-Force jets will also be a flying over the following cities and towns (from 9:30 am)

Beer Sheva, Yerucham, Dimona, Arad, Kiryat Gat, Jerusalem, Beit Shean, Afula, Nazareth, Tiberias, Katzrin, Tzfat, Carmiel, Nahariya, Haifa, Cesearea, Netanya, TelAviv, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Sderot, Netivot, Ofakim and Hatezerim.

• What is MATAS?

At 9:30am 120 soldiers from all units of the IDF who have been nominated as ‘Outstanding’ receive a certificate of excellence from the incumbent President during the traditional Independence Day ceremony at the President’s Residence.

The International Bible Quiz

At 11:00am the finals of  The International Bible Quiz, an annual event that brings together dozens of Jewish youth aged 14-18 from around the world, is held. Four representatives from Israel and twelve from around the world participate in the World Bible Quiz all competing for the title of Bible Chatan/Kallah.

Two winners are announced – one from Israel and one from the Diaspora.

The Israel Prize

At 7:00 pm as Independence Days draws to a close, the Israel Prize (Hebrew: פרס ישראל; “Pras Yisrael”) is awarded by the State of Israel.  The award is generally regarded as the state’s highest cultural honor. It is presented in a state ceremony in Jerusalem, in the presence of the President, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the Knesset, and the Supreme Court President. The prize was established in 1953.

The recipients of the prize are Israeli citizens or organizations who have displayed excellence in their field(s), or have contributed strongly to Israeli culture.

Chilling & Relaxing, Camping & Glamping

Camping this long-weekend

• Seasoned campers share their top tips…

Keep children out of harm’s way

‘Spaghetti’ and foam from aerosol cans, toys and all Yom HaAtzmaut accessories should carry an Israel Safety Seal of Approval (Tav Teken).  Parents please be careful before you let your children play with seemingly safe toys.  Keep small items away from children under the age of 3.  Toys that make loud noises – keep away from ears.  ‘Use only under adult supervision’ means exactly that.  Note if there is a fire hazard with aerosols and fun make-up.