Naadam is not a controlled studio event with unlimited camera positions. It is Mongolia’s national festival, built around wrestling, horse racing, and archery, with large public audiences, official ceremonies, athletes, families, and venue security all moving at once. To secure Naadam Festival filming access, an international production needs a clear editorial purpose, the right local applications, and a realistic plan for where each camera can work.
The strongest approach is to begin early and treat access as a production coordination job, not simply a permit request. Accreditation, venue approval, road access, drone clearance, crew credentials, and transport all need to support the same shooting plan.
Media accreditation and filming permissions for national events are coordinated through the Mongolian National Film Council, which should be approached well ahead of festival dates.
What filming access at Naadam actually involves
The National Naadam in Ulaanbaatar is generally held around July 11-13. Its opening ceremony and main sporting events draw the highest demand for positions, particularly at the central stadium, archery grounds, and horse-racing areas outside the city. Provincial Naadam events can offer more space and a different visual character, but they still require local coordination and respect for organizers, competitors, and communities.
Access depends on the nature of the production. A broadcaster covering the festival as news may follow one accreditation route. A documentary, branded campaign, fashion shoot, or commercial production may need separate organizer approval, location permission, and a more detailed discussion of intended use. Journalist visas and press credentials do not automatically grant the right to stage scenes, place large equipment, fly drones, or enter restricted areas.
A workable access plan identifies the story first. If the priority is the opening ceremony, stadium sport, race-day coverage, athlete portraits, or a broader Mongolia sequence around Naadam, each element should be planned separately. This avoids a common problem: securing general event access but discovering too late that the essential camera angle or contributor location is unavailable.
Secure Naadam Festival filming access before schedules close
For high-demand dates, begin preparations several months ahead. Organizers and authorities need enough time to review the production, especially if the crew is international, the shoot includes specialized equipment, or the request involves areas beyond standard media positions.
A local production partner can prepare a concise application package with the production company details, project description, shooting dates, proposed crew list, equipment list, intended locations, and a clear explanation of distribution. If there is a broadcaster, agency, brand, or commissioning editor attached, that should be stated accurately. Clear paperwork helps local stakeholders understand the scale of the request and who is responsible on the ground.
Timing matters because Naadam is a fixed annual event. There is little flexibility once official schedules, security plans, and venue operations are in place. Late requests may still be possible in some circumstances, but they often mean fewer working positions and less time to resolve practical issues.
Build the shooting plan around real access levels
Not every team needs the same level of access. A small documentary unit may work well with two cameras, sound, a bilingual producer, and a carefully chosen editorial position. A commercial shoot with talent, lighting, wardrobe, vehicles, and a larger crew will require a much more controlled plan. During peak festival activity, large setups may be impractical even where permission is granted.
The request should distinguish between observing and intervening. Filming a public event from an approved position is different from directing talent in a crowd, stopping participants for interviews, placing a track, building a lighting setup, or reserving a section of a venue. The more the production affects normal operations, the more lead time and approval it requires.
It also helps to have alternatives. If a stadium position cannot be confirmed, a production may cover arrivals, preparation, audience atmosphere, training, family gatherings, or a provincial event where the story can be filmed more flexibly. Good planning protects the editorial objective rather than relying on one restricted shot.
Plan each Naadam discipline differently
The three manly games operate in very different environments. Treating them as one location creates unnecessary risk on the schedule.
Wrestling and archery
Wrestling and archery are usually more contained, which can make camera positioning easier to define. However, official areas, athlete circulation, spectator sightlines, and ceremony protocols need to be respected. Long lenses, compact camera bodies, and a small footprint often work better than a large crew trying to move during competition.
Interviews or portrait work with athletes should be arranged around their competition commitments. A bilingual coordinator is useful here, both for introductions and for making sure the crew understands when a participant is available without disrupting the event.
Horse racing
Naadam horse racing is operationally different. Young riders race over long distances, and the start, course, finish, family areas, and transport routes can be separated by significant distances. The race fields outside Ulaanbaatar may require 4×4 vehicles, drivers familiar with the terrain, radios, water, fuel planning, and realistic travel times.
A camera vehicle cannot simply follow wherever it wants. Safety for riders, horses, spectators, and crew comes first. The best race coverage is planned with local route knowledge, fixed camera positions where appropriate, and approved vehicle movement. Dust, wind, heat, sudden weather changes, and limited power should all be expected.
Crew, equipment, and credentials need to match the plan
Naadam rewards lean, experienced field crews. A large team can be difficult to move through busy entry points and crowded spectator areas. For many productions, the most efficient unit combines an international director or DP with Mongolian camera assistants, sound recordists, fixers, drivers, production coordinators, and translators who know how the day operates locally.
Bring only the equipment that serves the schedule. Camera, lens, lighting, grip, radio, and power requirements should be reviewed before the permit application and before customs planning. OnVelvet Mongolia can coordinate local rental where it makes more sense than flying every item in, reducing both freight pressure and the amount of equipment moving through festival security.
For imported professional gear, ATA Carnet and customs clearance should be organized well before arrival. The equipment list must match what travels with the crew. Last-minute substitutions, missing serial numbers, or unclear ownership documentation can slow an airport arrival when the production needs to be scouting or collecting credentials.
Drone filming requires a separate decision
Do not assume that drone access will be available because the event is outdoors. Drone operations may require aviation authorization, local approval, operator documentation, and coordination with event security. Restrictions can change according to crowd density, ceremonial activity, airspace, weather, and safety conditions.
The sensible production approach is to develop the primary visual plan without depending on aerial shots. If drone approval is confirmed, it becomes a useful addition. If it is not, the crew can still deliver strong scale through elevated authorized positions, long-lens coverage, vehicle units where permitted, and carefully chosen ground-level atmosphere.
Protect the schedule on festival days
Naadam days begin early and traffic can be heavy around event areas. Build time into call sheets for security checks, credential collection, vehicle access, walking distances, and changes to the public program. A tight shooting day without contingency time is vulnerable to small delays that cannot be controlled by the crew.
Local transport planning matters as much as the permits. The right vehicle mix may include production vans in the city, 4x4s for horse-racing coverage, baggage support for equipment, and a separate driver or runner for fast repositioning. Accommodation should also be booked early, particularly if the shoot extends beyond Ulaanbaatar or combines Naadam with remote-location work.
A good field producer stays in contact with venue representatives, drivers, crew, and the client team throughout the day. That does not mean promising access that has not been approved. It means identifying changes early, protecting the confirmed positions, and moving quickly to the next viable option when conditions shift.
Respect is part of access
Naadam is visually powerful because it is a living cultural event, not a set piece. Crews should avoid blocking spectators, stepping into competition areas, pressuring families or children for images, or treating ceremonial moments as background action. Consent and local guidance matter, especially for close portraits, interviews, and filming around young horse riders.
This is also practical. A production that works respectfully with organizers and participants is easier to support throughout a demanding day. Clear communication, a small footprint, and a crew that understands boundaries often produce better footage than an aggressive attempt to get closer.
The best Naadam coverage comes from preparation: confirm what is possible, plan for the conditions, and let the festival remain the festival while your crew is ready for the moments that matter.
New to production in Mongolia? Start with our complete guide to filming in Mongolia, or see how a film fixer in Mongolia can handle permits, crews, equipment and logistics for your shoot.