Most happening cultural and musical festivals of North East India

With Ziro Music Festival getting wrapped up in Arunachal Pradesh’s Ziro Valley this week, the festival moods are building up in the North East corners of India. The whole range of the Himalayan belt and North East India erupts in a festive ambiance, as Autumn brings in the great harvest season. The traditional festivities notwithstanding, the past decade has brought in a generational shift in celebration with the inclusion of modern versions of folk music along with popular music. Impressively, the founders of all such emerging musical festivals have been the youths of these regions supported by their governments. 

The interesting concept of these musical festivals is the mélange of music, culture, and tourism, which tackles the preservation of culture, income generation through tourism for locals, and a good time for visitors with the presentation of different forms of music, from folk music to rock acts. 

Here is a list of some upcoming cultural and music festivals that you can groove to if you are planning a holiday in North East India.

1. Cherry Blossom Festival – Shillong

Festival Dates 2025: Fri, 14 Nov – Sat, 15 Nov

Debuting in 2016 for the promotion of tourism in Meghalaya, the Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival has come a long way, growing each year in its presentation and production quality. From hosting local musicians to international artists, this year’s headliners are The Script and Jason Derulo. It entered into a partnership with Japan in 2024 and also won the WOW Awards Asia. 

Check out this year’s Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival event here

2. Hornbill Festival – Kohima

Festival Dates 2025: Mon, 1 Dec – Wed, 10 Dec

Also called the ‘Festivals of Festivals’, the Hornbill Festival of Nagaland is one of the best ways to get introduced to the tribal culture of the Nagas. The festival venue is the Kisama Heritage Village. You can combine your tour with a visit to the headhunter’s village of Longwa, or trekking in the Dzukou Valley.

Check out this year’s Hornbill Festival event here

3. Kholey Dai Festival – Kalimpong

Festival Dates 2025: Fri, 19 Dec – Sun, 21 Dec

This community-based harvest and music festival was revived in 2021 by the Parengtar Nawlo Umanga Welfare Society to showcase the age-old traditions of celebrating harvest, folk music, dance, and shared feasting. In its modern avatar, the Kholey Dai Festival also incorporates “folk arts, local food and products, sustainable enterprises, meaningful workshops, traditional games, and diverse outdoor rural experiences.”

Check out this year’s Kholey Dai Festival event here

• 2 Comments

  Add Comment
• Aditya Pradhan

  September 30, 2025

  Amazing way to express the culture and heritage of the community and places

  Reply
  • Vishal Eli Chamling

    December 11, 2025

    Thank you, Aditya.

    Reply
• • Name
    Email
    Website

  • This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Submit