Festival calendar

Plan the trip around the festival.

December is Hornbill, April is Bihu, and something happens in most months.

Dancers in bright traditional dress performing at an outdoor festival ground in Northeast India in daylight — 12 festivalsBook early

Dates move every year. Several of these follow lunar or agricultural calendars rather than fixed dates, and state announcements often come only a few months ahead. The months below are indicative. We confirm exact dates with you on WhatsApp before anything is booked.

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What happens when

Quiet months are shown too. Knowing July is empty helps.

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12 festivals across the year

Arunachal PradeshFebruary or March, by the lunar calendar
Losar
The Tibetan and Monpa new year, observed around Tawang and the western districts with monastery rituals and household gatherings.
What to expect
- Monastery ceremonies over several mornings
- Households cleaning, cooking, and receiving visitors
- Deep cold, and passes that may be snowbound
Losar falls in the hardest part of the Tawang travel year. Sela Pass can close for days. We will plan it, but we will be blunt about the risk.
Plan around Losar (opens WhatsApp in a new tab)
AssamMid-April
Rongali Bihu
The Assamese spring new year, marking the start of the sowing season. Several days of dance, feasting, and visiting.
What to expect
- Community grounds hosting husori and bihu dance through the week
- Households cooking pitha and larus, and a lot of open invitations
- Towns emptying as people travel home, so plan transport early
The best of Bihu happens in villages and neighbourhood grounds rather than on a stage. Being driven by someone who knows which ground is worth going to matters more than a ticket.
Plan around Rongali Bihu (opens WhatsApp in a new tab)
MeghalayaUsually April
Shad Suk Mynsiem
A Khasi thanksgiving dance held in Shillong over several days, performed in traditional dress to drum and pipe.
What to expect
- Daily dancing at Weiking ground in Shillong
- Formal traditional dress rather than costume
- An observance with its own etiquette, not a tourist show
It pairs easily with a standard Meghalaya itinerary, since it happens in Shillong itself. Ask before photographing dancers up close.
Plan around Shad Suk Mynsiem (opens WhatsApp in a new tab)
NagalandEarly May
Moatsu
An Ao Naga festival held after sowing, centred on Mokokchung, marking the end of the planting season.
What to expect
- Village-level celebrations rather than one large venue
- Songs, feasting, and a strong community rather than visitor focus
- Far fewer outside visitors than December
Mokokchung is a long drive from Dimapur. This is a good option if you want Nagaland without festival-week crowds.
Plan around Moatsu (opens WhatsApp in a new tab)
SikkimUsually late May or June
Saga Dawa
A Buddhist holy month marked across Sikkim, with processions in Gangtok and observances at monasteries throughout.
What to expect
- Processions carrying scriptures through Gangtok
- Monasteries busier and more open than usual
- Early monsoon weather, so the hills are green and the views are not
This is a religious observance rather than a performance. Ask before photographing anyone, and dress for a monastery rather than a viewpoint.
Plan around Saga Dawa (opens WhatsApp in a new tab)
AssamLate June
Ambubachi Mela
A four-day gathering at the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati that draws very large numbers of pilgrims.
What to expect
- The temple closed for three days, then reopening to long queues
- Guwahati considerably busier, with traffic to match
- Peak monsoon heat and humidity
If you are visiting Guwahati for other reasons in late June, know that this is happening. Hotels fill and the Kamakhya road is slow for days.
Plan around Ambubachi Mela (opens WhatsApp in a new tab)
SikkimUsually late August or September
Pang Lhabsol
A Sikkimese festival honouring Kangchenjunga as the state's guardian, with masked warrior dances at monasteries.
What to expect
- Masked chaam dances, notably at Pemayangtse and Rabong
- Monsoon tailing off, with cloud more likely than mountain views
- A local observance with relatively few outside visitors
West Sikkim is the place to see this. The roads are slower in the monsoon tail, so allow more time than the map suggests.
Plan around Pang Lhabsol (opens WhatsApp in a new tab)
Arunachal PradeshUsually late September
Ziro Festival of Music
An outdoor independent music festival held in the Ziro valley, camping-based and deliberately small.
What to expect
- Multi-day outdoor stages in a rice-terrace valley
- Camping rather than hotels, and a lot of mud if it rains
- Permits required, and a long drive in from Itanagar
Getting to Ziro is the hard part: it is a full day's drive from the nearest airport on a road that the festival traffic does not improve. Plan a buffer day.
Plan around Ziro Festival of Music (opens WhatsApp in a new tab)
AssamMid-October
Kati Bihu
The quiet Bihu. Lamps lit in paddy fields and courtyards at a lean point in the agricultural year, with none of April's noise.
What to expect
- Earthen lamps in fields and at tulsi plants after dark
- A subdued, domestic observance rather than a public event
- Good travel weather, with the monsoon over
This is not a spectacle and should not be sold as one. It fits well inside a normal Assam trip in October, which is when the state is at its best anyway.
Plan around Kati Bihu (opens WhatsApp in a new tab)
MeghalayaUsually November
Wangala
The Garo harvest festival, known for its drumming. Held across the Garo Hills, with a larger gathering at Asanang.
What to expect
- Long-drum lines and dancers in coordinated dress
- Village celebrations on different days across the hills
- A quieter, less-visited festival than the December gatherings
The Garo Hills are a long drive west of Shillong and are not a day trip. Two nights minimum if you want to see this properly.
Plan around Wangala (opens WhatsApp in a new tab)
MeghalayaUsually November
Ka Pomblang Nongkrem
A five-day Khasi harvest and thanksgiving observance held at Smit, near Shillong.
What to expect
- Ceremonies at the Syiem's residence at Smit
- Dance across several days, with the main day drawing crowds
- Cool, clear post-monsoon weather
Smit is close enough to Shillong to visit for a day. November is also the best month for the rest of Meghalaya, so this combines well.
Plan around Ka Pomblang Nongkrem (opens WhatsApp in a new tab)
NagalandFirst ten days of December
Hornbill Festival
A large gathering at Kisama near Kohima, where Naga communities present music, dance, craft, and food across ten days.
What to expect
- Morning and afternoon programmes at the heritage village
- Craft and textile stalls, and a great deal of food
- Kohima at its busiest, with accommodation booked months ahead
Book three to four months out. The difference between staying in Kohima and staying an hour away is decided long before December.
Plan around Hornbill Festival (opens WhatsApp in a new tab)

Going well

These are observances, not performances

A community doing something for itself. Visitors are welcome at most of it, and the difference is not always signposted.

Ask before photographing anyone close up, especially at religious observances.
Dress for a monastery rather than a viewpoint when the day includes one.
Some grounds and ceremonies are not open to visitors. Your driver or guide will know which.
Buy from the craft stalls. It is the most direct way money reaches the people performing.

Brightly coloured handwoven shawls with red and black geometric patterns stacked in sunlight

Drummers in traditional dress playing long hand drums outdoors in bright sunlight

Why Smarto

Why go with Smarto

Festival trips planned around dates that move and rooms that go early.

Dates checked each yearMany festivals follow lunar or local calendars, so we confirm the current dates before you book.
Planned earlyFestival weeks fill months ahead, Hornbill in December most of all.
The days around it tooThe stays, the cars and the days around the festival, planned together.
Journeys built around themSome of our journeys are built around festivals, such as Wangala and Torgya.
One all-in priceThe quote is what you pay. No surge in festival week.
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FAQs

Questions, answered

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When is the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland?

The first ten days of December, at Kisama near Kohima. Book three to four months ahead: Kohima's hotels fill long before December.

When is Bihu celebrated in Assam?

Rongali Bihu, the Assamese new year, falls in mid-April with several days of dance and feasting, best seen in village and neighbourhood grounds. Kati Bihu follows in mid-October.

When is Ambubachi Mela at Kamakhya Temple?

In late June. The temple closes for three days and reopens to very long queues, and Guwahati's hotels and roads are busy for the whole week.

Are Northeast festival dates fixed every year?

No. Many follow lunar or local calendars and shift each year. We confirm the current dates on WhatsApp before you book.

Can Smarto plan a whole trip around a festival?

Yes: the stays, the cars and the days around it. Some of our journeys are built around festivals, such as Wangala and Torgya.

Do I need a permit to visit Arunachal Pradesh or the Northeast?

Indian visitors need an Inner Line Permit (ILP) for Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur; Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura need none. Foreign nationals need a Protected Area Permit for Arunachal. Smarto plans the permits into every Arunachal journey and tells you exactly what we need from you.

Is Smarto available 24x7 during the trip?

Yes. Our team is on call 24x7 on WhatsApp and phone (+91 70990 13815), from the first pickup to the drop home.

Book early

Festival weeks fill months ahead

Kohima in December is booked long before the dates are announced. Start now, not in October.

Plan a festival trip

Plan the trip around the festival.

What happens when

Losar

What to expect

Rongali Bihu

What to expect

Shad Suk Mynsiem

What to expect

Moatsu

What to expect

Saga Dawa

What to expect

Ambubachi Mela

What to expect

Pang Lhabsol

What to expect

Ziro Festival of Music

What to expect

Kati Bihu

What to expect

Wangala

What to expect

Ka Pomblang Nongkrem

What to expect

Hornbill Festival

What to expect

These are observances, not performances

Why go with Smarto

What travellers say

Questions, answered

Festival weeks fill months ahead