Northeast India Festival Calendar 2026

Assam · Assamese

Bhogali Bihu (Magh Bihu)

Statewide (rural Upper Assam) · January

Assam's harvest feast of meji bonfires, community meals and midwinter games.

Assam · Tiwa (Lalung)

Joonbeel Mela

Joonbeel, near Jagiroad, Morigaon · January

India's only surviving barter fair — three days of Tiwa trade, song and community fishing.

Assam · Tai-Ahom

Me-Dam-Me-Phi

Sivasagar & Ahom heartland · January

The Tai-Ahom ancestor-worship festival remembering the forebears of the Ahom kingdom.

Nagaland · Angami Naga

Sekrenyi Festival

Kohima · February

A ten-day Angami purification festival of cleansing rituals and shared meals.

Arunachal Pradesh · Idu Mishmi

Reh Festival

Roing & Anini · February

The Idu Mishmi festival of brotherhood, priests' chants and mithun offerings.

Arunachal Pradesh · Wancho

Oriah Festival

Longding District · February

The Wancho festival of purification, ancestor offerings and inter-village friendship.

Arunachal Pradesh · Monpa

Losar Festival

Tawang · February / March

The Monpa new year — three days of monastery rituals, prayers and family feasts.

Arunachal Pradesh · Nyishi

Nyokum Yullo

Itanagar & Nyishi villages · February

The Nyishi festival invoking Nyokum, goddess of nature and prosperity.

Manipur · Meitei

Yaoshang

Statewide (Imphal, Bishnupur, Thoubal) · February/March

Manipur's five-day spring festival of Thabal Chongba moonlight dances and Holi colours.

Arunachal Pradesh · Wancho

Wancho Oriah Festival

Wancho villages, Longding district · February/March

The Wancho spring festival of unity, mithun offerings and warrior dances.

Arunachal Pradesh · Apatani

Myoko Festival

Ziro Valley · March

An Apatani festival of friendship, prosperity and shared sacrifice in Ziro.

Mizoram · Mizo

Chapchar Kut

Aizawl · March

Mizoram's spring festival of the Cheraw bamboo dance and jhum cultivation.

Arunachal Pradesh · Galo

Mopin Festival

West Siang · April

A Galo agricultural festival marked by rice-paste blessings and Popir dance.

Nagaland · Konyak

Aoleang Festival

Mon District · April

The Konyak new-year festival — six days of seed-sowing rites and warrior dances.

Arunachal Pradesh · Tai Khamti

Sanken Festival

Namsai & Chongkham · April

The Tai-Khamti new year — gilded Buddha processions and the water-pouring ritual.

Assam · Assamese

Rongali Bihu (Bohag Bihu)

Statewide (Guwahati, Jorhat, Sivasagar) · April

Assam's spring new-year festival of Bihu dance, husori troupes and Goru Bihu.

Tripura · Tripuri

Garia Puja

Tripuri villages, West & South Tripura · April

The Tripuri tribe's week-long worship of Baba Garia, the deity of wealth and cattle.

Manipur · Meitei

Lai Haraoba

Meitei villages across Imphal Valley · April/May

The ancient Meitei ritual festival re-enacting the creation of the universe.

Manipur · Meitei

Meitei Cheiraoba

Cheirao Ching & Meitei villages, Imphal Valley · April

The Meitei new-year festival of house-cleaning, hill-climbing and community feasts.

Nagaland · Ao Naga

Moatsu Festival

Mokokchung · May

An Ao Naga celebration after the sowing season, marked by Sangpangtu fire feasts.

Assam · Rabha

Baikho Festival

Rabha villages, Kokrajhar & Goalpara · May

The Rabha tribe's pre-monsoon festival of purification, dance and fertility rites.

Assam · Shakta pilgrims

Ambubachi Mela

Kamakhya Temple, Guwahati · June

A four-day tantric mela at Kamakhya marking the earth-goddess's annual cycle.

Arunachal Pradesh · Apatani

Dree Festival

Ziro Valley · July

An Apatani agricultural festival of prayers for a bountiful harvest in Ziro.

Meghalaya · Pnar (Jaintia)

Behdienkhlam Festival

Jowai, Jaintia Hills · July

The Pnar monsoon festival of driving out plague with towering rots and mud-pool rites.

Tripura · Tripuri (state festival)

Kharchi Puja

Old Agartala (Puran Habeli) · July

The seven-day worship of the fourteen deities of the erstwhile Tripura kingdom.

Arunachal Pradesh · Independent festival (hosted in Apatani country)

Ziro Festival of Music

Ziro Valley · September

India's premier outdoor indie music festival, staged in the paddy fields of Ziro.

Arunachal Pradesh · Adi

Solung Festival

Adi villages, East Siang & Upper Siang · September

The Adi harvest festival of mithun sacrifice, Ponung dance and the Solung origin myth.

Arunachal Pradesh · Nocte

Chalo Loku Festival

Khonsa, Tirap · October

Nocte harvest festival of swords, songs and ancestral feasts.

Manipur · Meitei

Ningol Chakouba

Meitei households across the Imphal Valley · October/November

The Meitei family festival where married daughters are invited home for a grand feast.

Meghalaya · Garo

Wangala Festival

Asanang, West Garo Hills · November

The Hundred Drums harvest festival of the Garo people, thanking Misi Saljong.

Meghalaya · Khasi

Nongkrem Dance Festival

Smit Village · November

A five-day Khasi thanksgiving with the sacred Pomblang ceremony.

Meghalaya · Pan-Northeast

Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival

Shillong · November

Asia's only autumn cherry blossom festival, set against Shillong's pine hills.

Assam · Assamese Vaishnava

Raas Mahotsav

Majuli Island · November

A centuries-old retelling of Krishna's life across Majuli's sattras.

Manipur · Meitei & hill tribes

Sangai Festival

Imphal · November

Manipur's state festival celebrating the rare brow-antlered Sangai deer.

Nagaland · All 17 Naga tribes

Hornbill Festival

Kisama Heritage Village · December

The Festival of Festivals — ten days of Naga music, warrior dances and tribal heritage.