5 winter festivals to look out for in 2026 from Northeast India

This autumn / winter if you are visiting the North Eastern States, then don’t forget to include these cultural festivals in your itinerary. From understanding local culture and traditions better to gorging on delicious food, and witnessing the colourful costumes, you can have them all. It would feel as if a museum has come alive in front of your eyes.

Popularly known as the 100 Drums Festival, this is one of the most important post-harvest festivals of the Garo community. It is celebrated as a thanksgiving festival dedicated to Misi- Saljong, who is revered for fertility and abundance. This year the Festival will complete its 50^th edition and will be held at Wangala A’dam, Garo Heritage Village, Chibragre near Tura. One can expect to see almost 1000 traditional drummers, 3000 dancers with attires and four-days of indigenous food, folk songs and cultural performances.

Held every year on the same dates at Kisama Heritage Village near Kohima, the Hornbill Festival is one of the iconic identities of Nagaland. It is named after the hornbill bird, which has immense cultural symbolism in Naga folk. During the ten days, traditional dances, folk music, indigenous games, local food, handloom, and handicrafts take over the area and for anyone visiting Nagaland for the first time; this is a great way to familiarize themselves with local culture.

If you are looking for an offbeat experience then check out the Podi-Barbi, a traditional harvest festival being held at Shi-Yomi district in Arunachal Pradesh. Associated with Ramo, Pai-Libo and Bokar communities of the state, the festival is celebrated to commemorate the agricultural abundance, community living, a naturescape to Mechukha and more.

The Sangai Festival is named after the State animal of Manipur, the endangered Sangai deer. A visit to this festival is a great way to understand local culture, dance, food and craftsmanship. One can look out for traditional Manipuri dance, music, food, martial arts demonstration, handlooms and textile displays and more. It is suggested to check the official Manipur Government tourism pages for the details and confirmed dates for the festival.

This two-day cultural festival, held at the Garo Hills, brings contemporary music and entertainment together. Stages of performers, indie music fun, local art, fashion and culture showcase and more are the highlights of this festival. If you are looking to visit Meghalaya around this time, you might want to reserve a day and reconnect with people, make new friends, and understand local culture, a little more closely.

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