Hornbill Festival

Ten days of Naga dance, song, games, crafts and food at Kisama, every 1–10 December.

At a glance

Difficulty: Easy
Duration: 2–4 days at the festival
Best season: 1–10 December
Base: Kohima (Kohima)
Permits: Nagaland ILP required; foreigners also need a PAP. Verify before travel. Festival entry ticket.

About this experience

The Hornbill Festival, held every year from 1 to 10 December at Kisama Heritage Village near Kohima, is Northeast India's most famous cultural event and often called the 'Festival of Festivals'. Launched by the Government of Nagaland in 2000, it brings together all of Nagaland's major tribes to showcase their heritage, and is named after the great hornbill, revered in Naga folklore.

Each day the main arena hosts performances by tribal troupes in spectacular traditional attire — feathered headgear, boar-tusk ornaments, cowrie-shell aprons and spears — with war dances, harvest songs, folk games and wrestling. Around the arena, each tribe's morung serves traditional food and rice beer, and craft stalls sell shawls, beadwork, wood carvings and bamboo products. Evenings bring rock concerts, the night carnival in Kohima, and events such as the Naga king chilli eating competition.

Our Hornbill Festival tours include ILP, Kisama passes, local guides who explain the meaning of each performance, and visits to nearby villages like Khonoma and Kigwema. Accommodation in Kohima is scarce in December, so we recommend booking 2–3 months ahead; festival camps and homestays offer good alternatives.