Calendar / Witness / Attend in Kohima
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Witness / Attend in Kohima
Dec 1–10, 2026Expected
Organized by Government of Nagaland (Departments of Tourism and Art & Culture), which publishes the official dates and program.
Dates & details verified against: Regional tourism board ↗
Why go
The Hornbill Festival gathers all seventeen major Naga tribes at the Kisama Heritage Village for ten days every December, each tribe with its own morung hut, warrior dances, songs, cuisine, and rice beer, alongside indigenous games, Naga wrestling, and a night carnival in Kohima. Unlike India's community festivals, this one has a real organizer: the Government of Nagaland's tourism and culture departments have run it since 2000, which for a visitor means fixed dates, tickets, and a published program in a region where travel otherwise takes real planning. Nowhere else compresses this much of Northeast India's tribal culture into one accessible window, and December's cool, dry hill weather is the region at its best.
When it runs
Fixed on December 1-10 every year.
- Dec 1–10, 2026Expected
- Dec 1–10, 2027Expected
- Dec 1–10, 2028Expected
Dates read confirmed where the organizer has published them, and expected where we've projected the recurrence. Always verify with the organizer before booking.
What to expect
Fixed dates: December 1-10 every year at Kisama, about 12 km from Kohima. December in the Naga hills is dry and cold at night, with clear days; bring proper warm layers. The festival's first days carry the full opening ceremonies; the closing weekend is the most crowded.
Getting there & around
Fly into Dimapur (DMU), then drive about three hours up to Kohima; book festival-window accommodation in Kohima months ahead, as the town's capacity is limited. Indian visitors need an Inner Line Permit for Nagaland, arranged online or on arrival at Dimapur; foreign nationals currently register on arrival instead. Guided packages bundle permits, transport, tickets, and rooms, which removes most of the friction in what is otherwise a logistics-heavy trip.
Where it happens
Kohima, India.
Want to go? The full Kohima guide: conditions, logistics, providers →