NORTH EAST SPRING FESTIVAL & MADHYA DAKSHINI FESTIVAL 2026
TO CELEBRATE CULTURAL UNITY IN DIMAPUR
DIMAPUR, Rongili Barta: The North East Spring Festival 2026 (Festival of North East) will be held from 26th to 28th February 2026 at the NEZCC Complex, Dimapur, Nagaland. The festival is being organized by the North East Zone Cultural Centre (NEZCC), Dimapur, in collaboration with the South-Central Zone Cultural Centre (SCZCC), Nagpur, under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
The festival will be celebrated alongside the Madhya Dakshini Festival 2026, creating a vibrant cultural confluence between the North Eastern and South-Central regions of the country.
Aims and Objectives:
The festival aims to promote and preserve the rich folk and tribal cultural heritage of North East India while providing a national platform to traditional performing artistes. It seeks to encourage cultural exchange between North East and South-Central states and strengthen national integration through cultural unity. A special emphasis has been placed on youth engagement through folk, tribal, band and choir performances.
All programmes will commence from 5:00 PM onwards each day.
Folk and Tribal Performances from the North East:
Cultural groups from all eight North Eastern states will participate, showcasing diverse traditional art forms:
- Arunachal Pradesh – Rikhampada (12 artistes), led by Shri Nabam Sonil
- Assam – Bihu Nach (15 artistes), led by Smt. Bishnupriya Gogoi
- Assam – Daosri Delai (13 artistes), led by Smt. Juri Boro
- Manipur – Lai Haraoba, Thang-Ta and Cheirol Jagoi (12 artistes), led by Shri Mutum Herojit Singh
- Meghalaya – Wangala (12 artistes), led by Shri Jingjang A. Sangma
- Mizoram – Cheraw (15 artistes), presented by the Art & Culture Department, Govt. of Mizoram
- Nagaland – Nzanta (12 artistes), led by Smt. Ovungbeni Ovung
- Nagaland – Tenem (15 artistes), led by Guru Rarenbenba
- Sikkim – Magar Nritya (12 artistes), presented by the Culture Department, Govt. of Sikkim
- Tripura – Hojagiri (12 artistes), led by Shri Debasish Reang
A total of 130 folk artistes from the North East will participate.
Band and Choir Performances:
To connect with younger audiences, prominent musical groups from the region will also perform:
- Blue Temptation (Shillong) – 26 February, 2026
- Coronation Choir (Dimapur) – 26 February, 2026
- 6 Strings (Guwahati) – 27 February, 2026
- Bhramos (Kohima) – 27 February, 2026
Participation from South Central Zone:
Under the Madhya Dakshini Festival 2026, 83 artistes from SCZCC states will present the following dance and music traditions:
- Madhya Pradesh– Badhai and Norta – led by Shri Umesh Kumar Namdeo
- Maharashtra- Gondhal, Jagran and Jogwa – led by Smt. Madhavi Jadhav
- Telangana –Bathukamma and Bonalu – led by Shri Raghu
- Karnataka -Bessu Kamsale – led by Shri Shantha Mallikarjun. C
- Karnataka -Devi Nritya – led by Smt. Sneha Purushottam Gouda
- Chhattisgarh -Panthi Nritya – led by Shri Uttam Kumar Devhare
- Chhattisgarh -Folk & Tribal Instrumental – led by Shri Sanju Kumar Naik
National Cultural Collaboration:
The festival is also being organised in coordination with programmes under Bharat Ko Jano and the Border Area Programme.
Extended programmes are scheduled as follows:
- 26th–28th February 2026 – Dimapur, Nagaland
- 2nd–3rd March 2026 – Namsai, Arunachal Pradesh
- 5th–6th March 2026 – Ri-Bhoi, Meghalaya
Expected Outcomes:
The festival is expected to:
- Strengthen inter-regional cultural dialogue
- Promote the intangible cultural heritage of North East India
- Enhance national visibility of traditional art forms
- Increase youth participation and public engagement
- Boost cultural tourism in Nagaland and the North Eastern region
Leadership:
The festival is being led by Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee & Director, NEZCC, Dimapur, Dr. Prashanna Gogoi and Smt. Astha M. Karlekar, Director, SCZCC, Nagpur.
A Celebration of Diversity:
The North East Spring Festival 2026, together with the Madhya Dakshini Festival 2026, promises to be a grand celebration of India’s cultural diversity. The three-day event in Dimapur will provide a dynamic platform for folk artistes, tribal performers, musicians and cultural enthusiasts from across the country. Through such initiatives, the Ministry of Culture continues its commitment to preserving and promoting India’s rich and diverse cultural heritage.