The Hornbill Festival is Nagaland's biggest week of the year. In 2026 it runs from 1 to 10 December at the Naga Heritage Village in Kisama, near Kohima.
This guide covers what happens there, the permits you need this year, how to get in and where to sleep. It also covers how many days to give it and what to see nearby.
What the festival is
The state's tourism and culture departments first held the festival on 1 December 2000. It always opens on 1 December, which is Nagaland Statehood Day.
It is named after the hornbill, the big forest bird found in the folklore of most Naga tribes.
The idea is simple. Nagaland's tribes come to one place and show their dances, songs, crafts, games and food. Eighteen major tribes took part in 2025.
What is new in 2026
2026 is the 27th edition. The festival began as a three-day event, grew to five days and is now ten.
The state says it now runs more than 300 events across dozens of venues. A North East state will join as partner state, but it had not been named when we wrote this.
In 2025 the festival had six partner countries and Arunachal Pradesh as its partner state. The 2026 partners were still being decided in October.
Kisama and the morungs
The festival ground is the Naga Heritage Village at Kisama. It sits about 12 km south of Kohima on the highway.
Each tribe has its own morung there. A morung was the traditional dormitory where young men of a village lived and learned. At Kisama, each one is built in its own tribe's style.
The morungs are the heart of the day. Dance troupes perform in front of them, and many serve the tribe's own food and rice beer.
What happens each day
Mornings and afternoons belong to the troupes. Tribe after tribe performs war dances, harvest songs and folk games in the main arena.
Around them run craft stalls, archery, Naga wrestling, indigenous sports and fashion shows. In past years there has been a Naga king chilli eating contest.
In 2025, smaller extensions of the festival ran in Dimapur, Mon and Wokha.
The music
Nagaland loves rock and gospel, and the festival has a music side to match. The Hornbill Music Festival runs alongside the cultural programme.
For years the big draw was the Hornbill International Rock Contest. The state ended it in 2019. Bands now compete in a contest called Ticket to Hornbill.
In 2026 that band battle is in Delhi, at Talkatora Stadium, on 16 and 17 October. The winner plays the Hornbill Music Festival in December.
Evenings in Kohima
When Kisama closes, the party moves to town. The Kohima Chamber of Commerce runs the Hornbill Night Carnival in the town centre.
In 2025 it ran from 5 to 9 pm, with a food court of hundreds of stalls. Home cooks from the tribes got first claim on the stalls. The 2026 details were not out when we wrote this.
Tickets and entry
You pay at the gate. Time Out India put the 2026 day ticket at ₹50 to ₹100, and said prices can vary.
Tickets are sold on site, so there is nothing to book ahead for the ground itself. The thing to book ahead is your room.
Outlook Traveller notes that photo and video passes may be needed on top. Ask at the gate.
Permits for 2026
Indian visitors from outside Nagaland need an Inner Line Permit. You apply online only, on the state's ILP portal. Paper applications stopped at the end of 2024.
Dimapur used to be the easy way in without one. That changed on 27 May 2025, when the district began asking for an ILP too. Plan for a permit wherever you enter.
Foreign nationals face a bigger question. The Centre brought back the Protected Area Permit for Nagaland in December 2024. For Hornbill 2025 it gave a waiver for the ten festival days only.
No waiver for 2026 had been announced when we checked in late October. If you hold a foreign passport, check the permit position before you book anything. Our permit guide explains how the two permits differ.
Getting there
Fly into Dimapur. Kohima is about 74 km away, a drive of two to three hours.
Trains from Guwahati also reach Dimapur in about three hours. Buses and shared taxis run on to Kohima and Kisama.
Leave early in the morning for the run out to Kisama. The best of the arena programme starts in the day, not the evening.
Where to stay
Most people stay in Kohima and travel out to Kisama each day. Before you book a room, ask the hotel how you will get to the festival ground.
Homestays and camping are the other choices. Nagaland Tourism publishes a list of suggested stays each year. A luxury tented camp near Kohima also opens just for the festival.
Ten days of visitors land on one small hill town. Book your room as soon as your dates are fixed.
How many days to give it
The programme changes each day, but the shape of each day is much the same. Three or four days at the festival is enough for most people.
Come for the opening on 1 December if you can. Then add a day or two in and around Kohima.
With the travel from Guwahati, that makes a trip of about six or seven days.
Weather and what to wear
December in Kohima is dry. Days are cool and bright. Nights are cold, and the state's own records show December lows of around 5°C.
Pack layers, a warm jacket for the evening carnival and shoes you can stand in all day. Kisama is on a slope, and the best views of the dances come from standing.
Photos and manners
The dancers expect cameras in the arena. Off the stage, ask before you take a close portrait.
At the morungs you are a guest of each tribe. Try the food, and buy something from the craft stalls if you can.
Rice beer is served at many morungs. Pace yourself. It is a long day on your feet.
Near Kohima
Kisama is worth a visit outside festival week too. The tribal houses stand there all year, side by side.
In Kohima, the War Cemetery sits on a hillside in the town. It is a calm place to spend an hour.
Hornbill pairs well with a walk to Dzukou Valley, close to Kohima. Read about the falcons of Pangti too, if you can come earlier in the season.
Quick answers
When is Hornbill 2026? From 1 to 10 December, at Kisama near Kohima. It opens on Nagaland Statehood Day, as it does every year.
Do I need a permit? Yes, if you are an Indian visitor from outside Nagaland. Apply online for the Inner Line Permit before you travel. Foreign nationals should check the Protected Area Permit rules for 2026.
Is it good for families? Yes. The days are long, but you can come and go as you like. Bring warm clothes for children, as the evenings get cold.
Can I go for just one day? You can, but from Guwahati the journey in takes most of a day. Two full days at Kisama is the least we would suggest.
Plan your trip
We do not run trips in Nagaland, but we are happy to help you plan around Hornbill. Many travellers add Assam on the way in or out, with a safari at Kaziranga.
Our festival calendar has the rest of the North East's year. When you know your dates, tell us. We will reply within 24 hours.
