Hornbill Festival enters its silver year with 74 tribes and a new night arena

The Hornbill Festival — Nagaland’s ten-day carnival of carnivals — opened at the Kisama heritage village with 74 tribal delegations, a new night-arena music stage and a focus on returning diaspora audiences.

Organisers have added a ‘heritage corridor’ that walks visitors through Naga architecture, weaving and the story of the festival itself, which began in 2000 as a way to keep tribal cultures visible in a fast-changing state.

Tour operators report full homestays in Kohima and Khonoma for the first week, with flights into Dimapur running near capacity.