🌼 Onam Tourism Week 2026: Trivandrum Turns into One Huge Festival

6 hours ago
2 min read

If you want to see Trivandrum stop feeling like an ordinary city and turn into one enormous celebration, August 24–30 is the week to be here. 🌼🥁

Onam Tourism Week Celebration 2026 brings concerts, Kerala folk arts, percussion, dance, theatre, music and dozens of parallel events to venues across the capital.

But if the programme feels overwhelming and you only want to remember one place, make it:

🌿 onam tourism week 2026: Kanakakkunnu

Kanakakkunnu Palace Grounds and Nishagandhi Auditorium form the main festival hub. The official state-level opening takes place here on August 24, while Kerala's traditional art forms are scheduled at the main Nishagandhi venue throughout the week.

Expect the area to become bright, busy and very loud in the evenings.

Several stages operate around the palace grounds, with Kerala folk traditions, major concerts, fusion music and percussion performances. At Kanakakkunnu Gate, programmes include Chendamelam, Panchavadyam, Panchari Melam and Thayambaka, while a food festival is also being held at Kanakakkunnu during the Onam celebrations.

The Nishagandhi programme includes names such as Shobana and K. S. Harisankar, traditional forms including Padayani and Mudiyettu, and a closing-night music programme featuring Agam Band and Hareesh Sivaramakrishnan. If you only have one evening to experience the celebrations, Kanakakkunnu is where we would start.

🎭 What About the Other Venues?

There is plenty happening elsewhere too.

Stages at Thiruvarangu, Sopanam, Suryakanthi, Central Stadium and Poojappura Maithanam host everything from rare Kerala folk traditions such as Theyyam, Padayani, Mudiyettu, Ottan Thullal and Poorakkali to fusion concerts and large contemporary music shows.

The full programme is huge, with dozens of events taking place simultaneously.

👉 Full published schedule by date and venue: view the programme on Instagram

We recommend treating it as a working schedule. If you are travelling specifically for one artist or performance, check the timing again before you go. 🎉 Save August 30

August 30 is the final day - and deserves a place in your plans even if you skip the rest of the week.

The celebrations officially conclude with the Onam Pageantry (Ghoshayathra), a large festive procession through the capital featuring artists and cultural groups. Kerala Tourism has confirmed the grand pageantry for August 30.

The exact route and timing should be checked closer to the date.

🌸 What Is Onam?

Onam is Kerala's biggest festival, traditionally associated with the annual return of the legendary King Mahabali.

But in everyday Kerala, it means much more: ten days of flower carpets, family gatherings, elaborate vegetarian sadya, traditional performances, drums, shopping and celebrations across the state.

Want to understand Mahabali, pookalam, sadya, Pulikali and Kerala's famous snake boats?

👉 Read our full guide: Onam - The Return of the King 📅 August 24–30, 2026

📍 Main hub: Kanakakkunnu Palace Grounds / Nishagandhi, Trivandrum

🕔 Most evening events begin around 5-6 PM, depending on the venue

🎭 Folk arts • dance • percussion • concerts • fusion • food festival

🎉 August 30 - grand closing parade