Plan your trip · Shillong
What's on in Shillong
Shillong's calendar mixes Khasi religious dances, church festivals and big music events. The Khasi festivals follow traditional reckoning, so confirm each year's dates locally.
Nothing dated is confirmed for Shillong right now, so here is the year instead — the fixtures that come round annually, and what each one means for a visit.
The year in Shillong
Shillong's calendar runs through most of the year, with the busiest weeks in the clear, comfortable months and a quieter stretch in the heaviest rain. Broadly, Oct – Mar and Apr – Jun is when visiting is most comfortable here, and that is when the calendar is busiest — which also means accommodation is most expensive and books furthest ahead.
Most of these follow lunar calendars and move by weeks from year to year, so treat the windows below as the season rather than the date, and confirm the year’s dates before you book around one.
Signature to Shillong
Cherry Blossom Festival
🗓️ NovemberFour days of music under the Himalayan cherry blossom.
Planning: Shillong's best weather window, and it books out.
Across Meghalaya
Wangala and Nongkrem
🗓️ October–NovemberHarvest and thanksgiving dances of the Garo and Khasi communities, in villages rather than stadiums.
Planning: Ask locally for the year's village dates; these are not ticketed tourist shows.
Nationwide
Diwali
🗓️ October–NovemberThe biggest holiday of the year — lamps, sweets, fireworks and a week of visiting family. Cities are lit up and markets stay open late.
Holi
🗓️ MarchColoured powder and water, thrown at anyone within reach, mostly through the morning.
Navratri and Dussehra
🗓️ September–OctoberNine nights of fasting, music and dance, ending with Dussehra. What it looks like changes completely by region — garba in Gujarat, pandals in Bengal, processions in the south.
Eid al-Fitr
🗓️ shifts ~11 days earlier each yearThe end of Ramadan. The old quarters of Delhi, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Bhopal are at their best in the evenings through the preceding month, when food streets run past midnight.
Makar Sankranti and Pongal
🗓️ mid-JanuaryThe harvest turn, marked with kites in the west and north and four days of Pongal in Tamil Nadu.
Shad Suk Mynsiem, April
Shad Suk Mynsiem, often translated as the dance of joyful or peaceful hearts, is a three-day Khasi thanksgiving held each April. It is organised by the Seng Khasi, and the main dance takes place at the Weiking ground in Jaiaw, in Shillong. Young women in silk and gold dance in an inner circle, while men dance around them with swords and whisks. It is a religious event. Watch from the edge, and ask before you photograph dancers up close.
Ka Pomblang Nongkrem, October or November
The Nongkrem dance is held at Smit, a village a short drive from Shillong, usually in October or November. It is a five-day thanksgiving for the harvest, led by the chief of the Hima Khyrim, and it includes a ritual goat sacrifice. Visitors can attend, but it is a ceremony, not a tourist show. Dates are set each year, so ask locally.
Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival, November
This is a large music and cultural event timed with the Himalayan cherry trees flowering in November. The 2025 edition ran over two days, 14 and 15 November, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and the Polo Grounds, with international acts, local bands, food stalls and craft stalls. Concert areas have been ticketed in recent years. Hotels fill fast, so book early.
Durga Puja, September or October
Shillong's large Hindu and Bengali communities build pandals across the city for Durga Puja. Evenings are crowded and traffic is slow in the busier areas.
Christmas, December
Christmas is Shillong's biggest celebration. Streets and churches are lit up from early December, carol singing and church services fill the evenings, and families gather for big meals. Many shops close on Christmas Day itself.
Further afield
Behdienkhlam, the Pnar festival of driving away disease, is held in Jowai in the Jaintia Hills, usually in July. Wangala, the Garo harvest festival, is celebrated in the Garo Hills around Tura, far from Shillong.
Questions
Shillong — FAQ
When is Shad Suk Mynsiem held?
Every April, over three days, at the Weiking ground in Jaiaw, Shillong. Exact dates are fixed each year, so check local news before you travel.
Can tourists watch the Nongkrem dance?
Yes. It is held at Smit, usually in October or November. It is a religious ceremony, so dress modestly, keep to the edges and ask before photographing people.
Is the Cherry Blossom Festival ticketed?
The concert areas have been ticketed in recent years. The line-up, venues and dates change every year, so check the official announcements.
Is Christmas a good time to visit Shillong?
Yes, if you like the festive mood. The city is lit up and the weather is usually dry and clear. Book early, as rooms fill up, and expect shops to shut on Christmas Day.