Mapping Memories

Experience

Hornbill Festival

Ten days every December, when every tribe in Nagaland gathers at one heritage village outside Kohima.

Kisama Heritage Village during the festival

The Hornbill Festival was created in 2000 to bring Nagaland's tribes together in one place, at one time. It is named after the bird that appears across Naga ceremony and dress, and it does what no photograph manages: sixteen-plus tribes, each in full dress, sharing one arena for ten mornings and afternoons in a row.

The festival is held at Kisama Heritage Village, about 12km from Kohima — a permanent ground where every tribe keeps its own morung. Mornings are arena programmes; afternoons belong to the morungs and food stalls; evenings move down the hill to Kohima's night carnival and concerts.

It runs December 1–10 every year. This year's edition — dates, packages, stays and practicals — has its own mini-site:

Current edition

Hornbill Festival 2026

Dec 1–10, 2026 · Kisama, Nagaland

Open the 2026 guide →
Dates
December 1–10, yearly
Venue
Kisama Heritage Village
Base town
Kohima, 12km north
Permit
ILP required

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