Nagaland to host 9th North East Youth Festival 2026

Nagaland will host the 9th North East Youth Festival 2026 from March 18 to 21, bringing together around 1,200 youth participants from the eight Northeastern states for a celebration of culture, creativity and youth engagement.
Addressing a press conference at Chümoukedima Football Stadium on Monday, director of Youth Resources and Sports, Kethosituo Sekhose, said the festival was funded and managed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports under the National Adolescence and Youth Development Programme.
He said the event would be held under the theme “Ashtalakshmi: Celebrating 8 Forces of Youth and Progress,” reflecting the Prime Minister’s vision of the eight Northeastern states as Ashtalakshmi.
Sekhose noted that Nagaland had hosted the inaugural edition of the festival, while the previous edition was held in Gangtok.
The festival, he said, provides a platform for youth participation and cultural exchange among the Northeastern states, in addition to the National Youth Festival.
The main venue will be Chümoukedima Football Stadium, where the opening and closing ceremonies will be held on March 18 and 21 respectively. Competitive events scheduled for March 19 and 20 include folk song, folk dance, declamation, one-act play, rock band competition and instrumental guitar, while non-competitive activities will feature cultural presentations and martial arts demonstrations.
He informed that 200 volunteers each from National Service Scheme (NSS) and Mera Yuva Bharat (My Bharat) would participate. The opening ceremony will feature introduction of contingents, launch of a special theme song prepared under Task Force for Music and Arts (TaFMA), cultural performances by all eight states and a martial arts demonstration by Nagaland’s Pencak Silat team.
Competitive events will be hosted at Tetso College while adventure programme, including a trek to Pulie Badze and a visit to Kohima War Cemetery, has also been planned.
Meanwhile, My Bharat Nagaland state director Salam D Singh said a Food Festival and Yuva Kriti Craft Mela would be organised at Tetso College. Regional director of NSS (NER), D Carthigueae, said NSS volunteers would also participate in Youth Convention and Youth Suvichar sessions focusing on youth development and entrepreneurship.
Officials said the festival aims to promote national integration, cultural exchange and youth engagement among the Northeastern states.