About the Festivals of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The festivals of Andaman and Nicobar Islands run almost year-round — from the state-run Island Tourism Festival every January to the Diwali, Eid, Christmas and Durga Puja celebrations brought by the islands’ Tamil, Bengali and settler communities. This 2026 guide lists each major festival with its month, venue and what actually happens, so you can time your trip around the celebration you want to see. Because the islands were settled by people from across India, their festival calendar (अंडमान निकोबार के त्योहार) blends mainland traditions with a distinct island character you will not find anywhere else in the country.
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Festivals of Andaman & Nicobar Islands at a Glance
| Festival | Typical month (2026) | Where | Community / type |
| Island Tourism Festival | Early–mid January (~10 days) | Port Blair (islands-wide) | State cultural festival |
| Pongal | Mid-January (~14–17 Jan) | Port Blair & Tamil areas | Tamil harvest |
| Subhash Mela | Late January (around 23 Jan) | Cellular Jail, Port Blair | State / commemorative |
| Panguni Uthiram | March–April | Murugan temples, Port Blair | Tamil community |
| Eid-ul-Fitr | Lunar — c. March 2026 | Islands-wide | Muslim community |
| Monsoon Music Festival | Monsoon (June–September) | Port Blair | Cultural / music |
| Durga Puja | September–October | Port Blair pandals | Bengali community |
| Beach Festival | In-season (Oct–Mar) | Corbyn’s Cove, Port Blair | Tourism / cultural |
| Diwali | Lunar — c. November 2026 | Islands-wide | Hindu community |
| Christmas | 25 December | Islands-wide (churches) | Christian community |
| New Year’s Eve | 31 December | Beaches, hotels & resorts | Tourism |
State & Tourism Festivals
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Island Tourism Festival
Held every January in Port Blair, the Island Tourism Festival is the islands’ flagship cultural event — roughly ten days of folk music and dance, craft and handloom exhibitions, food stalls and cultural troupes from across the archipelago. It is the single best window for a first-time visitor to see the islands’ culture in one place, which is why it anchors the January travel season. Festival dates: early–mid January 2026
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Subhash Mela
Subhash Mela honours Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, who hoisted the Indian flag on these islands in 1943. Centred on the Cellular Jail in Port Blair — where a tall statue of Netaji stands — the mela features cultural shows, exhibitions and parades, and doubles as a reminder of the islands’ freedom-struggle history. It is held around late January, close to Netaji’s birth anniversary (23 January).
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Beach Festival
The Beach Festival at Corbyn’s Cove Beach in Port Blair is an annual coastal celebration of water sports, beach volleyball, and live music and dance. It is scheduled within the main tourist season (October–March), making it an easy add-on for travellers already on the islands.
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Lakshadweep and Andaman Festival
This festival celebrates the cultural links between India’s two island groups through dance, music and traditional island cuisine — a one-of-a-kind exchange of island traditions.
Community & Religious Festivals
a. Durga Puja (Bengali community)
Port Blair has a large Bengali settler community, and Durga Puja is one of its biggest celebrations. For five days across September–October, decorated pandals go up around the town, with worship, cultural programmes, music and communal feasts open to visitors. It is the clearest example of how mainland traditions took root on the islands.
b. Panguni Uthiram (Tamil community)
The islands’ Tamil community celebrates Panguni Uthiram at the Murugan temples in and around Port Blair, usually in March–April. Devotees mark the day dedicated to Lord Murugan with processions, temple rituals and offerings — a festival rarely covered in mainstream Andaman guides.
c. Pongal (Tamil harvest)
Pongal, the four-day Tamil harvest festival, is celebrated in mid-January by the islands’ Tamil families — overlapping the Island Tourism Festival season — with the traditional sweet-rice dish, kolam designs and family gatherings.
Bhogi 13 Jan, Thai Pongal 14 Jan, Mattu Pongal 15 Jan, Kaanum Pongal 16 Jan 2026 → festival runs ~13–16 Jan
d. Monsoon Music Festival
Held during the monsoon months (June–September), the Monsoon Music Festival brings live music and cultural performances to Port Blair in the islands’ quietest tourist season — a reason to visit even when the seas are rough.
e. Diwali
Diwali, the festival of lights, is celebrated across the islands by the Hindu community with oil lamps, rangoli, sweets and fireworks that light up Port Blair and the settlements. It usually falls in October or November.
f. Eid-ul-Fitr
Eid-ul-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan for the islands’ Muslim community, celebrated with special prayers and shared feasts in a spirit of generosity. It follows the lunar calendar and is expected around March in 2026.
g. Christmas
Christmas (25 December) is a major celebration for the islands’ sizeable Christian community. Churches across Port Blair and the islands are decorated, and the midnight Mass on Christmas Eve draws a congregation from many faiths — one of the warmest examples of the islands’ communal harmony.
h. New Year’s Eve
On New Year’s Eve (31 December), the islands’ beaches, hotels and resorts host parties with music, food and midnight fireworks — Corbyn’s Cove and the Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) resorts are popular spots to see in the new year.
Conclusion
Whatever month you travel, there is almost always a festival on somewhere in the islands — January for the Island Tourism Festival and Subhash Mela, autumn for Durga Puja and Diwali, December for Christmas and New Year. Confirm the exact 2026 dates before you book, then build your trip around the celebration you most want to see.
Ready to plan a festival-season trip? Explore our Andaman tour packages and Andaman travel guide.
FAQs About Festivals of Andaman & Nicobar Island
The Island Tourism Festival, held in Port Blair every January, is the biggest and most important festival of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It runs for around ten days with folk music, dance, craft exhibitions and food from across the islands, and marks the peak of the January tourist season.
The Island Tourism Festival is held in early-to-mid January each year in Port Blair, typically for about ten days.
Port Blair, the islands' capital, hosts most major festivals: the Island Tourism Festival and Subhash Mela in January, Pongal and Panguni Uthiram (Tamil community), Durga Puja (Bengali community), plus Diwali, Eid, Christmas and New Year's Eve celebrations. Its mixed settler population makes it the cultural hub of the islands.
Yes. State and community festivals such as the Island Tourism Festival, Beach Festival, Durga Puja and Diwali are open to visitors and are good ways to experience island culture. However, the islands' indigenous tribal communities (such as the Jarawa and Sentinelese) live in protected reserves, and their customs are NOT tourist events — entering tribal areas or photographing tribes is restricted by law.
Many Andaman festivals — including Diwali, Eid, Pongal, Panguni Uthiram and Durga Puja — follow the lunar or luni-solar calendar, so their dates change every year. State events like the Island Tourism Festival are set by the administration annually. Always confirm dates on the official Andaman & Nicobar tourism/administration website before booking travel.
The largest organised festivals are concentrated in Port Blair, but Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil (Shaheed Dweep) mark Diwali, Christmas and New Year's Eve, with resort and beach celebrations especially around 31 December. For the full cultural programme, Port Blair during January is the best base.
