Kozhikode district is preparing for a grand array of celebrations for Onam this year, with events scheduled to take place across various locations from August 22 to 30.

The festivities will officially kick off on August 22 with an Onam Pookkalam (floral carpet) competition, organised by the Onam celebrations committee led by K. Jayanth, MLA, as chairman, and District Collector M.S. Madhavikutty as general convener. Ahead of the main events, a heraldic parade will be held at 3 p.m. on August 23, marching from Kozhikode South Beach to Freedom Square.

A major highlight of this year’s festival is the ‘Local Body Pookkalam Competition 2026’, jointly organised by the Tourism department, District Tourism Promotion Council, Kozhikode, and the district administration. Ninety-one local self-government institutions across 11 clusters, including grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities, and the Kozhikode Corporation, will compete simultaneously by creating floral carpets at their respective headquarters.

To ensure complete transparency, judging will rely on live video monitoring, geo-tagged photos, video scanning, and physical inspections. The competition will strictly enforce eco-friendly guidelines, banning all plastics, synthetic materials, and artificial dyes in favour of 100% natural materials.

The winning teams will receive substantial prizes, including ₹1,00,000 and a trophy for first place, ₹50,000 for second, and ₹25,000 for third, along with special category awards.

Registration for teams of three to five members will be open at the office of the Joint Director, Local Self-Government department, till August 21, with the main contest taking place on August 22 between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m.

The formal inauguration of the overall Onam celebrations will be held at 6 p.m. on August 24 at the Kozhikode main beach, led by Minister for Industries and Information Technology P.K. Kunhalikutty with Minister for Agriculture T. Siddique attending as guests of honour.

Cultural programmes and regional events are scheduled throughout the week across multiple venues. The Kozhikode main beach will host events daily from August 24 to 30, starting with a performance by the Thaikkudam Bridge band on the opening night.

Subsequent evenings will feature a dance performance by Lakshmi Gopalaswamy and a comedy show by Hareesh Kanaran and Nirmal Palazhi on August 25, Naresh Iyer and party and Dhwanitharang Kochi on August 26, Harishankar and party along with a Kuchipudi recital by Bijula Balakrishnan on August 27, and the ‘Indian Spring Festival 2026’ showcased by Bharat Bhavan and the South Zone Cultural Centre followed by a Ghazal Night by Shahabaz Aman on August 28.

On August 29, Madhu Balakrishnan will perform alongside a bodybuilding dance show, leading into the valedictory ceremony on August 30, inaugurated by Revenue Minister A.P. Anil Kumar, followed by a musical finale by Stephen Devassy.

Additional events will take place across the district, including theatre productions at the Town Hall (August 25–29), Sufi dance and concerts at Bhatt Road Beach (August 25–29), folk arts at Mananchira (August 25–27), classical dance and music at Tali (August 25–27), and ghazals, Kolkali, and women’s musical concerts at Kuttichira (August 25–27).

Water sports and outdoor events include a Water Fest at Korapuzha on August 25, events at Akalappuzha on August 26 and Kappad on August 27, and a kayaking fest at Ulloor Kadavu on August 29.

The entire celebration is funded through a ₹40-lakh grant from the Tourism department alongside local business and organisational sponsorships.

(The writer Aleesha V. Joseph is an intern with The Hindu)

Published - August 20, 2026 08:05 pm IST