State capital to showcase Kerala’s art forms across multiple city venues
Thiruvananthapuram will come alive with a string of cultural programmes when Onam Tourism Week begins on August 24, the state tourism minister said, unveiling a schedule that brings traditional music, dance and street festivities to the city and its neighbouring towns.
The week-long festival, to run until August 30, will present performances by about 3,000 artistes at 35 venues. The programme will be formally opened by Chief Minister V D Satheesan at 6.30 pm on August 24. Actor Kunchacko Boban will be the chief guest at the inaugural event.
- Dates: Aug 24–30; inauguration: Aug 24, 6.30 pm.
- Artists and venues: ~3,000 artistes across 35 venues.
- Notable guests: Kunchacko Boban (inaugural chief guest); Vice‑President C P Radhakrishnan to attend closing ceremony on Aug 30.
The tourism minister said the festival will give visitors hands‑on opportunities to experience art forms such as tolpavakoothu and kathakali make‑up, and will include live sessions and interactive presentations. For the first time, Kovalam has been included as a venue catalogue, with music concerts scheduled there.
“We have included Kovalam as one of the venues for the first time because it’s an important tourist destination,” the minister said.
Several prominent city venues will host programmed sequences and thematic activities. Nishagandhi will feature daily folk art presentations from 6 pm to 7 pm that aim to emphasise indigenous traditions. A special dance performance by Shobana is scheduled at Nishagandhi from 5.30 pm to 6.30 pm on the opening day.
Kanakakunnu, the traditional cultural hub, has been divided into four zones — business, future, art and culture, and food — creating discrete spaces for trade displays, performances and culinary events. The trade fair component will be inaugurated on the opening day, and a food festival at Kanakakunnu has been scheduled alongside cultural programmes.
Organisers have planned additional events across the district and neighbouring towns to widen participation: Veli, Akkulam, Velayani, Nedumangad, Mudavoorpara Boat Club, Kazhakkoottam Greenfield Stadium, Attingal, Neyyattinkara, Chempazhanthi, Varkala and Sasthampara are all on the list of venues.
| Event | Details |
|---|---|
| Pookkalam competition | Special contest at Jawahar Balabhavan on Aug 24 |
| Thiruvathira competition | Begins at Bharat Bhavan on Aug 23 |
| Decorative lighting | Stretches from Kowdiar to Attakulangara and Sasthamangalam to Vellayambalam |
To facilitate wider engagement, the festival programme includes interactive sessions where visitors can try folk performances and witness art preparation up close. Special seating has been arranged for foreign tourists and visitors from other states to make cultural presentations more accessible.
A flag procession beginning from Kovalam will traverse the district’s assembly constituencies before concluding at Kanakakunnu on Sunday, when the Onam flag will be formally presented at the venue. The itinerary reflects a deliberate attempt to decentralise the festivities and draw visitors beyond the traditional city core.
Officials have sought to promote both mass attractions and niche, heritage‑based offerings. The arrangement of Kanakakunnu into theme zones, plus daily folk art slots at Nishagandhi, indicates a push to combine tourism promotion with active cultural conservation.
Organisers expect the mix of concerts, traditional performance, exhibitions and food events to cater to diverse audiences — from families and school groups to holidaymakers. With Kovalam included for the first time, the district’s coastal tourism circuit will also be in focus during the week.
Visitors are advised to check schedules at the respective venues as timings for some programmes and the seating arrangements for special events have been announced by the organisers in recent briefings.
