Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival gets permanent venue

Shillong, Aug 31 (IANS) The Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival 2026 will return on November 20-21 with a new permanent venue and a star‑studded international line‑up, officials said on Monday.

The festival will move to the newly established New Shillong Highland Grounds, a dedicated venue allocated by the Meghalaya government for large‑scale festivals, concerts and events. Officials said two more international headliners will be announced soon, taking the total number of major international acts for this year’s edition to five.

American R&B‑pop singer Khalid, rapper Swae Lee and pop‑punk band Boys Like Girls have been announced as the first three headliners. Khalid, known for global hits including Young Dumb & Broke, is a seven‑time Grammy‑nominated singer and one of the prominent voices in contemporary R&B and pop. Swae Lee, known for his work with hip‑hop duo Rae Sremmurd and his solo career, will also perform. His credits include Sunflower with Post Malone from Spider‑Man: Into the Spider‑Verse. Boys Like Girls, formed in 2005, are known for tracks such as The Great Escape, Thunder and Love Drunk.

Organisers said the announcement of the line‑up was delayed slightly due to preparations for the new venue, including artist logistics, production requirements and festival planning.

The New Shillong Highland Grounds is being developed with large‑scale events in mind and will have multiple entry and exit points, parking facilities and dedicated traffic‑management arrangements. The Meghalaya government will implement a comprehensive traffic and mobility plan during the festival weekend.

Located around 30 minutes from Shillong, the venue is expected to improve access for audiences travelling from across Meghalaya, Assam and neighbouring regions, including those coming from the Jowai side.

Single‑day tickets will start at Rs 2,500, inclusive of taxes, with organisers positioning the event as an affordable international music festival. Tickets will go on sale from September 4 at 6 p.m. exclusively through RockskiTickets.com.

The 2025 edition featured international acts including Jason Derulo, The Script, Tyga, Diplo, Nora Fatehi and Aqua.

–IANS

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