Telangana Tourism will host a grand triple festival at Parade Grounds, Hyderabad, in January 2026, featuring the International Kite & Sweet Festival, Drone Festival and Hot Air Balloon Festival. Timed with Sankranti, the events aim to highlight the state’s cultural heritage, innovation-driven identity and global tourism appeal.
As the winter sun settles gently over the Deccan Plateau and the festive spirit of Sankranti begins to ripple across Telangana, Hyderabad is preparing to look skyward in celebration. In January 2026, the city will host a rare convergence of tradition, technology and tourism with a grand triple showcase at the iconic Parade Grounds in Secunderabad. Organised by the Department of Tourism, Government of Telangana, the events are designed not merely as entertainment spectacles but as a statement of the state’s evolving identity—rooted in culture, open to innovation and confident on the global stage.
At the heart of the celebrations is the International Kite & Sweet Festival, scheduled from January 13 to 15, 2026, coinciding with Sankranti, one of the most widely celebrated harvest festivals in the region. For generations, the festival has been associated with vibrant kites dotting the skies and homes filled with the aroma of freshly prepared sweets. By elevating this tradition to an international platform, Telangana Tourism is seeking to showcase how local customs can become global experiences without losing their authenticity. Kite flyers from across India and abroad are expected to participate, transforming the skies above Hyderabad into a canvas of colour, motion and friendly competition.
Running alongside the kite festivities on January 13 and 14 is the Drone Festival, a symbol of the state’s innovation-driven outlook. While kites represent heritage and nostalgia, drones speak to the future—precision, technology and creativity converging in choreographed aerial displays. The juxtaposition of handcrafted kites and programmed drones is deliberate, reflecting Telangana’s ambition to balance cultural preservation with technological advancement. Spectators can expect coordinated drone light shows that blend storytelling, art and engineering, offering a futuristic counterpoint to the organic rhythms of kite flying.
The celebration will extend beyond Sankranti with the Hot Air Balloon Festival from January 16 to 18, adding a sense of calm wonder to the high-energy festivities. Floating silently above the cityscape, hot air balloons offer a serene way to experience Hyderabad from a new perspective. For many visitors, it will be a first encounter with ballooning, turning the event into both an adventure and a visual spectacle. Against the backdrop of winter skies, the balloons are expected to become a powerful symbol of exploration and openness, aligning seamlessly with the broader tourism narrative the state is crafting.
Together, the three festivals are designed to transform Hyderabad into a global celebration hub—where traditional skies filled with kites meet futuristic drone displays and the gentle ascent of hot air balloons. The choice of Parade Grounds, Secunderabad, is significant. Long associated with large public gatherings and cultural events, the venue offers both scale and accessibility, making it ideal for hosting crowds from within the city and beyond. Its open expanse allows for safe, immersive aerial activities while reinforcing the sense of collective celebration that public festivals thrive on.
Beyond the visual spectacle, the initiative has a deeper objective: positioning Telangana as a destination that offers layered experiences. Visitors are being invited not just to watch events, but to discover the state’s cultural heritage, diverse tourist destinations and local flavours. The International Kite & Sweet Festival, in particular, will spotlight regional delicacies that define Sankranti celebrations, turning cuisine into a storytelling tool. From traditional sweets to savoury specialities, food becomes an entry point into Telangana’s social and agricultural traditions, enriching the visitor experience.
The Drone Festival adds another dimension by highlighting Telangana’s reputation as a technology-forward state. Hyderabad has long been associated with IT, innovation and start-ups, and the inclusion of a drone showcase reinforces this identity in a public, accessible format. It signals that innovation is not confined to boardrooms or labs, but can be celebrated in open spaces, shared with families and tourists, and woven into cultural narratives. In doing so, the festival bridges the gap between industry and everyday life.
Preparations for the mega celebrations are already underway, with a strong emphasis on coordination and execution. An Interdepartmental Coordination Meeting held at The Plaza Hotel in Begumpet brought together key stakeholders under the chairmanship of Shri Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary to Government, Youth Advancement, Tourism & Culture Department. The meeting focused on ensuring seamless planning, safety, logistics and world-class standards across all three events. Such coordination reflects the scale and ambition of the showcase, recognising that successful tourism events depend as much on behind-the-scenes planning as on on-ground excitement.
For Telangana Tourism, the timing of the festivals is strategic. Sankranti is a period when families travel, communities gather and cultural pride is at its peak. By anchoring the celebrations around this festival, the state taps into an existing emotional and cultural momentum, amplifying its reach and resonance. Extending the festivities with the Hot Air Balloon Festival ensures sustained engagement, encouraging longer stays and repeat visits, which are crucial for tourism-led economic impact.
The triple festival also serves as a platform to strengthen Telangana’s presence on the national and international tourism map. By bringing together international participants, cutting-edge technology and immersive experiences, the state is positioning itself as a destination that can host large-scale, diverse events with confidence. This is particularly significant at a time when experiential tourism is gaining prominence, and travellers are increasingly seeking destinations that offer unique, story-driven encounters rather than passive sightseeing.
Hyderabad, with its layered history and modern skyline, provides a fitting backdrop for this narrative. The city has long balanced the old and the new—from historic monuments and traditional markets to global business hubs and contemporary cultural spaces. The sky-focused festivals mirror this duality, turning the air above the city into a shared space where heritage and innovation coexist. For residents, it is an opportunity to see their city reimagined; for visitors, a chance to experience Telangana through multiple lenses.
As January 2026 approaches, anticipation is building for what promises to be one of the most visually arresting and culturally rich tourism initiatives in the state’s recent history. Three festivals, one city and endless experiences is more than a slogan—it encapsulates an invitation. An invitation to look up at kites dancing in the wind, to marvel at drones painting stories in light, to drift gently in a hot air balloon and to discover a state that is as proud of its roots as it is excited about its future.
This Sankranti, Hyderabad is not just celebrating a festival; it is making a statement. By blending tradition, technology and tourism into a single, expansive canvas, Telangana is inviting the world to experience its skies, its stories and its spirit. In doing so, it reinforces a simple yet powerful message: to truly discover Telangana, sometimes all one has to do is look up.
Discover more from Creative Brands
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
