As I left Delhi, I found myself peering out of the smeared airplane window with a sense of relief, and why not? I was about to trade the city’s smog-filled grey for Meghalaya’s clear, refreshing November air.
The journey was long, the kind that leaves you checking the time more often than you’d like. Nearly twelve hours of airports, flights, and long, curling roads had worn me down just enough to blur the edges of the day. But when I finally reached my hotel in Shillong, the fatigue felt worth it simply because I knew what the next two days held: The Cherry Blossom Festival, a city-wide celebration that blends autumn blooms with music performances, cultural showcases, local food, and a growing Japanese cultural collaboration that has become an integral part of the event.
After a good night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast at the hotel, I put on some comfortable autumn layers and made my way to Ward’s Lake, a spot that appears on almost every Shillong itinerary. I had, of course, already seen all the glossy Google images, so a part of me expected to walk into that picture-perfect frame straight away.
But nature doesn’t work on our timelines. The full bloom from the pictures on the internet hadn’t arrived yet. Instead, the cherry blossoms appeared in scattered patches of pink rather than the full canopy I’d imagined. Locals and tourists naturally gravitated towards the few trees that had managed to bloom, forming small circles of people taking photos, pointing out branches, or simply standing quietly (like I did) to admire whatever colour the season had offered so far.
Oddly enough, it wasn’t disappointing. If anything, it grounded the experience. The lake was calm, ducks lazing along the banks, and people moved at an easy, unhurried pace. Families queued for paddle boats, groups of friends stopped every few steps for photos, and food stalls were buzzing excited to try local cuisines. A couple of wine stalls offered tasters of local fruit wines that people eagerly lined up for.
Just off the tranquil banks of Ward’s Lake, the atmosphere shifted into an immersive Pan-Asian experience at the Japan Arena. The Cherry Blossom Festival has grown alongside Meghalaya’s cultural ties with Japan, which is why elements of Japanese art and pop culture find such a prominent place here.
Returning for its second year, the Arena brought together both refined Japanese traditions and contemporary pop culture. Visitors moved between stations where artists demonstrated Sumi-e (ink painting) and Shodo (calligraphy), while a few steps away the Japan Foundation’s “Learn Japanese with Anime” session drew in young people eager to connect their favourite anime with the actual language.
I spoke with Donald Zacky Khumlo, the curator behind the Japan Arena, who shared the thinking behind it. “We have various activities like origami, sumi-e art, calligraphy… all these authentic experiences,” he said. “We want to bring them to Shillong so people can have cultural exchange as well.”
But his vision goes beyond a festival arena.
“In the future, when we grow bigger, I want people from our state to go to Japan and learn their traditional and cultural stuff,” he added. “And I want Japanese representatives to come here and learn ours—the Khasis and the Garos. We have so many folklores and folktales we can share with the world.”
For him, the Arena isn’t an add-on; it’s a way to “bridge the gap between different communities and different countries.”
Leaving Ward’s Lake, the contrast was striking. The calm from earlier gave way to a city gearing up for its biggest nights.
Shillong’s festive energy was in full swing from before I reached the concert venue. By late afternoon, the traffic near the Police Bazaar, a prime shopping hub, had thickened, with cars inching forward, bikes trying to slip through, and traffic police waving people in the right direction. And here’s something first-timers might not realise: the places where you go to see the cherry blossoms and the place where the music festival happens are two entirely different spots. The blossoms are centred around Ward’s Lake, while the concerts take place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. A lot of visitors assume it’s all in one big park, but Shillong spreads the experience across the city.
As I made my way through the slow-moving traffic, the shift in mood was easy to feel. Closer to the venue, the faint thump of soundcheck started to cut through the noise of the street, and the trickle of people turned into a steady, excited flow. While Shillong felt laid-back for most of the day, during the Cherry Blossom Festival, it slipped into a completely different vibe, energetic and crowded.
“Headliners” - that’s what people called the line-up of global artists who had come to perform at the Cherry Blossom Festival. Spread over November 14–15, the fixture was star-studded to justify the buzz: The Script, Jason Derulo, Tyga, Nora Fatehi, along with a strong mix of local performers, including Khasi Bloodz, Bending Waves, Ahaia, Dappest & ADL, and MTV EMA winner Meba Ofilia, who held their own effortlessly.
Many of these homegrown musicians also came through the CM Meghalaya Grassroots Music Project (MGMP), a state initiative that has been helping young artists access training, recording support, and regular stages across Meghalaya. For those who aren’t familiar, Shillong has long been known for nurturing talent quietly—through church choirs, informal jam circles, and a strong culture of live music that precedes the festival boom.
Inside the ground, the mood was vastly different from the Shillong I’d spent the morning exploring. Light beams cut across the night sky, the bass from the sound system rumbled underfoot, and groups of friends rushed forward the moment a song they recognised kicked in. Food stalls lined the perimeter, and the queues never really ended.
When Day 1 kicked off, the crowd responded with high energy. Several voices rose in chorus when popular Irish band The Script performed their hits, from Superheroes, Hall of Fame to Six Degrees of Separation. Nostalgia hit me right there and then, taking me back to my university days when these very songs were the soundtrack to long walks, late-night assignments, and the occasional heartbreak too.
Day 2 featured other international artists like Tyga and Diplo and sets by local artists like Drum Tao and DJ Kennedy; however, the real highlight was the heartfelt tribute to the late Zubeen Garg, the celebrated Assamese singer who tragically passed away this year, leaving behind a legacy of unforgettable hits.
Throughout the festival, it was impossible to miss how many tourists had poured into Shillong. Ward’s Lake was teeming with visitors, and the JLN Stadium saw a steady stream of people heading in and out all day. It didn’t take long to realise that the festival wasn’t just a cultural celebration; it was giving the local economy a significant boost.
In an impromptu interaction, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma shared what stands out to him every year. “The entire atmosphere of the city transforms,” he said. “There’s a positive mood among people.”
When our conversation shifted to the festival’s economic impact, he explained that questions around government spending on events like the Cherry Blossom Festival often come up, but he sees it differently. “These kinds of expenditures are actually investments in the tourism sector,” he said. “The kind of jobs we are creating, the kind of families we are supporting, is unimaginable in one way. Whether it is hotels, restaurants, or individuals involved in making these festivals happen, all of this goes back to the local people. In fact, a small study we did last year showed almost a five-fold return on the investment we made in the Cherry Blossom Festival—and that’s just the beginning.”
His point echoed what I had been seeing around the city. Taxi drivers talked about back-to-back rides, local vendors, who had set up stalls in Ward’s Lake, admitted that the festival days are full of opportunities, and several young local artists shared that events like these open doors that would otherwise be out of reach.
The same sentiment surfaced when I spoke to Minha Riyaz Khan, Project Lead at PRIME Rural, the state’s rural entrepreneurship programme that brings doorstep incubation, training, product development, and market linkages to entrepreneurs across Meghalaya.
As she explained, festivals like Cherry Blossom don’t just bring tourists; they create an ecosystem where rural entrepreneurs finally get visibility.
“Entrepreneurs struggle the most with promotional marketing,” she said. “Even when their products are ready, taking them outside the state or finding customers is a challenge. But when concerts and festivals bring people here, we are basically building a market for them right at their doorstep.”
She added that this ecosystem didn’t exist a few years ago.
“You will rarely see rural entrepreneurs getting stalls in big concerts in other states,” she said. “But here, we put up government stalls to showcase their products, and we give entrepreneurs their own stalls too; the cost is borne by the government, so they get a real platform.”
By the time the festival wrapped up, I found myself thinking less about the blossoms and more about everything around them. In fact, one thing was clear: the festival isn’t just about pink trees, but about how the city feels when they arrive - the anticipation, the music, the food, the easy conversations with strangers, the way time moves differently.
On my flight back, Delhi’s grey hovered beneath me again. But this time, I was carrying a new memory - one I didn’t expect to make in a place I had never been to before. I had gone to Shillong thinking mostly about cherry blossoms, but what stayed with me was far bigger: the music, the culture, the warmth of the people I met, and the easy kindness that ran through every interaction.
None of this was what I had imagined, and maybe that’s why it stayed. Shillong had a way of surprising me, and it left me with far more than the blooms I’d come looking for.
1. When does the Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival take place?
The festival is usually held in mid-November, coinciding with the natural bloom of cherry blossoms across Shillong.
2. Where are the main festival venues located?
Cherry blossom viewing is centred around Ward’s Lake, while this year, the music concerts and major performances were held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong.
3. Do cherry blossoms fully bloom during the festival?
Bloom intensity varies each year depending on weather. Some years see full canopies, while others have patchy or early blooms, but the festival atmosphere remains vibrant regardless.
4. What happens at the Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival?
Expect live international and Indian artists, food stalls, local fruit wine tastings, cosplay events, cultural performances, and city-wide celebrations.
5. Is the festival suitable for families and children?
Yes. Ward’s Lake and the open festival grounds offer family-friendly activities, food stalls, and safe walking areas.