Onam Tourism Week fest draws to a close with grand pageantry
Onam Tourism Week Celebrations organised by Kerala Tourism Department drew to a close with a grand pageantry that enthralled the capital city on Sunday August 30, 2026.
Thiruvananthapuram: Onam Tourism Week Celebrations organised by Kerala Tourism Department drew to a close with a grand pageantry that enthralled the capital city on Sunday August 30, 2026. Vice President of India Shri CP Radhakrishnan flagged off the procession from Lok Bhavan.
Kerala Governor Shri Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Chief Minister Shri VD Satheesan, Speaker Shri Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, Tourism Minister Shri PC Vishnunadh, Minister for Health, Family Welfare and Devaswoms Shri K Muraleedharan, Minister for Transport Shri CP John, Higher Education Minister Shri Roji M John, Labour, Minister for Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, Milk Co-operatives, Women & Child Development Smt Bindhu Krishna, and Mayor Shri VV Rajesh attended the flag off ceremony.
Actor Asif Ali‘s presence at the VIP pavilion near Public Library enlivened the event with the actor waving at the onlookers thronged to witness the procession as it made its way through the heart of the city.
The floats of the State Tourism Department showcased the paradigm shift being made by Kerala Tourism into a sustainable and inclusive model of experiential tourism, ensuring greater participation for women and Gen Z while strengthening the stakeholders’ role by granting industry status to the sector.
The tourism floats also highlighted recent initiatives aimed at keeping the entire ecosystem clean and green by adopting environmentally sustainable and climate-friendly practices.
Asif Ali interacted with the crowd and cheered the artists who took part in the procession, which passed through Vellayambalam, Museum, Palayam and Statue before concluding at East Fort.
The procession featured around 69 floats and installations by various government departments that depicted Kerala’s march as a progressive and inclusive society, its traditions and culture, besides socially relevant issues. Around 99 art forms rooted in different cultural identities came alive in the procession.
Pulikali, Garuda Parave, and Muthappan Theyyam, Chenda Melam, Kadhakali, Women Shinkari Melam, Velakali, Karadikali, Naganirtham, Mayoora Nirtham, Pallival, Kotha Mooriyattam were featured in the procession as part of Kerala’s traditional art forms.Performing traditions of Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Telangana also added colour and flair to the pageantry.
Kerala Tourism’s float—showcasing women empowerment, the importance of hygiene, and nature conservation— was a major attraction at the pageantry. One of the floats presented Kerala's tradition of living in harmony with nature and illustrated how cleanliness becomes an act of care, through a beautiful visual narrative including installation of two snake boats and two Nilgiri Tahr replicas.
The float highlighted the pivotal role women play in the journey of Kerala society, the economy, and the tourism. Beyond infusing new energy into the tourism industry through women's empowerment, it also serves as a reminder that hygiene and environmental conservation are integral components of tourism. The "Come and Experience Keralam Villages" float by the Kerala Responsible Tourism Mission Society (RT Mission) was received with applause by the onlookers.
By showcasing Kerala's unique rural life and traditional handicrafts to the world, RT Mission’s float conveyed the scope of experiential cultural tourism and the need to preserve traditional occupations as envisioned by Tourism Minister PC Vishnunadh. The main structure of the float was a replica of a traditional Kerala house that shows the unique architecture and heritage of the state.
The float also had a live demonstration of Kerala’s weaving tradition as two weavers were engaged in their craft inside the traditional house, which offered a truly unique visual experience for the audience. The float allowed a closer appreciation of the intricate weave of the handloom, the rhythm of Kerala’s heritage, and the determination of the hands at work, for the spectators.
The Onam Tourism Week Celebrations organised by the State Tourism Department, has enlivened multiple venues across the state, besides the state capital. More than 3,000 artists participated in the event held across 35 venues in the Thiruvananthapuram district, including the prime venues Kanakakkunnu and Central Stadium in the city.
The festival was packed with riveting programmes, providing opportunities to hundreds of artists representing an amazing range of genres. Around 14 major media organisations associated with the government conducted programmes at Nishagandhi, Central Stadium and Poojappura during the week-long festival.
About 100 venues were set up in various districts where around 170 programmes were performed. More than 8000 artists were part of the programmes across the state. This time, more venues were added to the festival, including the international beach tourism hub of Kovalam .
Food stalls at venues across the state brought the flavours of different regions to tourists and home crowds alike. An array of unique products bearing the imprint of Keralam were on display at the Onam trade fair and exhibition at Kanakakkunnu Palace.
The event was also leveraged as a platform to raise awareness of the government's flagship schemes and campaigns, including ‘Operation Toofan’ to crack down on the drug menace.
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