Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival 2026 moves to a permanent home in New Shillong with Khalid, Swae Lee and Boys Like Girls

Meghalaya's biggest music weekend has a new home. The Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival returns on Friday and Saturday, 20 and 21 November 2026, and moves to a permanent venue allocated by the state government: the New Shillong Highland Grounds in Mahmawdkuk. The festival at a glance 1. Dates: 20 and 21 November 2026 2. Venue: New Shillong Highland Grounds, Mahmawdkuk, New Shillong 3. First headliners: Khalid, Swae Lee and Boys Like Girls 4. Still to come: two more international headliners, according to organisers 5. Tickets: single-day passes from Rs 2,500, sold through RockskiTickets since 4 September The headliners Grammy-nominated R&B singer Khalid plays Shillong before his India tour in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru in December. Rapper and singer Swae Lee and pop-punk band Boys Like Girls complete the first wave. The 2025 edition featured Jason Derulo, The Script, Tyga, Diplo and Aqua. Why the new venue matters Earlier editions moved between grounds in and around Shillong. A permanent, purpose-allocated site means better access, bigger crowds and a fixed home the festival can build on each year, much as Ziro and Hornbill have done in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. More than an international lineup The festival times its dates to the autumn bloom of Shillong's cherry trees, which flower here in October and November rather than spring. Alongside the headliners, it has a track record of putting Meghalaya's own artists in front of big crowds. Rapper Reble, who went on to rap on the Dhurandhar soundtracks, performed at the 2024 edition. Read her story at https://mediamarvels.in/blog/who-is-reble-meghalaya-rapper. We will add the remaining headliners and the local artist lineup as soon as they are announced. Planning a Northeast festival trip? See every big show coming to India at https://mediamarvels.in/blog/upcoming-concerts-in-india-2026-2027, and read about the road to Hornbill at https://mediamarvels.in/news/road-to-hornbill-2026-winners-ticket-to-hornbill-delhi.