CM Maryam announces 3-day Basant festival in March 2027 after ‘successful’ return last year
Lahore’s 2027 Basant festival will be held from March 12 to 14, 2027, following its “successful” return last year after an 18-year hiatus, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif said in a post on X on Tuesday. “Lahore will once again come alive with colour, culture, festivity, music, energy and legendary hospitality,” she wrote. In December 2025, the Punjab government lifted an 18-year ban on…
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif announced that Lahore's Basant festival will return for three days from March 12 to 14, 2027, following an 18-year absence. The celebration, aimed at the youth of Punjab and Pakistan, was banned in 2007 due to concerns over deaths and injuries caused by kite strings and celebratory gunfire. The festival was lifted last year and deemed a "success," prompting CM Maryam's announcement.
Under the Punjab Kite Flying Ordinance 2025, police officers can make arrests and conduct searches without warrants based on credible information. Strict regulations have been imposed on the 2027 Basant festival, including the prohibition of running, jumping, and hanging over rooftops. Organizers must ensure rooftop occupancy does not exceed safe load-bearing capacity. Loud music, DJ systems, high-decibel sound systems, and other noise-polluting activities are also banned.
Safety measures include mandatory first aid kits and their accessibility at all premises where kite-flying activities occur. Organizers and building owners will be held jointly responsible for accidents or rule violations. Basant Panchami, a celebration of future crop prosperity and good luck, dates back to Maharaja Ranjit Singh's 19th-century fair, with kite flying becoming a tradition centered in Lahore.
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