The Complete Guide to Kerala's Grandest New Year Festival
December 14, 2025 – January 1, 2026
Aroo stretches, yawns, settles onto keyboard and starts typing
Fort Kochi transforms into a spectacular celebration of life, culture, and—most importantly—an abundance of warm laps and dropped street food, as Kerala's most iconic New Year festival returns for another unforgettable edition. Finally, something worth waking up from my nap for.
The Cochin Carnival—born during some human thing called the UN International Year of Youth (I was busy grooming)—continues a centuries-old tradition of celebrating the New Year at the historic Fort Kochi waterfront. What began as a reflection of the UN's youth slogans has grown into one of South India's most vibrant cultural spectacles. Lots of feet to weave between. Lots of fish stalls to investigate. I approve.
This year's festival spans 19 days of ceremonies, competitions, cultural performances, sports, and the legendary burning of Pappanji—a large effigy that, I must say, would make an excellent scratching post before they set it on fire. The humans say it marks the death of the old year and birth of the new. I say it marks 19 days of maximum chaos, maximum attention, and maximum chances of someone dropping their prawn fry near me.
📍 Key Venues
| Venue | What Happens Here |
|---|---|
| Parade Ground | Main venue for concerts, DJ nights, and the Pappanji burning |
| Vasco Da Gama Square | Cultural performances, music, and ceremonial events |
| Pallath Raman Ground | Dance performances, traditional events, and Ganamelas |
| Fort Kochi Beach | Sports competitions and water events |
| Nehru Park | Art competitions and mehndi events |
| Thamara Paramb Park | Song competitions and poetry recitals |
Pre-Carnival Ceremonies
| Date & Time | Event | Venue |
|---|---|---|
|
December 14, Sunday
8:30 AM
|
Ceremony of Peace and Solidarity | St. Francis Church, Fort Kochi |
|
December 15, Monday
9:00 AM
|
Road Decoration Inauguration | Veli, Fort Kochi |
|
December 21, Sunday
9:00 PM
|
Hoisting of the Carnival Flags | Vasco Da Gama Square, Fort Kochi |
The official flag hoisting ceremony marks the formal start of the Carnival season
December 22, Mon — Competitions Begin
| Time | Event | Venue | Organiser |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00 AM | Konkani Song & Speech Competition | TDHSS, Mattancherry | — |
| 3:00 PM | Mapillapattu Karaoke Song Competition | Pallath Raman Ground, Fort Kochi | DTPOS |
🎄 December 24, Wed — Christmas Eve
| Time | Event | Venue | Organiser |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4:00 PM | 🥋 Karate Demonstration | Vasco da Gama Square, Fort Kochi | International Shorin Ryu Seibukan Karate Association |
| 6:00 PM | 🎵 ഗാനമേള — Ganamela by Kochi Sarang | Vasco da Gama Square, Fort Kochi | — |
| 6:30 PM | 💃 Classical Dance Performance | Pallath Raman Ground | Nrithyopasana Bharatanatyam Dance School, Cherlai |
🎁 December 25, Thur — Christmas Day
| Time | Event | Venue | Organiser |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00 AM | Rangoli & Kolam Competition | Gopalakrishna Devaswom (Maradi Temple), Mattancherry | — |
| 10:00 AM | Children's Art & Game Competition | Saudi School Ground, Beach Road | — |
| 3:00 PM | Mehndi Competition | Nehru Park, Fort Kochi | Sneha Kochi |
| 7:00 PM | Ganamela — Dayana | Pallath Raman Ground, Fort Kochi | — |
December 26, Friday
| Time | Event | Venue | Organiser |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:30 AM | 🏹 Cross Bow & Archery | Santacruz Ground, Fort Kochi | Kerala Cross Bow Academy & Inter Dive, Kochi |
| 2:00 PM | 🎄 Sylvester Carol Competition (സിൽവസ്റ്റർ കേരാൾ) | St. John De Britto School Ground | — |
| 6:30 PM | 🎶 Ghazal Evening | Pallath Raman Ground, Fort Kochi | — |
December 27, Saturday — Action-Packed Day!
Morning Events
| Time | Event | Venue | Organiser |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00 AM | Male & Female Gattai Gustie Competition | — | State Gattai Gustie Association |
| 9:00 AM | Karaoke Song Competition (Malayalam Film Songs) | Thamara Paramb Park | Pranavam Balajana Sahayam |
| 10:00 AM | Children's Pencil & Painting Competition | Nehru Park, Fort Kochi | Dhruv Arts |
Afternoon Sports & Competitions
| Time | Event | Venue | Organiser |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2:00 PM | Mr. Carnival — All Kerala Body Building Competition | Fort Kochi Beach | Beach Health Club |
| 3:30 PM | Kochu Vanchi Thuzhayal (Small Boat Race) | Kalathara Backwaters | St. Jakobe Trust |
| 4:00 PM | Fishing Competition | Kamala Kadav | Tharavad Youth |
Evening Entertainment
| Time | Event | Venue | Organiser |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5:00 PM | Ganamela — Thomas Barly Foundation | Vasco Da Gama Square | — |
| 5:00 PM | Old is Gold Song Competition (Age 50+) | Thamara Paramb Park | Anandam Sports & Arts Club |
| 7:00 PM | Chavittunadakam — Traditional Dance Drama ⭐ | Pallath Raman Ground | — |
Chavittunadakam is a unique Latin-Christian art form blending martial arts with theatrical storytelling
December 28, Sunday — Marathon Day! 🏃
🏃♀️ Featured Event: Cochin Carnival Sindoor Marathon
5:30 AM | Parade Ground, Fort Kochi
Organised by Cityson For Fort Kochi
Full Schedule
| Time | Event | Venue | Organiser |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5:30 AM | 🏃 Sindoor Marathon | Parade Ground | Cityson For Fort Kochi |
| 7:00 AM | 🏊 Swimming Competition | Beach Road Beach | Inter Dive, Kochi |
| 9:00 AM | 🤼 Thekkotam Kalli (Traditional Game) | Pallath Raman Ground | JP Cultural Center |
| 10:00 AM | 📖 Konkani Reading Competition | Cochin Channel Studio, Palluruthy | Kerala Konkani Cultural Forum |
| 2:00 PM | 📝 Speech Competition | Thamara Paramb, Mazhavill Park | — |
| 2:00 PM | 🏍️ Moto Cross (Bike Race) | Corporation Ground, Mundamveli | — |
| 3:00 PM | 🛶 Kayaking Competition | Beach Road Beach | Inter Dive, Kochi |
| 3:00 PM | 📝 Kavitha Parayanam (Poetry Recital) | Thamara Paramb, Mazhavill Park | — |
| 5:00 PM | 👗 Fashion Show, Dance & Ganamela | Vasco Da Gama Square | Namal Kochikar |
| 6:00 PM | 🎵 Ganamela — Amrutha Varshini | Pallath Raman Ground | — |
| 6:00 PM | 🎧 DJ War — DJ Tinu Sebastian | Parade Ground | — |
December 29, Monday
| Time | Event | Venue | Organiser |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5:00 PM | 👵 Grand Mothers Team Performance | Vasco Da Gama Square | — |
| 6:00 PM | 🎵 Ende Kochi Music World | Vasco Da Gama Square | Ende Kochi |
| 6:00 PM | 💃 Nritha Sandya — Dance Evening | Thaluk Office Akanam | Kochi Thaluk Office Welfare Committee |
| 7:30 PM | 🎸 Lime Tea Band — Open Mic | Parade Ground | — |
December 30, Tuesday
| Time | Event | Venue | Organiser |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:00 PM | 🥋 Seibukan Karate Demonstration | Vasco Da Gama Square | Sredharan A |
| 8:00 PM | 🎧 DJ Night | Parade Ground | — |
December 31, Wednesday — New Year's Eve ✨
The Grand Finale Night!
| Time | Event | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00 PM | Gokul Gopakumar (Star Singer Fame) — Open Mic Band | Parade Ground |
| 9:00 PM | Mega Music Show — BRO HOUSE | Parade Ground |
🔥 പപ്പയെ കത്തിക്കൽ — Pappanji Burning
11:59 PM
Hyper Loop SFX — Special Firework Show
Parade Ground, Fort Kochi
"The effigy of Pappanji—symbolising the old year—goes up in flames at midnight, marking the death of the old and the birth of the new."
January 1, 2026 — Happy New Year!
| Time | Event | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 4:00 PM | വർണ്ണഭമായ കൊച്ചിൻ കാർണിവൽ റാലി — The Grand Carnival Rally | Starts from Fort Kochi Veli Ground |
| 7:00 PM | സമാപന സമ്മേളനവും സമ്മാന ദാനവും — Closing Ceremony & Prize Distribution | Parade Ground |
| 8:00 PM | 🎧 DJ New Year Vibes | Parade Ground |
Spectacular floats and processions depicting the diverse cultural heritage of Kochi parade through the historic streets
Contact & Information
- Website: cochincarnival.org
Programme schedule sourced from the official Cochin Carnival website. Timings and events are subject to change. For the latest updates, please visit cochincarnival.org/carnival/programme.
