LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to revive the Basant festival after 18 years, allowing the three-day event to take place in Lahore from February 6 to 8, 2026, under strict safety rules.
The festival, known for its colours, celebrations and kite flying, was banned in 2007 after several people — especially motorcyclists and pillion riders — lost their lives or suffered serious injuries due to sharp kite strings and celebratory gunfire.
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari told that Basant would return next year and would be “completely safe, regulated, and strictly monitored.”
Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, in a post on X, said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had approved the revival of the “beloved Heritage Basant Festival,” calling it a cultural tradition admired around the world.
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She said a citywide campaign to install safety antennas on all motorbikes would begin tomorrow on CM’s instructions. “Every motorbike in Lahore will have an antenna for safety before and during Basant,” she added.
Aurangzeb said spring was returning to Lahore, and the city’s skies would be colourful again. Minister Bokhari noted that strict conditions had been set to avoid any loss of life during the festival.
Last week, the Punjab government lifted the ban on Basant through the Punjab Kite Flying Ordinance, 2025. The ordinance allows police officers of sub-inspector rank and above to conduct searches and make arrests without warrants based on credible information. The ordinance has been sent to the Punjab Assembly for approval.
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Basant Panchami — the fifth day of the lunar month Magh — is traditionally linked with hopes of good harvest, spring, and good fortune. The festival has deep historical roots; in the 19th century, Maharaja Ranjit Singh organised Basant fairs and made kite flying a central feature of the celebrations.
Lahore has remained the main hub of Basant in Punjab, although the festival has also been celebrated in other parts of Punjab, including Indian Punjab, and later across Pakistan.
During Basant, Lahore’s sky is filled with colourful kites of different shapes and sizes flown from rooftops. The strings, often coated with sharp glass powder, are used to cut competitors’ kites during aerial battles — a practice that has previously resulted in dangerous injuries.
