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Thiruvananthapuram’s festival calendar follows the Malayalam lunar calendar, so dates shift each year. The biggest events, Onam and the annual temple festivals, fall between August and April, and the dry months of winter host the most outdoor programmes. Check the Kerala Tourism website for exact Gregorian dates for the year you travel, since several below move by weeks annually. For related planning, see our Thiruvananthapuram weather by month guide. For related planning, see our best time to visit Thiruvananthapuram guide.
Events and Festivals in Thiruvananthapuram: The Big Ones
Onam (August-September)
Kerala’s harvest festival is the state’s biggest celebration, a ten-day holiday that peaks on Thiruvonam day, usually late August or early September. Expect flower carpets (pookalam) in front of homes, the Vallam Kali snake-boat race, and a grand Onam feast (sadya) served on banana leaves at restaurants across the city. The government organises cultural week with Kathakali and music at Kanakakunnu Palace grounds. For related planning, see our things to do in Thiruvananthapuram guide. For related planning, see our best neighborhoods in Thiruvananthapuram guide.
Attukal Pongala (February-March)
Held at the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple, this is the largest annual gathering of women on earth, with over 2 million women cooking pongala (a sweet rice offering) on open fires across city streets on a single day. It falls in February or March and holds a Guinness World Record. Roads around the temple close to traffic for the day, so plan hotel locations accordingly. For related planning, see our where to stay in Thiruvananthapuram guide. For related planning, see our Thiruvananthapuram travel tips guide.
Vishu (mid-April)
The Malayalam New Year, observed in mid-April, begins at dawn with the Vishukkani, a ritual display of rice, gold, fruit and the golden shower flower placed before the family’s deity. Homes light firecrackers and prepare a feast. It is a quieter, family-centred festival than Onam but a good time to see traditional customs in neighbourhoods.
Events and Festivals in Thiruvananthapuram: Seasonal and Cultural
Nishagandhi Dance Festival (January)
A free week-long classical dance festival held in the open-air Nishagandhi auditorium at Kanakakunnu Palace every January. Top Bharatanatyam, Mohiniyattam, Kathak and Odissi performers appear each evening from around 6 pm, and entry is free on a first-come basis.
Alpashy Festival and International Film Festival of Kerala (November-December)
The International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) runs for a week each November or December at multiple screens, mainly the Tagore Theatre and Kairali complex, and draws cinephiles from across India. Delegate passes cost a few thousand rupees and sell out fast. It usually overlaps with the closing of the year’s event season.
Arattu Procession at Padmanabhaswamy Temple
Twice a year, in the spring Alpashy festival and autumn Painkuni festival, the temple deities are carried in a grand procession down to Shanghumukham Beach for the ritual sea bath (arattu). Thousands of devotees line the route, and the Painkuni festival in March-April also features music performances. Dates follow the Malayalam calendar and are confirmed by the temple each year.
