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Nashik’s event calendar is dominated by one enormous recurring gathering, the Kumbh Mela, which returns in 2027, plus a steady cycle of Hindu festivals and a small wine-and-film scene. Dates below are for the 2026-2028 period where known. See the best time to visit Nashik guide for how these events interact with weather and pricing, and the Nashik overview for orientation.
Nashik Events and Festivals: Kumbh Mela 2027 (Simhastha)
The Simhastha Kumbh Mela is the largest of Nashik’s events and one of the biggest gatherings on earth, held on a roughly 12-year cycle. For 2027, the flag-hoisting opens the Mela around 31 October 2026, with the three main Amrit Snan (royal bathing) days on 2 August, 31 August and 11 September 2027 at Ramkund, plus 12 September 2027 at Trimbakeshwar’s Kushavarta Kund. The Mela concludes with a flag-lowering on 24 July 2028. Attendance is free and open to all, but expect tens of millions of pilgrims, sealed roads and booked-out hotels around the snan dates, so reserve rooms early through the where to stay in Nashik guide. See the Nashik travel tips page for transport and safety advice specific to the Kumbh.
Nashik Events and Festivals: The Religious Calendar
Ganesh Chaturthi
A 10-day festival in August or September (late August to early September in most years) honouring Ganesha. Homes and pandals across Nashik’s neighborhoods install clay idols, and the final-day immersion processions converge on the Godavari ghats at Ramkund. Streets around Panchavati close to traffic on the immersion day.
Rath Yatra
Held in June or July, the chariot festival pulls decorated wooden chariots carrying deities through the old city near Kalaram Temple. Crowds line the route and it draws pilgrims from across Maharashtra. Exact dates follow the Hindu lunar calendar each year.
Gudi Padwa and Ram Navami
Gudi Padwa, the Maharashtrian New Year, falls in March or April and marks the start of spring with gudi flags hung outside homes. Ram Navami, in March or April, celebrates Rama’s birth with special pujas at Kalaram Temple and at the temples of Panchavati. Both are good low-crowd times to experience temple life between the winter and Kumbh peaks.
Nashik Events and Festivals: Wine and Film
Grape Harvest Season
From late January through March, the vineyards of Gangapur Road harvest their grapes and many wineries run crush-time tours and tasting specials. It is the liveliest time for wine tourism and pairs well with the dry February weather. Check individual estates like Sula Vineyards for harvest events.
SulaFest and Winery Concerts
Sula Vineyards has historically hosted SulaFest, a two-day wine-and-music festival with Indian and international acts, usually in February. It has been paused in some recent years, so confirm the current edition before planning a trip around it. Even outside SulaFest, the Sula amphitheatre books weekend gigs through the winter season.
Nashik International Film Festival (NIFF)
NIFF runs in January, screening Indian and international independent films across city venues. It is a small, low-cost festival (individual screenings often 100 to 300 rupees) that gives a different reason to visit in the cool season. For the month-by-month climate behind these dates, see the Nashik weather by month guide.
