Posted 04 September 2024 in Art and Festival

Guide to the Ziro Music Festival in Arunachal Pradesh

Fond of music and the thrill of outdoor concerts? Then you've got to attend the Ziro Music Festival in Arunachal Pradesh. This multi-genre music event is one of the popular music concerts in India, especially among music lovers. You get a mix of indie, pop, folk, and electronic music to jive to. Along with the beautiful melodies, the lush paddy fields, trimmed lawns, distant forest and open-air bamboo stage make the whole experience even more worth it.

What else can you do at the Ziro Music Festival? This charming host town Ziro offers a postcard-worthy beauty with tiny houses and fields. With the help of this music festival, it helps the local community to sell their products, and delicious food and provide guest houses for the travellers. Besides attending the music festival, travellers can enjoy a relaxing atmosphere and soak in the stunning town in Arunachal Pradesh.

To be a part of a music festival like this, you need to know a few things first. In this guide to the Ziro Music Festival in Arunachal Pradesh, we’ll be talking about how to visit Ziro, what permits are required to visit Arunachal Pradesh, and hotels to stay and more:

What to attend the Ziro Music Festival? Ensure your flights to Itanagar and the hotels are booked in advance to avoid last-minute hassle.

When is the Ziro Music Festival happening in 2024?

This music festival is held yearly in a small town of the same name. In 2024, the Ziro Music Festival will be held from 26 September until 29 September.

How much are the tickets for the Ziro Music Festival?

The tickets for the Ziro Music Festival, 2024 differs based on the days. You can either get a single ticket for a specific date or if you want your music fiesta to last, you can get a 4-day pass. Scroll down to know about the tickets for the Ziro Music Festival:

Where to book tickets for the Ziro Music Festival? Click here

Type of ticket	Price
Four-day festival ticket	₹8,500.00
Day 1 (26th Sept, 2024)	₹2,600.00
Day 2 (27th Sept, 2024)	₹3,500.00
Day 3 (28th Sept, 2024)	₹3,500.00
Day 4 (29th Sept, 2024)	₹3,500.00

Note: The tickets do not include food and accommodation.

What permits are required to visit Arunachal Pradesh?

Since Arunachal Pradesh falls under a restricted area, an Inner Line Permit (ILP) for Indians and a Protected Area Permit (PAP) for foreigners are required.

You need to apply for both permits to visit Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh from the official website or the Resident Commissioner’s office at Arunachal Bhawan, Kautilya Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi.

There are offices in Shillong, Tezpur, Jorhat, Lakhimpur, Kolkata, and Guwahati as well.

Make sure you apply for the permit accordingly since the permit is valid for 30 days, and cannot be expanded.

How to reach Ziro from Itanagar?

Ziro is located 2.5 hours from Itanagar city and 3.5 hours from Itanagar Airport. The easiest way to get to Ziro Valley is by taking a shared jeep from Itanagar. If you choose to visit Ziro directly from the airport, you can get cabs.

Hotels to stay during the Ziro Music Festival?

When it comes down to where to stay in Ziro, options are limited. Since Ziro is a small town, rather, it has a village setting. Hotels are limited. You may find a few homestays or guesthouses in Ziro. Another option is to find hotels in Itanagar, since it is a major city, only 2.5 hours away.

Ziro Valley Resort: Located a few minutes’ walk from the Ziro Festival of Music venue, the Ziro Valley Resort offer a serene retreat with cosy accommodations. Do not expect luxury facilities, but you can expect convenient features that will make it a relaxing place to stay after a long day jiving to some good music.
Golden View Point: Offering panoramic vistas of the rice paddy and lush landscape, a stay at the Golden View Point will give your body and mind some calm after the concert. This hotel is slightly away from the venue, but it is walkable. Guests can get comfortable rooms and delicious home-cooked meals. Make sure to wake up for a beautiful sunrise view.
Bolya Aaba Homestay: Bolya Aaba Homestay has a cosy and authentic Arunachali hospitality. You can expect comfortable rooms with delicious home-cooked food. You can reach Ziro music venue by traversing lush paddy fields and greenery. Bolya Aaba Homestay has a wooden structure giving a very rustic ambience.
Camp Ethereal Ziro: Want to experience glamping in Ziro? Book a tent at Camp Ethereal Ziro. Located in the heart of the valley and close to the music venue, this camp has well-equipped tents and convenient facilities. This is an ideal choice among budget travellers too and those who want to stay right where the action is.
Hotel Blue Pine: This hotel is at the heart of the main Ziro town. It is ideal for those who have their transport since it is slightly away from Ziro music venue. However, you can expect to get comfortable and convenient rooms with essential amenities and facilities. Due to its location, you can easily get to the hotel from the local markets and bus stand.

Places to visit in Arunachal Pradesh

You can’t come to Ziro and not explore other places in Arunachal Pradesh, right? So, club your Ziro Festival of Music along with exploring other destinations like Tawang, Mechuka and more.

1. Itanagar

Your main base while visiting Arunachal Pradesh is Itanagar. This is the capital city that has a railway station and an airport within a few kilometres. Itanagar has several places of interest such as 14th-century Ita Fort, Ganga Lake, and Jawaharlal Nehru Museum. This is an ideal place to begin your Arunachal Pradesh tour with direct access to several amazing destinations.

2. Ziro Valley

Famous for the annual music festival, Ziro Valley is a beautiful place. While the main town has a slightly fast-paced life, the outskirts are slow and peaceful. To soak in the calmness, you can visit Ziro anytime, other than September when the festival takes place. For the festival, you can join the group and savour delicious food, delve into the lifestyle of the locals, and enjoy the vibrant heritage of Arunachal.

3. Tawang

Blessed with beautiful monasteries and magnificent hills, Tawang is a stunning destination to visit in Arunachal Pradesh. Here, Tawang Monastery is the largest in India and has many scriptures and mural paintings on the walls. It is also home to the scenic Se La (Pass) and the tranquil Pangang Teng Tso (Lake). The area provides travellers and those in search of adventurous activities with trekking trails that provide scenes of snow-capped mountains and green valleys.

4. Mechuka

Mechuka is an offbeat picturesque town. This place is famous for its stunning views and culturally sensitive location. Located amidst beautiful forest and pleasing riverside it is a peaceful place with the scope for trekking and exploring Monpa culture. The natural beauty of Mechuka with its mesmerising charm has to be seen to be believed.

5. Mouling National Park

Boasting natural beauty, Mouling National Park is situated in the northeastern region of Arunachal Pradesh. It has many kinds of plant and animal species like the red panda, which is rare seldom and the black bear of the Himalayas. It provides unspoilt trekking circuits through the equatorial rainforest and around crystal-clear streams. The last of the appeals to do with Mouling is the uninhabited forest and the chance to encounter the rare species of wildlife in their natural environment.

The best time to visit Arunachal Pradesh

Ideally, Arunachal Pradesh is at its best between October and March. It is between these months, that the famous Ziro Festival of Music is held. However, each place in Arunachal Pradesh has its own best time to visit. Let us dive into the different seasons in Arunachal Pradesh:

Autumn: The months between October and November is the Autumn season in Arunachal Pradesh. During this time of the year, you can explore the state as it is stunning with a pleasant climate; it offers dry with mild morning and evening temperatures. However, it is very sunny during the day.
Winter: Winter in Arunachal Pradesh can be extremely cold, particularly in the highland regions. However, it is mild in lower Arunachal Pradesh in places like Itanagar. Winter is an ideal time to visit high regions for snow treks and activities.
Spring: March to April is Spring in Arunachal Pradesh. During this time, the weather is moderate and offers quite a lot of blossoming vegetation which makes this season suitable for travelling especially for nature lovers.
Monsoon: Monsoon is not an ideal time to visit Arunachal Pradesh. Due to the rain, landslides may occur interrupting your travel. Besides that, many attractions may not be accessible or closed during the monsoon season.

How to reach Arunachal Pradesh?

Arunachal Pradesh is a neighbouring state to Assam, and getting there is easy via road, rail, and air. Below, we have a list of the three major means to get to Arunachal Pradesh.

By air: The closest airport to Itanagar is Donyi Polo Airport. It is located at a distance of 48 kilometres from the city centre. You can find cabs available from the airport to your selected hotel in Itanagar.
By rail: Naharlagun Station is the closest railway station to Itanagar. It is located 15 kilometres from the city centre. Major trains from cities like Guwahati and Dibrugarh in Assam regularly halt here. From the station, you can get autos and cabs to your hotel.
By road: Regular buses from Guwahati are available. You can choose from a private bus or book tickets from Arunachal Pradesh State Transport Services. The journey may take around 8 to 10 hours to complete.

Takeaway

The Ziro Music Festival is a captivating celebration of music and culture amidst breathtaking landscapes. So, you can book flights to Itanagar and visit the Ziro Valley and experience a 4-day extravaganza filled with diverse performances, vibrant local traditions, and stunning views.