‘National integration, cultural exchange, youth engagement’
Morung Express News
Chümoukedima | March 16
Nagaland is set to host the 9th North East Youth Festival 2026 from March 18 to 21 in Chümoukedima. Funded by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports under the National Adolescence and Youth Development Programme, the festival expects a turnout of around 1200-1500 people. The previous edition took place in Gangtok, Sikkim. Nagaland had hosted the inaugural edition in Kohima in 2009.
The announcement was made by officials of the Department of Youth Resources and Sports, Nagaland; My Bharat, and the National Service Scheme (NSS) of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports at a press conference in Chümoukedima on March 16.
“It is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports designed to promote national integration, cultural exchange, and youth engagement among the eight Northeastern states,” Director of the Department of Youth Resources and Sports (YR&S), Nagaland, Kethosituo Sekhose said.
According to Sekhose, they are expecting about 1200 participating youths, and total participation of around 1500, including officials from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and the various participating states. The total also includes around 150 volunteers from the host state and around 200 from the NSS.
He said that the theme for the 2026 edition is Ashtalakshmi: Celebrating 8 Forces of Youth and Progress. The festival will feature the Hornbill as its mascot.
The opening and closing ceremonies will take place at the Chümoukedima Football Stadium. Tetso College will serve as the venue for competitive and non-competitive events scheduled for March 19 and 20. The Department of Under Developed Areas (DUDA) will provide space for the mess and parking.
The opening ceremony will introduce the contingents and debut a theme song produced by TaFMA, dedicated to each participating state. It will also feature a martial arts demonstration by the Nagaland Pencak Silat team. Delegates will engage in competitive and non-competitive categories. Competitions include folk song, folk dance, declamation, one-act plays, rock bands, and instrumental guitar.
My Bharat State Director Dr Salam D Singh said that his department will manage a craft mela called Yuva Kriti and a food festival at the Tetso College basketball ground. “These are places where interaction of different cuisines of the Northeastern states happens,” Singh said. He noted the department has invited entrepreneurs to operate food stalls so attendees experience diverse regional tastes.
NSS Regional Director D Carthigueae said that their 200 volunteers will bypass competitions to focus on educational sessions. The NSS will host a Youth Convention and Youth Suvichar (motivation), with resource persons from Assam and Nagaland. Carthigueae said that the national-level youth festival recently transitioned into a Young Leaders Dialogue, keeping this regional event as a dedicated platform for the youth of the north-eastern region.
Nagaland Governor Nand Kishore Yadav will be the special guest at the opening ceremony. State Minister of Tourism and Higher Education Temjen Imna Along is tentatively scheduled to attend the closing programme.
The state YR&S Director added that on March 20, the organisers have arranged a special non-competitive segment—Youth Adventure Programme. A group of select youths from the 8 NE states will be taken on a trek to explore Mount Puliebadze, followed by a visit to the Kohima War Cemetery.
