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Seasons · Event guide
Meghalaya's cherry blossom festival is a November event, not a spring one: the official listing for 2026 gives 20–21 November at Highland Ground, Mawkhanu. No 2027 date has been announced, and the state's November bloom is not forecast this far ahead.
01 · Event details
Timing: 2027 dates not announced · 2026 festival ran 20–21 November
Venue or host area: Highland Ground, Mawkhanu, in New Shillong, for the 2026 edition — the state's listed venue. The festival celebrates Meghalaya's November cherry bloom rather than the spring bloom of Japan.
Access: The 2026 festival was ticketed, with entry sold through an online partner. No 2027 ticket channel, price or inventory exists yet, and the 2026 ticket page pointed at a different venue and date, so it should not be reused.
02 · Plan the visit
Shillong is reached by road from Guwahati, roughly three hours, or by the small Umroi airport. Meghalaya Tourism's official travel desk can advise on transport, including through its helpline, but the festival page gives no last-mile directions. No 2027 date has been announced, so nothing should be booked against the 2026 window.
03 · Location
The capital of Meghalaya sits on a plateau in the Khasi Hills, reached by a winding road from Guwahati and noticeably cooler than the plains.
The airports serving Shillong and its region:
Connections, terminals and transfer arrangements change — confirm them with the airline and the organiser rather than planning around a fixed transfer time.
Highland Ground, Mawkhanu, in New Shillong, for the 2026 edition — the state's listed venue. The festival celebrates Meghalaya's November cherry bloom rather than the spring bloom of Japan.
The catalogue marker shows Shillong, India at city or region level only — it is not an entrance, a gate, a course or a transfer route. For the event’s position among its category peers, open the Cherry blossom overview and map.
04 · Overview
A November cherry blossom festival in Shillong, Meghalaya, celebrating the autumn bloom of the Himalayan cherry, with music, food stalls, walks and cultural events rather than a spring hanami. The trees flower across the city and along the road to Sohra, and the festival programmes its events around specific bloom locations.
Shillong is one of the few places with a November blossom season: the Himalayan cherry (Prunus cerasoides) flowers in autumn, not spring, which gives the state a second tourist season at the start of winter. The festival combines that with Meghalaya's music scene — the state capital is known for its rock and choir culture — so it is programmed as a cultural weekend rather than a viewing season.
The festival was created in the 2010s by the Meghalaya government to extend the state's tourist season into November, building on the existing autumn bloom of the Himalayan cherry. It has run annually since, with the 2026 edition on 20–21 November, and the 2027 dates had not been announced when this guide was reviewed.
| Season | November |
|---|---|
| Species | Himalayan cherry, Prunus cerasoides |
| 2026 edition | 20–21 November |
| Location | Shillong, Meghalaya, India |
| Character | Music and culture alongside the bloom |
05 · Research & credits
Evidence and event information reviewed 2026-10-31. Published edition facts are separated from typical timing and historical context.
No affiliate links. This guide is for travel planning, not a guarantee of entry or event conditions.
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