The Derana Colombo International Kite Festival 2026 will be held at Galle Face Green on August 9, bringing together international and local kite flyers for one of Sri Lanka’s largest cultural and tourism events.
Organisers said 80 international kite flyers from 30 countries have been invited for this year’s festival, while more than 1,500 Sri Lankan kite flyers are expected to participate.
The main festival will run from 1.00 p.m. to 6.30 p.m., followed by what organisers say will be Sri Lanka’s first-ever Night Kite Festival from 6.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m., featuring illuminated kites over Colombo.
A musical concert featuring several Sri Lankan artists, backed by Avatar Band, will follow from 7.30 p.m. until midnight. The Derana Colombo Food Festival will also be held opposite Galle Face Green, in front of Shangri-La Colombo.
This year, the festival has expanded from a single-day event into a week-long programme. More than 630 children aged between 8 and 15 have participated in kite-making and kite-flying workshops conducted by experts from Australia, France and China.
The programme also includes an international press conference, a vehicle parade featuring nearly 200 classic and vintage vehicles, and a special kite-flying event at Port City Colombo for diplomats and international media.
The Kandy Esala Perahera has been selected as the festival’s special cultural theme for 2026, with international participants also scheduled to visit the Sri Dalada Maligawa.
The festival returned in 2025 following a seven-year suspension caused by the Easter Sunday attacks, the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent economic crisis. Last year’s event attracted 54 international kite flyers from 21 countries and more than 1,000 local participants, according to organisers.
The 2026 festival is being organised in partnership with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, Sri Lanka Police and the Colombo Municipal Council, with organisers aiming to use the event to promote Colombo and Sri Lanka as international tourism destinations. (Newswire)
