Wangala (100 Drums Festival) 2026
The Garo harvest festival — in 2026 a Golden Jubilee edition with 1,000 drums.
- When
- Usually the second week of November
- Where
- Garo Heritage Village (Wangala A’dam), Chibragre, near Tura
- Dates
- Not announced yet
- Event
- Golden Jubilee 1000 Drums Wangala Festival
- Location
- Garo Heritage Village, Chibragre (near Tura)
- Inspected by
- Speaker Thomas A. Sangma & officials
Wangala is the harvest festival of the Garo people, held in thanksgiving to Saljong, the sun god. The organised 100 Drums Wangala Festival was first held at Asanang in 1976.
For its Golden Jubilee in November 2026 it moves to the Garo Heritage Village (Wangala A’dam) at Chibragre near Tura, with a special 1,000-drum presentation and contingents from Nagaland, Assam and Tripura (Government of Meghalaya, 7 Oct 2026).
Tura is far from Shillong — plan a separate trip (about 8–9 hours by road via Guwahati).
Photos from past years
Visitor Beating Drum during Garo Wangala Festival 2024 During Wangala festival 44th Wangala Festival Traditional Garo traditional dress
Background
Wangala is also called the festival of "The Hundred Drums", a harvest festival celebrated by the Garo tribe, who live in Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Assam in India and Greater Mymensingh in Bangladesh. In this post harvest festival, they give thanks to 'Misi Saljong', the sun god, for blessing the people with a rich harvest. Wangala is celebrated in the months from September to December, with different villages setting different dates for the occasion.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The 2026 dates haven’t been announced yet. We check local news and the government three times a day and will put the dates here as soon as they're confirmed.
Tips for visitors
- Stay in Tura and use the shuttle buses to the venue — parking at Wangala A’dam will not be enough for everyone.
- Book a stay early: rooms in Tura fill up for the festival.
Going for Wangala (100 Drums Festival)?
Rooms and cabs fill up on festival days. Tell us your dates and we'll plan the trip around it.
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