Lahore Celebrates Kite Festival After 19 Years

After a 19-year hiatus, Pakistan’s historic kite festival, Basant, has returned to Lahore, transforming the city into a vibrant, celebratory spectacle.

Banned in 2007 due to safety concerns over sharp kite strings and aerial projectiles, the festival has once again filled the skies with thousands of colourful kites. From the narrow alleyways of the Old City to the rooftops of high-rise buildings, the atmosphere is electric. Drums beat, voices cheer, and neon-coloured kites dance across the sky, offering a completely new and exhilarating experience, particularly for the younger generation.

This year’s festival revealed a unique intergenerational mix. Seasoned kite flyers are reviving skills honed decades ago, while Generation Z enthusiasts are experiencing the thrill of flying a kite for the first time. Twenty-five-year-old software engineer Abu Bakr Ahmed described it as “the first time I’ve truly celebrated Basant,” while international visitors such as Mina Sikandar have flown in from as far as the United States, drawn by the festival’s allure. Locals emphasise that Basant is not merely a competition of kite-flying skill, but a celebration of community, heritage, and social bonds.

The government of Pakistan and the Lahore Police have implemented strict safety measures to ensure a secure festival. The festivities are limited to three days, with the use of large kites prohibited. Motorcyclists have been advised to install protective rods on handlebars to prevent accidents caused by hanging strings. To curb the sale of hazardous strings, police operations since early February have confiscated nearly 100,000 kites and 2,000 rolls of dangerous thread.

Modern surveillance has been deployed extensively, with drones and CCTV cameras monitoring rooftops to prevent illegal or unsafe activity. Special nets have been installed along power lines to avoid short circuits caused by kite strings.

Economically, the festival has also revived local commerce. Street vendors, restaurants, and hotel owners report increased earnings, while kite artisans have seen a surge in sales as thousands of kites have been purchased within days. For many Pakistanis, the return of Basant is a symbolic victory for tradition, bringing both joy and prosperity back to Lahore.

The festival’s revival after nearly two decades has not only rekindled Lahore’s skies but also reaffirmed the city’s enduring cultural spirit.