In the room
The experience
Arunachal Pradesh is the Indian state most travellers do not visit. Ziro is a valley in the Eastern Himalayan foothills, on India's UNESCO tentative list as the Apatani Cultural Landscape but not a World Heritage Site, home to the Apatani people, who farm rice on terraced paddies that have not changed in centuries. Four days in September each year, the valley hosts Ziro Festival of Music: two open-field stages, programming that mixes Indian indie rock, folk, and Apatani traditional music. The audience camps in the village. The atmosphere is closer to a small-town homecoming than a music festival. The setting is one of the most beautiful festival sites on Earth. The most pure-ethos festival in Asia.
Insider tip
Walk in knowing
Stay in an Apatani homestay rather than the central tented camps. The village walks at dawn into the rice paddies are the festival's quiet centre.
Why it fits
Why it is in the atlas
The most pure beautiful-music-in-a-beautiful-place entry on the Indian subcontinent. A valley on India's UNESCO tentative list, indigenous hosting, rigorous programming.
Plan the trip
When to go, hours, getting there
Best time to go
Annual, last weekend of September. Four days in the Ziro Valley of Arunachal Pradesh. The Apatani village hosting means daytime walks through rice paddies are part of the experience, not separate from it.
Hours
Annual September festival. Two main stages run from afternoon through to late night. Daytime workshops and village walks 09:00 to 16:00.
Getting there
Fly Guwahati (GAU) or Lilabari (IXI, closer). From Guwahati, drive 10 hours overland via Itanagar; from Lilabari, 6 hours. Permits required for Arunachal Pradesh, the festival assists with applications. Stay in Apatani homestays.
Straight from the source
Official site and tickets
Dates, line-ups and tickets come from the organiser. Opens zirofestival.com in a new tab.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Where is Ziro Festival of Music?
Ziro Festival of Music is in Ziro Valley, India. Coordinates: 27.5400, 93.8300.
What kind of music is at Ziro Festival of Music?
Ziro Festival of Music programmes Indie, Folk, Apatani Traditional. Four days in the Ziro Valley of Arunachal Pradesh. Open-field stages, indigenous Apatani village hosting, terraced rice paddies as backdrop. September.
When is the best time to visit Ziro Festival of Music?
Annual, last weekend of September. Four days in the Ziro Valley of Arunachal Pradesh. The Apatani village hosting means daytime walks through rice paddies are part of the experience, not separate from it.
How do I get to Ziro Festival of Music?
Fly Guwahati (GAU) or Lilabari (IXI, closer). From Guwahati, drive 10 hours overland via Itanagar; from Lilabari, 6 hours. Permits required for Arunachal Pradesh, the festival assists with applications. Stay in Apatani homestays.
Why is Ziro Festival of Music in the Sonic Paths atlas?
The most pure beautiful-music-in-a-beautiful-place entry on the Indian subcontinent. A valley on India's UNESCO tentative list, indigenous hosting, rigorous programming.
Stay
Book somewhere to stay nearby
Find a bed close to Ziro Festival of Music in Ziro Valley through our accommodation partner, Stay22.
Some links to accommodation are affiliate links. If you book through one, Sonic Paths may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.