The Derana Digital Colombo International Kite Festival 2026 will bring together participants from 30 countries for a week-long celebration featuring cultural activities, educational workshops, and performances designed to promote Sri Lanka's tourism appeal.
Sri Lanka is preparing to welcome 80 international kite flyers from 30 countries alongside over 1,500 local participants for the Derana Digital Colombo International Kite Festival 2026. The event, organized jointly by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, Sri Lanka Police, and the Colombo Municipal Council, has grown significantly from its origins as a single-day celebration into a comprehensive week-long programme featuring kite-building workshops, vintage vehicle displays, night kite exhibitions, and cultural tours.
International participation has increased by 30 percent compared to previous editions of the festival. Prior to the main weekend events, organizers conducted kite-flying and building workshops involving over 630 children aged 8 to 15 years, led by expert instructors from Australia, France, and China. The festival's schedule includes a welcoming ceremony for international delegates on Thursday, followed by a press conference on Friday. Saturday will feature a vintage vehicle parade with approximately 200 classic cars alongside international kite flyers, traveling from Galle Face Green to Port City, with an evening flying event for diplomats and media representatives.
The centrepiece occurs on Sunday, when the main festival takes place at Galle Face Green from 1:00 to 6:30 PM, followed by Sri Lanka's inaugural Night Kite Festival showcasing illuminated kites. A musical concert and food festival will conclude the day. This year's festival carries a cultural theme centered on the Kandy Esala Perahera, with international participants visiting the Sri Dalada Maligawa temple. According to Derana Media Network Chief Operating Officer Madhawa Madawala, the festival aims to convey a message that "Sri Lanka is open, welcoming, ready to welcome visitors from every corner of the globe."
Secure arrangements are in place with the Sri Lanka Police deploying 1,000 officers across the festival grounds, including 300 personnel for traffic management and 200 plainclothes officers, with designated parade routes and parking facilities established throughout Colombo.
