Meghalaya’s Festivals Powering Local Economies

Guwahati: Rohan, a young techie from Pune, has been planning his trip for months. He is not just looking for a getaway; he is looking for a stage where his new band, ‘Chromatic Wave,’ can perform live. Along with this, he has planned a trip across Northeast India and intends to visit three states: Megha laya, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh. On the first day, he hires a cab from Guwahati to Shillong and checks into a homestay an increasingly popular choice among young travellers. Within this travel itinerary lies an ecosystem that empowers cab operators, local homestay owners, and small-scale business owners in Meghalaya and the broader Northeast region.

Blessed with rich biodiversity and breathtaking landscapes, Meghalaya has emerged as one of India’s most vibrant eco-tourism destinations. Known for its unique culture, adventure opportunities, and pleasant climate, the state offers a diverse range of experiences from exploring the rain-soaked beauty of Cherrapunji, the rain capital of the world, to discovering more than 300 scenic tourist sites across its terrain. Despite the setback caused by the pandemic, Meghalaya’s tourism rebound has been remarkable. In 2024, the state welcomed more than 1.6 million visitors, surpassing pre-pandemic numbers, including 15.9 lakh domestic and 23,000 foreign tourists. This resurgence highlights Meghalaya’s growing global appeal as a nature- and culture-driven destination.

This is where a festival like the Cherry Blossom Festival comes into the picture. Launched in 2016, the Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival (CBF) is India’s first festival celebrating the unique autumn bloom of cherry blossoms. The 2025 edition (November 14–15) is a citywide celebration featuring live concerts, art pop-ups, and immersive cultural showcases. The Cherry Blossom Festival has now become a fixture on Meghalaya’s annual events calendar. One of the festival’s biggest takeaways, equally important is its role in empowering women and promoting small-scale businesses. In 2024, Meghalaya host ed six major festivals the Cherry Blossom Festival in Shillong, the Me’gong Festival in Tura, Winter Tales, and international concerts by Bryan Adams, Alan Walker, and Ed Sheeran. A total of 3.4 lakh visitorsattended these festivals in FY 2024, and more than 7,500 jobs were created through festival-related activities.

Speaking on this aspect, Agatha Christie and Nandy Lyndoh, founders of Meghyra which sells and promotes local raw materials such as turmeric, sticky rice, and honey highlighted how their initiative connects farmers directly to buyers. With proper marketing, farmers are able to secure better prices. Meghyra promotes its products through social media, and events like the Cherry Blossom Festival offer an even larger platform for visibility. Speaking to TSG, Agatha Christie said, “We get all our products from the farmers, and both of our mothers are involved in the process. We try to give local farmers a fair price, and we generate revenue through the market”. Dr. Nandy Lyndoh also urged more women to come forward as entrepreneurs to promote local products.

The latter part of the night was filled with performances by Nora Fatehi, The Script, and other artists, drawing a packed crowd at Polo Stadium. These concerts are the main at traction, and beneath the musical spectacle, multiple developmental initiatives converge. The region has seen a 30% rise in cafés and homestays, supported by a sustainability-focused, community-driven model that includes mandatory green practices and a 30% reservation for local artisans and home-kitchen entrepreneurs.

Community infrastructure projects receive support of up to ₹25 lakhper project for amenities such as pathways and viewing decks, under a cooperative model with over 47 registered cooperatives under the Meghalaya Rural Tourism Cooperative Federation Ltd. Under the Centre’s Act East Policy, a major focus has been bridging the gap between the Northeast and the rest of the country. This is part of the overall effort to bring the North east into the mainstream.