Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has said that the 26th edition of the Hornbill Festival “set new benchmarks for excellence, scale and global engagement,” while acknowledging unprecedented challenges posed by prolonged monsoon rains and natural calamities during preparations.
In a letter addressed to the Minister of Tourism, the Chief Minister congratulated the entire organising team on the successful conclusion of the Hornbill Festival 2025 on December 10. He conveyed his “sincere appreciation to every department, institution, organisation and individual” who contributed to the event, adding that its success “belongs to the people of Nagaland.”
This year’s festival saw the participation of six Country Partners: Austria, Ireland, the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland and Malta, along with Arunachal Pradesh as the Partner State. Rio said the wide-ranging participation reflects the growing international stature of the Hornbill Festival as a platform for cultural exchange and collaboration.
Rio noted that preparations this year were marked by “unprecedented challenges,” with prolonged rains and natural calamities posing serious constraints. Despite this, he said the organising teams demonstrated “exceptional commitment, resilience and professionalism,” ensuring the festival was delivered “with dignity and distinction.”
The Chief Minister also observed that while the international community had embraced the festival, “challenges such as the Protected Area Permit (PAP) regime, imposed despite a peaceful environment and against the sentiments of the people, continue to affect the free flow of visitors and tourism growth.”
He said the festival’s expansion into six district extensions this year “directly touched more lives, benefited a wider section of citizens, and expanded the horizons of Nagaland’s tourism, creative and service sectors,” noting Mon district’s Konyak Heritage Centre as an emerging international venue.
Rio added that initiatives such as the International Roundtables, Networking Summits, and Investment and Business Meets organised by the Investment and Development Authority of Nagaland have introduced new dimensions to the festival that will pave the way for meaningful collaborations.
On the cultural front, he said the Hornbill Music Festival continues to evolve as a global platform, with the year-round efforts of TaFMA enabling Naga artists, musicians and performers to emerge as ambassadors of the State.
He further highlighted the showcasing of Naga textiles and handicrafts, ethnic cuisine, traditional sports and games, village and nature-based experiences, night bazaars, carnivals and entertainment programmes, saying these elements together make the Hornbill Festival “unique, unparalleled and immensely attractive to the outside world.”