Mysuru palace dazzles as city welcomes New Year

Mysureans welcomed the New Year with a grand celebration at the Mysuru palace, where a spectacular fireworks display lit up the sky, leaving thousands of people gathered inside and outside the palace premises asking for more.

The New Year celebrations at the palace have emerged as one of the city’s signature events, drawing crowds not only from Mysuru but also from neighbouring cities. What began a few years ago has now grown into a major annual attraction as the city welcomes the New Year in festive spirit.

An iconic landmark, the Mysuru palace needs little reason to draw visitors. This year too, the Palace Board organised a flower show (Maagi Utsava), which attracted large crowds, contributing to a record tourist footfall in the city towards the end of December. Hotels reported nearly 100% occupancy, and stakeholders in the tourism sector expressed satisfaction over the surge, with most tourist spots witnessing heavy rush. The New Year celebration coincided the Utsava.

On New Year’s Eve, the palace, resplendent with illumination, hosted a performance by the famed Police Band, which enthralled the audience for nearly an hour. As the clock struck midnight, a spectacular fireworks display, using ‘’eco-friendly green crackers’’, unfolded for about 10 to 15 minutes. The non-stop display transformed the sky above the palace into a vibrant spectacle, drawing loud cheers as the crowd welcomed 2026.

Many visitors entered the palace premises to witness the celebrations from the Varaha Gate. There was a heavy police deployment in view of the massive turnout. Extensive precautions were taken to ensure smooth and incident-free celebrations. Additional forces were deployed for enhanced security and safety, local vendors were cleared from sensitive zones, and only one access point was opened for visitors.

Fire engines and ambulances were stationed as a precautionary measure, and the public was urged to comply with guidelines issued by the authorities to ensure peaceful celebrations.

Crowds were seen clicking selfies with the illuminated palace as a backdrop, while the midnight sky glowed brightly with the impressive fireworks display that ushered in the New Year.