VIT’s fest ‘Riviera 2026’ to begin on February 26

‘Riviera 2026,’ a four-day annual international sports and cultural fest organised by the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), will be held at its Vellore campus from February 26 to March 1.

Speaking to reporters here, G. Viswanathan, founder-chancellor, VIT, said that “Rise, Rush and Revel” will be the theme for this year’s event, which will be the 23rd edition since it was started in 2002. “This year the fest will attract over 18,000 participants in over 136 core events, excluding sports. More than 120 foreign students from 28 countries will also participate,” he said.

Some of the participating countries include Portugal, Sweden, Belgium, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Cambodia, Romania, Laos, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Peru, China, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Iran, Nepal and Malaysia. Former Indian cricketer Mithali Raj will inaugurate the fest on Thursday, and actor Genelia Deshmukh will be the chief guest for the valedictory function on Sunday.

The Proshow lineup features includes performance by playback singer Sunidhi Chauhan who will perform on the inaugural day. Music composer Thaman S. will enthrall the audience on Friday.

On the third day, playback singers Benny Dayal and Pradeep Kumar will perform. Performances by indie-electronic artist Ritviz and DJ Shaan will be on the valedictory day on Sunday.

‘Riviera 2026’ will introduce an AI vs Humans competitive format through Grid Wars, glow-format sports via Pickle Royale: Lights Out, and sustainability-driven fashion competitions aligned with Sustainable Development Goals.

A new tiered Proshow Pass system has also been introduced, offering diamond, gold, and silver categories. The festival encompasses a wide variety of events, including music and dance competitions in solo, group, and battle formats, literary and debate tournaments across associations, esports and gaming tournaments.

Fashion and design competitions will also be held with a focus on sustainability themes. These include CLIFF (Celluloid Indie Film Festival) by the VIT Film Society, a short film competition platform for emerging student filmmakers; fine arts and craft workshops across multiple categories; and strength and endurance sports competitions. The total prize money for Riviera 2026 will exceed Rs 25 lakhs. On the occasion, Sankar Viswanathan and Sekar Viswanathan, vice presidents, VIT, were present.