Thrissur ready to host 64th State School Arts Festival from January 14

Thrissur has completed all preparations to host the 64th State School Arts Festival, scheduled to be held from January 14 to 18, 2026, General Education Minister V. Sivankutty has said. The minister said the district is fully prepared to welcome thousands of students for Kerala’s biggest cultural festival.

The festival will feature competitions in 249 categories at 25 venues across the district, with the Exhibition Ground at Thekkinkadu Maidan serving as the main venue. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the festival on January 14.

The curtain-raiser to the festival will be held on January 9 with the formation of a student-led anti-drug resistance network. Around 10,000 students from schools across the district will take part in the campaign aimed at strengthening awareness against substance abuse.

The traditional Golden Cup procession will be held on January 12 and 13 across various Assembly constituencies in the district. The cup will be brought to the Town Hall on January 13 evening, where it will be received ceremonially with the participation of nearly 1,000 students, accompanied by NCC, NSS and SPC cadets.

Each of the 25 venues has been named after fragrant flowers belonging to different categories. The theme of this year’s festival is “Responsible Kalolsavam”, reflecting the focus on discipline, sustainability and student welfare.

Ambulance services and drinking water facilities will be available at all venues. Accommodation has been arranged in 20 schools located around the city, with police surveillance in place at both competition venues and lodging centres. Adequate sanitation facilities, including toilets and uninterrupted water supply, have also been ensured.

Arrangements have been made to upload competition results online immediately after they are declared, ensuring transparency and timely access for participants and parents.

The welcome song for the festival has been composed by lyricist B.K. Harinarayanan and will be presented under the leadership of Kerala Kalamandalam. The theme song has been created by students of Pottassery School in Palakkad district. The festival will be conducted in strict adherence to green protocols, making it a completely eco-friendly event.

The festival will officially begin at 9 am on January 14 with the hoisting of the flag by the Director of General Education. Adding to the grandeur, an ’Ilanjithara Melam’ and a colourful umbrella exchange featuring 64 children symbolising the 64th edition of the festival will showcase Thrissur’s famed Pooram tradition.

General Education and Labour Minister V. Sivankutty will preside over the inaugural ceremony. Revenue Minister K. Rajan, who is also the chairman of the reception committee, Higher Education and Social Justice Minister R. Bindu, Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi, other ministers, MLAs, the Mayor, the district panchayat president, the District Collector and the City Police Commissioner will attend.

General Education Secretary Dr K. Vasuki will present an overview of the concept of “Responsible Kalolsavam” at the inaugural venue. Around 10,000 students are expected to attend the opening ceremony.