Shillong, August 31: The Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival will return on November 20 and 21, 2026, at its new permanent venue, the New Shillong Highland Grounds in New Shillong, with international stars Khalid, Swae Lee and Boys Like Girls announced as the first three headliners.
Festival organisers said two more major international headliners will be announced in the coming weeks, further expanding the line-up for one of Meghalaya’s biggest annual music and cultural events.
The Government of Meghalaya has allocated a dedicated festival ground in New Shillong for the event. Named the New Shillong Highland Grounds, the venue is being developed as a permanent destination for large-scale festivals, concerts and other major events in the state.
The 2026 Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival will be among the first major events to be hosted at the new venue.
The move comes following the successful 2025 edition, which featured an international line-up including Jason Derulo, The Script, Tyga, Diplo, Nora Fatehi and Aqua.
Among the first international acts announced for this year is American R&B and pop singer Khalid, known for global hits such as “Young Dumb & Broke” and a career that has earned him seven Grammy Award nominations.
He will be joined by Swae Lee, one half of the hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd and a multi-platinum artist known for several major collaborations, including his performance with Post Malone on the global hit “Sunflower” from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
American pop-punk band Boys Like Girls will also perform at the festival. Formed in 2005, the band rose to prominence with songs including “The Great Escape”, “Thunder” and “Love Drunk” and continues to enjoy a strong following among rock and pop-punk fans.
Organisers said the announcement of this year’s line-up came slightly later than initially expected because the shift to the new venue required changes in festival planning, artist logistics, technical arrangements and production schedules.
With the venue now finalised and the first three international acts announced, preparations for the festival are expected to intensify in the coming weeks.
According to the organisers, the New Shillong Highland Grounds is being planned specifically for large-scale events and will have multiple entry and exit points, parking facilities and dedicated traffic-management arrangements.
The Meghalaya Government is also expected to put in place a comprehensive traffic and mobility plan to facilitate public movement during the festival weekend.
The venue, located around 30 minutes from Shillong, is also expected to provide easier access for visitors travelling from Jowai, Assam and other neighbouring areas.
Meanwhile, single-day tickets for the festival will start at ₹2,500, inclusive of taxes.
Tickets will go on sale on Friday, September 4, 2026, at 6 PM exclusively through RockskiTickets.com.
The Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival 2026 will be held on November 20 and 21 at the New Shillong Highland Grounds, with Khalid, Swae Lee and Boys Like Girls confirmed so far and two more international headliners yet to be announced.
