How to Reach Madan Kurkalang, Bhoirymbong: Cherry Blossom Festival 2026 Venue Guide

The Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival 2026 is at Madan Kurkalang in Bhoirymbong, about 30 km from Shillong and close to Shillong's airport at Umroi. From Shillong, allow at least an hour by road on a normal day and much longer on festival evenings. From Guwahati, you can reach the venue in about three hours without entering Shillong city.

The venue changed on 1 October 2026. In August the organisers had announced a move to the New Shillong Highland Grounds. They have now brought the festival back to Madan Kurkalang, which hosted it in 2023 and 2024. If you booked a stay near New Shillong, check your plans.

Where is Madan Kurkalang?

Madan Kurkalang is a large open field at the RBDSA Sports Complex in Bhoirymbong, a small town in Ri Bhoi district. In Khasi, 'madan' means ground or field. It sits north of Shillong, on the plateau near Umiam Lake and Shillong's airport at Umroi.

It is not in Shillong city. That surprises many first-time visitors, because the festival carries Shillong's name and the cherry trees are in the city. The organisers describe the ground as an open field with wide skies, which is why they chose it again for 2026.

Why the venue changed again

The festival has moved several times, and the 2026 venue changed twice in two months.

The organisers said the change was due to public demand for the venue. The 2024 edition here drew a reported 58,000 people. If you already hold a ticket, check RockskiTickets for any update on entry gates and timings.

How to reach Madan Kurkalang from Shillong

The venue is about 30 km from Police Bazar. On an ordinary day the drive takes around an hour. On festival evenings it can take two hours or more, because thousands of vehicles use the same roads.

There are two usual ways out of the city:

• Via the Guwahati road and Umiam. Take the highway towards Guwahati, go past Umiam Lake, and turn onto the airport road towards Umroi and Bhoirymbong. This is the route most taxis use.
• Via the Mawdiangdiang bypass through New Shillong. This was one of the designated festival routes in 2023, and it avoids part of the Guwahati highway.

For the 2023 festival, the designated routes were the Guwahati to Shillong road, the Mawiong to ISBT bypass and the Mawdiangdiang bypass. Expect similar diversions in 2026, and follow the police signs on the day.

Taxi or self-drive?

Book a cab for the whole evening and agree the return pickup point and price before you leave. A one-way drop is easy to find. A ride back at midnight is not. If you drive yourself, reach early enough to park close to the gate, and note where you left the car.

How to reach Madan Kurkalang from Guwahati

You do not need to go into Shillong. The Guwahati to Shillong highway reaches Umiam Lake about 15 km before the city. Turn off there towards Umroi and Bhoirymbong. The total distance is about 95 to 100 km, and the drive takes around three hours in normal traffic.

This makes a day trip from Guwahati possible, and many visitors from Assam do exactly that. The return is the tiring part: you will be driving a hill highway after midnight. A better plan is to stay one night near Umiam or in Shillong. Our Guwahati to Shillong route guide covers the highway, stops and timings.

Flying in: Shillong Airport is next door

Shillong Airport at Umroi is a short drive from the venue, which makes it the closest airport by far. It has a small number of flights, so check whether one suits your dates. Guwahati remains the practical choice for most travellers because it has many more connections.

Parking and traffic: what to expect

No official traffic or parking plan for 2026 had been published at the time of writing, on 2 October 2026. The best guide is what happened the last time the festival was here.

• In 2024, the first evening saw long jams on the approach road. One of the headline acts was delayed by the traffic.
• Residents near the ground rented out their yards for parking, charging about Rs 200 to Rs 500 per vehicle.
• The second day ran more smoothly, with traffic and parking better organised.

So plan for the first evening to be the slow one. Leave Shillong by 1 pm on Friday, carry cash for parking, and expect a walk from where you park to the gate.

Getting back at night

This is the part most people get wrong. When the last act ends, tens of thousands of people leave at once, on one main road, in the cold.

• Fix a meeting point with your driver and your group before you go in. Mobile networks slow down when the crowd is at its peak.
• Save your driver's number and the car's number plate on paper or as a screenshot.
• Decide in advance whether to leave before the final song or wait 45 minutes for the first rush to clear.
• Keep a warm jacket with you. Waiting for a ride at midnight in late November is cold.

Where to stay for the festival

With the venue at Bhoirymbong, you have four possible bases.

If seeing the blossoms matters to you, stay in Shillong and treat the festival as an evening trip. The trees are in the city, not at the ground. Our guide on where to see cherry blossoms in Shillong lists the best spots.

What to carry

• Your ticket saved offline, plus the photo ID used for booking.
• Cash in small notes for parking and food stalls.
• A warm jacket. The ground is open, and evenings turn cold once the sun sets at about 4:30 pm.
• Closed shoes. The field can be dusty or muddy depending on the weather.
• A power bank and a small torch for the walk back to your car.

The official entry rules will be on the ticketing page. For lineup and ticket details, see our Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival 2026 guide.

A festival-day timeline from Shillong

1. 8:30 am: cherry blossom walk at Ward's Lake, as soon as it opens.
2. 12:00 pm: early lunch in the city.
3. 1:00 pm: leave for Bhoirymbong.
4. 2:30 to 3:00 pm: park, walk to the gate and get in before the evening rush.
5. After the last act: meet your driver at the agreed point and expect a slow first hour on the road.

Let Breeziah handle the transfers

Our Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival 2026 group trip is a 4-day trip from Guwahati that leaves on 19 November 2026, from Rs 12,999 per person. It includes three nights in Shillong, a morning cherry blossom walk and return transfers to the festival on both evenings. Festival tickets are not included.