Started in 2012 by Menwhopause guitarist Anup Kutty and Bobby Hano, and hosted by the Apatani tribe, this four-day festival is a melting pot of music and musicians from across India and the world. With bands like the Indus Creed, Sha’air, Louw Majaw, Barmer Boys, and Peter Cat Recording Company participating in the Zero music festival, this event brings forth some of the best talent around. Add to this the fantastic location – a valley that’s 5,500 feet above sea level, and a music-loving population, and you have a whimsical event that you’d love to attend each year.
It features a wide range of music genres such as folk, indie rock, EDM, jazz etc performed by artists all over the world. It has featured artists like Lee Ranaldo, Steve Shelley, Damo Suzuki, Shye Ben Tzur, MONO, Divine, Louw Majaw, Sha’air n Func, Indus Creed, Peter Cat Recording Co, Menwhopause, Guru Rewben Mashangva, Sivmani, by Prabh Deep, Sukanya Ramgopal. It is spread over 4 days long.
Ziro Music Festival has two stages Danyi (Sun) and Piilo (Moon). These stages are constructed by resident craftsmen and are almost completely made of Bamboo. The Danyi is a stage for artists to perform during the day where the audience can enjoy music seated on natural grass as in a coliseum. Piilo is a stage for artists to perform during the dark when the audience stands in front of the stage and relish the music. Ziro Music Festival also has a kids zone. It has giant slides, a few big swings and a rope bridge.
One can also experience the joy of local food and beverages. Ziro Music Festival accommodates stalls that sell local food, rice beer (Apong), finger food, cupcakes. Ziro has zero plastic policy, hence, it is recommended for people not to carry plastic bottles. At the festival, the water is served in a bamboo container. Ziro Music Festival has installed trash bins all around, one must not loiter and take care to protect the heritage site.
The overture of Ziro music festival 2018 had witnessed full sold out ziro music festival 2018 tickets and there was an overflowing crowd attending the event from worldwide. Ziro music festival passes are a treat to all the music as well as nature lovers. For people who are aiming to make it to the festival this year, Ziro Music Festival 2022 dates are just around the corner and Ziro music festival 2022 tickets are already on sale. It also has a unique BYOT (Bring your own Tents) ticket where one can carry their own tents.
There is a lot to do at the ZIRO music festival other than grooving to some blissful music. Visitors can choose from short hikes to the mountain fields around, go on a bicycle tour of the villages around, pore over the landscape in a hot air balloon, visit the Apatani tribe and learn about their interesting culture. The tribes people are skilled artisans and you might be able to buy some souvenirs as well; UNESCO has also proposed the inclusion of the Apatani valley in its World Heritage Site list as well.
Ziro Music Festival Dates
The Ziro Music Festival will be celebrated for 4 days; the festival will delight the hearts of music lovers in September.
Entry to Ziro Festival of Music
To attend the Ziro Festival in Arunachal Pradesh, visitors are required to obtain certain permits. These include:
- Inner Line Permit (ILP): Indian residents, excluding the natives of Arunachal, are required to get this permit to enter Arunachal Pradesh. It can be obtained either online or from the government offices of Arunachal Pradesh in Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati, Tezpur, Shillong, Jorhat, etc.
- Protected Area Permit (PAP): Foreigners visiting Arunachal Pradesh to attend Ziro Festival need Protected Area Permit. They can get this from All Indian Missions abroad or the All Foreigners Regional Registration Officers (FRRO) in Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi. PAP can also be acquired from the Chief Immigration Officer in Chennai or the Home Ministry, Govt. of India, or Home Commissioner, Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh in Itanagar.
Accommodation facilities at ZIRO
There are ample accommodation facilities at the ZIRO festival, but you better hurry up for the bookings for some of the options are already full. Camps are set up at the festival, and special custom packages can also be booked. You can choose from basic camps to ones that come with more comfortable interiors and includes meals plans as well. ZIRO has in proximity a few hotels as well, though camping is where the fun is.
How to Reach Ziro Valley
By Air
Tezpur in Assam is the nearest airport. However, flights are usually canceled without reason, and thus, it’s an unreliable option. The better option is the Guwahati Airport, connected by frequent flights to all major Indian cities.
By Rail
The nearest railway station for accessing the Ziro Festival is Naharlagun in Arunachal Pradesh. It is just 3 hours away from Ziro and can be reached by overnight train from Guwahati. You can opt for Shatabdi, but it operates only three times a week.
By Road
Ziro Valley can be reached through direct buses available from Guwahati, Itanagar, and North Lakhimpur. You can book a taxi from Guwahati to Ziro too, which will take about 7 hours.
We also recommend everyone to carry a raincoat, hat, water bottle, foldable chair, headlamp, dry-bag, wellies, wallet and enough money as nearest ATM available is half an hour drive.
We believe one should experience, relish this mesmerizing and culturally rich part of India and witness the joy of Ziro Music Festival.
