Snapshots
Saturday night marked the beginning of the Island Tourism Festival (ITF) 2025, a major annual cultural event in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where local customs, music, and dance came together. Sri Vijaya Puram was the site of the festival's opening ceremony. Over the course of its five days, thirteen locations throughout the Andaman Islands (South, North, and Middle) and the Nicobar group will host performances and cultural programs, bringing them to island residents.
Andaman Tourism Festival- Opening day festivities!
At the expansive ITF Ground on VIP Road, the long-awaited Island Tourism Festival (ITF)-2025 kicked off today with a colourful opening ceremony and considerable excitement on December 27, 2025. With the help of the Department of Art & Culture and other line Departments of the A&N Administration, the Tourism Department is organizing a five-day cultural extravaganza. The event will showcase a lively mix of cultural performances, traditional music and dance, indigenous arts, local craftsmanship, and delicious cuisine, giving visitors a chance to immerse themselves in the Islands' unique heritage.
With the traditional lighting of the oil lamp, the festival was inaugurated by the Hon'ble Member of Parliament, A&N Islands, Shri Bishnu Pada Ray, in the presence of Shri Arjun Sharma, Deputy Commissioner, South Andaman, Shri Prakash Adhikari, Chairperson, SVPMC, Shri Shahul Hameed, Senior Officers of the A&N Administration, tourism stakeholders, and a large crowd of islanders and tourists.
Speaking to the audience, the Hon'ble MP conveyed his delight at the successful Island Tourism Festival, which provided entertainment for both locals and tourists. Shri Narendra Modi, the Hon'ble Prime Minister, is accelerating development in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, he said. According to him, the A&N administration is actively working to boost luxury tourism and has multiple big projects in the works to make this dream a reality. He urged the islanders to install rooftop solar power systems under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana in order to help turn the islands into a Diesel-Mukt region.
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According to organisers, the festival's goal is to provide a platform for cultural performances, traditional music, dance, local arts, crafts, and cuisine, allowing both islanders and visitors to immerse themselves in the islands' vibrant cultural life while also showcasing artistic traditions from around the nation. Programs for the festival will take place in thirteen different venues rather than just one main venue to attract a larger audience. The idea behind this strategy is to bring big-scale cultural events to smaller and more distant islands where people might not normally be able to attend them.
Festivals in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands you should know about
In South Andaman, venues such as Hut Bay, Marina Esplanade, Wandoor, Wimberlygunj, Swaraj Dweep, and Shaheed Dweep are hosting performances. The North and Middle Andaman towns of Baratang, Rangat, Mayabunder, and Diglipur are also part of the celebration. Campbell Bay and Car Nicobar are members of the Nicobar group and have scheduled programs there.
Each site will have performances that showcase the living cultural traditions of the islands, as well as art forms from other regions of India, according to a senior official from the Information, Publicity, and Tourism department. The Department of Art and Culture invited cultural groups from the US and its territories. The South Zone Cultural Centre and the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre are two national cultural bodies with which these ensembles are collaborating for their performances.
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What to expect at the Island tourism festival
Mayooranritham, Thira, Theyyam, Marakkal Attam, Karagam, Dummy Horse dance, Thappattam, Singarimelam, and martial arts demonstrations are just a few of the styles showcased by the ensemble from the South Zone Cultural Centre. The festival time will feature these performances at various locations. The Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre group is performing unique dances with a Netaji theme and Sambalpuri Mahamaya as part of the event's diverse showcase of regional art forms. According to officials, the programming showcases a diverse range of Indian performing arts in addition to local island traditions.
In addition to musical performances, the festival showcases island-based culinary traditions and handicrafts at its food booths. In addition to giving guests a more well-rounded cultural experience, the organisers claim these features will help local artists and small producers. A Hasya Kavi Sammelan will be held during the event by the Department of Official Language, same like in previous years. Throughout the islands, poets and audiences are expected to join in on the humorous poetry session.
Organisers have said that the Island Tourism Festival is now an important yearly venue for public participation and cultural interchange. The 2025 edition intends to enhance cultural participation and promote tourism across the Andaman and Nicobar Islands during the peak season by distributing activities over numerous islands and featuring both local and national artists.