Onam 2026 Guide: What to See in Kerala This August

Onam 2026 in Kerala: Calendar of Events

Onam 2026 in Kerala runs from 16 to 26 August. Around the ten days of the festival, the same season brings a spread of events across the state, from an elephant feeding and a snake boat race to a Theyyam, a tiger dance, and waterfalls at their monsoon peak. Below is a calendar of what to expect, with dates and locations, followed by a short note on each.

Date (2026)	Location	Event
15 August	Palappuram, Ottapalam, Palakkad	Aanayoottu (elephant feeding) at Sree Chinakkathoor Bhagavathy Temple
16–26 August	Across Kerala	Onam (ten days, ending on Thiruvonam)
22 August	Punnamada Lake, Alappuzha	Nehru Trophy Boat Race (snake boat race)
26 August	Across Kerala	Thiruvonam (main day of Onam), Onam Sadya
26–28 August	Illikkunnu, Kannur	Muthappan Theyyam at Sree Muthappan Madappura Temple
29 August	Thrissur	Pulikali (tiger dance)
Any day	Fort Kochi, Munnar	Kathakali performances
Seasonal (August)	Thrissur, Wayanad, Kottayam	Athirappilly, Meenmutty and Soochipara falls; red lily lake at Malarikkal

Aanayoottu (elephant feeding), 15 August, Palakkad

Aanayoottu is the ceremonial feeding of elephants. At the Sree Chinakkathoor Bhagavathy Temple in Palappuram, near Ottapalam in Palakkad, close to a dozen elephants stand in a row and are fed, typically after a religious homa or havan event. It falls in the rainy season, when the elephants’ health needs watching. The attraction is the sight of nearly a dozen elephants lined up together for the feast in a temple setting.

Onam, 16 to 26 August, across Kerala

The ten days of Onam run from 16 August to Thiruvonam on 26 August. Onam is Kerala’s harvest festival, marked across the state by the pookalam, the flower rangoli laid at the doorstep, and by the Onam Sadya feast. The attraction is that the whole state celebrates together during this window, so the festive atmosphere is present everywhere.

Nehru Trophy Boat Race, 22 August, Alappuzha

The Nehru Trophy Boat Race is a snake boat race held on Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha. The boats, called chundan vallam, run past a hundred feet in length and are rowed by up to a hundred oarsmen who pull in time to the vanchipattu, the boatmen’s song. The attraction is the scale of the boats and the crowd on the banks, which make it one of the best-known water events in Kerala.

Thiruvonam, 26 August, across Kerala

Thiruvonam is the main and final day of Onam. It is marked by the Onam Sadya, the vegetarian feast served on a banana leaf, with rice and banana chips among the items people most associate with it. The attraction is that this is the peak of the festival, when the feast and celebrations across Kerala are at their fullest.

Muthappan Theyyam, 26 to 28 August, Kannur

At the Illikkunnu Kizhakke Kallarakkandi Sree Muthappan Madappura Temple near Kannur, in North Kerala, you can witness the Muthappan Theyyam, dedicated to Lord Muthappan. Theyyam is a ritual in which a performer, through hours of paint, costume and firelight, takes on the form of the deity. The attraction is that it is a living ritual rather than a staged show. It helps to know the story of the Theyyam you are attending before you go, so that you understand the meaning behind it.

Pulikali (tiger dance), 29 August, Thrissur

Pulikali is held in Thrissur on the fourth day after Thiruvonam. Performers paint their bodies as tigers and hunters in yellow and black, and dance through the streets with their bellies drumming to the beat. The attraction is the colour and energy of large numbers of painted performers dancing in public, making it one of the loudest and most visual events of the Onam season.

Kathakali, any day, Fort Kochi and Munnar

Kathakali is Kerala’s classical dance-drama, with elaborate costumes and painted faces telling stories through gesture. Unlike the dated events above, it can be seen on most days at dedicated venues, such as the Kerala Kathakali Centre in Fort Kochi and venues around Munnar. The attraction is that it can be watched on almost any evening of a trip, fitting around the other events.

Waterfalls and the red lily lake, seasonal, August

The Onam season is the tail of the monsoon, when Kerala’s waterfalls are at full force. Athirappilly Falls in Thrissur district is at its most powerful at this time. In Wayanad, Meenmutty and Soochipara Falls are also in full flow and can be visited as alternatives to Athirappilly. Separately, for a few weeks in this season, the lake at Malarikkal is coloured with red water lilies, most photographed at dawn. The attraction is that the natural scenery is at its seasonal peak during the same fortnight as the festival events.

Plan your Onam trip with Travebrate

Onam packs a lot into one fortnight, and the events are spread across Kerala, from the elephant feeding in Palakkad to the boat race in Alappuzha, the Theyyam in Kannur, and the tiger dance in Thrissur. The order you travel in decides how much of it you can actually catch. That is what we do at Travebrate. We are India trip planners who specialise in timing trips around the country’s festivals and seasons. We track over 300 festivals, and we build your itinerary around the right dates so you do not miss the moments that matter.

Here is how it works: two calls with you to understand what you want to see and when you can travel, a menu of what is happening during your dates, and a day-by-day PDF itinerary you can follow. We do not book your flights or hotels, and we take no commissions, so every suggestion is about your experience. You book the trip your way. One personalised itinerary is a flat USD 100.