In Pakistan, a Kite Festival Returns to Troubled Skies
After a nearly two-decade ban, the Basant kite festival returned to Lahore, Pakistan, in February 2026. The festival, a century-old tradition celebrating the arrival of spring, was prohibited due to safety concerns stemming from injuries and deaths caused by the glass-coated kite strings.
The story so far
- Feb 6
- Feb 7
- Feb 8
- Feb 9
How outlets cover it
3 outletsNot rated on the left–right scale. It describes Western party politics and doesn’t fit state media or outlets outside that system, so we show ownership and country instead.
Open questions and key claims
It was the first time in nearly two decades that Iqbal was able to engage in kite flying.
Kite flying creates the illusion of controlling something high in the air, forging a link between “heaven and Earth”.
It's special for Lahori's - this runs in our blood. It's not about kite and thread, it's about tradition.
Kite flying is in the blood of Lahoris.
The decision to allow Basant had given local industries a much-needed lift.
Basant, the kite flying festival, was banned in 2007 after injuries and fatalities.
The festival was banned due to sharp kite strings, falls, and aerial firing.
The Basant festival, renowned for kite dogfights, had been banned for nearly two decades.
Who and where
Related stories over time
same people and places- Feb 6 – Feb 9◆ This story
- Jun 30 – Jul 1 later
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