Visakha Utsav 2026: Sea to Sky Festival Begins Jan 24

The much-awaited Visakha Utsav 2026 will be organised from January 24 to February 1, the Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh announced. The theme for the fest is ‘Sea to Sky.’ The utsav will be spread across Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, and Alluri Sitharama Raju districts.

The curtain-raiser for Visakha Utsav 2026 took place at VMRDA Children’s Arena on Tuesday, with the minister stating the festival’s main goal is to highlight North Andhra’s tourism potential through its rich cultural heritage and traditions. The objective of the festival is to provide global recognition to tourism destinations across the region.

Minister Durgesh stated that the festive atmosphere seen everywhere in the state is possible only because of the efficient administration of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, and the support from the central government.

The Visakha Utsav will feature over 500 cultural, artistic, and tourism-related performances at approximately 20 locations spread across the three districts. The nine-day festivities will start with a grand inaugural ceremony in Visakhapatnam and end with a colourful closing event in the Anakapalli district. Local artists will be given top priority during the festival.

The Visakha Utsav will begin in Vizag from January 24 to 31, followed by Anakapalli from January 29 to 30 and Araku from January 30 to February 1.

According to news sources, some important locations in the city include the RK Beach, Sagar Nagar Beach, VMRDA Central Park, MGM Grounds, Rushikonda Beach, and AU Engineering College. 

What to expect?

RK Beach will be the main hub for the nine-day festivities. It will feature sports, food and commercial stalls, recreational activities and shacks, sports and amusement zones, and beach games. A drone show is planned for various venues, including the inaugural day on January 24. Local talent will have a significant presence, with cultural programmes planned for each day. Live music concerts by popular singers, including Ram Miryala, Javed Ali, Smita, and Shwetha Mohan, are tentatively scheduled.

Some flagship installations will be hosted at the MGM Grounds, including a children’s amusement area, themed photo booths, and a wide range of food stalls. This place will serve as the perfect family-friendly destination. At Rushikonda Beach, visitors can enjoy adventure activities including helicopter rides, water sports, and others.

VMRDA Central Park will feature the popular flower show this year. Rangoli competitions are proposed for the women at the AU Engineering College Grounds. Bheemunipatnam Beach will be another adventurous destination, with boat races being planned. A special cooking competition is being planned in the city to provide women with a platform to showcase their culinary skills. 

Not just a celebration!

The Tourism Minister stated that this program should not be viewed as a mere celebration or event, but rather as an indicator of development and a source of having culturally rich experiences. He called for making the Visakha Utsav a success. He expressed confidence that Visakha Utsav will be successful with the participation of the public, people’s representatives, officials, and media representatives.

MP Sri Bharat, TDP State President and MLA Palla Srinivas, MLAs Velagapudi Ramakrishna, Panchakarla Vishnu Kumar Raju, Konathala Ramakrishna, Sundarapu Vijay Kumar, and Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy participated in the curtain raiser of the Visakha Utsav 2026. Other officials including, APTDC MD Smt. Amrapali Kata, Visakhapatnam Collector Harendra Prasad, Anakapalli Collector Vijayakrishnan, Alluri District Collector Dinesh Kumar, Visakhapatnam CP Shankhabrata Bagchi, Anakapalli SP Tuhin Sinha, and other senior officials were present.

Also read: Amrit Bharat Express to boost North-East connectivity from Vizag

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