The Darjeeling Tea Festival, officially the Darjeeling Tea and Tourism Festival, is one of the hill town’s best-known tourism events. It is held in the cold, clear weeks of December and early January and brings concerts, tea promotion, sports and street culture to Chowrasta, with events in Kurseong, Kalimpong and Mirik as well. This guide brings together everything we have published about the festival since 2011: how it started, what happened at each edition, how the 2024 Melo-Tea Fest was organised, and how to plan a visit.
What is the Darjeeling Tea Festival?
The festival is a government-backed tourism programme. Over the years it has been organised by the Darjeeling district administration, by the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) together with the state tourism department, and in 2024 by the GTA with the Darjeeling Police. Its purpose has stayed the same: to bring visitors to the hills in the best tourist season and to showcase Darjeeling tea, music, food and adventure sport. November and December are the busiest months for visitors, which is why organisers keep choosing the year-end.
Darjeeling Tea Festival timeline: past editions at a glance
| Edition | Dates | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 2000 | — | According to our 2011 report, the last large festival of this kind before 2011 was held in 2000. |
| 2004–2006 | Darjeeling Carnival | Three consecutive years of a hill-wide carnival with live music, including jazz artist Louis Banks. It stopped from 2007 when the statehood agitation was renewed. |
| 2011–12 | From 20 December 2011 | A festival of about two weeks run by the district administration with the support of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha, with events in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong and Mirik. |
| 2012–13 | From 20 December 2012 | Announced with a tea auction, the first of its kind since 1991, and a Beatles tribute concert at Chowrasta on 25 December. |
| 2017 | 27–31 December | Teesta Tea and Tourism Festival, cut to five days and held after the 104-day shutdown to revive tourism. |
| 2024 | 19–22 December | Darjeeling Melo-Tea Fest and Hill Marathon at Chowrasta, with music, adventure sports and a 21K and 10K marathon. |
The 2011–12 festival: Darjeeling’s comeback
The 2011 edition was planned to run from 20 December 2011 into early January 2012 and to be held simultaneously in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong and Mirik. Organisers lined up indoor and outdoor games, adventure sports, cross-country runs, mountain biking, a body-building competition, exhibitions and cultural programmes. The festival was expected to help a region that welcomes more than three lakh domestic and international visitors a year. Reports from the time say Bollywood actresses Mahima Chaudhry and Zeenat Aman attended.
2012–13: tea auction and a Beatles tribute
For 2012 the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha took a more active role, and organisers announced a tea auction, the first of its kind in Darjeeling since 1991, with more than ten gardens and the Indian Tea Association taking part. As reported by the Times of India, violinist Abraham Mazumdar and the Kolkata Music Academy Chamber Orchestra, which he founded in 1983, were invited to mark 50 years of the Beatles with a fusion concert on an open stage at Chowrasta on 25 December.
2017: Teesta Tea and Tourism Festival after the 104-day strike
The 2017 festival opened on 27 December and ran for five days, a sharp cut from the month-long format of earlier years. It was organised by the GTA with the state tourism department and spread across Darjeeling, Kurseong, Kalimpong and Mirik. Its aim was to win back visitors after the 104-day shutdown linked to the Gorkhaland agitation, which ended on 27 September 2017. In Kalimpong the festival moved to Pedong on 29 and 30 December, with a cultural and musical programme and a focus on adventure sports.
2024: Darjeeling Melo-Tea Fest and Hill Marathon
The latest edition, from 19 to 22 December 2024, was presented by the Darjeeling Police and the GTA at Chowrasta on Mall Road. Organisers advertised more than ₹40 lakh in prize money across competitions. The main attractions were:
- Darjeeling Hill Marathon: the 11th edition, on 22 December, with 21K and 10K flag-offs at 7:00 and 7:30 AM and a ₹9.80 lakh prize pool.
- D-Hike: guided hikes on some of the more than 14 trails that earn Darjeeling its billing as India’s hiking capital.
- D-Rock: band competitions for Nepali open bands, English open bands and acoustic singer-songwriters.
- Adventure sports: paragliding, river rafting and rock climbing.
- Arya Kite Festival: kite flying at the Arya Tea Estate.
- Short Film Festival: screenings of short films by emerging filmmakers.
- Headline music: Swedish guitarist Kee Marcello, formerly of Europe, played on opening night alongside Mantra Band, with Kutumba Band, About Us Band and Girish and the Chronicles closing the programme.
The four days ran from the inauguration, a Land Rover rally and Fest March on 19 December to band competitions and a fashion show on 20 and 21 December, and the marathon, a laser show and the closing concert on 22 December.
Where the festival is held
The main venue is Chowrasta, the open square at the top of Mall Road. It is a 10 to 20 minute walk from the town centre and closed to vehicles, which makes it a pleasant place to sit with a hot cup of tea and watch the programme. Read our guide to Mall Road and Chowrasta for shops, food and viewpoints nearby. Festival days often include events in other towns as well, such as Pedong in Kalimpong in 2017.
Darjeeling tea in a nutshell
Darjeeling tea is grown in gardens between roughly 600 and 2,000 metres. Our earlier coverage noted that the Tea Board of India recognises 87 estates covering about 17,500 hectares, that planting began in 1841 when Archibald Campbell of the East India Company introduced the first Camellia sinensis here, and that in 2004 Darjeeling tea became India’s first product to receive a Geographical Indication tag. You can read more on the Tea Board of India website, or visit Happy Valley Tea Garden, the nearest garden to town.
Tips for visiting during the festival
- Book early. The festival falls in peak season, and hotels and taxis fill up quickly. Check Darjeeling taxi fares before you travel and keep in mind the tourist tax introduced for visitors.
- Pack for winter. December evenings in the hills are cold, so bring warm layers.
- Confirm dates with organisers. The festival has changed length and format from year to year, so check the latest announcement from the GTA or the district administration.
- Plan the rest of your trip. Combine the festival with the toy train, Tiger Hill and the other places to visit in Darjeeling.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Darjeeling Tea Festival held?
Past editions have been held in December, in 2011, 2012, 2017 and 2024. Exact dates and the length of the festival are announced by the organisers each time.
What is the Darjeeling Melo-Tea Fest?
It is the 2024 edition of the festival, combined with the Darjeeling Hill Marathon, and held from 19 to 22 December 2024 at Chowrasta.
Where is the main venue?
Chowrasta on Mall Road in Darjeeling town, a short walk from the town centre and closed to traffic.
Is the festival held only in Darjeeling?
No. In 2011 and 2017 events were also planned in Kurseong, Kalimpong and Mirik, with Pedong hosting the 2017 programme in Kalimpong.
