Lahore residents have resumed flying kites this weekend as the city celebrates Basant, the traditional spring festival that was banned for nearly two decades. Once an agrarian rite welcoming spring, Basant transformed into an urban occasion of music, sweets and highly competitive kite flying before authorities suspended it in 2008 after a series of deadly incidents — including shootings, electrocutions, falls from rooftops and injuries caused by abrasive or metal-coated kite string.
This year’s festivities began at midnight on Thursday and continue through Sunday evening, with families and friends gathering on rooftops to sing, share meals and fly colorful kites. The provincial government lifted the prohibition in December 2025, citing Basant’s cultural importance to Punjab and announcing strict safety protocols. Officials say the revived festival will be closely supervised and that violations could result in fines or jail time.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz shared images from the new Basant Control Room, which uses video monitoring to oversee activity across the city. She urged people to avoid electrical wires and transformers and to take precautions on rooftops. The use of so-called “killer string” is banned, and kites and lines must carry QR codes to allow tracing. More than 4,500 manufacturers registered their products with the government to comply with the new rules.
Motorcyclists, who have been particularly at risk from stray lines, are required to install safety rods designed to deflect wire and string. Hosts who expect gatherings of 30 or more people must register their rooftops; follow-up inspections have shut down dozens of venues deemed unsafe. To reduce traffic and the likelihood of injuries, the state government declared a two-day public holiday.
Basant is also an economic driver for Lahore. Hotels and restaurants see increased bookings and residents spend heavily on kites and equipment — about $10 million (roughly €8.45 million) this year, officials estimate.
The returning celebration has been tempered by recent violence elsewhere in the country. A suicide bombing in Islamabad killed at least 31 people and wounded many more, prompting authorities to cancel a planned concert at Liberty Square and leading provincial leaders to call for unity in the aftermath of the attack.
Authorities say the combination of monitoring, product registration, enforcement and public-awareness measures aims to allow Lahore to revive a cherished cultural festival while reducing the risks that led to its long suspension.