Residents of Lahore are once again flying kites to mark the ancient Basant festival this weekend.
Originally an agrarian celebration of spring, Basant evolved into an urban festival of sweets, music and competitive kite flying. The event had been cancelled in 2008 after years of deadly accidents — gunfire, electrocutions, people falling from rooftops, and injuries and deaths caused by kite string sheathed in glass, metal or chemicals used to cut opponents’ lines.
This year’s festivities began Thursday at midnight and run through Sunday evening, with friends and families gathering on rooftops to sing, eat and fly colorful kites. The ban was officially lifted in December 2025, with authorities citing Basant’s importance to Punjabi culture and announcing a series of safety measures. Officials say the event will be closely monitored and that lawbreakers will face fines or jail time.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz posted images of video monitors at Lahore’s Basant Control Room and urged residents to “stay away from electrical wires and transformers” and to ensure rooftop safety. The use of so-called “killer string” has been outlawed. Kites and strings must carry QR codes for tracing, and more than 4,500 manufacturers registered their products with the government.
Motorcyclists, who have been particularly vulnerable to dangerous wires, are now required to fit safety rods — similar to antennae — to deflect string and wire. Rooftop hosts must register if they expect 30 or more people; subsequent inspections led to the closure of dozens of rooftops for safety reasons. The state government also declared a two-day public holiday to reduce traffic and injuries.
Basant is a major economic boost for Lahore: families book hotels and restaurants, and residents spend millions on kites and string — about $10 million (€8.45 million) this year.
Despite the celebrations, the festival has been cast in a somber light by a recent terrorist attack in Islamabad, where an apparent suicide bomber killed at least 31 people and injured many more. In response, Chief Minister Nawaz announced the cancellation of a concert at Liberty Square and urged national unity in the face of the attack.
Edited by: Zac Crellin