Soreng, January 07(IPR): The three-day Soreng Winter Festival 2026 concluded today at Soreng Busty, marking a vibrant celebration of culture, tourism, and community participation. The festival successfully showcased the region’s cultural richness while promoting sustainable tourism, entrepreneurship, and adventure tourism.
The final day’s programme commenced with the inauguration of a homestay by the Chief Guest, MLA Soreng–Chakung, Mr Aditya Tamang (Golay). This was followed by a photo session at the Selfie Point and a visit to the campsite and adventure zone, underscoring the festival’s focus on rural tourism and adventure-based activities.
A grand reception was accorded to the Chief Guest by the organising committee, stall owners, and the general public of Soreng Busty. The Chief Guest also visited the traditional stalls, which displayed local cuisine, cultural artefacts, and indigenous produce, drawing keen interest from visitors.
Upon arrival at the main stage, traditional scarf were offered to the Chief Guest, followed by the lighting of the ceremonial lamp in the presence of other distinguished guests, formally inaugurating the cultural programme.
The cultural segment featured a diverse range of traditional performances, including Singi (Lion) Dance, Damphu Dance, Silly Rai Dance, Ke Lang (Limboo) Dance, Manger Dance, Tamang Dance, and Nepali Dance presented by Sancha Hang Academy. These performances reflected the cultural diversity and harmonious coexistence of the region’s communities.
The MLA (Soreng–Chakung Constituency) Mr Aditya Golay, in his address, extended his greetings and appreciation to the organising committee and commended the collective efforts and support of the local community for the successful conduct of the festival. He emphasised that such initiatives reflect strong community participation and play a crucial role in hosting events of this nature.
In his speech, Mr Golay underscored the importance of positioning the festival as a tourism-centric event. He stated that strategic promotion of the festival beyond a purely domestic celebration would contribute significantly to the overall development of the district and generate sustainable benefits for local residents. He expressed optimism that, with proper branding and outreach, the festival could attract visitors from neighbouring regions as well as international tourists, thereby fostering economic growth and strengthening the local economy.
The MLA also informed the gathering about the Digital Nomad Village project, which is currently being implemented on a pilot basis within the district. He noted that, subject to a thorough assessment of its progress and outcomes, the initiative would be expanded to other parts of the district in due course.
Highlighting the potential of homestay-based tourism, Mr Golay cited the success story of Mr Eras Luksom as a model example, demonstrating how community-led tourism initiatives can generate livelihoods and promote local culture. He encouraged the youth to recognise and harness such opportunities to realise their full potential. Drawing further examples from successful event-based tourism initiatives in the state, including the Orchid Music Festival and other similar festivals, he observed that such events have significantly enhanced Sikkim’s tourism landscape.
In conclusion, Mr Golay called upon the local community to continue working collectively with a spirit of teamwork and cooperation. He expressed confidence that sustained collaboration would pave the way for an even grander and more impactful edition of the festival in the years to come.
Thereafter, the Chief Guest felicitated individuals and organisations for their valuable contributions to the festival. The honourees included Mr Balan Dhoj Subba, Mr Purna Singh Subba, Ms Manita Pradhan (Everester), Soreng Dukhi Kalyan Sangh, United Soreng, Himali Kanchan Sangh, and Chaar Colony Sangh, along with judges, hosts, and adventure partners.
One of the major highlights of the festival was the Battle of the Bands competition, where the top three finalists competed for the title. The results were declared as follows: first place was secured by Society Skull from Jorethang, second place by Armoured from Assam, and third place by Kalo Seto from Darjeeling.
The Soreng Winter Festival 2026 concluded with a captivating headliner performance by Mantra Band, bringing the celebrations to a memorable close and marking the successful culmination of the festival.
Also present at the event were: (IPR) Advisor Mr SB Subba, DC Soreng Mr Dhiraj Subedi, ADC Soreng Mr DR Bista, SDPO Soreng Mr Chewang Dorjee Bhutia, SDM(HQ) Mr Prem K Subba, SDM(Soreng) Ms Sakchum Lepcha, SDM (Mangalbaria) Mr DN Sharma, RO/DD (LR&DM) Mr BB Rai, DCSO (F&CS) Mr Jas Man Subba, DPO Zilla Mr Kumar Subba, APS (Soreng) Mr Eras Lucksom, OSD to MLA (Soreng-Chakung) Mr Rajen Basnet, BDO (Soreng) Mr Paru Hang Subba.