Nepal Art and Culture Festival being held

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Sept. 8: Nepal Art and Culture Festival 2025 began on Friday for the first time in Nepal.

President Ramchandra Paudel inaugurated the festival at Nepal Art Council, Babarmahal.

Addressing the opening ceremony, President Paudel said that art, culture, and heritage, which serve as Nepal’s main identity in the world, must be preserved and promoted with equal initiative from both the government and the private sector.

Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Badri Prasad Pandey said that the festival should be used as an important opportunity to introduce Nepal’s cultural identity at the international level.

He said, “This kind of festival will be useful in narrating to the world the stories of Nepal’s culture, nature, and the contributions of our ancestors toward preservation.” 

Similarly, delivering a goodwill message, the Chief Executive Officer of Nepal Tourism Board, Deepak Raj Joshi, said that although Nepal is mostly known for mountain and adventure tourism, this festival aims to present Nepal as a treasure trove of art and cultural heritage.

President of Nepal Art Council, Sagar Shumsher Rana, said that such cultural festivals hold great importance not only for Nepal but also at the international level, and informed that the goal is to expand it into a global cultural festival.

The 23-day-long festival will be held across four cities of the Kathmandu Valley, Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, and Kirtipur, with more than 40 events.  A total of 273 artworks by 154 artists will be on display. 

In addition, the festival will offer opportunities to experience cultural exhibitions, craftsmanship, music and dance, traditional cuisine, and living heritage.

Organised by the Nepal Tourism Board, Nepal Art Council, and Hotel Association of Nepal, with collaboration from Kathmandu Valley municipalities and the private sector, the festival commenced on the occasion of Indra Jatra and will run until September 27.

 With the slogan ‘Celebration of Nepal’s Art, Culture, Cuisine, and Heritage,’ the festival is expected to make the ancient towns of the Valley vibrant and showcase Nepal’s cultural pride on the world stage, alongside promoting tourism.