Panaji, Goa · usually late March to early April
Shigmo Festival
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Shigmo Festival
When is Shigmo Festival 2027?
Shigmo Festival usually runs late March to early April. Exact dates are not announced yet.
How the dates are set: Shigmo follows the lunar month of Phalguna, and the government announces the public parade days each year.
Shigmo Festival schedule
- Around late March 2027: The government-organized street parades are usually held in late March, with the wider festival running roughly two weeks.
- Start of the festival: The festival begins at the village temple, where the deity's flag is raised and traditional offerings mark the start.
- Parade days: Enormous floats staging mythological scenes are built and judged. Folk troupes perform Ghode Modni, Fugdi, Talgadi and Romtamel.
Source: bhaktiras.net
History of Shigmo Festival
Shigmo marks the arrival of spring in Goa and honors the village guardian deities. By tradition it also welcomed home the men who had gone out as soldiers or seasonal laborers, and the martial energy survives in the horse dance and drumming of the parades.
Source: bhaktiras.net
Shigmo Festival: questions people ask
What is the Shigmo festival in Goa?
Shigmo (Shigmotsav) is Goa's spring festival, held in the Hindu month of Phalguna. It features folk dances, colors and giant mythological floats.
Do Shigmo parade dates change every year?
Yes. Shigmo follows the lunar month of Phalguna, and the government notifies the parade days each year. Panaji, Margao, Vasco, Mapusa and Ponda hold their parades on different dates.
When is Shigmo in 2027?
One guide puts it at approximately March 22 to April 5, 2027, with the main parades usually in late March. These dates are approximate.
Which gods are honored at Shigmo?
The village guardian deities of Goa are honored at each community's temple, with Krishna and Vishnu themes in songs, dances and floats.
Source: bhaktiras.net
About Shigmo Festival
Goa's spring festival of folk dance, drums and giant mythological floats in street parades through the state's towns.
Shigmo (Shigmotsav) is Goa's spring festival, held in the Hindu month of Phalguna and described as its version of Holi. It has a quieter village form and a bigger public form of street parades, folk troupes and towering floats. Dances such as Ghode Modni and Fugdi are showcased. The exact parade days are lunar and set by the government each year, and they differ from town to town.
Know before you go
- Parade days differ by town, so check the schedule for the town you plan to visit.
- Dates follow the lunar month of Phalguna and move every year.
- Fly into Goa's Dabolim (GOI) or Mopa (GOX) airport and travel to Panaji, Margao or the town holding its parade.
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