The State School Arts Festival, Kerala’s largest celebration of student creativity, will be ceremonially inaugurated on January 14, marking the beginning of a five-day cultural extravaganza in Thrissur. The festival will run till January 18, with around 15,000 young talents competing in nearly 250 events across 25 venues.
The official inauguration of the Kalolsavam will take place at 10 a.m. at the Exhibition Ground in Thekkinkadu Maidan, where Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will light the ceremonial lamp. The festival will formally begin at 9 a.m. with the hoisting of the flag by Director of General Education N.S.K. Umesh.
Reflecting Thrissur’s famed Pooram grandeur, the opening ceremony will feature traditional Pandi Melam and a vibrant Kudamattam with 64 children symbolically representing the 64th edition of the Kalolsavam.
General Education Minister V. Sivankutty will preside over the function, while Revenue Minister K Rajan, who is also the chairman of the festival reception committee, will deliver the welcome address. General Education Secretary K. Vasuki will explain the concept of the ‘Responsible Kalolsavam’, which has been adopted as the theme of this year’s festival.
Over 10,000 students are expected to be present at the inaugural venue. ‘Responsible Kalolsavam’ is also the official slogan of this edition. The festival’s welcome song has been composed by B.K. Harinarayanan and will be performed under the leadership of Kalamandalam artists. The theme song of the Kalolsavam has been prepared by students of a school in Pottasseri, Palakkad. The entire festival will be conducted in strict adherence to green protocol norms.
Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi, Higher Education and Social Justice Minister R. Bindu, Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine, Electricity Minister K. Krishnankutty, Forest and Wildlife Minister A.K. Saseendran, Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal, Law Minister P. Rajeeve, Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas, Cultural Affairs Affairs Minister Saji Cherian, and Dairy Development Minister J Chinchurani will attend the inaugural ceremony as chief guests.
MLAs, Mayor, district panchayat president, District Collector, City Police Commissioner, and eminent cultural figures will also be present.
Published – January 12, 2026 08:36 pm IST
