ShielaPaxton36 at 22:00, 5 April 2026

2026-04-05T22:00:43Z

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{{short description|Multi-arts festival in Kerala, India}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2026}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2026}}
{{Infobox recurring event
| name = 64th Kerala School Kalolsavam
| native_name = കേരള സ്കൂൾ കലോത്സവം 2026
| native_name_lang= ml
| image = 64th Kerala School Kalolsavam logo.png
| caption = Logo of the 64th Kerala School Kalolsavam
| status = Concluded
| genre = School arts festival, [[culture of Kerala]], tribal art, School Kalolsavam
| begins = 14 January 2026
| ends = 18 January 2026
| frequency = Annual
| venue = Thrissur
| location = [[Thrissur]], [[Kerala]]
| country = India
| years_active = 1957–present
| prev = [[Kerala School Kalolsavam 2025|63rd]]
| participants = 14,000+
| organised = [[Government of Kerala]]
| website = {{URL|https://ulsavam.kite.kerala.gov.in/}}
}}

'''64th Kerala School Kalolsavam''' (ml;കേരള സ്കൂൾ കലോത്സവം 2026), also referred to as the '''Kerala State School Arts Festival 2026''', was the 64th edition of the [[Kerala School Kalolsavam]]. It was held from 14 to 18 January 2026 in [[Thrissur]], Kerala. The festival featured competitions across 239 items at 25 venues, with the main venue at the Pooram Exhibition Ground in [[Thekkinkadu Maidan]].<ref name="schedule-release">{{cite news |title=Kerala School Kalolsavam 2026 Schedule Released; CM to Inaugurate in Thrissur |work=Deshabhimani |date=20 December 2025 |url= }}</ref><ref name="tnie-prep">{{cite news |title=Thrissur gears up for 64th Kerala State School Arts Festival with 14,000 students |work=The New Indian Express |date=13 January 2026 |url= }}</ref>

The festival was inaugurated by Chief Minister [[Pinarayi Vijayan]]. At the conclusion of the five-day event, [[Kannur district]] won the championship with 1,028 points, followed by host district Thrissur with 1,023 points and [[Kozhikode district]] with 1,017 points.<ref name="tnie-opening">{{cite news |title=CM Pinarayi inaugurates Kerala School Arts Fest, calls for using art as weapon to counter divisive forces |work=The New Indian Express |date=14 January 2026 |url= }}</ref><ref name="onmanorama-result">{{cite news |title=Kannur bags gold cup at 64th State School Kalolsavam; Thrissur finishes second |work=Onmanorama |date=18 January 2026 |url= }}</ref>

A notable development during the edition was the first remote participation in the festival's history, when a student from Kasaragod district was allowed to compete online on medical grounds and secured an A grade.<ref name="online-participation">{{cite news |title=Quarantine can't fade her colours as Kerala girl lands 'A' grade in Arabic poster design |work=The New Indian Express |date=18 January 2026 |url= }}</ref><ref name="onmanorama-online">{{cite news |title=School Kalolsavam: Kasaragod girl with rare disease wins an A grade after competing online |work=Onmanorama |date=17 January 2026 |url= }}</ref>

== Background ==
The 64th edition of the festival was scheduled to be held in Thrissur after the General Education Department announced the host city in July 2025.<ref name="host-city">{{cite news |title=Thrissur to host 64th Kerala School Kalolsavam |work=Onmanorama |date=5 July 2025 |url= }}</ref> The event schedule was formally released in December 2025, fixing the festival from 14 to 18 January 2026 across 25 venues in the city.<ref name="schedule-release" />

The 2026 edition was organised under the theme '''Responsible Kalolsavam'''. Organisers framed the event around responsible consumption, responsible food habits and responsible competition, while also introducing green measures such as discouraging plastic use and regulating sound systems.<ref name="tnie-prep" /><ref name="schedule-release" />

The festival continued the inclusion of tribal art forms introduced in the previous edition. Contemporary reporting noted stronger participation across all five tribal performance items in 2026, indicating wider adoption by schools across districts.<ref name="tribal-arts">{{cite news |title=64th Kerala School Kalolsavam: Tribal dance forms are here to stay |work=The New Indian Express |date=19 January 2026 |url= }}</ref>

=== Opening ceremony ===
The festival was inaugurated on 14 January 2026 at the main venue in Thrissur by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.<ref name="schedule-release" /><ref name="tnie-opening" /> In his inaugural address, Vijayan described the festival as a space for artistic expression and social harmony, and called for art to be used against divisive tendencies in society.<ref name="tnie-opening" />

=== Venues ===
The 64th Kerala School Kalolsavam was held at 25 venues in and around Thrissur. The venues were named after flowers, with the main venue at the Pooram Exhibition Ground in Thekkinkadu Maidan named '''Sooryakanthi'''.<ref name="tnie-prep" /><ref name="lotus">{{cite news |title='Lotus' added to Kerala School Kalolsavam venue list; arts fest in Thrissur to host 15,000 students |work=Onmanorama |date=10 January 2026 |url= }}</ref>

=== Festival arrangements ===
A common dining facility was arranged at Palace Ground, while registration functioned at Government Model Boys HSS and the programme office at Government Model GVHSS.<ref name="schedule-release" /> The festival kitchen, led by Pazhayidam Mohanan Namboothiri, was designed to serve thousands of participants daily, with the dining pavilion accommodating 4,000 people at a time.<ref name="festival-kitchen">{{cite news |title=State School Kalolsavam festival kitchen set to serve thousands from today |work=Onmanorama |date=13 January 2026 |url= }}</ref>

=== Online participation ===
During the festival, Class X student Siya Fathima of Kasaragod district became the first participant in the history of the Kerala School Kalolsavam to compete remotely. She was granted special permission by the General Education Department after being diagnosed with vasculitis and placed under strict quarantine. Participating via video conference in Arabic poster designing, she secured an A grade.<ref name="online-participation" /><ref name="onmanorama-online" />

=== Closing ceremony ===
The closing ceremony was held on 18 January 2026, with actor [[Mohanlal]] attending as chief guest.<ref name="schedule-release" /><ref name="tnie-result">{{cite news |title=64th Kerala School Kalolsavam: Kannur strike gold |work=The New Indian Express |date=19 January 2026 |url= }}</ref> Kannur district won the overall championship with 1,028 points, narrowly ahead of host district Thrissur on 1,023 points; Kozhikode finished third with 1,017 points.<ref name="onmanorama-result" /><ref name="tnie-result" />

== Performance table ==
The table below provides an overview of the performance of each of the 14 districts, showing the final points earned.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;max-width:750px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none"
|-
! {{diagonal split header 2|<br />District(s)|Categories}}
!HS General
!HSS General
!HS Arabic
!HS Sanskrit
!Gold Cup Point
!Final results
|-
| Alappuzha || 443 || 489 || 91 || 91 || 932 || 12th place
|-
| Ernakulam || 464 || 514 || 95 || 95 || 978 || 7th place
|-
| Idukki || 403 || 448 || 87 || 80 || 851 || 14th place
|-style="background-color:gold; font-weight: bold"
| Kannur || 794 || 534 || 95 || 95 || 1028 || WINNER
|-
| Kasaragod || 453 || 494 || 95 || 93 || 947 || 9th place
|-
| Kollam || 471 || 517 || 95 || 95 || 988 || 5th place
|-
| Kottayam || 467 || 475 || 91 || 91 || 942 || 10th place
|-style="background:#cc9966;"
| Kozhikode || 479 || 538 || 95 || 95 || 1017 || 2nd RUNNER-UP
|-
| Malappuram || 468 || 513 || 93 || 95 || 981 || 6th place
|-
| Palakkad || 474 || 539 || 95 || 95 || 1013 || 4th place
|-
| Pathanamthitta || 433 || 462 || 64 || 95 || 895 || 13th place
|-
| Thiruvananthapuram || 461 || 516 || 95 || 93 || 977 || 8th place
|-style="background:silver;"
| style="border: 3px solid red" | Thrissur || 489 || 534 || 95 || 95 || 1023 || 1st RUNNER-UP
|-
| Wayanad || 457 || 478 || 95 || 90 || 935 || 11th place
|-
| colspan="7" |
* {{small|{{bg|gold|W}} – winner}}
* {{small|{{bg|silver|1RU}} – 1st runner-up}}
* {{small|{{bg|#cc9966|2RU}} – 2nd runner-up}}
* {{small|{{border|width=3px|color=red|   }} — host district}}
|}

== Gallery ==
<gallery mode="packed">
Kerala School Kalolsavam 2026 (747).jpg
Kerala School Kalolsavam 2026 (760).jpg
Kerala School Kalolsavam 2026 (659).jpg
Kerala School Kalolsavam 2026 (961).jpg
</gallery>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Commons category-inline}}
* [https://ulsavam.kite.kerala.gov.in/ Official website]

[[Category:Art festivals in India]]

64th Kerala School Kalolsavam - Revision history

ShielaPaxton36 at 22:00, 5 April 2026