Basant 2027 Will Be 10 Days in Lahore, 29 January to 7 February
Punjab approves a 10-day Basant 2027 in Lahore from 29 January to 7 February, with a pause on 5 February. Is it Lahore only, and what about other cities?
Basant 2027 will be a 10-day festival from 29 January to 7 February 2027, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz approved on 30 September 2026, as reported. There will be no kite flying on 5 February, Kashmir Solidarity Day. The approval is for Lahore. Kite flying in any other city stays illegal unless that district's Deputy Commissioner issues its own notification.
The new dates replace the three-day festival of 12 to 14 March 2027 that was announced in August. Punjab's Information Minister shared the decision on X, according to press reports. The Punjab government has not yet posted it on its Basant portal, which still showed the March dates when we checked on 30 September.
We read the Punjab Regulation of Kite Flying Act 2025 in full. It explains who can allow kite flying, where, and what happens if you fly outside the notified days.
Basant 2027 dates: 29 January to 7 February
The festival will run for ten days. The Chief Minister called it a new year's gift for the people of Punjab, as reported. Celebrations stop for one day on 5 February for Kashmir Solidarity Day, a public holiday.
| What | Basant 2026 | Basant 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Dates | 6 to 8 February 2026 | 29 January to 7 February 2027 |
| Length | 3 days | 10 days, with a pause on 5 February |
| City for kite flying | Lahore only | Lahore, as announced; reports differ |
| Earlier plan | None | 12 to 14 March 2027, now replaced |
| Legal status today | Kite flying is illegal until a Deputy Commissioner notification is issued | |
These dates are an approval, not yet a legal notification. Under section 6 of the Kite Flying Act, kite flying becomes legal only when the Deputy Commissioner issues a notification with the Punjab government's prior approval. That notification names the days, the places and any conditions. It has not been issued for 2027.
Basant 2027 is for Lahore, not all of Punjab
The 2027 approval, like Basant 2026, is for Lahore. Most reports of the 30 September decision name Lahore only. One report said the festival will be "celebrated across the province", but none says any other district has been approved. So reports differ on the wording, but no other city has been named.
The law decides this, not the wording of an announcement. The Kite Flying Act applies across Punjab, but it does not allow kite flying anywhere by itself. Each district needs its own Deputy Commissioner notification. For Basant 2026, only Lahore got one. The Punjab Home Department then allowed kite makers in Faisalabad, Kasur, Multan and Sheikhupura to produce kites, as reported, but only to sell to registered traders for use in Lahore. Flying in those districts stayed illegal.
Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan and other cities
If you live in Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan, Gujranwala, Sialkot or any other Punjab city, the answer today is simple: kite flying there is still an offence. That changes only if your own Deputy Commissioner issues a notification with the Punjab government's approval.
Outside Punjab, this Punjab law does not apply at all. Islamabad, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan are not covered by it. We have seen no announcement allowing Basant kite flying in any of them for 2027.
- Lahore: the festival is approved for 29 January to 7 February 2027. Wait for the Deputy Commissioner's notification before flying.
- Other Punjab districts: no approval so far. Flying stays illegal unless your district is notified.
- Outside Punjab: the Punjab Act does not apply. Nothing has been announced for Basant there.
What the Kite Flying Act says about fines and jail
The Punjab Regulation of Kite Flying Act 2025 came into force on 2 January 2026. We read it on the Punjab government's laws portal.
- Flying outside a notified time or place: 3 to 5 years in jail, a fine of Rs 2 million, or both.
- Making, moving or selling banned string, such as metal wire, nylon cord or glass-coated string: 5 to 7 years, a fine of Rs 5 million, or both.
- A child flying a kite illegally: Rs 50,000 the first time and Rs 100,000 after that, recovered from the parents.
- The offences are cognizable and non-bailable. Police can arrest without a warrant.
Kite makers, traders, sellers and kite flying associations must also register online before they do business. The steps and fees are in our guide to Basant 2027 registration and rules in Lahore.
Safety rules for rooftops and motorcyclists
The Punjab government set rooftop rules for Basant in May 2026, with a 30 December 2026 deadline for building owners, as reported. Kites may be flown only from strong rooftops with a boundary wall at least three and a half feet high. Children must be supervised. Loud music and DJ systems are banned. Owners and organisers are responsible for what happens on their roof.
Section 6(3) of the Act also lets the government require safety measures for motorcyclists during Basant, such as a safety rod, with a Rs 2,000 fine under the motor vehicle law. Stray string is the main danger to people on bikes.
Common questions
When is Basant 2027?
From 29 January to 7 February 2027, as approved by the Punjab Chief Minister on 30 September 2026. There is no kite flying on 5 February, Kashmir Solidarity Day.
Is Basant 2027 only in Lahore?
Yes, as announced. No other district has been approved. Kite flying anywhere else in Punjab stays illegal unless that district's Deputy Commissioner issues a notification.
Can I fly a kite in Rawalpindi or Faisalabad during Basant?
Not unless your district is notified. In 2026 only Lahore was notified. Flying outside a notified area can mean 3 to 5 years in jail or a Rs 2 million fine.
What happened to the 12 to 14 March dates?
They have been replaced. The 30 September decision moves Basant to a 10-day festival from 29 January.
Is kite flying legal now?
No. Kite flying is legal only on the days and in the places named in a Deputy Commissioner notification. None has been issued for 2027 yet.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 30 September 2026 at about 7:30 pm PKT. We read the Punjab Regulation of Kite Flying Act 2025 on the Punjab government's laws portal for sections 3, 4 and 6. The Basant portal, basant.punjab.gov.pk, still showed 12 to 14 March 2027 as tentative dates. The 10-day approval, the 5 February pause and the Information Minister's post are reported; the Punjab government had not published the decision on its own sites when we checked. The Basant 2026 production approval for four districts and the May 2026 rooftop rules are also reported. We will update this page when the Deputy Commissioner's notification is issued.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
