Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday announced the dates for next year’s Basant in Lahore, saying the kite-flying festival will span March 12-14, 2027.
In a posting on X, Nawaz declared the announcement was for Pakistan and the world. “After successful Basant 2026, I am proud and happy to announce Basant Lahore 2027!,” she wrote. “Lahore will once again come alive with color, culture, festivity, music, energy and legendary hospitality,” she added.
Asserting the celebration was for the “youth of Punjab and Pakistan,” she urged them to “come together, create memories, and make Lahore shine” with their energy and spirit.
Additionally, she called on overseas Pakistanis and international guests to “mark your calendars and come home” to the colors and festivities of Basant in Lahore.
“I will be waiting. Lahore will be waiting. Pakistan will be waiting for you,” she wrote, adding joint efforts would ensure the success of Basant 2027.
The official announcement follows a fake notification that had gone viral on social media last week and been summarily dismissed by the Punjab government. The fake document had claimed Basant would take place in January 2027 rather than the officially announced March 2027.
Basant returned to the skies of Lahore after more than two decades in February 2026 following the provincial government’s abolition of a ban on kite flying. The three-day festival was conducted under strict guidelines to ensure public safety, with motorcycles required to install safety rods and sales of string and kites at designated spots.
During the event, to boost public participation, the Punjab government had also declared free transport within Lahore. According to the provincial government, around two million people had availed the free facilities during the event, while estimates of the economic impact span in the hundreds of millions of rupees.