SRI VIJAYA PURAM, July 16:
The Sangeet Natak Akademi organised the National Theatre Festival 2026 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the national song Vande Mataram and Kalidasa Jayanti, bringing together young theatre artists from across the country in a celebration of India's cultural heritage and performing arts.
According to the organisers, the festival was held simultaneously at nearly 150 venues across all 28 States and 8 Union Territories. More than 4,000 young artists reportedly participated in over 150 theatrical productions presented in more than 39 languages and dialects, showcasing India's diverse theatrical traditions through folk theatre, puppet theatre and contemporary dramatic performances.
In the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the festival was organised in collaboration with the Department of Education. Government schools in Sri Vijaya Puram, including Government Secondary School Junglighat, Government Model Senior Secondary School and Government Girls' Senior Secondary School, hosted student performances centred on themes of patriotism, freedom, national integration, sacrifice and constitutional values.
Teachers, students and members of the public attended the performances, which highlighted the role of theatre in promoting cultural awareness and civic values among young people.
The festival aimed to encourage greater appreciation of India's artistic traditions while reinforcing the message of unity in diversity through the performing arts.
Independent verification of the organisers' participation figures could not be established at the time of publication.