Residents of theย Pakistani city of Lahore are once again flying kites to mark the ancient festival of Basant this weekend.
The festival originally began as an agrarian event marking the arrival of spring, though in post-colonial days it came to be an urban phenomenon, taking on the character of a city festival โย full of sweets, music and competitive kite flying.
Due to the large numbers of deaths and injuries suffered at the festival each year โย bullet wounds from errant gunfire, death and injury caused by dangerous kite wires coated with chemicals or sharp objects in order to cut other kite lines during competition, electrocutions, people falling off of rooftops โ it was cancelled in 2008.
This year’s festival began Thursday at midnight and will end on Sunday evening. Until then, friends and families will gather on rooftops to sing, eat and give flight to their colorful kites.
The ban was officially lifted in December 2025, in recognition of the Basant festival’s importance to Punjabi culture, although a number of security measures were first put in place. Authorities say the event will be closely monitored and that lawbreakers will receive fines or prison time.
In a message on X,ย Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz posted a view of video monitors at Lahore’s Basant Control Room whileย imploringย residents to “stay away fromย electrical wires and transformers” and to make sure that their “rooftops are secure.”
Among the steps taken by authorities was the outlawing of so-called killer string โย kite string sheathed in metal, glass or chemicals.
Kites and strings are also required to have QR codes so that they can be easily traced. More than 4,500 manufacturers registered their products with the government.
Motorcyclists, one of the groups most impacted by deadly wires, are now required to install safety rods akin to antennae on their vehicles to deflect string and wire.
Authorities also require residents with rooftops to register if they plan on having 30 or more people on them. Subsequent rooftop inspections resulted in the closure of dozens of these over safety concerns say local officials.
Additionally, the state government declared a two-day public holiday to reduce traffic and injuries.
The Basant festival is a major economic boon for the city, with families booking out hotels and restaurants, as well as purchasing some $10 million (โฌ8.45 million) in kites and string.
Despite the joy experienced by many in Lahore, the festival has been overshadowed by a terror attack in the capital Islamabad in which an apparent suicide bomber killed at least 31 people and injured scores more.
Punjab Chief Minister Nawaz took to X on Friday to announce the cancellation of a concert at Lahore’s Liberty Square on Saturday evening, citing the attack and urging Pakistanis to come together to defend the country.
Edited by: Zac Crellin