At the Galle Face Green seaside promenade, giant kites shaped like animals, marine creatures, cartoon characters and traditional figures soared above the crowds. The colourful displays were accompanied by acrobatic kite-flying performances by international artists.
“National Kite Festival it has become one of the world's biggest kite festival. It is rated as one of the best 10 kite festivals in the world. Last year's was a very successful event. So today, we are having a better event than last year. We have participants from 30 countries and 80 participants from 30 countries. That's a great thing. Also, actually, there are 2,500 local participants, competition,” said Madhawa Madawala, head of the festival’s organising committee.
The Derana Colombo International Kite Festival has evolved from a one-day celebration into a week-long cultural and educational program, featuring kite-building workshops, a vintage vehicle parade, night kite displays, and cultural excursions.
The festival was suspended for seven years due to the 2019 terrorist attacks, the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent economic crisis, before being revived in 2025.
