15th Durbarmarg Street Festival

Society is constantly caught up in a process of collapse and formation between new and old worlds. Two years of COVID-19 has placed a shackle on us all. Sectors such as tourism and business have had their fair share of loss and collapse. We look for a new beam of hope now. We as a nation seek formation.

Before COVID-19, the annual growth rate of Nepal was inclining. We all remember the slogan, “Visit Nepal 2020”. However, that plan, which was our most popular national project at that point, was not able to take off. COVID-19 abstracted the idea of a developed nation.

Ncell, in collaboration with Durbarmarg Development Board, is launching the 15th Durbarmarg Street Festival on Saturday, April 16. This festival is significant as it is launched to give the lockdown affected local businesses a space to sell, the youths a chance to freshen up, and the nation hopes that we will revive.

Durbarmarg Street Festival has selected local businesses from all seven provinces in Nepal, especially prioritizing the lockdown-affected businesses to open up stalls all across the Durbarmarg area, stretching from the Mahendra Statue to the Narayanhiti Palace Museum.

The stalls will include local Nepali products, and exhibit Nepal’s cultural and artistic skills as far as possible. "Durbarmarg is a premium location in Kathmandu and we assure you that we will make sure the spot is cleaner than before, after the event”, the Chairman of FNCCI, Rajendra Malla, assures. He also emphasized, “We will make a separate kids’ zone. Handicapped people are encouraged to share their work and goods. Startups and local businesses are encouraged as much as possible. This is a space for all the businesses and youths the lockdown had let down.”

The Durbarmarg Street Festival celebrates the Nepalese New Year (2079). The entrance is free for all, and all the goods will be disposable and managed. For entertainment purposes, artists and personalities such as Dipak Bjracharya, Vek, Sandeep Chettri, Samriddhi Rai, Mahesh Kafle, Sobhani Moktan, Everest group, and Shristi KC from Blind Rocks will be joining and performing. Food stalls with local and authentic Nepali food will be put up. It is a day that hopes to shine a beam of light for the loss over the past two years.

Let’s take a day to enjoy the localness of Nepal and shake off the loss of energy and economy COVID-19 brought. This is a festival of hope!