How much does it cost?
Passes start at ₹600 per head for a day with your own tent, and run to ₹6,000 per head for three days with a private tent, breakfast, dinner, and two add-on seats per person. Every pass is priced per head. Add-on activity seats are ₹1,000 per person per session, on every pass except twin-sharing, which does not include add-ons. All five passes are listed in the registration section above. Booking for four or more people takes a flat 25 per cent off the passes, applied automatically at checkout, and one booking covers up to six people.
How do I pay?
Choose your pass and register, then pay the Sikkim Anglers’ Association by UPI or by bank transfer. The payment QR and the Association’s account details are shown the moment you register, and are emailed to you along with your order reference. Send your payment reference (UTR) to the festival team, and once it is verified your pass is confirmed and a confirmation email follows. Card and net banking payment is being added.
Can I cancel after paying?
Yes, on a sliding scale: full refund until 10 September, 75% until 17 September, 50% until 22 September, and no refund in the last 48 hours. Transferring your pass to another person is free until 23 September. The full schedule is in the cancellation policy.
I don’t fish. Is the fest for me?
Yes, most of it has nothing to do with fishing. Fourteen activities run across the three days: wellness and yoga, Manga art, pottery, photography, cooking and bakery crash courses, poetry by the river, the mushroom experience, birdwatching, evening talks and storytelling, live music, bonfire and barbeque, and the angling strand for those who want it. See the full list in The Activities.
Can I fish if I’ve never fished before?
Yes. The competition is for anglers, but the riverside runs guided first-cast sessions for beginners and young participants throughout the fest. Register as a visitor and join one on the day.
What are the competition rules?
The competition is catch-and-release, run under the Association’s angling rules: barbless hooks, wet hands, every fish back in the water. Full competition rules and beat allocations go to registered anglers before the fest.
What happens to the fish?
Every fish goes back. Catch-and-release is not a formality here, it is the point: the festival exists to keep the Rangeet and its mahseer thriving.
What if it rains?
September is shoulder-monsoon, so carry a rain layer. The festival runs rain or shine; only river-safety calls, taken by the Association on the day, can pause water activities.
Is the fest suitable for children?
Very much. Young participants have their own riverside programme: first casts, fingerling releases, and nature experiences, all supervised. Children stay with their guardians at the water’s edge.
Will there be food?
Yes, the riverside stalls are half the point: local food, produce, and craft from Sikkim’s makers, all three days.
Where can I stay?
Homestays and hotels are available in the towns near the festival ground on both the Jorethang and Melli approaches, and tent stays are available for those who want to spend the nights by the river. A list of stay options will be shared with registered visitors.
How do I get a stall?
Register above with “Stall / vendor interest” and tell us what you’d sell. The Association’s team follows up directly as stall allocation opens.
Who runs the festival?
The Sikkim Anglers’ Association, marking 25 years of river conservation in 2026. The festival is the public face of that work.
