Khajuraho Dance Festival
Classical Indian dance against temple backdrops
Significance
Started in 1975 to showcase the link between Khajuraho's sculpted dancers and India's living classical dance forms. The stone apsaras seem to move in sync with the performers.
A week of classical dance — Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi — performed under open skies in front of the UNESCO-listed Khajuraho temples. A dancer's pilgrimage.
First-time visitor
Start with the opening night at the Western Group of temples — the floodlit Kandariya Mahadev is unforgettable.
What to see
- Nightly classical performances under floodlit temples
- Morning workshops with visiting maestros
Festival foods
Best for
Travel tips
- 1Carry a shawl — open-air seating gets cold after 9 PM
- 2Front-row seats book out first; reserve online
Never miss a festival
Want to hear about every event in Madhya Pradesh?
Subscribe to Madhya Pradesh or to the full Cultural category — we'll nudge you at 90, 30, 7 and 1 days before each begins. Tune it off anytime from the bell in the header.
Explore Further
Linked places, stories and categories
Linked destination
Khajuraho Temples
Madhya Pradesh
A group of Hindu and Jain temples famous for their nagara-style architectural symbolism.
Visit pageMore festivals
Festival calendar — Madhya Pradesh
Every cultural event we track in Madhya Pradesh, sorted by date.
Browse by statePlaces
All destinations in Madhya Pradesh
Curated places, rituals and hidden gems across the state.
Explore Madhya PradeshCategory
More cultural festivals
Every cultural event across India in one list.
See all CulturalFrom the YatraJunction journal
Madhya Pradesh · 11 min read
Khajuraho: A Thousand Years of Stone That Still Whispers
Twenty surviving temples in the middle of a sleepy Madhya Pradesh village — covered in 27,000 carvings of gods, dancers, warriors and lovers. What the Chandela kings built in 200 years, and why no one built anything like it again.
Uttar Pradesh · 10 min read
Holi in Mathura: Where Krishna’s Colour Still Lingers
Forty days of flower-fights, turmeric, and divine mischief in the twin towns where Lord Krishna was born and fell in love. The most ancient Holi on earth.
Nagaland · 9 min read
Kohima's Hornbill Festival: Ten Days With 17 Naga Tribes
Feathered headdresses, mithun-horn drinking cups, war dances around bonfires — how a government cultural showcase became India's most authentic tribal festival, and the WW2 battlefield that sits one kilometre away.
Questions & Answers
About Khajuraho Dance Festival
Khajuraho Dance Festival 2027 is scheduled for 20–26 Feb 2027. That's 302 days from today.
You may also like
More festivals in Madhya Pradesh
