Chariot festival, concerts, theatre, and art fill the city this week

The city has now introduced seven night buses operating from 8 to 11 pm, offering a much-needed convenience for daily, mainly night time commuters.

One route runs between Tribhuvan Airport and Thankot, while another connects Budanilkantha and Lagankhel. The buses are equipped with CCTV cameras, passenger information systems, and free Wi-Fi, with real-time tracking available through the Sajha Plus app.

With that in place, here’s a look at what’s happening this week.

Rato Machindranath Jatra

Nepal’s longest chariot festival is officially underway. Priests installed the idol of the Red God Bunga Dyah, a deity of rain and harvest, atop a newly constructed 48 feet wooden chariot at Pulchowk on April 19. 

Over the coming weeks, devotees will pull the chariot through the lanes of Lalitpur, passing Gabahal, Mangal Bazaar, Sundhara, Lagankhel, and eventually ending at Jawalakhel with the Bhoto Jatra ceremony. Every evening, hundreds gather along the streets of Patan/ Lalitpur.

Event Details:

Date: Now through May
Time: Till June 1
Location: Streets of Patan/ Lalitpur

Kutumba Night

Kutumba, one of Nepal's finest folk-fusion ensembles, will be performing at Hard Rock Cafe, Kathmandu, this Thursday evening. Known for reimagining traditional instruments and Nepali folk melodies in an entirely contemporary way, they are worth going out of your way for. This is a fundraising event for the Nyano Ghar conducted by the group Kutumba itself.

Event Details:

Date: Thursday, April 24
Time: 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm
Location: Hardrock Cafe Thamel 

Chirping of the Restless Heart

The Kala Salon is hosting an art exhibition featuring SAF fellows Sharmila Tamanga and Momin Pradhan. The SAF fellowship is in collaboration between Space A and The Kalā Salon. The fellowship aims to support young, upcoming artists.

Event Details:

Date: Till April 30
Time: 11:00 am to 8:00 pm
Location: The Kala Salon, Chhaya Centre
Entry: Free

Threads of thoughts

A collective exhibition bringing together 13 contemporary artists exploring memory, identity, abstraction, nature, and cultural narratives through diverse approaches and shared reflection. This exhibition, curated by Nhuja Shrestha, invites viewers to explore the subtle connections between personal reflection and shared experience, where each artwork becomes a thread in a larger conversation.

Event Details:

Date: 21 April- 21 May
Time: 4:00 pm
Location: Music Art Gallery, Sanepa 
Entry: Free

Textile Scripts

A contemporary Lithuanian textile art exhibition exploring textile as a language of memory, material, and lived experience through works by four artists.

Event Details:

Date: Till April 23
Time: 11 am- 5:30 pm
Location: Artudio, Patan
Entry: Free

Atirikta ko Manoranjan

A contemporary theatre production exploring performance, illusion, and emotional vulnerability through a layered narrative set around a concert-like spectacle.

Event Details:

Date: Till April 26
Time: 5:30 pm
Location: Mandala Theatre, Thapagaun
Entry: Charges apply

Seto Dharti 

A stage adaptation of Amar Neupane’s Madan Puraskar- winning novel following Tara’s life and the social realities of child marriage and widowhood in Nepal

Event Details:

Date: Till May 2
Time: 5:15 pm except Thursday 
Location: Kantipur Theatre, Gairidhara
Entry: Charges apply

Grand Rehearsal

Grand Rehearsal is a fun play based on the famous Broadway production titled “The Play That Goes Wrong”. The upcoming play uses satire to explore the chaos, comedy, and resilience of theatre artists on stage.

Event Details:

Date: April 24 - May 17
Time: 5:30 pm (except Monday), 1:30 pm extra show on Saturday
Location: Mandala Theatre Nepal, Thapagaun
Entry: NRs 300 to NRs 1,000