The Orange Festival in Dambuk has become one of the most distinctive cultural and adventure events in India, drawing travelers who want something more rugged and real than the usual festival circuit. This year, the Orange Festival is set to return from 18 to 21 December 2025, bringing four days of music, motorsports, off-road terrain, and the unmistakable aroma of fresh mandarins that have shaped Dambuk’s identity for decades.
About the Orange Festival of Adventure & Music, DAMBUK
The festival is built around the region’s biggest asset: its oranges. Dambuk, located in the Lower Dibang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh, produces high-quality Khasi Mandarin oranges that dominate local farms and hillsides in winter. The Orange Festival was created to showcase this agricultural heritage, boost tourism and educate people about tribal life while introducing a combination of live music, adventure sports, and local culture.
What sets it apart is the raw, rugged setting. The terrain here is remote, the roads can be unforgiving, and the environment feels completely different from mainstream tourist hubs. By choosing to attend, you are committing to a journey that involves real travel: long drives, river crossings, hillside tracks, and a festival zone tucked within nature rather than any urban infrastructure.
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Where Is Dambuk Located?
Dambuk sits between Roing and the Dibang River belt. It’s surrounded by thick forests, hills, and agricultural land. The landscape feels raw and untouched, which is part of the appeal for travelers who enjoy natural settings over urban sights.
How to Reach Dambuk?
By Air: Dibrugarh
By Train: Tinsukia and Dibrugarh
Permits
Indian citizens: No permit needed.
Foreign nationals: Protected Area Permit (PAP) required for Arunachal Pradesh.
What to Expect in OFAM 2025?
The Orange Festival 2025 edition will follow its established pattern: four days of concerts, local experiences, adventure sports, motorsports, and food pop-ups. The festival is known for featuring indie, rock, alternative, folk, and experimental artists, including talent from the Northeast. Night performances usually happen in open arenas, allowing the audience to enjoy the rhythm alongside cold winter winds and clear skies.
OFAM 2025 Artist Lineup:
18th December: Amit Trivedi
19th December: Sunidhi Chauhan
20th December: Benny Dayal
21st December: Raftaar
Book Your Ticket on the Official Site
Local Experiences Beyond the Festival
If you have extra days, Dambuk and the surrounding Lower Dibang Valley offer several routes worth exploring. The orange plantations themselves are a key attraction. Many farms allow visitors to walk through their orchards during harvest season. This is a grounded experience that gives context to why the Orange Festival was created in the first place.
The region also includes natural lakes, rivers, and viewpoints that remain off the mainstream travel map. Nearby Roing is a bigger town with cultural sites and scenic spots like the Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary and Sally Lake. These add variety to your itinerary if you want to extend your stay beyond the festival dates.
You can and definitely should participate in some adventure activities like ATV rides, dirt biking, 4×4 trails, river rafting (seasonal) and more. Stay with the locals, eat delicious Arunachali food and make the most out of your time there. Remember that the Orange festival is not bound to simply music, but a way to introduce you to the beauty that is Arunachal.
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