Freedom Habba 2026 Registration: Check entry rules, timings, registration process and full schedule at Vidhana Soudha

Freedom Habba 2026: Bengaluru’s Vidhana Soudha will become the centre of a day-long Independence Day celebration on August 15, with a cultural parade, children’s activities, guided tours, a living museum, food and craft stalls and an evening concert. The celebrations will begin at 11 am and continue until 10 pm. Entry is free, but visitors must register in advance using the QR code issued by the organisers and carry a valid government ID to enter the Vidhana Soudha premises.

Freedom Habba 2026: What is the event?

Freedom Habba is the Karnataka government’s Independence Day celebration planned around Vidhana Soudha. The programme aims to move beyond the traditional ceremony and bring together music, culture, history, food and activities for children and families.

Also Read: Karnataka Bandh 2026: Will schools, banks, offices, train, taxi, buses, markets remain closed? Here's all you should know


The celebrations will be held after the official Independence Day ceremony at Parade Ground and will turn the roads around Vidhana Soudha into a cultural corridor.

Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said the idea was to make Independence Day a celebration in which people actively participate.

“Independence Day should be experienced not just as a ceremony, but as a celebration we create together. What better way to bring Bengaluru together than through music, in a place that belongs to all of us?” said Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda.

The celebrations will carry the message Namma Ooru, Nimma Ooru, Nammellara Bengaluru — our city, your city and everyone’s city, Bengaluru.

Freedom Habba 2026: Timings

Freedom Habba will be held on August 15, 2026.

• Start time: 11 am
• End time: 10 pm
• Evening concert: 6 pm onwards
• Venue: Vidhana Soudha and surrounding areas, Bengaluru
• Entry: Free, subject to advance registration

The event will begin at 11 am after the official Independence Day ceremony at Parade Ground.

Freedom Habba 2026 registration: How to register

Those planning to attend Freedom Habba must register in advance.

Visitors can register by scanning the QR code issued by the organisers. Pre-registration is mandatory because the celebrations are being held on the premises of Vidhana Soudha.

Visitors must also carry a valid government-issued identity card when arriving at the venue.

The government said details about the dedicated Freedom Habba website and helpline would be announced through official channels.

Freedom Habba 2026 entry rules

The key entry requirements for visitors are:

• Entry to the celebrations is free.
• Advance registration is mandatory.
• Visitors must register using the QR code provided by the organisers.
• A valid government-issued ID card must be carried for entry.
• Those attending the Vidhana Soudha programmes should follow the instructions issued by the organisers.

Freedom Parade: Nearly 40 contingents to participate

The Freedom Parade will be one of the main attractions of the celebrations, with nearly 40 contingents expected to participate.

The parade will showcase India's cultural and linguistic diversity through music, folk performances and live cultural presentations.

Participants representing Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi and Odia traditions will take part. Communities from northeastern states will also be represented.

Karnataka’s regions, including Kodagu, Mangaluru and North Karnataka, will feature in the programme as well.

Makkala Mela: Children get a special zone

Freedom Habba will have a dedicated Makkala Mela for children and families.

The children’s fair will include interactive games, storytelling, arts and crafts, creative workshops and other activities designed to make learning about India's freedom movement more engaging.

The Children’s Freedom Village will also feature performers portraying freedom fighters. Children can participate in quizzes and interactive activities while learning about India's Independence movement.

Children can take a guided tour of Vidhana Soudha

One of the major attractions will be guided tours of Vidhana Soudha for children and their families.

Young visitors will get an opportunity to explore the legislature through specially curated tours conducted by trained volunteers.

“We are opening the doors of the Vidhana Soudha to our children. I want every child who walks through those doors on August 15 to go home with a memory that lasts a lifetime. Democracy must not remain something children only read about in textbooks. They should experience it in the very institution where it comes alive. We want our children to celebrate not only our freedom, but also to understand the values, institutions and shared citizenship that sustain our democracy,” he said.

Living Museum to showcase India's freedom movement

The Living Museum – Journey of Freedom will offer visitors an immersive presentation of India's freedom struggle.

The walk-through museum will recreate important milestones through installations, artefacts, live performances and commemorative postcards.

Visitors will be able to experience the history of the freedom movement through a combination of visual displays and performances.

Karnataka Freedom Path

The Karnataka Freedom Path will focus on the state’s contribution to India’s Independence movement.

District-themed pavilions will highlight local participation in the freedom struggle through theatre, cultural displays and regional traditions.

Communities from different districts of Bengaluru and Karnataka will contribute to the showcase.

Constitution Square

Freedom Habba will also feature a Constitution Square, where visitors can learn about the making of the Constitution.

The area will have galleries on the Constituent Assembly and rare constitutional archives. Visitors can also participate in collective readings of the Preamble during the day.

Soul Sante Festival: 120-plus stalls

The festival will have a strong food, shopping and lifestyle component through the Soul Sante Festival.

More than 120 curated stalls are planned, covering handicrafts, organic products, toys, textiles, lifestyle products and food.

Regional cuisine will also be part of the wider celebration.

Freedom Habba music concert: Full artist list

The steps of Vidhana Soudha will turn into a concert stage in the evening.

The Freedom Habba Music Collective will feature 10 prominent music voices from Bengaluru:

• Raghu Dixit
• Praveen D. Rao
• M.D. Pallavi
• Bruce Lee Mani
• Sanjith Hegde
• Brodha V.
• Siddhartha Belamannu
• Varijashree Venugopal
• Harish Sivaramakrishnan
• Nakul Abhyankar

The concert will begin at 6 pm.

Freedom Habba 2026 full schedule and attractions

Here is a quick look at the major programmes planned for August 15:

Event	What to expect
Freedom Parade	Nearly 40 contingents, folk performances, music and cultural showcases
Makkala Mela	Games, storytelling, arts, crafts and creative workshops
Soul Sante Festival	More than 120 food, handicraft, textile, toy and lifestyle stalls
Living Museum – Journey of Freedom	Installations, artefacts, live performances and postcards on India's freedom movement
Karnataka Freedom Path	District-themed displays on Karnataka’s role in the freedom struggle
Constitution Square	Constituent Assembly galleries, constitutional archives and Preamble readings
Children’s Freedom Village	Freedom fighter performances, quizzes and interactive learning
Children’s guided tour	Guided visits to Vidhana Soudha for children and families
Music concert	Performances by 10 Bengaluru music personalities from 6 pm
Fireworks finale	Grand fireworks at the end of the celebrations

Freedom Habba 2026: What visitors should know

Freedom Habba will bring together several programmes under one Independence Day celebration, with Vidhana Soudha serving as the main backdrop. The event is particularly focused on children, who will get access to learning activities, performances and guided tours.

For visitors, the most important point is that free entry does not mean walk-in entry. Those planning to attend must complete the registration process in advance and carry a valid government ID card to the venue.

The celebrations will run from 11 am to 10 pm on August 15, with the evening music concert scheduled for 6 pm and a fireworks finale planned later in the evening.