Once banned for safety reasons, Basant’s revival raises questions of responsibility, identity, and whether Lahore can celebrate culture without tragedy
By Gohar Ali Iftikhar

Read more: thefridaytimes.com/07-Feb-2026/...

#Basant2026 #BasantFestival #Basant #festival #lahorebasant #culture #identity

Basant In Lahore: Culture, Identity And The Debate Over Revival Basant reflects Punjab’s cultural identity, blending history, poetry and economy, raising questions of safety, ownership and revival in modern Lahore

Basant transforms Lahore’s skyline into a sea of colour, symbolising spring, cultural memory, and a city’s longing to reclaim joy and tradition.
By Gohar Ali Iftikhar

Read more: www.thefridaytimes.com/07-Feb-2026/...

#Basant2026 #BasantFestival #Basant #festival #lahorebasant #culture #Punjabi

Beyond any single legend, Basant celebrates the joy of spring, cultural unity, and Lahore’s shared heritage across communities.
By Talha Shafiq

Read more: thefridaytimes.com/06-Feb-2026/...

#BasantFestival #Basant2026 #Basant #BasantReturnsInPunjab #Festival #lahorebasant #History

Basant In Lahore: A Shared Spring Festival Beyond Religion And Communal Myths Basant in Lahore was a shared spring festival across faiths, rooted in seasonal joy and culture, not religion or the later legend of Haqiqat Rai

Basant is Lahore’s vibrant spring festival, uniting Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs in kite-flying, colour, and communal celebration.
By Talha Shafiq

Read more: www.thefridaytimes.com/06-Feb-2026/...

#BasantFestival #Basant2026 #Basant #BasantReturnsInPunjab #Festival #lahorebasant #History #Spring

Regulating safety is necessary, but commodifying tradition is not. Basant belongs on rooftops, not behind barriers or price tags.
By Zorays Khalid

Read more: thefridaytimes.com/02-Feb-2026/...

#Basant2026 #Basant #basantlahore #safety #lahorebasant #culture #DHALahore #culturalfestivals #Pakistan

Basant, Safety, And The Problem With Ticketed Culture In Lahore As Punjab cautiously restores Basant under safety protocols, selective restrictions and ticketed enclosures risk turning a public cultural tradition into a

Regulating safety is necessary, but commodifying tradition is not. Basant belongs on rooftops, not behind barriers or price tags.
By Zorays Khalid

Read more: thefridaytimes.com/02-Feb-2026/...

#Basant2026 #Basant #basantlahore #safety #lahorebasant #culture #DHALahore #culturalfestivals #Pakistan

Basant, Safety, And The Problem With Ticketed Culture In Lahore As Punjab cautiously restores Basant under safety protocols, selective restrictions and ticketed enclosures risk turning a public cultural tradition into a

Basant was never meant to be fenced in. When celebration is allowed only through tickets and enclosures, culture shifts from shared joy to controlled spectacle.
By Zorays Khalid

Read more: www.thefridaytimes.com/02-Feb-2026/...

#Basant2026 #Basant #basantlahore #safety #lahorebasant #culture #DHA