Post-fest recap · Thomso'26 · IIT Roorkee · Updated 13 October 2026
Thomso 2026 was held 9–11 October at IIT Roorkee, and singer Javed Ali performed on the first night, Friday 9 October. The fest listed 64 events across three days and three Pronite concert nights, and passes sold at ₹4,499 with campus accommodation or ₹4,000 without (thomso.in/about, Thomso pass data feed, Dainik Bhaskar, 11 October 2026).
This guide ran before the fest with pass prices, the schedule and the long wait for a line-up. It is now a record of what happened, what the 2026 passes cost, and what to expect from Thomso 2027. Travel and history are unchanged because they are still correct.
Thomso 2026 recap: what actually happened?
| Question | What we could confirm | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Dates held | Friday 9 to Sunday 11 October 2026 | thomso.in/about, Hindustan, 7 October 2026 |
| Venue | IIT Roorkee; fest office at the Multi Activity Centre (MAC) | thomso.in/about |
| Theme | An Arcadian Odyssey | thomso.in/about |
| Events | 64 listed (27 on Day 1, 22 on Day 2, 13 on Day 3, two without a day) | thomso.in/events |
| Pronite nights | Three | thomso.in/about |
| Confirmed performer | Javed Ali, night of 9 October | Dainik Bhaskar, 11 October 2026, Devbhoomi Darshan, 11 October 2026 |
| Chief guest | Navniet Sekera, IPS officer, in collaboration with the Wellness Centre | the fest's YouTube channel |
| Reported footfall | No independent figure published; the fest's own claim is 1,00,000+ a year | thomso.in/about |
Hindustan's Roorkee desk previewed the fest on 7 October, writing that Thomso'26 "इस बार नौ से 11 अक्तूबर तक आयोजित किया जाएगा" (would be held from 9 to 11 October this time) and that students were expected from across the country (Hindustan, 7 October 2026). No newspaper we found has published an attendance number for 2026. The only figure is the fest's yearly claim of "1,00,000+ students" from 500+ colleges (thomso.in/about), which is a promoter's number, not an audited count.
The fest named IPS officer Navniet Sekera as its chief guest on the fest's YouTube channel, describing him as "An IPS officer whose journey of courage and conviction comes to Thomso'26, in collaboration with the Wellness Centre."
Who performed at the Thomso 2026 Pronites?
Javed Ali is the only Thomso 2026 performer we could confirm from a news report. Dainik Bhaskar, reporting from Roorkee on 11 October, captioned its photo of the singer "IIT रुड़की में थॉमसो शो में फॉर्मेंस देने पहुंचे थे सिंगर जावेद अली" (singer Javed Ali came to IIT Roorkee to perform at the Thomso show) (Dainik Bhaskar, 11 October 2026). Devbhoomi Darshan, the same day, also referred to "गायक जावेद अली का कार्यक्रम" (singer Javed Ali's programme) at Thomso (Devbhoomi Darshan, 11 October 2026). Local reports date the show to Friday 9 October, the first of the three nights (Dainik Bhaskar, 12 October 2026, ETV Bharat, 11 October 2026).
Javed Ali is known for Kun Faya Kun (Rockstar), Arziyan (Delhi-6) and Tum Tak (Raanjhanaa); Dainik Bhaskar's profile in the same story lists these (Dainik Bhaskar, 11 October 2026).
The Day 2 and Day 3 Pronite line-ups were not published in sources we could verify. As of 13 October, thomso.in still names no artist, the schedule (thomso.in/schedule) has no Pronite entry, @thomso.iitr on Instagram sits behind a login wall, and the fest's YouTube channel has posted no Pronite recap yet. Fan videos and social posts name other acts, but we are not listing any performer that the fest or a news outlet has not named. We will add them when an official recap goes up.
For context on the usual scale, past Pronites on the fest's own channel include Sonu Nigam and Darshan Raval at Thomso 2022, and Jonita Gandhi and Lost Stories (Day 1) and Ritviz and Navjot Ahuja (Day 2) at Thomso 2023. Sunidhi Chauhan performed at Thomso 2024: Glamsham reported on her "recent concert at IIT Roorkee’s Thomso Fest 2024" (Glamsham, 9 October 2024), and her Hindi Ben 10 theme went viral (Hindustan Times, 8 October 2024).
Thomso 2027: what to expect
No date for Thomso 2027 has been announced. What follows is an expectation based on past editions, not a date.
| Edition | When it ran | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Thomso 2019 | 18–20 October | PaGaLGuY, 27 September 2019 |
| Thomso 2022 | Mid-October ("gets underway", 16 October report) | Times of India, 16 October 2022 |
| Thomso 2024 | Early October (concert reported 8 October) | Hindustan Times, 8 October 2024 |
| Thomso 2026 | 9–11 October | thomso.in/about |
On that pattern, expect Thomso 2027 to fall in October 2027, probably over a Friday-to-Sunday weekend. Recent editions have sat in the first half of the month, but that is a trend, not a rule. Wikipedia still describes the fest as running "at the end of October and the beginning of November" (Wikipedia), which reflects older editions.
Do not plan off the institute calendar alone. The IIT Roorkee Autumn 2026-27 academic calendar listed "Thomso 2026 October 23 – 25, 2026", two weeks after the fest actually ran. Trust the fest's own channels: thomso.in, @thomso.iitr on Instagram and the fest's YouTube channel. In 2026 the fest's 50-days-to-go post marked the start of the countdown; passes had no price when we first wrote this guide on 30 August and were on sale by 5 October.
What to watch for in 2027
- Dates and theme: in 2025 the fest posted its official dates on 2 September; expect a similar reveal around late August or September.
- Karwaan zonals: the city talent hunt runs months ahead. In 2026 a Lucknow zonals recap went up on 10 September, and the zonals site lists Jaipur, Delhi and Dehradun (zonals.thomso.in).
- Passes: in 2026 prices moved in the last days, so book once the portal opens.
- Line-up: Thomso has tended to reveal acts late. Treat any early "Thomso 2027 artist" list as a rumour until the fest posts it.
How much was a Thomso 2026 pass?
Thomso'26 sold exactly two passes. The prices below come from the data feed behind the pass page on thomso.in (Thomso pass data feed). Both were shown against a higher list price. The portal has now closed: on 13 October the same feed shows payments switched off and both passes off sale.
| Pass | What it covered (fest's wording) | List price | Final price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation Pass | "Festival entry with a campus bed and meals." | ₹4,999 | ₹4,499 |
| Non-Accommodation Pass | "Festival entry only", with "no campus stay" | ₹4,299 | ₹4,000 |
Source: Thomso pass data feed, retrieved 7 and 13 October 2026. The Non-Accommodation Pass was ₹3,799 in the same feed on 5 October and ₹4,000 from 7 October.
The accommodation page on thomso.in explained the split: "Two passes, one price each. The Accommodation Pass holds you a place within the campus grounds for all three days; the Non-Accommodation Pass covers the festival and leaves the stay to you." Women participants were told: "Every female participant is housed on campus, so the Accommodation Pass is the pass you hold", so their effective price was ₹4,499. Use these as a baseline for 2027 budgeting; next year's prices may differ.
How booking worked in 2026
From thomso.in/about: "Sign in at thomso.in with your email address and the one-time code sent to it, complete your profile to receive your Thomso ID, choose your events on the events page, then pick a pass and pay online. A college ID card is needed before checkout." Expect the same flow next year. Pay only through thomso.in; resellers and WhatsApp "agents" are not the fest.
What competitions were there?
The fest said Thomso'26 had "60+ events" (thomso.in/about); its events page listed 64 (thomso.in/events). They covered dance (Footloose, Step Up), music (Sargam, Battle of Bands, War of DJ, the Gully War rap battle), drama (Nukkad Natak, Abhivyakti, Mimicry, Monologue), fashion (Mr. & Miss Thomso, Vogue, Campus Diva, Coscon), fine arts, film, literary events, quizzing, esports (Valorant, BGMI, FIFA), business games, adventure and fitness.
| Day | Big stage events | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 (Fri 9 Oct) | Footloose solo and duet; Battle of Bands, War of DJ; Vogue, Open Mic; Nukkad Natak; Mr. & Miss Thomso | Convocation Hall; ABN Ground; MAC Auditorium; Mech Ground; LHC 006 |
| Day 2 (Sat 10 Oct) | Campus Diva; Footloose group; Abhivyakti; BGMI | Convocation Hall; OP Jain Auditorium; New LHC 005 |
| Day 3 (Sun 11 Oct) | Thomso Got Talent; Quriocity (quiz); Sneaker Design, Tote Bag Artistary, CubeLelo | MAC Auditorium; New LHC 001; SAC Hall |
Source: thomso.in/schedule. Start times were listed as "TBA" throughout. Almost every event was free on top of the pass. The two exceptions were new craft events on Day 3: Sneaker Design at ₹400 and Tote Bag Artistary at ₹249. Thomso is open to every college, not only IITs: "It is not limited to IIT students: college students from across India register and compete" (thomso.in/about).
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How do you get to Roorkee for Thomso?
Useful for next year. The distances below are from an IIT Roorkee "How to Reach" page, written for a 2018 workshop. Distances do not change, but check train numbers and timings on the IRCTC app before you book.
| Route | Distance and time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| New Delhi to Roorkee, train | 212 km; fastest about 3.5 hours | "18 direct trains", including the Dehradun Shatabdi (12017) |
| Delhi to Roorkee, road | About 180 km; about 6 hours | Buses from Kashmiri Gate ISBT |
| Dehradun (Jolly Grant) airport | About 70 km; about 2 hours by taxi | The nearest airport |
| Delhi (IGI) airport | 200 km; about 5.5 hours by taxi | More flights, longer drive |
| Haridwar station | 30 km | Buses to Roorkee outside the station |
Source: an IIT Roorkee "How to Reach" page. Trains fill up on a fest weekend, so the bus is the realistic fallback. Students say the bus stand is right next to campus, with one catch:
"The roorkee bus stand is just 50 metres from IITR. Ask the bus conductor if the bus will go inside Roorkee cuz there are some buses which will go from Roorkee bypass. The Roorkee bypass is 6 kms from IITR." (r/IITRoorkee)
Flying into Dehradun? Another student on the same thread suggests: "go to ISBT Dehradun take roadways bus from there to Roorkee you can take ac or non AC" (r/IITRoorkee).
What is Thomso?
Thomso is IIT Roorkee's annual cultural festival, and it calls itself North India's largest. An older, more specific number than the fest's 1,00,000+ claim: the 2018 edition "consisted of over 150+ events and hosted 9000+ guest students from 200 colleges across India, in addition to more than 12,000 students from the hosting institution" (Wikipedia).
It was established in 1982 and takes its name from Sir James Thomason, founder of the Thomason College of Civil Engineering that became IIT Roorkee (Wikipedia).
More from IIT Roorkee and other fests
- IIT Roorkee campus guide: the campus where Thomso is held.
- IIT Roorkee placements 2025-26: where graduates of the host campus were placed.
- Antaragni 2026 at IIT Kanpur: the next big North India cultural fest.
- Mood Indigo 2026 at IIT Bombay: the December fest guide.
Hoodie season in Roorkee. Wear it: IIT Roorkee hoodies, tees and varsity jackets, shipped across India.
By Arun Raghav S · Co-founder, IITian Vibes · Facts retrieved 13 October 2026 from the linked official pages and documents. Corrections to hello@iitianvibes.com.