Sibi Mela Heritage Festival

The experience

Sibi Mela Heritage Festival

The historic Sibi Mela, paired with Quetta's high valley and Hanna Lake for a complete Balochistan experience.

History & background

Sibi Mela traces its roots back over a thousand years to the seasonal cattle and camel trading fairs that grew around Sibi's position on ancient caravan routes linking Balochistan to Sindh and beyond, one of the oldest continuously held gatherings of its kind in South Asia. The modern festival, formalised in its current shape during the early 20th century, still centres on livestock and camel shows alongside Balochi and Brahui music, tent-pegging displays and handicraft stalls that keep centuries-old trading customs visible in a way few other events in the region do. Sibi's location and climate, one of the hottest in Pakistan for most of the year, is part of why the festival is held in February, when the plains are at their most bearable and the historic trading season would traditionally have been at its busiest.

Day by day

The programme

1. D1Arrival in Quetta

   Hanna Lake at sunset.

2. D2Sibi Mela Day

   Music, crafts and the camel show.

3. D3Quetta Bazaars

   Fruit market and Hazarganji views.

4. D4Departure

   Fly back to Islamabad.