Rabin Shrestha, the singer of the songs 'Aanganaibhari' and 'Chhekyo Chhekyo Deurali Danda', which became popular when the Nepathya band emerged in the 1950s, and Gautam Gurung, the singer of 'Jomsomai Bazaar' and 'Gandakiko Tiraima', are performing together on the stage of Pokhara. The 27th Pokhara Street Festival, which is being organized in Pokhara to welcome the English New Year, has provided the opportunity.

The main attraction of the festival is that ‘X Nepathya’ will be performing live in Nepal after three decades. The festival, which will be held at Lakeside from 13 to 17 Pus, will feature X Nepathya’s founding singers Rabin Shrestha and Gautam Gurung at Komagane Park on the 16th.

At the festival, organized by the Restaurant and Bar Association of Nepal (REBAN) Pokhara, Rabin Shrestha will perform classic songs such as ‘Chhekyo Chhekyo Deurali Danda Hussu Ra Kuhirole’, ‘Aangnai Bhari’, ‘Nakkali Kanchhi’ and others. Similarly, Gautam Gurung will sing famous songs such as ‘Jomsomai Bazaar’, ‘Gandakiko Tiraima’, ‘Jharile Ruzheko Akash’, and ‘Yarling Kahan Khasyo’.

With the aim of promoting and supporting the tourism development of Pokhara, Reban Pokhara has been organizing this festival with the slogan ‘Eat on the road, dance on the road and have fun on the road’. This festival, which started in 1998, is playing an important role in establishing Pokhara as an international tourism destination.

Along with X Nepathya, singer Ujan Shakya will also perform at the New Year’s Eve music festival, informed All Tech Nepal’s Sher Bahadur Gurung, who is coordinating the music festival. Shakya will perform popular songs including ‘Baby’, ‘Rajmati Cha’, ‘Lumanti’, ‘Kumari’, ‘Matinaya Swah’. D-Marcha, Lekali and Deurali bands will also perform live on that day. As a special attraction, Cartoon Cruise dancer Asma Bishwakarma will perform on songs including ‘Chikiri Chikiri’.

Swapna Suman and Kehar and the Lunga will perform live on the evening of 15th Pus. Chakra Band will also perform on that day. In the afternoon, Priti Ale, Deurali Band veteran singer Anand Bajracharya and Santosh Basyal will perform. Folk singer Purushottam Neupane, Jeevan Dahal and Cholendra Poudel will perform at the festival. An inter-school open dance competition will be held on 14th Pus, and it is said that there will be musical performances by the winners and runners-up of the inter-school band competition from afternoon to evening.

The lakeside area has been decorated for the festival that will start from Sunday. Reban Pokhara organized a press conference on Friday and informed that all preparations have been completed. Reban Pokhara Chairman Bishwaraj Poudel said that the festival, which will be held in a three-and-a-half kilometer area from Khahare to Ambot, will prioritize the exhibition of local handicrafts, paintings, sculptures and agricultural and botanical products from all over Pokhara. He informed that a documentary film featuring various adventure activities in Pokhara and promotion of tourist destinations will also be held. Basanta Gautam, coordinator of the festival, said that there will be endangered cultural programs of various ethnic groups, original costume performances, tableau competitions, and exhibitions of national and international food. Various programs including boat racing, waiter races, rope pulling competitions, and sausage eating competitions have been included in the sports section. 'The street festival has become a means of promoting endangered art, culture, religion, ethnic groups, and original and traditional food in one place,' he said. Cultural programs will be exhibited by setting up stages at various places on the street. Hundreds of restaurants and bars in the lakeside area will provide service from the street throughout the festival period.