Gandikota festival set to dazzle Kadapa for three days; helicopter rides slashed to ₹3,000 for tourists

Tirupati: The Gandikota Grand Canyon festival is all set to be celebrated on a grand note for 3 days in Kadapa district from Sunday. Briefing reports regarding the highlights of the Gandikota Utsavalu-2026, Kadapa district collector Dr Sridhar Cherukuri expressed confidence that the 3-day festival will showcase the region's rich heritage, history and adventurous spirit.Andhra Pradesh tourism dept and the district administration made the best arrangements to provide a world-class tourism experience to tourists from across the country.Aerial Tourism: For the first time, visitors can enjoy a 360° bird's-eye view of the stunning Pennar River gorge and Erramala hills through helicopter rides, now priced at Rs 3000 per person.The Kadapa district collector noted that the price of helicopter rides was brought down from Rs 5000 to Rs 3000 to make the thrilling experience affordable for all.An advanced audio-visual dome (270° screen) was set up to screen a documentary on Gandikota's glorious history. Entry to the dome is free for all visitors.The festival will feature musical nights by renowned artists, including folk sensation Mangli, popular singer Ram Miriyala and global percussionist Drums Sivamani.The district collector added that visitors arriving for the 3-day Gandikota festival can also engage in various adventure and sports activities, including paragliding, boating in the Pennar gorge, trekking, etc.To encourage rural visitors from across the district to take part in the Gandikota festival, the district administration, with the support of the APSRTC, put in a fleet of 39 bus services to ferry tourists to Gandikota.