Theyyam doesn't follow a tourist schedule. It follows the Malayalam calendar and whatever each temple committee decides for the year. That's why most of the theyyam calendar pages you'll find online are either last season's dates or guesses. Here's the short version. If you want to watch Theyyam in Kannur, December to April is the safest window. The wider season opens around late October or November and can run into May. Every shrine publishes its exact dates fresh each season, and those dates move from year to year. We checked on 18 October 2026, and neither official calendar had a full 2026-27 schedule up yet. So this guide covers how the season works, where to go and how to confirm a ritual before you book anything. Save the two official links below and check them again as the season fills in.
Use these three sources, in this order.
1. DTPC Kannur. The DTPC Kannur Theyyam Calendar is the most useful page once it's populated. Listings show the shrine, the area, the programme dates, which Theyyam forms are appearing and a contact number.
2. Kerala Tourism. The Kerala Tourism Theyyam Calendar is good for temple profiles and Malayalam calendar dates. Kerala Tourism itself calls these dates approximate and asks visitors to confirm with local authorities.
3. The shrine itself. Call the number on the current listing 24 to 48 hours before you go. If you're driving a long way, call again on the day.
One question saves most wasted nights: "What time does the main Theyyam come out, and is that after midnight?" While you're on the call, ask for the map pin, where to park and whether photography is allowed.
Theyyam is a ritual. It isn't a folk dance put on for visitors. It's a form of worship in North Malabar, mostly in Kannur and Kasaragod. Drumming, song, mime, face painting and huge costumes all come together at temples, sacred groves called kaavu and ancestral family shrines called tharavadu.
A ritual usually starts with the thottam, an invocation sung before the main appearance. Once the performer is fully dressed, devotees see the performer as the deity and come forward for blessings.
On the night you get hours of drumming, oil lamps, smoke, a packed courtyard and long waits. Then the Theyyam appears, sudden and intense. Many of the biggest moments happen late at night or close to dawn, so a festival listed for one date can really mean an overnight programme.
| When | What's happening | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Late October to November | The season traditionally opens after the tenth day of the Malayalam month of Thulam. There are fewer events to pick from. | Go only for a shrine and time you've confirmed. |
| December to April | The main window. DTPC Kannur says performances usually run from December to April. | Best time for a Theyyam trip. Still confirm the exact night. |
| May | Some late-season rituals carry on. | Fewer options, so confirm carefully. |
| June to early October | Off season. | Don't plan a trip around Theyyam, except at Parassinikadavu (below). |
Some official pages say "November to May" and others say "December to April." They don't contradict each other. The first is the broad season and the second is the dependable core.
Parassinikadavu Muthappan Temple
This is your fallback. Kerala Tourism notes that Theyyam is performed here every day, while most other shrines hold it only in season. The temple sits on the Valapattanam River, about 10 km from Taliparamba.
Daily doesn't mean at any hour you like, though. Call ahead for that day's timing, visitor access and photography rules. The temple's annual festival, Puthari Thiruvappana, falls in the Malayalam month of Vrischikam, roughly November to December. Check the exact date for this year.
Best for: first-timers, tight schedules, and a backup when another shrine's dates fall through.
Andalur Kavu, Dharmadam
Andalur Kavu is near Thalassery, and its annual Kaliyattam draws on the Ramayana. Kerala Tourism places the festival in the Malayalam month of Kumbham, which falls in February to March. It also warns that the dates can shift with local custom.
So don't pick a date yourself from "February to March." Wait for this season's listing or a confirmation from the temple.
Best for: one big annual Theyyam festival, and seeing how Theyyam tells epic stories.
Kunnathurpadi Muthappan Devasthanam
Kunnathurpadi holds a month-long Muthappan festival across the Malayalam months of Dhanu and Makaram, roughly December to January. Kerala Tourism lists Puthiya Sree Muthappan, Puramkala Sree Muthappan, Naduvazhissan Daivam, Thiruvappana and Moolampetta Bhagavathy among the forms that appear here.
The festival runs for weeks, so you still need the programme for the night you plan to go.
Best for: travellers interested in Muthappan traditions who have time to stay in inland Kannur.
Payyannur and North Kannur
Payyannur, Karivalloor, Kurumathoor, Cherukunnu, Ezhom and the villages around them are some of the best places for seasonal Theyyam. Kerala Tourism names several of these among the better-known locations. Thayineri Muchilottu Bhagavathy Temple in Payyannur also holds an annual Theyyam festival.
None of this is one attraction with fixed hours. Find a confirmed event first, then plan your transport to that exact shrine.
Best for: village rituals, a wider range of Theyyam forms, and anyone with several nights to spare.
Kannur Town and Thalassery
Shrines around Kannur town, Dharmadam and Thalassery are the easiest to reach by train and have more hotels nearby. Past DTPC listings show what to expect here too. Programmes start late at night and run until morning, often at small temples and family shrines, not famous sites.
Best for: short stays, or a town base with a cab for the last stretch.
Day 1: Arrive in Kannur. Save the map pin for your confirmed shrine and call the organising committee. Go to a nearby performance in the evening only if it's confirmed. If it isn't, rest up, because you may be heading out late at night or before dawn.
Day 2: Taliparamba and Parassinikadavu. Build the day around a confirmed event in the Taliparamba area. If it gets postponed or the timing changes, Parassinikadavu is close by and has Theyyam every day.
Day 3: Thalassery or Payyannur. Let the calendar decide which way you go. If Andalur Kavu or another shrine in the south has a confirmed programme, head to Dharmadam and Thalassery. If the listings show something good up north, head to Payyannur, Karivalloor or Cherukunnu.
Keep the plan loose until the temple confirms. Hire a cab for the night. Village shrines and a main appearance after midnight don't mix with bus timings.
Kannur International Airport is the closest airport, and Kannur Railway Station is the main rail stop. The airport says the drive between the two takes about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on traffic.
Reaching Kannur is the easy part. The last few kilometres to a village shrine at night are what need planning. Before you set out, get the exact shrine name (the Malayalam spelling helps), a map pin and the committee's phone number.
Our Offbeat Kerala Tour doesn't go to Kannur. It's a seven-day route from Kochi through the Maravanthuruthu canals, the Vagamon meadows and the Idukki reservoir country, up to Kolukkumalai for sunrise, with a local Malayali guide all the way. Theyyam happens in the far north of the state, so the two don't meet on the map.
They do meet on the calendar. Our Kerala route is at its best from September to December, and Theyyam season gets going in December. If you want both on one holiday, message us on WhatsApp at +91 8867269090. We'll look at adding a few days in Kannur before or after your departure, built around a ritual that's actually confirmed.
If you're still deciding where in Kerala to go, our guide to offbeat places in Kerala covers the parts most travellers skip. If you're travelling at the end of the year, read where to go in Kerala in December.
Carry water, a light shawl, mosquito repellent, a charged phone and footwear you can slip off easily. Leave big camera gear behind unless the committee has said photography is welcome.
Dress the way you would for any place of worship. Cover your shoulders and knees, take off your footwear where you're asked to, and keep out of the areas set aside for performers, priests and hereditary participants. Never block devotees or the Theyyam's path to get a photo.
Photography rules are getting stricter. After crowds of vloggers and reel-makers started filling sacred groves, several shrines and ancestral homes brought in partial or full camera bans. Ask before you shoot, follow the announcements, don't use flash, and stop the moment someone asks you to.
Keep your distance during fire rituals. Stay out of the preparation rooms, and don't film the private moments between the deity and devotees. If photography is allowed, shoot from the area set aside for it and keep worshippers out of your shots.
Plan around the ritual, not around a list of dates someone copied from last year. Aim for December to April, watch the two official calendars, confirm with the shrine directly and keep Parassinikadavu as your backup. You get a smoother trip that way, and the community gets to hold its rituals on its own timetable.