The beautiful island of Mauritius celebrated its 50th anniversary of independence with a spectacular and unforgettable event: the first-ever National Kite Festival. This exhilarating and vibrant event was brought to life by the dedicated and passionate team at FLY360, a kite festival organizer with an impressive track record of spreading the joy of kite flying across international borders. In this article, we'll take you on a journey through this extraordinary kite festival, sharing the inspirational story of how FLY360 revived a lost tradition and created a truly magical experience for the people of Mauritius.
FLY360: The Kite Experts Behind the Spectacle
With vast experience in the world of kite making and flying, FLY360 was the perfect partner to help bring the kite festival to life in Mauritius. Their skilled team of kite experts worked tirelessly to ensure that the event was a resounding success, showcasing their dedication to their craft and their commitment to spreading the joy of kite flying around the world.
A Seven-Day Journey to Perfection
The FLY360 team embarked on a seven-day trip to Mauritius, allowing ample time to plan, prepare, and fine-tune every detail of the kite festival. Their mission? To revive the forgotten tradition of kite making and flying among the people of Mauritius, creating an annual event that would bring joy and excitement to people of all ages.
Setting the Stage: Trial Runs at La Prairie
Before the big day, the FLY360 team conducted numerous kite flying trial runs at La Prairie, the chosen location for the kite festival. This picturesque open beach provided the perfect backdrop for the event, with its strong winds allowing the kites to soar majestically into the sky.
The Art of Event Planning: Dos and Don'ts from the Experts
FLY360's consulting team provided invaluable guidance to the event team, sharing their wisdom and insights from previous kite festivals. Their advice ensured that every aspect of the event ran smoothly, resulting in a truly unforgettable experience for everyone involved.
Funding and Support from the State Bank of Mauritius
The State Bank of Mauritius shared FLY360's vision for the kite festival, generously providing funding and support to bring the event to life. Their backing played a crucial role in the success of the festival, allowing FLY360 to create a truly magical experience for the people of Mauritius.
The Big Day: A Kite Festival to Remember
The kite festival consisted of two main segments: a kite competition for local participants, and a kite flying show performed by FLY360 members. The event kicked off with locals registering for the competition, displaying their self-made kites with pride and excitement.
A Kaleidoscope of Colour: Designer Kites by FLY360
As participants arrived at the festival, they were greeted by an explosion of colour, with bright, vibrant tents adorned with designer kites created by the talented FLY360 team. These stunning kites, available in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colours, added an extra layer of excitement and magic to the event.
The Kite Competition: Showcasing Local Talent
As the competition began, the founder and directors of FLY360, Ashok Shah and Nisarg Shah, joined the panel of judges to select the winners. With the high level of talent and creativity on display, the judges faced a challenging task in choosing the top three kites in each of the three contest categories: basic diamond kites, "Patang" kites, and "Box Kites."
Flying High with the President of Mauritius
The President of Mauritius, attended the kite festival, showing his support for the event by flying a kite alongside the FLY360 team members. His presence at the festival highlighted the strong ties between Mauritius and India, adding an extra layer of significance to the event.
The Challenge of Choosing Winners: An Intense Process
Selecting the winners of the kite competition proved to be an extremely difficult task for the judges, as the enthusiasm and talent of the local participants exceeded all expectations. Despite the decline in the kite flying tradition in recent years, the festival clearly demonstrated that the people of Mauritius were more than ready to embrace and celebrate this beautiful art form once again.
The first-ever Mauritius kite festival was a resounding success, thanks in no small part to the dedication, passion, and expertise of the FLY360 team. As the people of Mauritius rediscover the joy of kite making and flying, a new tradition has been born, and the sky's the limit for what the future holds. With the continued support of organizations like FLY360, the kite festival promises to be an annual celebration that brings people together, inspiring creativity, friendship, and a shared love for this timeless and magical art form.
FLY360's Ongoing Mission: Spreading the Joy of Kite Making and Flying
Buoyed by the success of the Mauritius kite festival, FLY360 returned to Mumbai with renewed energy and determination to continue spreading the joy of kite making and flying to other cities and communities.
As a Mauritian, I am incredibly proud to see our national kite festival featured so beautifully by Fly360! The presence of President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim at the festival gave it wonderful prestige. The Indian Ocean island setting provides a backdrop for kite flying that is among the most beautiful in the world — turquoise waters, tropical breeze, and exquisitely designed kites. Fly360 brought magic to Mauritius!
From the neighbouring island of La Réunion, the Mauritius International Kite Festival is a regular destination for kite enthusiasts here. Fly360’s participation in 2018 raised the festival to a completely new level of international quality. The 3D inflatable kites and the night flying sessions were absolutely spectacular against the Mauritius night sky. An unforgettable cultural event for the Indian Ocean islands!
The Mauritius kite festival has deep roots in the Indian cultural heritage brought to our island by indentured labourers generations ago. Seeing an Indian kite organisation like Fly360 participate and excel at our festival is a beautiful full circle. The photographs of the Mauritius president with the Fly360 team are a historic record of this cultural bridge between India and Mauritius. A deeply meaningful event!
Canada has a beautiful kite festival tradition particularly at the Calgary Stampede grounds but the tropical setting of Mauritius for kite flying is something our festivals can only dream of! This article about Fly360 in Mauritius is a wonderful example of how Indian kite culture travels and enriches festivals worldwide. The quality and diversity of kites they bring is clearly world-class!
Seven years on from this historic Fly360 visit to Mauritius and it is still talked about as the gold standard for our kite festival! The standards they set for kite design, display organisation, and participant engagement have guided every subsequent festival. Fly360 and Mauritius have a special relationship forged through the shared love of kites and the Indian Ocean sky. Please come back soon!