Munish Sood
Shimla: The hill town of Shimla witnessed an overwhelming influx of tourists during the year-end festivities, with nearly 50,000 vehicles from other states entering the city between December 25 and December 31. The surge peaked on New Year’s Eve, when more than 4,300 vehicles crossed the Shoghi barrier alone, putting immense pressure on traffic and civic arrangements.
As the clock struck midnight, thousands of revellers gathered across Mall Road and the Ridge to welcome 2026 with cheers, music and fireworks. Young visitors danced to DJ beats, exchanged greetings and celebrated the New Year amid tight security arrangements, with hundreds of police personnel deployed across key locations.
Traffic gridlock as parking spaces overflow
The heavy tourist footfall led to major traffic congestion across Shimla. By afternoon, most designated parking areas were filled to capacity, leaving visitors struggling to find space for their vehicles. To ease the situation, police arranged temporary parking facilities and allowed around 2,500 vehicles to be parked along roadside stretches. However, this further slowed traffic, resulting in long queues of vehicles crawling through the city.
Despite the deployment of additional traffic police personnel, congestion remained a challenge throughout the day, causing delays for both tourists and locals. Many visitors said reaching their destinations took far longer than expected due to the sheer volume of traffic.
Celebrations on Ridge, but no snowfall disappoints tourists
Large crowds gathered near the reporting room, where youths broke into traditional Nati dance, joined by tourists who soaked in the festive mood. Winter Carnival stalls also attracted significant footfall, while selfie points on the Ridge and Mall Road remained packed well into the night.
However, the absence of snowfall dampened spirits for some visitors. Many tourists, hopeful of seeing snow, travelled to Kufri and Narkanda, but returned disappointed. Still, most said the pleasant weather and lively atmosphere made the trip worthwhile.
Police cleared the Ridge ground after midnight as part of crowd-control measures, while celebrations continued late into the night inside hotels. Some tourists complained about food and beverages being sold at inflated rates during the festivities.
Despite the large tourist turnout, hotels in Shimla did not see full occupancy. A hotelier said bookings hovered between 30 and 40 per cent, lower than expectations for the New Year period.
Visitors from Punjab, Haryana, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Bihar formed a large share of the crowd. Local bakeries also reported brisk business, with cakes priced between Rs 250 and Rs 1,000 selling well ahead of New Year celebrations.
