A group of eight Sikkim-based musicians and performers has launched "Sikkim Singing Star 2026, Season 1," a new Nepali-language singing reality show conceived and organised by artists themselves rather than a broadcaster or production house, aimed at giving the region's Nepali-speaking talent a dedicated, locally-rooted stage of its own. Online registration is open now through a QR code circulated on social media, with a deadline of August 25, 2026, after which physical auditions will begin across all six districts of Sikkim and extend into neighbouring Nepali-speaking regions — Darjeeling, Siliguri, Mirik, and parts of Assam. The competition is open to Nepali-speaking singers worldwide, with no age or document restrictions, and the eventual winner will receive an international tour.
Background
The show's organising group includes Pritam Rai, Riwaz Gurung, Sombir Rai, Nischal Raj Dewan, Suman Rai, Dinesh Dahal, Prakash Basnet and LB Baraily — a lineup of working artists rather than media executives, which the organisers have framed as central to the show's identity. Rai in particular brings direct credibility to the format: in 2023, he won the Nepali-language singing competition Mero Voice Universe, held at Godawari in Lalitpur, Nepal, taking home a cash prize of Rs 1 crore (Nepalese rupees) — reported at the time as the highest prize ever awarded in a Nepali reality show. That competition, created by the Intra-National Welfare and Support Foundation of America, drew Nepali-speaking talent from across the global diaspora, including from Sikkim, and its scale appears to be a direct reference point for what the Sikkim Singing Star organisers are now attempting to build closer to home.
Sikkim's musical identity is genuinely plural rather than singular. The state's three main ethnic communities — Lepcha, Bhutia and Nepali — each carry distinct musical traditions: Bhutia folk music built around instruments like the piwang and dramyen, Nepali music centred on the madal drum and sarangi, and Lepcha traditions anchored by the resonant dhyangro drum. Government cultural bodies and academies have supported some intergenerational preservation of these traditions in recent years, even as climate-linked rural migration has put pressure on smaller, localised folk practices. A Nepali-language singing competition open to a global diaspora sits somewhat apart from this multi-ethnic folk landscape — Sikkim Singing Star is explicitly a Nepali-language contemporary format — but organisers have framed its core purpose as strengthening Sikkim's broader music scene and supporting local artists, rather than one specific ethnic tradition.
That reach into Darjeeling, Siliguri and Mirik is not incidental geography — it reflects the fact that Sikkim's Nepali-speaking population is part of a much larger Indian Gorkha community spanning several states. Sikkim itself has the highest concentration of Nepali speakers of any Indian state, at roughly 62.6 percent of its population, but the wider Gorkha community — estimated at anywhere from 4 to 10 million people nationally — is concentrated heavily in West Bengal (over 1.15 million, largely in and around Darjeeling), Assam (over 596,000) and Sikkim (over 382,000), among other states. A Sikkim-based show that opens auditions specifically in Darjeeling, Siliguri and Mirik is, in effect, addressing this dispersed but culturally unified Gorkha population as a single audience rather than treating Sikkim's state boundary as the limit of its ambition.
There is also a proven appetite — and a proven talent pipeline — behind that ambition. In 2007, the entire Indian Gorkha community, spanning Sikkim, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, the Terai and Dooars regions, rallied behind Prashant Tamang, a Darjeeling-district contestant, as he won Indian Idol Season 3 — a moment widely remembered as uniting the Gorkha community at a national level and turning Tamang into a cultural icon whose songs, including "Bir Gorkhali" and "Asare Mahinama," became community anthems. More recently, Jetshen Dohna Lama, a child singer from Sikkim's Pakyong district, won the ninth season of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li'l Champs in 2023, becoming one of the franchise's youngest-ever winners and another rallying point for Gorkha pride nationally. Beyond these breakout national wins, a steady stream of Sikkim and Gorkha-community singers — including Sudita Rai, Ravi Ghatraj, Navin Gajmer, Rewash Gurung and Geeta Sharma — have competed on Voice of Nepal, the Nepali-language equivalent of The Voice franchise, several reaching finals or semi-finals. Sikkim Singing Star 2026 is, in that light, less a novel experiment than an attempt to build a dedicated, locally-owned platform for a demonstrated talent base that has so far had to travel to national Indian shows or Nepal-based competitions to be seen.
Key Details
- Registration: Open now via an online QR-code registration process shared across the organisers' social media channels, with no age limit or document requirements. The registration window closes on August 25, 2026.
- Auditions: Physical auditions begin after registration closes, conducted across all six districts of Sikkim, and extending to Darjeeling, Siliguri, Mirik and parts of Assam — regions with substantial Nepali-speaking populations outside Sikkim's own borders.
- Eligibility: Open to Nepali-speaking singing talent worldwide, not restricted to Sikkim residents, positioning the show to draw from the same broad Nepali diaspora pool that competitions like Mero Voice Universe have tapped.
- Format: Beyond standard singing rounds, the show includes a dedicated episode for contestants to perform original compositions, along with training and mentorship components and unspecified "surprise elements" built into the season. The mentorship structure, run by working artists rather than industry outsiders, suggests contestants will get guidance grounded in the practical realities of the regional Nepali music scene — recording, performance and, potentially, the same diaspora-competition circuit organiser Pritam Rai himself came up through — rather than generic televised-talent-show coaching.
- Social messaging: Organisers have built anti-drug and anti-crime awareness messaging into the show's format, using the platform's reach to carry a public-interest message alongside the entertainment format.
- Prize: The winner receives an international tour rather than a fixed cash prize, a structure organisers have positioned as a marquee, aspirational reward for a first-season, artist-run production.
- Judges: Not yet announced; organisers have indicated the judging panel will be revealed at a later date as preparations continue.
- Season branding: The show is explicitly labelled "Season 1," indicating organisers intend it as the start of a recurring annual or periodic competition rather than a single standalone event, contingent on how this debut season performs.
At a Glance
| Detail | Sikkim Singing Star 2026 |
|---|---|
| Organised by | 8 Sikkim-based artists (Pritam Rai, Riwaz Gurung, Sombir Rai, Nischal Raj Dewan, Suman Rai, Dinesh Dahal, Prakash Basnet, LB Baraily) |
| Registration deadline | August 25, 2026 |
| Audition locations | All 6 Sikkim districts, plus Darjeeling, Siliguri, Mirik, and parts of Assam |
| Eligibility | Nepali-speaking singers worldwide; no age or document restriction |
| Prize | International tour |
| Reference point | Mero Voice Universe 2023 (Godawari, Nepal) — organiser Pritam Rai's own Rs 1 crore win |
| Built-in messaging | Anti-drug and anti-crime awareness segments |
Beyond entertainment value, Sikkim Singing Star also arrives against the backdrop of a state government that has itself invested heavily in large-scale cultural showcases in recent years. Sikkim's Culture department organised the 10-day Kuzu Cultural Festival in May 2025, marking 50 years of Sikkim's statehood by bringing together 21 ethnic communities for folk performances, heritage walks, a literature festival, film screenings and a specially commissioned Broadway-style musical, "Ekai Maato Anek Rang," with Chief Minister Prem Singh Golay personally involved in launching it. That contrast is instructive: where the Kuzu festival was a state-funded, government-led showcase of Sikkim's multi-ethnic folk heritage, Sikkim Singing Star is explicitly artist-run and privately organised, focused on contemporary Nepali-language singing talent rather than folk tradition — two different models for cultural promotion operating in the same small state within roughly a year of each other, neither obviously dependent on the other but both reflecting a broader push to give Sikkim's cultural output — whether ancient folk tradition or contemporary popular music — more visible platforms both within and beyond the state's borders.
Local Impact
For Sikkim's small but culturally rich music scene, an artist-run competition of this scale — reaching beyond state borders into Darjeeling, Siliguri, Mirik and Assam — offers a formal platform that has largely been missing locally, even as Sikkimese and border-region Nepali-speaking singers have found success on national and international stages individually. By building the show around original compositions as well as covers, organisers are signalling an intent to surface new songwriting talent, not just strong voices performing existing repertoire, which could feed a still-developing contemporary Nepali-language music industry based in the hills rather than routed entirely through Kathmandu or national Indian television.
The show's emphasis on original compositions, not just cover performances, also speaks to a specific gap in the regional industry. Prashant Tamang and Jetshen Dohna Lama both won their respective national shows primarily as vocalists interpreting existing songs — a format built around performance rather than songwriting. Nepali-language original music, by contrast, has historically had fewer dedicated platforms within India specifically, with most original songwriting talent gravitating toward Kathmandu-based labels and studios or diaspora-run digital platforms rather than anything based in Sikkim, Darjeeling or the Dooars. A televised or streamed format that dedicates a full episode to original compositions — while it remains to be seen how it will be produced and promoted given the show's artist-run, likely lower-budget structure compared to a national broadcaster's production — is a deliberate attempt to build exactly that missing platform on Indian Gorkha soil rather than routing songwriting talent through Nepal.
The anti-drug and anti-crime messaging woven into the format is not incidental. Sikkim has run a formal "Nasha Mukt Sikkim" (Drug-Free Sikkim) campaign since 2024 as part of the national Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, with district police units — including in Namchi, which held an awareness drive at Tendong Hill in March 2026 — regularly conducting youth-focused prevention programmes in schools and colleges. Local reporting, including coverage describing teen drug abuse as a "silent epidemic," has documented genuine community concern about substance use among Sikkim's youth. A popular entertainment platform reaching thousands of young viewers and contestants gives that public-health messaging a delivery channel that reaches audiences a standard awareness camp or school assembly would not.
There is also a quieter, less visible economic dimension to an artist-run production of this kind, one that rarely features in coverage of a launch announcement but matters to the local creative economy. Mounting a multi-district audition tour, studio or televised rounds, mentorship sessions and eventual broadcast or streaming episodes requires sound engineers, camera crews, venue staff, local transport and hospitality support across six districts and four additional regions — work that, unlike a one-off concert, sustains local creative-industry employment over the weeks and months the season runs. For a state where the formal music industry has historically been small relative to the size of its talent pool — evidenced by how many Sikkim-connected singers have had to travel to Nepal or national Indian shows to build a career — a homegrown production of any real scale represents incremental capacity-building for session musicians, sound technicians and event organisers, not just a showcase for on-camera contestants.
There is a tourism dimension here too, even if indirect, in a state that draws a significant share of its economic activity from visitors to Gangtok, Pelling, Lachung and its other district headquarters. Sikkim's economy leans heavily on tourism, and cultural programming — from the state-run Kuzu festival to grassroots efforts like this one — feeds into a broader positioning of the state as a living cultural destination rather than only a scenic one. A show that draws contestants and, potentially, visiting audiences from Darjeeling, Siliguri and beyond into Sikkim's six districts for auditions adds, even modestly, to that cultural-tourism footprint, alongside its primary goal of showcasing musical talent.
What Happens Next
With registration open through August 25, 2026, the immediate next step is the rollout of physical auditions across Sikkim's six districts and the four extended regions, a logistically demanding process that — given the geographic spread from Gangtok to Siliguri to parts of Assam, much of it hill terrain with limited road connectivity — will likely take organisers several weeks to complete before moving to studio or televised rounds. A judging panel is still to be announced, which will be one of the clearer signals of how large a production the organisers are able to mount: established names from the Nepali music industry, potentially including figures connected to Mero Voice Universe given Pritam Rai's own background, would suggest a bigger-budget, higher-visibility season, while a more locally-drawn panel would point to a leaner, community-first production in its debut year.
The name of the season itself is worth noting for what it signals about the organisers' scale of ambition and self-perception: by branding this "Season 1" from the outset, organisers are explicitly planning for the show to continue beyond its debut year rather than positioning it as a one-off special, an ambition that will hinge on how the first season's audition turnout, production quality and viewership — whatever the eventual distribution channel — land with Sikkim's and the wider Gorkha community's audience.
The judging panel, once announced, will be a genuine tell for how the organisers plan to position the show. Given Pritam Rai's own path through Mero Voice Universe, and the wider network of Sikkim and Gorkha-community artists who have competed on Voice of Nepal — Sudita Rai, Ravi Ghatraj, Navin Gajmer, Rewash Gurung and Geeta Sharma among them — organisers have an unusually deep bench of past national-level competitors to draw judges from without needing to import unfamiliar celebrity names. Whether they lean into that community-insider approach, or instead try to attract a bigger outside name to raise the show's national profile, will likely shape both the season's tone and how seriously it is taken by contestants weighing it against auditioning for national shows instead.
Because this is explicitly a first season built by working artists rather than an established broadcaster, its trajectory — audition turnout, production quality, and whether the promised international tour prize materialises as described — will likely determine whether "Sikkim Singing Star" becomes a recurring fixture on the region's cultural calendar or a one-off experiment. Given the deliberate geographic reach into Darjeeling, Siliguri and Mirik, the show's ambitions already extend beyond Sikkim's own population base into the broader Nepali-speaking Himalayan foothill belt, a scope that will require sustained organisational capacity well past the first season's grand finale to fully realise.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sikkim Singing Star 2026?
It is a new Nepali-language singing reality show, "Sikkim Singing Star 2026, Season 1," conceived and organised by eight Sikkim-based artists rather than a broadcaster, open to Nepali-speaking singers worldwide with auditions across Sikkim's six districts and the neighbouring regions of Darjeeling, Siliguri, Mirik and Assam.
How do I register, and what is the deadline?
Registration is done online via a QR code shared on the organisers' social media platforms, with no age or document restrictions. The registration deadline is August 25, 2026, after which physical auditions begin.
Who is behind the show?
Eight Sikkim-based artists organised the competition: Pritam Rai, Riwaz Gurung, Sombir Rai, Nischal Raj Dewan, Suman Rai, Dinesh Dahal, Prakash Basnet and LB Baraily. Rai previously won the Nepali singing competition Mero Voice Universe in 2023, taking home a Rs 1 crore prize.
What does the winner receive?
The winner of Sikkim Singing Star 2026 will receive an international tour, rather than a fixed cash prize.
Where will auditions be held?
Physical auditions, beginning after the August 25 registration deadline, will be conducted across all six districts of Sikkim, and will extend to Darjeeling, Siliguri and Mirik in neighbouring West Bengal, as well as parts of Assam.
Why does the show include anti-drug and anti-crime messaging?
Organisers have built these awareness segments into the show's format in the context of Sikkim's ongoing "Nasha Mukt Sikkim" (Drug-Free Sikkim) campaign, part of the national Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, which has been running youth-focused substance-abuse prevention programmes across the state since 2024.
Is this connected to Mero Voice Universe?
Not officially, but organiser Pritam Rai won Mero Voice Universe — a large Nepali-diaspora singing competition held in Nepal — in 2023, and that experience is widely seen as the direct inspiration and credibility base for launching a comparable, Sikkim-rooted competition.
Who can participate?
The competition is open to Nepali-speaking singing talent worldwide, not limited to Sikkim residents, with no age or document restrictions for registration.
Have singers from Sikkim or the Gorkha community won national shows before?
Yes. Prashant Tamang, a Darjeeling-district contestant, won Indian Idol Season 3 in 2007, uniting the wider Indian Gorkha community behind him and becoming a lasting cultural icon. More recently, Jetshen Dohna Lama, from Sikkim's Pakyong district, won Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li'l Champs Season 9 in 2023 as one of the franchise's youngest-ever winners. Several other Sikkim and Gorkha-community singers have also competed on Voice of Nepal.
How large is the Nepali-speaking Gorkha community this show is trying to reach?
Sikkim has the highest concentration of Nepali speakers of any Indian state, at roughly 62.6 percent of its population. The wider Indian Gorkha community is estimated at 4 to 10 million people nationally, with large populations in West Bengal (over 1.15 million, concentrated around Darjeeling), Assam (over 596,000) and Sikkim (over 382,000) — which is why the show's auditions extend beyond Sikkim's own borders. Indian Gorkhas have historically had to assert this identity distinctly from citizens of Nepal despite shared language and cultural roots, a distinction that has shaped Gorkha community politics and cultural organising, including music, for well over a century.
None of this guarantees Sikkim Singing Star will match the scale of Mero Voice Universe or a national Indian Idol-style production in its first year — an artist-run, self-funded launch carries real constraints that a state-backed festival or a broadcaster-financed show does not. But the combination of a proven regional talent base, a credible organiser with first-hand experience winning a comparable competition, and a deliberately regional rather than purely local audience reach gives this first season a stronger starting foundation than most debut community productions manage.
Sources
This report draws on coverage from Sikkim Express, Techmandu, Rising Nepal Daily, English MakaluKhabar, Sahitya Post, the Government of Sikkim's Social Welfare Department, Newsonair.gov.in, and background reference material from Wikipedia entries on Indian Gorkha demographics, Prashant Tamang, Jetshen Dohna Lama and the Music of Sikkim, cross-checked for consistency on names, dates and figures.
