For a couple of hours the Broadway plaza between 43rd and 44th becomes a small piece of Delhi: the tricolor going up, the national anthem sung by a few hundred people in the middle of Times Square, and dance performances staged against the billboards. It's the curtain-raiser to the India Day Parade, and the Empire State Building is lit saffron, white and green the same night. Free, brief, and one of the more surreal juxtapositions the city offers.
What to expect
A cordoned plaza section with a stage, a flag ceremony, speeches and cultural performances, surrounded by ordinary Times Square foot traffic. Expect a compact crowd with flags and phones up. The whole thing is short enough to fold into other plans.
Good to know
- Nearly every subway line reaches Times Square-42nd Street, a block away
- The plaza gets tight fast — arrive before the ceremony starts for a clear view
- Times Square is fully step-free and accessible from the station mezzanines
- It's brief, so pair it with lunch or an afternoon elsewhere in Midtown
- The Empire State Building lighting is best seen from a distance later that evening
- Expect security screening around the cordoned area during the ceremony
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Common questions
How long does it last?
The flag hoisting and accompanying performances run a couple of hours, much shorter than the next-day parade.
Is it free to attend?
Yes. It takes place on the public Broadway plaza and is open to anyone.
Is this the same as the India Day Parade?
No — the flag hoisting is the curtain-raiser; the parade itself runs down Madison Avenue the following day.
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