Kerala’s Onam celebrations may be over, but the rhythm of the chundan vallams is about to begin again.
Season 6 of the Champions Boat League (CBL) starts on 19 September 2026 at Karuvatta in Alappuzha, launching an 11-race calendar that will continue across Kerala’s rivers, canals and backwaters until 21 November.
The final race will be held on Ashtamudi Lake in Kollam, coinciding with the President’s Trophy Boat Race.
For travellers, this means Kerala’s boat-race season continues for almost two months after the main Onam festivities have finished.
The 2026 Champions Boat League schedule
- 19 September – Karuvatta, Alappuzha
- 23 September – Kallada, Kollam
- 26 September – Pandanad, Alappuzha
- 2 October – Kottapuram, Thrissur
- 10 October – Marine Drive, Kochi
- 17 October – Piravom, Ernakulam
- 24 October – Thazhathangadi, Kottayam
- 31 October – Pulinkunnu, Alappuzha
- 7 November – Kainakari, Alappuzha
- 14 November – Kayamkulam
- 21 November – Ashtamudi Lake, Kollam – President’s Trophy
Why Karuvatta is an interesting place to begin
The opening race is not simply another backwater venue.
Kerala Tourism describes Karuvatta as the only Champions Boat League race held on a canal, using the Thottappally Spillway channel. The traditional Karuvatta Boat Race, also known as the Brothers Trophy, dates back to 1966.
That gives the opening round a different character from races held on Kerala’s larger rivers and lakes.
Something is changing with the teams this year
Season 6 also introduces a notable change in identity.
Kerala Tourism says that from this year onward, the teams will be known by the names of the participating snake boats rather than the team names used in previous seasons.
For regular CBL followers, that may take some adjustment, but it could also strengthen the connection between the competition and the individual chundan vallams themselves.
The Tourism Department says it wants to position Kerala’s snake-boat tradition more strongly on the international tourism calendar.
Why the 23 September Kallada race is special
The second race, at Kallada in Kollam on 23 September, has an additional cultural connection.
That date is observed as Irupathiyettam Onam – the 28th Onam.
Kerala Tourism describes the Kallada Boat Race at Munroe Thuruthu as traditionally associated with that day and regards it as the final boat race of the older Onam-season tradition. In 2026, it falls directly inside the Champions Boat League calendar.
So although CBL itself extends well beyond Onam, the Kallada round still carries a direct link with Kerala’s festival calendar.
This is also a travel calendar
One of the strengths of CBL is that the league moves rather than staying in one stadium.
A visitor following even a few rounds can encounter very different parts of Kerala: the canals of Alappuzha, the Kallada River, Kochi’s Marine Drive, the Muvattupuzha River at Piravom, historic Thazhathangadi and finally Ashtamudi Lake.
Kerala Tourism itself says the league is intended not only to showcase racing but also to introduce visitors to backwaters, river ecosystems and local culture around the host destinations.
That makes the programme useful even for someone who is not planning to follow the championship standings race by race.
MalluMetro Take
The Champions Boat League gives Kerala’s famous snake-boat tradition something Onam alone cannot provide:
a full competitive season.
From Karuvatta on 19 September to Ashtamudi on 21 November, the boats move through 11 different settings – each with its own landscape and local connection.
For Gulf Malayalis planning a Kerala visit during September, October or November, the useful idea is not necessarily to follow all 11 races.
Check whether one happens near where you will already be staying and build it into the trip.
That turns CBL from something watched in highlights into a chance to experience Kerala’s boat-racing culture beside the water itself.