Mysuru: Actor, choreographer and director Prabhu Deva is set to inaugurate Yuva Dasara 2026, adding a star attraction to this year’s Mysuru Dasara celebrations. The Yuva Dasara event will be held at a sprawling 100-acre open ground near Uttanahalli, off the Mysuru-Nanjangud Road, on the outskirts of Mysuru.

The Yuva Dasara Sub-Committee has formally invited Prabhu Deva to inaugurate the event. Sub-Committee Working President G. Somashekar and Secretaries Arun and Sathyamurthy met Prabhu Deva at his residence in Chennai and extended the invitation.

According to the organisers, Prabhu Deva has given his consent to inaugurate this year’s Yuva Dasara. His presence is expected to add a major celebrity attraction to one of the most popular youth-oriented events held as part of the annual Dasara festivities.

Prabhu Deva to add star power to Yuva Dasara

Prabhu Deva is known for his work across acting, choreography and direction in the Indian film industry. His association with Yuva Dasara is expected to draw considerable interest among younger audiences, particularly given the event’s focus on music, entertainment and popular culture.

The Yuva Dasara programme has traditionally featured prominent singers, musicians, actors and performers from across India. The organisers are planning a line-up that brings together artistes from Bollywood as well as the Kannada film industry.

The decision to have Prabhu Deva inaugurate the event comes as the State government and Mysuru district administration are planning several new attractions for the 2026 Dasara celebrations.

The broader Dasara programme is also being revamped this year, with plans to introduce new events and invite artistes and cultural groups from different parts of the country.

Jasmine Sandlas among artistes expected

The Yuva Dasara Sub-Committee is also said to have finalised several artistes for this year’s programme.

Bollywood and Punjabi singer Jasmine Sandlas is expected to be among the performers. She has gained popularity through songs in Hindi and Punjabi cinema and has also been associated with recent film music.

Her songs include Yaar Na Miley from Kick, Taras from Munjya and Illegal Weapon 2.0 from Street Dancer 3D. She has also featured in the recent Dhurandhar franchise, according to the report.

The inclusion of Sandlas is expected to add a Bollywood and Punjabi music flavour to the celebrations and broaden the appeal of Yuva Dasara among younger audiences.

Vishal Mishra and Shaan may perform

Singer Vishal Mishra is another artiste expected to feature in this year’s Yuva Dasara.

Mishra has lent his voice to several popular Hindi film songs, including Kaise Hua from Kabir Singh and Ghar Kab Aaoge from Border 2. He has also been associated with the song Tabaahi from Yash-starrer Toxic.

Popular Bollywood playback singer Shaan is also expected to return to the Yuva Dasara stage. If confirmed, it will mark his appearance at the event after a gap of 17 years. Shaan had previously performed at Yuva Dasara in 2009.

Shaan became particularly popular among audiences in the 1990s and 2000s with songs such as Musu Musu Haasi Deu, Woh Ladki Hai Kahan, Koi Kahe Kehta Rahe, Chaand Sifarish and several other chart-topping numbers.

Kannada music gets prominence

The Yuva Dasara line-up is also expected to have a strong Kannada music presence.

Well-known Sandalwood music composer Ajaneesh Loknath is among the names associated with this year’s programme. Loknath has composed music for several Kannada films, including Rangitaranga, Kirik Party, Avane Srimannarayana, Vikrant Rona and the Kantara franchise.

The organisers are also keen on inviting popular playback singer Sid Sriram, who has worked across Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Marathi music.

However, these artistes should be viewed as proposed or expected performers until the Yuva Dasara committee formally announces the final programme and schedule.

Sandalwood Night may feature Ravichandran

The organisers are also planning a special Sandalwood Night as part of Yuva Dasara.

According to the report, the committee is considering a programme featuring Kannada cinema’s Crazy Star V. Ravichandran. The event would add a strong Sandalwood focus to the otherwise music-heavy programme.

The proposed inclusion of Ravichandran also reflects the organisers’ effort to bring together different generations of Kannada film audiences during the youth-oriented Dasara celebrations.

The final details, including the artistes, dates and individual performance schedules, are expected to be announced by the committee after the programme is finalised.

Yuva Dasara duration yet to be decided

Another decision pending before the organisers is the duration of the Yuva Dasara celebrity events.

The committee is reportedly considering whether to conduct the programme for five days or extend it to a full week. The final decision is yet to be taken.

The duration will determine the number of performances and the overall scale of the event. A longer programme could allow the organisers to accommodate more artistes and create separate music and entertainment themes across different days.

The 100-acre venue near Uttanahalli is expected to provide substantial space for large crowds, stages, parking and other event-related arrangements.

Yuva Dasara to be a major Dasara attraction

Yuva Dasara has become one of the prominent entertainment events associated with Mysuru Dasara, particularly among young visitors. Its combination of popular music, film personalities and live performances has helped make it a major crowd-puller during the festival.

This year’s plans indicate an attempt to give the event a broader appeal by bringing together artistes from Bollywood, Kannada cinema and different regional music industries.

The presence of Prabhu Deva as the inaugural guest is likely to be one of the key highlights of the 2026 edition. His career spanning choreography, acting and direction gives the event a strong connection with both cinema and dance.

At the same time, the proposed participation of singers such as Jasmine Sandlas, Vishal Mishra, Shaan and potentially Sid Sriram could give the programme a diverse musical line-up.

Final programme awaited

With Mysuru preparing for the 2026 Dasara festivities, the Yuva Dasara committee is working on finalising the artistes, schedule and duration of the event.

Prabhu Deva’s consent to inaugurate Yuva Dasara has already been announced, while several other names remain in the planning stage. The final line-up and performance dates are expected to be confirmed by the organisers.

The event is likely to be one of the major entertainment attractions of Mysuru Dasara 2026, with the organisers aiming to combine popular music, Kannada cinema and national-level artistes at the large open-ground venue near Uttanahalli.