Former Indian cricketer Mithali Raj at the launch of the four-day annual Riviera International Sports and Cultural Festival 2026 at the VIT Vellore campus on Thursday. | Photo credit: VENKATACHALAPATHY. C
The fusion of talent, ideas and all-pervading energy was clearly visible at Vellore Institute of Technology’s (VIT) cultural festival, ‘Riviera 2026’, which began on Thursday at the college’s Vellore campus.
The four-day festival was inaugurated by former Indian cricket captain Mithali Raj in the presence of G. Viswanathan, Founder and Chancellor, VIT, at the campus.
With the theme ‘Rise, Rush and Revel’, the festival will attract more than 18,000 students, including from 28 countries, to participate in various events. “Students should never deviate from achieving their goals in whatever profession they are involved in. It’s one life, so students should keep working towards their dreams regardless of the ups and downs they face during the process of achieving their goal,” said Mrs. Mithali Raj, Indian cricketer.
Amid thunderous applause, the former Indian women’s cricket captain shared her thoughts on scoring a century in her debut match. “Success comes after more than two decades of hard work. You just have to keep going to get your success,” she said.
When the former cricketer was asked to choose between Australia and England cricket team as the most difficult to play against, he chose Australia. She also admitted that the playing conditions in England were more demanding than her cricket team.
In his presidential address, Mr. Viswanathan said that Ms. Raj is bilingual as she is fluent in Tamil and Telugu. “She (Mrs. Raj) has made history with her performances at the national and international levels. Such cultural festivals help students from other countries to share ideas and showcase their talent,” he said.
As part of the Riviera 2026 pro-show, Thursday’s inaugural performance included a performance by playback singer Sunidhi Chauhan. Music composer Thaman S will also perform the following day.
Playback singers Benny Dayal and Pradeep Kumar will perform on the third day. Indie-electronic artist Ritviz and DJ Shaan will perform during Sunday’s valedictory.
The total prize for Riviera 2026 will exceed ₹25 crore. Sankar Viswanathan and Sekar Viswanathan, Vice Presidents of VIT were present on the occasion. The Hindu is the print media partner of the festival.
Published – 27 Feb 2026 05:30 IST
