Kambala is a festival celebrated every year in the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka. This festival has the traditional buffalo race, a famous and special sport in the farming community of the state.

This yearly event is celebrated with much interest and passion in most parts of Dakshina Kannada, including Mangalore. The Kambala festival season starts in November and lasts till March.

The Kambala celebration is said to be more than a thousand years tradition. Earlier the festival it was known as Karaga celebrations. Later it came to be known as Kambala celebrations. There are different beliefs regarding the origin of the festival.