In today’s age of exposure, the coming of the new indigenous music festivals has been drawing music lovers like a moth to its flame and everyone wants to be a part of them! These days the most epic way to explore a tourist destination is through its events and carnivals. What better than to have music accompany that!
Are you planning to experience the ultimate madness where you can enjoy the best music with delicious food? If yes then here’s a list of the 19 most groovy and insane music festivals in India that you should attend with your friends and loved ones!
1. Sunburn – Goa
Sunburn Goa has been ranked as the 9th best music festival in the World and why not! What can be a more perfect setting than Goa? Besides the colonial architecture, beaches, seafood extravaganza, and tourist friendliness, Sunburn is an added attraction.
Sunburn Festival is Asia’s biggest electronic music festival, and this December the festival returns to its homeland – Goa – for three sprawling days of house, EDM, and pop on Vagator Beach.
The festival begins in the evening and goes on till late at night. During the day you could participate in various workshops. Some of which are; drum workshop, dream catcher workshop, kite workshop, kite-making workshop, tattoo workshop or you can even learn how to play different instruments. There is something for everyone at the Sunburn Festival!
Typically, Sunburn Music Festival takes place in the last week of December, so your plans for Christmas and New Year is sorted! Unless you have your annual family reunions planned for Christmas, Sunburn is the perfect place to be during the festive season along with your besties of course! Spend the weekend grooving to the best music and hogging on some mouth-watering food.
2. Enchanted Valley Carnival (EVC) – Aamby Valley
Enchanted Valley Carnival EVC is India’s biggest music yearly celebration that brings diverse music sorts from electronic and techno to pop and non mainstream together. It is held in Aamby Valley City, India, for three days. EVC is an Indian music celebration that conveys diverse music kinds to a similar stage. It is the main celebration in Asia to be hung on an airstrip, acquainted with the Indian crowds in 2013. EVC’s area is in Aamby Valley, Lonavala, among Pune and Mumbai, in India. The multiday jubilee additionally incorporates an after partisan division up with 2 phases and an exceptional ‘Quiet Party.’ The after gathering likewise has a lineup of specialists like the primary celebration.
EVC is a rich mix of music, dancing, camping and adventure sports. This festival is held in December at Aamby Valley. What could be better than camping at the festival site? This concept is unique and has gained popularity among the youth.
The festival featured David Guetta and a host of other artists. There’s always so much to do at the EVC. Ranging from Jamming sessions, Yoga workshops, bonfire setting, and many other fun activities, EVC is an experience in itself.
3. Magnetic Fields – Alsisar Mahal, Shekhawati in Rajasthan
The Magnetic Fields Festival, held at Alsisar Mahal in Rajasthan, is a three-day festival of contemporary music and arts. In the luxury of 17th century palace-turned-hotel, Alsisar Mahal, Magnetic Fields hosts international and regional artists as well as live acts. Started in 2014, the Magnetic Fields festival, listed as one of the ’50 Best Music Festivals in the World’ by Time Out magazine, features various genres of music such as hip-hop, jazz, reggae, and techno, as well as fun activities such as a treasure hunt in the pulsating palace.
It acquires global craftsmen who present the music far expelled from the bright people tunes of Rajasthan. In any case, for that very reason, in light of the complexity, the feeling of Alsisar Mahal turns totally uncommon. Attractive Fields Festival offers a chance to live among the scions of previous rulers in the meantime move under the stars, star looking, a look into their worlds, wellbeing, and yoga, energizing fortune chase in the Palace separated from the magnificent music.
4. Ragasthan – Rajasthan
The largest state in India is not just famous for its folk music. The princely state of Rajasthan with its sand dunes, rustic red buildings, and love for bohemian art presents the most insane crazy festival called Ragasthan.
This festival is scheduled to take place in Jaisalmer from 16th to 18th November. Ragasthan features music, art, photography, dune boarding, sand surfing, paintball as well as a ride on a hot air balloon.
There are Swiss tents available at the festival sites as well as camping tents, dormitories, and other facilities.
5. Ziro – Ziro Valley, Arunachal Pradesh
The most happening music festival in the laps of the green valley of Arunachal Pradesh, the Ziro Music Festival is an outdoor music festival that showcases the talent of independent artists in India. This festival brings together the most significant musical talents of India and a diverse audience to witness it. Ziro Music Festival is an amalgam of vibrant culture, music, and art. Initiated in 2012, by Bobby Hano and Menwhopause guitarist Anup Kutty spans over four days and is hosted by the members of the Apatani tribe in Ziro.
Located in Lower Subansiri district in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, the picturesque green valley is a perfect place for an independent artists’ music festival. A festival that together some of the best musical talents of India to a diverse audience hungry for some original cool music. A vibrant mixture of art, music, and culture, the Ziro Festival has now become a “go to” destination for the youngsters and hip enthusiasts who want to get high on music.
6. Mahindra Blues – Mumbai
Known as Asia’s biggest and greatest Blues phenomenon, the Mahindra Blues Festival brings collectively some of the amazing Blues musicians in the international for 2 days of guitar-rippin’, soul-trippin’ music at the long-lasting Mehboob Studio in Mumbai.
In two short years, the festival became a sell-out success, with big-ticket international acts like Shemakia Copeland, Ana Popovic, Taj Mahal, Nikki Hill, Popa Chubby, Robert Randolph, John Lee Hooker Jr, Jimmy Thackery and Dana Fuchs gracing its stage. “These were such fabulous musical journeys where the audiences were hearing them for the first time and were blown away with their sheer versatility,” stated Jairam. One of his personal favourite moments the all-star jam, a signature of this festival, where every edition is brought to a close with all the musicians coming together for a spectacular performance.
7. The Hornbill – Kohima
Nagaland is known as the ‘Land of Festivals’ and one such grand carnival, organized by the State Tourism of Arts and Culture Department, Government of Nagaland is ‘Hornbill festival’. Also known as ”Festival of Festivals”, this is a commonly celebrated being a traditional cluster of all the seventeen Naga tribes, to promote intercultural harmony. It hardly has any featureless moments and provides a lifetime opportunity to know about ancient tribal lives through the exploration of the structure of tribal huts, which is dated back to primaeval lifestyles including other instruments like drums, gongs, costumes, and wooden carvings.
Hornbill Festival is one of the most popular festivals of Nagaland, It is celebrated every year from 1st to 10th December. The Hornbill Festival is indeed the most renowned celebration of Nagas. There is a huge gathering for merrymaking in the form of drinking, eating, singing, and dancing. The Hornbill Festival is one of the largest celebrations of the indigenous warrior tribes of Nagaland. Naga people have a rich tradition of maintaining their unique heritage and customs.
8. Storm – Bangalore
Celebrating various music genres like folk, indie, and electronic; this music festival is organized in the outskirts of Bangalore for three dazzling nights. Held in January each year, Storm is known for its vast lush venue which offers a unique mix of adventure sports along with live music. The fest serves as an example of an event with a cause as along with entertainment the festival promotes environmental sustainability within its venue. Efficient waste management, recycling used products, and a strict no-plastic policy is the characteristics of this eco-friendly music festival.
The festival started with a vision to create a space for oneness… Oneness with the environment, oneness amongst the lovers of all genres of music. The storm is home to this oneness and thousands of Stormers who stayed at the Stormfields. This annual open-air letter to the beauty of nature, therefore, became India’s most authentic camp-out music festival. Never before have over a thousand like-minded music lovers stayed together within the campus of a music festival.
9. Mood Indigo – Mumbai
Mood Indigo, Asia’s largest college cultural festival, has developed over the years into so much more: a melting pot of Indian and global culture, a launchpad for upcoming artists, a spectacular showcase of talent, an epitome of incredible human experience: where you can never see it all, but what you do see lasts a lifetime, where friendships are born and memories are made amidst the gleam of several bonfires as the nights intensify.
IIT Bombay’s annual college festival is a four-day event held in December. This college festival is considered to be one of the best college festivals in India and has previously brought bands like Porcupine Tree to Mumbai.
If you are from Mumbai and you have a grouse that the best bands go to Bangalore, then think again. Mood Indigo is said to be one of the craziest music festival.
10. Kasauli Rhythm And Blues Fest – Himachal Pradesh
The Kasauli Rhythm and Blues Festival is a mecca for music lovers interested in listening to a diverse pool of well-established and upcoming talent. The festival has delivered some of the most exceptional live performances. This Music Festival was conceived by Genesis Foundation in 2012 with a view to grow its community of donors and well-wishers. Believing strongly that music is a positive and participatory force in the creation of change, the Foundation invites established and upcoming artistes from India’s diverse pool of musical talent. They perform for our cause – to support critically ill, and under-privileged children suffering from Heart Disorder. Music aficionados can contribute for the cause by simply doing what they love best – listening to music!
Another good thing about Kasauli Rhythm & Blues Festival is that all proceeds from the sale of these tickets will be used for the treatment of critically-ill children. So, if you’ve been longing for a trip to the hills, this is the perfect time to enjoy the best of music and mountains, and do some good while you’re at it.