Beyond the big festivals in major cities, we look at Repertwahr in Lucknow, Orange Festival of Adventure and Music in Dambuk, Local Festival outside Aizawl, dB Night By Flowers in Kochi and Kholeydai in Kalimpong
(Clockwise from top left) Parvaaz, Brodha V, and P.O.D will perform at separate festivals this week across India. Photos: Kevin Baldes (P.O.D.)
When: December 14th to 17th, 2023
The ongoing edition of Orange Festival makes good on their promise and brings back American nu-metallers P.O.D. after a nixed headliner slot in 2019. Now they’re back to finally make their India debut, with the festival also including South Korean math-rock band Cotoba, Indi-pop/Bollywood artists like Bombay Vikings and Leslee Lewis, electronic/pop artist Ritviz, Pune’s Easy Wanderlings, reggae/hip-hop veteran Apache Indian and reggae band Inner Circle, among others.
Get Orange Festival Dambuk details here.
When: December 15th to 17th, 2023
Among Lucknow’s – and even Uttar Pradesh’s – only running theater, music, comedy and literature festival, Repertwahr returns bigger in its 11th edition this week. The music lineup includes Ritviz, rock band Parvaaz (with Kolkata guitar ace Tajdar Junaid) and Kochi’s When Chai Met Toast. The theater lineup features play productions such as Baaghi Albele, Golden Jubilee and Bhoomi. The comedy lineup is rounded out by headliners like Zakir Khan, Harsh Gujral and Biswa Kalyan Rath, while literature talks take place between the likes of Roshan Abbas, Gopal Datt, Priya Malik, Alif and more.
Get Repertwahr Festival tickets here.
When: December 15th, 2023
Taking place just outside Aizawl at Hangzo Natural Park, the Local Festival comes across as a great example of how homegrown talent can flourish on a big stage. The lineup includes guitarist-composer Ruata, hip-hop artist Jelo, singer-songwriter Benjamin Sum, rock veterans Boomarang, artist H.O.M., punk-informed act Be Run Over and more.
Get Local Festival tickets here.
When: December 15th to 17th, 2023
Taking place in Parentgar near Kalimpong, the Kholeydai festival takes its name from the Nepali word for rice-grain harvesting culture, an age-old tradition. Organized by the Parengtar Nawlo Umanga Welfare Society in association with Muhaan and Cafe Kalimpong, artists performing this year include Ghugu’Mugu, Bipul Chettri and the Travelling Band, Pushpan & Sarthi, Purna Rai and more from India and Nepal alike.
Get Kholeydai Festival details here.
When: December 16th, 2023
The rescheduled edition of db Night by Flowers TV brings together a heavy-hitter lineup to Kochi, featuring the likes of fusion-rock band Avial, hip-hop artist Brodha V, folk-fusion artist Job Kurian, New Delhi fusion duo Shadow & Light, Bengaluru band Perfect Strangers, comedy duo JordIndian, singer-songwriter Sreejith The Beard and more.
Get dB Night by Flowers @Cochin tickets here.
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