T.M. Krishna, Khatija Rahman, Agam and More Announced for South Side Story in New Delhi
Two-day South Indian music festival will also host Sean Roldan & Friends, Thaikkudam Bridge, Sithara Krishnakumar & Project Malabaricus, Job Kurian, Arivu & The Ambassa Band, All Ok, Nithya Mammen and Maalavika Sundar on Aug. 31 and Sept 1
South Side Story 2024 lineup includes (from left to right) T.M. Krishna, Khatija Rahman and Arivu. Photos: Courtesy of Red FM South Side Story
Multi-genre music festival South Side Story returns to New Delhi on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, bringing a diverse lineup for its sixth edition.
Put together by radio and entertainment company Red FM, day one of the festival includes performances by Carnatic vocalist T.M. Krishna, singer-songwriter and producer Sean Roldan & Friends, vocalist Khatija Rahman, Carnatic prog band Agam and Kerala artist Sithara Krishnakumar & Project Malabaricus, performing at New Delhi’s K.D. Jadhav Indoor Hall, which is housed within Indira Gandhi Stadium.
Day two of South Side Story brings in fusion act Thaikkudam Bridge, hip-hop artist Arivu & The Ambassa Band (on the back of releasing his new album Valliamma Peraandi – Vol. 01), Kannada hip-hop/pop artist All Ok and Malayalam artists including Job Kurian, Maalavika Sundar and Nithya Mammen.
True to South Indian tradition, the festival will also host cuisine from the Southern states and shopping experiences for attendees. Tickets are currently priced at ₹999 going up to ₹2,999 for a group of five to attend both days. Day passes are selling for ₹699 per person.
Now six editions in, it’s apparent that South Side Story has often repeated its artists, with the likes of Agam, Thaikkudam Bridge and more becoming a fixture each year. Red FM and Magic FM’s chief operating officer and director Nisha Narayanan defends the programming decision by pointing out that they’re facilitating South Indian folk and fusion artists to perform in North India, which is often a rarity.
“Some of the bands that have been a constant for all South Side Story editions have been Agam, Thaikkudam Bridge, and Arivu & The Ambassa Band. These bands are custodians of uplifting the indie music scene in their respective South Indian regions […] With South Side Story, we have opened up a platform for these artists to connect with their fans in North India. This is another reason they have been part of this journey since its inception,” Narayanan says.
She adds that South Side Story would have been a no-brainer to put together within South Indian locations, but hosting in markets like New Delhi and Mumbai “was another feat.” She adds, “When we started, we were determined to rope in bands and artists who believed in the concept of South Side Story, and that is how the journey with these artists started.”
