12 Underrated Indian Bands We’d Like To See Take Over Big Festival Stages This Season

Music festival season is officially around the corner and in a few weeks, some of India’s top events will host crowd-pullers from across the globe. If you’ve been following the festival circuit for even a few years, you know that promoters and curators often rely on a smaller bracket of rock and metal bands to sell tickets.

While that’s a topic for another day, there are several other Indian bands who can do justice to the big stage setup that festivals offer. Metal still doesn’t always factor into a multi-genre festival lineup, but there are still a few who can walk a fine balance between accessible and heavy. And if you thought there was a dearth of rock bands in India, think again. Here’s who we’d like to see taking up space on festival posters this season. As a bonus, we also recommend acts like Bonny Abraham Ensemble, Gowwli and The Pulse Theory.

Gauley Bhai    

With two albums out—Joro in 2019 and Sunbari in 2025—Kalimpong-origin Nepali folk-rock band Gauley Bhai are a great example of energetic, groovy music that transcends any supposed language barrier. From frenetic jazz-informed turns to unpredictably somber passages, Gauley Bhai can make an audience move any day.

Street Stories

Shillong/Dimapur pop-punk act Street Stories have been around the block for just over a decade now, but like many North East bands, they still haven’t got the stages they deserve around the country. When they have got those stages, however, they live up to the braggadocio that comes with calling one’s full-length album The Best Album In The World. Massive pop hooks, punk pace, a lot of sex jokes, and hilariously unexpected covers (think Papa Roach’s “Last Resort”)—Street Stories can be an entertaining, nostalgic pop-punk riot on stage.

Arogya

Sikkim and Assam-origin band Arogya have often preferred the tag dark rock. But if you had to simplify it, the quartet bring together elements of electronic rock, industrial rock, and metal. With four albums out—two self-titled Nepali albums, Genesis in 2021 and SuperNatural in 2023—Arogya bring growls and soaring vocals, massive riffs and folk, as well as a gothic visual aesthetic in their on-stage avatar, including vocalist Ranjong Lepcha wearing a seemingly tribal mask.

Alva Kuuto

Bengaluru-based Tulu folk band Alva Kuuto—led by singer-songwriter Praveen Alva—pack a punch on their diverse debut self-titled album that came out this year. Produced by guitarist Varun Murali (from folk rockers Swarathma), the album is proof that stories and sounds can be successfully transmitted to audiences who may not know the language, but can certainly spot a fun-filled, funky rock/metal tune, or a good old gentle love ballad.

Meewakching

Imphal indie rockers Meewakching have been touring the country on the back of releasing their second album Bildungsroman, which is as confessional as it is philosophical. Think bright yet moody indie in the vein of The Strokes with post-punk influences. Although they’ve been known for their Manipuri songs, Meewakching have slowly made it to different parts of India, and now the big stages are waiting, no doubt.

Rain In Sahara

The second band in this list featuring Ranjong Lepcha (from Arogya) on vocals, Rain In Sahara have an eco-conscious, activist approach to their rap-rock and nu metal sound. Going by recent singles like “Venom” and “KPIs (Koup Performance Indicators),” the Bengaluru/Assam-based act have plenty to say about consumerist tendencies and make every gig a demonstration of sorts, anchored in synth and electronic elements, rock songwriting, and metal breakdowns.

Serpents of Pakhangba

Also with a flair for theatrics are Mumbai-based band Serpents of Pakhangba, founded by multi-instrumentalist composer Vishal J. Singh. With their latest album Air and Fire arriving earlier this year, the band—with a revolving door of members around Singh and drummer Varun Sood— doubled down on storytelling like few others in the country. Think folklore-inspired costumes, face paint and visuals going over spectral vocals and emotive prog rock/metal.

Rascals of the First Order

Bengaluru rock band Rascals of the First Order (ROFO) spent their formative years professing their love for Indian indie with covers of Skrat, the F16s and The Lightyears Explode, until their debut EP Caged Authority came out earlier this year. In an age of gimmicky, rush-to-the-chorus rock songwriting for the short video crowd, ROFO craft songs averaging five minutes, packed with molten riffs, dance-y rhythms, and lots of rage.

PXP

Mumbai musician siblings Pratika and PrabhuNeigh team up for a new project called PXP, launched last year with a live band that encapsulates their love for metal, rock, hip-hop and even elements like konnakol. Their song “Self Defence” is a blend of all those elements, led by Pratika (also part of hip-hop group Wild Wild Women), who is arguably at her unfiltered best with this project, along with her brother on guitars and production. The live act is completed by mainstay Mumbai artists like guitarist Reinhardt Dias, bassist Roop Thomas and drummer Shishir Tao.

Tron 1982

Bengaluru synth-wave act Tron 1982 have been at it for a few years now, supporting the likes of The Midnight on their India tour. Although synth-wave artists have often been confined to studio projects, Tron 1982 have taken on a few stages, including Echoes of Earth festival with a minimal trio setup. With their latest single “Necrodancer” showcasing a classic Eighties synth sound with rock and pop elements, they prove they can bring the party wherever they go.

Long Distances

Mumbai band Long Distances have been painfully deprived of a big festival stage in the past (their Lollpalooza India 2024 early set was cut short for no fault of their own), so 2025-26 feels like the time they reclaim their space on a big stage, blasting out a wall of sound. Releasing their debut EP How The Mighty Will Fall in 2024, the band traverses between dream-pop, shoegaze, and post-punk for powerful performances.

Signal W

Goa-based act Signal W earned an early slot at Mahindra Independence Rock in Mumbai last year and are heading up to Ziro Festival of Music in Arunachal Pradesh in September, which goes to show the band’s swirling electronic-alternative sound is finding new takers over time. It’s been two years since the release of their second album, Wonder How We Got Here, and the live version of songs like “Bejewel” quite appropriately match music festival grandiosity.