Upcoming Music Festivals on Our Radar in January, February and March 2026
Take your pick from metal to folk-fusion to blues in the coming weeks across India
SulaFest takes place in Nashik.
After the Christmas and New Year’s break, festival season is back in full swing in the coming weeks, bringing in top Indian and international artists as well as experiences that move beyond music performances. Whether it’s the continued resurgence of concerts in Manipur, the 25th edition of Ruhaniyat in multiple cities, a rock and metal-focused edition of GIFLIF in Bhopal, or reggae at Goa Sunsplash, there’s likely something for everyone. Here’s a quick roundup of what’s coming up.
Udaipur Tales International Storytelling Festival
Jan. 9 to Jan. 11, 2026
Park Exotica Resort, Udaipur
Focused on music, theater, talks, and of course, performances, the Udaipur Tales International Storytelling Festival takes place near the Fateh Sagar Lake and features music by the likes of Aanchal Shrivastava (with Sufi and qawwali), actor, VJ, and musician Meiyang Chang performing with his band, as well as inmates from Udaipur’s Central Jail performing and narrating stories.
Get tickets here.
Imphal Indie Music Festival
Jan. 10 and Jan. 11, 2026
Wahyum Eco Resort, Imphal East
A wholly homegrown effort by Manipur’s music community, the Imphal Indie Music Festival is bringing in favorites like Imphal Talkies, Meewakching, The Dirty Strikes, and more across two days. The lineup also includes Arunachal singer-songwriter Takar Nabam, Mumbai-based Manipur-origin instrumental act Sei Hek, experimental rock act Atingkok, indie-folk act Saelum, and DJ-producer Create Nusanz.
Get tickets here.
Jaipur Music Stage at Jaipur Literature Festival
Jan. 15 to Jan. 17, 2026
Hotel Clarks Amer, Jaipur
Taking place as an evening program as part of the Jaipur Literature Festival, Jaipur Music Stage has often hosted top acts, and this year’s edition adds even more diversity. U.K.-based sarod artist Soumik Datta brings his Travellers set and shares the lineup billing with Bengaluru folk-fusion act Vasu Dixit Collective on Jan. 15, 2026, while day two on Jan. 16 brings in rock acts like Parvaaz, Raman Negi and Jaipur’s own folk-fusion duo Yugm. Jaipur Music Stage closes on Jan. 17 with sets by Nepali act Gauley Bhai and fusion metallers Thaikkudam Bridge.
Get tickets here.
Kantha Festival at BLR Hubba
Jan. 16 to Jan. 25, 2026
Freedom Park & Various Venues, Bengaluru
The annual music festival as part of BLR Hubba returns with an international headliner in prog guitarist Marty Friedman performing (with support from folk-metallers The Down Troddence and Manipuri act Ereimang) on Jan. 18, 2026 but there’s a lot more programmed across 10 days. From Mumbai artist Sudan to a Battle of the Bands contest to The Aahvaan Project, Indian Ocean, Kaushiki Chakraborty and Shantanu Moitra’s Pankh performance, there’s something for everyone.
Get info here.
Bloom In Green
Jan. 16 to Jan. 18, 2026
Canterbury Castles, near Nandi Hills, Karnataka
The sixth edition of Bloom In Green festival moves slightly closer to Bengaluru, taking place near the verdant Nandi Hills with as many workshops as performances for attendees. The music lineup includes U.K. act Hang Massive, Australian electronic artist Merkaba, Indian DJ-producer Calm Chor, Marathi hip-hop artist Shreyas, Mumbai rock act Daira and more. Workshops at the festival explore everything from augmented reality to meditative photography, yoga, dance, contact improv and more.
Get tickets here.
Goa Sunsplash
Jan. 17 and 18, 2026
Thalassa Beach Boutique Resort, Goa
Celebrating a decade in the running, Goa Sunsplash is bringing reggae, dancehall, dub and ska, among other genres, like few other curated lineups in the country. Artists like Luciano Messenjah, British reggae veteran and activist Macka B, O.B.F. Soundsystem, plus regulars like BFR Soundsystem, Reggae Rajahs, 10,000 Lions Soundsystem also perform, alongside rapper J Queen, fusion act Prem Joshua & Band and more.
Get tickets here.
GIFLIF Indiestaan Musical Experience
Jan. 18, 2026
MPT DDX Drive In Cinema, Bhopal
Also celebrating a decade in action is GIFLIF, which has put together its heaviest lineup yet for its annual Indiestaan music festival in Bhopal. This time, New Delhi folk-metallers Bloodywood, Solan-origin prog artist Sutej Singh, and New Delhi rock band Leading Drops will perform for a compact but power-packed edition.
Get tickets here.
Rural Festival
Jan. 23 and Jan. 24, 2026
BudXLoft, Anjuna, Goa
Promising an unhurried start to the new year, Japan-origin Rural Festival sets up at BudXLoft in Anjuna for an intimate gathering that aims to deliver an experience rather than just performances. At its first-ever edition in Goa, Rural Festival takes place across two days and three stages, including Japanese artists like Gonno, Occa, Atsushi, Dr. Nishimura and Thailand’s Sunju Hargun, U.K. origin veteran DJ Jane Fitz, among others.
Get tickets here.
Ruhaniyat
Jan. 24, 2026 (Bengaluru), Jan. 26 (Hyderabad), Feb. 7 (Chennai), Feb. 14 (Pune)
Various Venues
Described as a “mystic music festival,” Ruhaniyat is now hosting its 25th edition across four cities starting Jan. 24, 2026, in Bengaluru before traveling to Hyderabad, Chennai and Pune. The lineup in Bengaluru includes Baul artist Uttam Das Baul, Spanish artist Eva Serrano, Gambian artist Dawda Jobarteh, Rajasthani vocalist Mir Mukhtiyar Ali, while the Pune edition on Feb. 14, 2026, brings in Parvathy Baul, Warsi Brothers and more.
Get tickets here.
Lollapalooza India
Jan. 24 and Jan. 25, 2026
Mahalaxmi Racecourse, Mumbai
The fourth edition of Lollapalooza India features a heavy-hitter lineup comprising international stars like Playboi Carti and Linkin Park making their debut in the country, plus long-awaited artists like LANY, Sammy Virji, R&B artist Kehlani, Yungblud, Japanese singer-songwriter and pianist Fujii Kaze, synth band The Midnight, and several more across four stages.
Get tickets here.
SulaFest
Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, 2026
Sula Vineyards, Nashik
After its comeback edition in 2025, there’s a more India-focused lineup in store at the upcoming SulaFest 2026, held at Sula Vineyards in Nashik. While festival favorite and Italian DJ-producer Gaudi will be returning, the likes of electronic music veterans Nucleya, Midival Punditz, Karsh Kale and more perform alongside hip-hop/pop hitmaker King, rock band The Yellow Diary, folk-rockers Swarathma, electronica artist and drummer Dark Circle Factory, Rajasthani folk-fusion artist Kutle Khan, Mumbai rock band Daira and more across two days.
Get tickets here.
Kala Ghoda Arts Festival
Jan. 31 to Feb. 8, 2026
Multiple venues, Mumbai
As they are known to do, Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2026 is bringing in a diverse music lineup across a few venues in South Mumbai, kicking off with the likes of Goa’s Black Sapphire on Feb. 1 and fusion artist Abhijit Pohankar’s Global Varkari Project on Feb. 6, 2026, at Cross Maidan as part of the IPRS stage. Then, there’s folk-focused projects like Rhythms of the Earth, ghazal artist Nisschal Zaveri, with the closing days bringing in top acts like Ricky Kej and Usha Uthup on Feb. 7 and Farhan Akhtar and Monali Thakur on Feb. 8 at the Asiatic Library Steps.
Get details here.
Udaipur World Music Festival
Feb. 6 to Feb. 8, 2026
Gandhi Ground & Fatehsagar Paal, Udaipur
Marking a decade in action, Udaipur World Music Festival’s morning, afternoon and evening programming takes over the city with music from around the world, setting up at Manji ka Ghat (Ambrai Ghat), Gandhi Ground and Fatehsagar Paal for three days. Indian heavy-hitters on the lineup include Bollywood singer-composer Amit Trivedi, folk-fusion act Kailasa, fusion veterans Indian Ocean, pop artist Jonita Gandhi, composer-producer OAFF, singers-songwriters Taba Chake and Amrit Ramnath, classical vocalist Siddhartha Belmannu. International artists include Algerian rap act Sofiane Saidi, Kurdish music act Rusan Filiztek, Spanish jazz-pop act Flamenco Dream, Cameroonian Afropop/rock act Valerie Ekoume, French act Les Itinerantes and more.
Get tickets here.
India Jazz Project
Feb. 6 (New Delhi), Feb. 7 (Mumbai), Feb. 8 (Bengaluru)
1AQ, New Delhi, Royal Opera House, Mumbai and Indiranagar Club, Bengaluru
Acclaimed Tuareg band Tinariwen will perform across three cities as part of the new event series India Jazz Project, their return to the country featuring shows in Delhi NCR on Feb. 6, Mumbai on Feb. 7 and in Bengaluru on Feb. 8, 2026. They are joined by Shillong’s The Rudy Wallang Band in New Delhi and Bengaluru, with the latter also including instrumental acts like Jatayu and pianist-composer Aman Mahajan’s Refuge. The Mumbai outing features Easy Wanderlings, Shillong act Blue Temptation and Mumbai-based duo Modcult.
Get tickets here.
Sacred Spirit Festival
Feb. 13 to Feb. 15, 2026
Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur
A mainstay folk and fusion festival that brings artists from across India as well as around the globe, Sacred Spirit Festival will host artist such as Chinese act Silk and Bamboo, sarangi artist Sabir Khan’s tribute to tabla legend Zakir Hussain, Iranian percussionist Naghib Shanbehzadeh teaming up with Indian artists including Rajasthani act Mustafa Rehman Ensemble, violinist-composer Ambi Subramaniam collaborating with his Arabic counterpart Zied Zouari and more.
Get info here.
Magnetic Fields Nomads
Feb. 13 to 15, 2026
Abheygarh Palace, Khetri, Rajasthan
After a decade of running a very successful Magnetic Fields Festival in Alsisar Palace, a different experience is being curated in Abheygarh Palace in Khetri from Feb. 13 to 15, 2026 as part of Magnetic Fields Nomads 2026. With about eight different locations within the palace premises playing host to experiences, the lineup includes electronic artist Rival Consoles, Malian singer-songwriter Vieux Farka Toure, DJs such as Akanbi, Kia, Kim Ann Foxman and a full band set by electronic artist Auntie Flo, among others. Indian draws at Nomads 2026 include Sudan, Tyrell Dub Corp, Ranj x Clifr, JBabe, Rounak Maiti and specially-curated debut sets by Curtain Blue as well as Elsewhere In India.
Get details here.
Swadesi Mela
Feb. 13 to 15, 2026
Khopoli, near Mumbai
The upcoming edition of Swadesi Mela, the outdoor festival which promotes music, art and community, brings in reggae circuit favorites such as Earl Gateshead and Dakta Dub, as well as upcoming artists like Gandhar, alongside seasoned DJ-producers like Mosillator, Naar, Dr. Deep and more. Alongside the music, there are plenty of activities and workshops that focus on bringing people together and promoting wellness. From natural printing to konnakol, capoeira, yoga and a drum circle, Swadesi Mela is for anyone moving away from the din of city living for a weekend in the quiet and calm.
Get tickets here.
Mahindra Blues Festival
Feb. 14 and 15, 2026
Mehboob Studios, Mumbai
The Mahindra Blues Festival is back with familiar and stalwart names in the blues world. Multi-Grammy nominee and blues powerhouse vocalist Shemekia Copeland, American guitar great Eric Gales, and British guitarist Matt Schofield will all return to the festival after several years, performing at Mumbai’s Mehboob Studios. Joining them is India’s favorite instrumental blues act, Blackstratblues, with bandleader Warren Mendonsa making his way down from New Zealand.
Get tickets here.
Riders Music Festival
Feb. 21 and 22, 2026
The Great India Place, Noida
Red FM’s Riders Music Festival was launched in 2016, and a decade on, the gathering of bikers and music lovers is evolving with the times. The lineup this year includes rap heavyweights like Seedhe Maut, shapeshifting artist Chaar Diwaari, electronic artist Nucleya, singer-composer Papon, singer-songwriter Bharat Chauhan, New Delhi band Level Six, and standup comedian Harsh Gujral performing across two days.
Get tickets here.
Slingshot Festival of Music & Electronic Art
Feb. 21 and 22, 2026
G5A Warehouse, Mumbai
An acclaimed festival originating in North Carolina that has hosted the likes of Jamie XX, Nosaj Thing and Omar Souleyman, Slingshot Festival makes its way to Mumbai for its debut India edition on Feb. 21 and 22, 2026 at G5A. The lineup includes seasoned and rising artists from India and overseas such as Sanaya Ardeshir, Barker, Yallah, Sijya, Ruhail Qaisar, Philtersoup, Karshni, Panelia and more. Other draws at the free-to-attend festival also include workshops relating to art, technology and music production, plus a Rhizome-commissioned interactive installation that responds in real time to audience movement and stillness, generating an evolving audiovisual composition.
Get details here.
UN40: Music and Beyond
Mar. 14 and 15, 2026
Nice Grounds, Bengaluru
Among the newest big-ticket festivals on the horizon, Un40 aims to draw anyone under 40 years of age. The festival held in Bengaluru across two days includes the international debut of Bahraini rapper Flipperachi, who shot to fame when his song “FA9LA” was placed in the Bollywood actioner Dhurandhar last year. Then, there’s hitmakers ranging from Himesh Reshammiya to Talwiinder to Aditya Rikhari and Raja Kumari, composer Santosh Narayanan, pop artists Kushagra and Shalmali, fusion rock/metallers Thaikkudam Bridge, Meghalaya rap star Reble and more.
Get tickets here.
