On Jan. 16, 2026, rock band Human Bondage returned to the stage, but funnily enough, as a tribute act to themselves.

Call it marketing or just a careful reverence for their legacy. Still, longtime members are now back, performing with Mumbai act Rajeev Raja Combine as part of a three-city tour that kicked off in Bengaluru and will travel to Goa (Jan. 22 at Cohiba, Jan. 24 at Take 5, Jan. 25 at Chitra Museum) and Mumbai (Feb. 8 at Antisocial).  

Henry Babu Joseph (vocals and guitars) joins on all shows, while Ramesh Shotham (drums and percussion) has performed at two of the three Bengaluru dates. Meanwhile, Radha Thomas, although now known as a jazz vocalist, returns to rock and roll for a special show with Joseph and Shotham as part of BLR Hubba’s Kantha Festival on Jan. 19, 2026, at ADA Ranga Mandira in Bengaluru.

Shotham — who shuttles between Germany and India — points out that it was Babu and Rajeev Raja who first got in touch about putting the shows together. Barcelona-based Babu adds that talks began when Rajeev Raja Combine’s guitarist Paul Santiago and he were recording virtually. “We recorded some bossa novas and Spanish boleros. The recordings were not very satisfactory, so Paul suggested going to Bombay and doing it at Rajeev’s studio. Rajeev agreed to do that and came up with the idea of doing some concerts in Bombay as well as a tribute to Human Bondage,” Babu recalls.

The tour plan matched with Shotham’s India travels as well as Human Bondage’s keyboardist Fred Manrics, although the latter had to drop out due to health issues. The artists are backed by Rajeev Raja Combine’s eponymous flautist, Santiago, and Hitesh Dhutia on guitars, drummer Adrian D’Souza, and bassist John ‘JD’ Thirumalai. “I know Rajeev from Bangalore and have been following his musical journey. I put a setlist together and Radha added her songs to it. Our rehearsals with Rajeev’s band have been smooth and a lot of fun. They are a tight band and have been very enthusiastic,” Babu adds.

Raja, who grew up in Bengaluru and looked to Babu as a mentor, particularly during his shift from playing Carnatic flute to a more “Western key,” says the tour also came together with help from sponsors BLR Airport, Paul John Visitor Centre in Goa, and Air India Express as Travel Partner.

Thomas, for her part, is returning to perform rock songs for the first time since the Seventies. She recounts, “The very first time I sang with HB was, I think, 1973. Honestly, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. I idolized them and couldn’t believe they let me sing. But that’s a long time ago… We haven’t all gotten together in, I guess, 50 years, so this quasi-reunion is half a century later.”

Among the earliest rock to emerge from Bengaluru (then known as just Bangalore), Human Bondage included members Babu, Thomas, Shotham, along with his brother Suresh on guitars, keyboardist Steve Law, Manrics, Xerxes Gobhai (who passed away in 2023) and Vinty Bunyan on bass, all managed by Gasper D’Souza from 1970 to 1976.  Their setlist today, like back then, heavily leans into rock, ranging from Fleetwood Mac and Janis Joplin to extended jams.

Although there was a brief and private jam-led reunion in Goa in 2013, Babu says the last time Human Bondage played together was at the Blow Up disco at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai (then Bombay) in the Seventies.

Back then, touring was not nearly as easy as it is today, Babu says. “We traveled by train and carted all our equipment, but we had long contracts to play in hotels. Now things are a lot better; most venues have their own equipment and sound engineers. It’s very professional,” he explains. Shotham adds, “We had to improvise with standard situations like travel, rehearsal spaces, equipment, etc. Now things have changed, and things have become much more professional for bands on the road.”

What they’re happy about is that live music has only grown in the decades since, and “the standard of musicianship is very high,” as Babu observes. “There are rock music schools and good equipment is available now compared to our times,” he adds.

Shotham, who recently released his new album Weirdly In Time, says he’s been coming to India often over the years to interact with artists out here. “I’ve been impressed with the quality of music and equipment here,” the drummer adds.

Thomas, too, has been a regular in the Bengaluru and Indian jazz circuit for decades now, releasing albums on the regular and performing with pianist-composer Aman Mahajan. While she’s excited to perform with the Rajeev Raja Combine as well, she admits she’s “quite nervous to sing rock and roll again.” She adds, “It requires a different energy and feeling than jazz, which is what I’ve been up to… and I hope I can do it justice. But it is great fun. I’m enjoying it.”

Raja adds, “It’s been an amazing journey so far. The musicians in my band are enjoying re-creating the sound of Human Bondage, and we’re having a blast on and off the stage.”

The post Human Bondage on How Much Indian Rock Has Changed Since the 1970s appeared first on Rolling Stone India.

After performing for thousands across India as part of their SMX India tour, New Delhi hip-hop duo Seedhe Maut’s Encore ABJ and Calm have set their sights on a global tour spanning 10 countries, starting in April in Australia and ending in June in the U.S., with more cities expected to be added. Tickets are now on sale on their official website.

Seedhe Maut’s SMX Global Tour 2026 kicks off on Apr. 1, 2026, in Singapore and heads onwards to Australia and New Zealand the following week, with stops in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Auckland.

Starting May 17, 2026, the duo will kick off their European leg in Paris, with additional stops in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Edinburgh, Dublin, Birmingham, Manchester and London.

June 2026 sees Seedhe Maut head out to North America, starting on June 2, 2026, in Philadelphia. The “Namastute” hitmakers move through New York, Boston, Toronto, Chicago, Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The duo said in their announcement post, “KYA CHALLAAAA! Ya’ll thought that was it? The celebration for 10 years of Seedhe Maut has just started.”

Previously, Seedhe Maut’s SMX India tour started in November 2025 and traveled to 15 cities.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Seedhe Maut (@seedhemaut)

The post Seedhe Maut Announce SMX World Tour Across 10 Countries appeared first on Rolling Stone India.

After its Goa debut, the upcoming second edition of India International Music Week (IIMW) moves to Mumbai, scaling up with a broader artist lineup and new additions to its format.

As part of its showcase festival, IIMW will present over 20 artists across two evenings on Feb. 11 and 12, 2026, at Antisocial and Epitome in Lower Parel. While the conference positions itself as a intersection point for music industry reps from around the world, its showcase festival carries that same mission onto the stage, spotlighting rising singer-songwriters, seasoned acts, restless bands and more from India and abroad.

Here are just a few artists on our radar from the IIMW 2026 lineup.

Naari

Indian-origin, Berlin-based singer-songwriter Naari has been releasing music since 2020’s EP Everythingiseverything and steadily honed a genre-defiant, shapeshifting sound. Straddling easy-going, vulnerable and resolute emotions, her songs range from intimate R&B, pop and soul as well as fun-loving funk and jazz. She also recently teamed up with Paris producer ATN Soul for her EP Autumn Sunrise, released in November 2025.

Siki Jo-An

Right from the hair-raising opening vocals of “Uqongqothwane (The Click Song),” you can tell South African artist Siki Jo-An is a powerhouse artist. Hailing from Kwazakhele in South Africa, Jo-An shot to fame with her viral performance of the song (originally by Mariam Makeba) on The Voice South Africa in 2019. A performer since the age of six, the artist recently toured South Africa, Tanzania and Brazil, on the back of releasing her debut album Chapter 30 in 2023.

Clever Moose

Indonesian psychedelic rock band Clever Moose came together in 2017 and are making their India debut at IIMW, representing the heavier spectrum of sound at the festival showcase. Known for riff-driven songs like “Batavian Troops” and “The Hammer” from their 2024 album Mediterranean Fuzz, the band, fronted by Faiz Marie, draws inspiration from life, family, and a desire to experiment, while sonically incorporating influences from Middle Eastern and Turkish music.

Jeremiah de Rozario

Kochi-based singer-songwriter Jeremiah de Rozario‘s discography is a blend of indie pop and folk rock, with many comparing his sound to an amalgamation of Ed Sheeran and The 1975. An affable performer who has opened for singer-songwriter Matthew Ifield, folk-indie act When Chai Met Toast and more, the artist’s festival and gig circuit experience translates into an intimate and comfortable set. He performs at IIMW 2026 on the back of releasing his single “Believer’s Curse” in October 2025. The year prior, he put out his debut EP The Orange Notebook.

Ro Maiti

Mumbai artist Ro Maiti explores soul, electronic, R&B, and alternative music as a singer-songwriter. Also a visual artist, Maiti has been releasing music as early as 2018’s A Speck of Red in Black and White EP. Most recently, she contributed the song “Daytime” to the all-femme label Nyima’s Vol. 1 compilation, showcasing boundary-blurring electronic loops, groovy rhythms, unsettling piano and R&B vocals all in one track.

Tamil Jazz Collective

Chennai’s Tamil Jazz Collective first gained online attention for their rendition of Dave Brubeck’s seminal track “Take Five,” with founder and vocalist-composer Harini Iyer creating Tamil lyrics to match. The experimental music ensemble has since been reimagining jazz standards through the lens of Tamil poetry, drawing on both Carnatic music as well as jazz improvisations, while also infusing Iyer’s Spanish and Portuguese influences. 

GiFU

Originating in Norway and the Faroe Islands, alt-rock band GiFU bring everything from live visuals to CRT TVs on stage. Comprising vocalist-guitarist Synne Hellebø, bassist Harald Frøyland, drummer David Løvås, synth artist Kjetil Heibert and guitarist Oddur Joensen, the band released their debut album SunnGIFU in October 2024, showcasing a sound inspired by the likes of Wolf Alice, Radiohead and Big Thief, among others. Performing across Europe, GiFU arrive in India after wrapping up their second album, described as “a collection of ten tracks with observations of society and where we are heading,” which they plan to release later in 2026.

Easy Wanderlings

Among the Indian artists who can win over a crowd any given day, Pune-origin Easy Wanderlings bring their soul-drenched storytelling to IIMW 2026. Mainstays at festivals in India over the years, Easy Wanderlings have steadily evolved from their nostalgia-tinged, calming sound to different themes and moods. Their EP Caught In A Parade showcased urgent songs like “Enemy” and called on singer-songwriter/pop artist Nikhil D’Souza for the soulful “Mayflower,” while “Makin’ My Move” was a dancefloor-ready tune.  

Tejas

Dubai-bred, Mumbai-based singer-songwriter Tejas brings an evolving spectrum of sound to his performances. While you can find introspective tunes in his earlier records like Small Victories EP (2014) and Make It Happen in 2017, his second album Outlast, which came out in 2021, placed Tejas as a resolute artist who could draw from pop, rock, and R&B sensibilities. In his latest EP Museum (2024), he even made an unexpected but comfortable shift by including Indian classical instrumentation into his pop songwriting, more recently offering another reflective tune with the single “What Comes After” in September 2025.

J-Silk

U.K. duo J‑Silk, comprising singer Joanna Rives and producer Louis Morgan, have carved out a futuristic soul sound at the crossroads of U.K. 2‑step, R&B, and hip-hop, while remaining deeply rooted in jazz’s emotional depth. Their music is spiritual one moment, beat-driven the next, as Rives’ voice glides over Morgan’s smoky hooks. Tracks like the acid-jazz–meets–broken-beat single “Broken Butter” from their 2025 album §imone show how smoothly they bend their sound into new dimensions. With a knack for fusing intimacy and groove in unexpected ways, J‑Silk will likely bring their sensual, catchy sound to the IIMW stage.

The post From German Art-Pop to Indonesian Psych-Rock: Our Must-See Picks At IIMW 2026 appeared first on Rolling Stone India.

Indian hitmakers like singer-songwriter Kushagra, genre-bending Tamil act Vengayo aka Issac Naveen and pop-rock artist Naalayak aka Sahil Samuel have been given the spotlight as emerging artists in the new year, on Amazon Music’s 2026 Artists to Watch campaign.

Featuring rising voices across genres and geographies, this year’s Artists to Watch will be featured on 28 playlists as part of the campaign. The streaming platform also aims to place artists for in-app and out-of-home marketing, and “bespoke content that brings fans closer to the stories behind the music.”

The campaign also commissioned Vengayo to record a reimagined version of his hit “Chikkama” for Amazon Music Originals, which can be streamed exclusively on the platform from 12 pm IST onwards. The Indian presence on yet another global platform marks the country’s expanding influence on global music, looking beyond already-popular desi music.

Kushagra has so far spent 2025 scaling the top of streaming charts with his affable tune “Finding Her” with artists Bharath and Saaheal, while also delivering songs like “Better With You,” “Last Love” and “Moon” from his project UR Debut. In addition to the hyper “Chikkama” being his breakout hit, Vengayo has earned the spotlight for his clutter-breaking visual aesthetic and choreography. Naalayak, for his part, released his latest album Marammat in November last year, tempering introspective pop on songs like “3am Thoughts” with soaring rock on “Gulfam.”

Other artists featured include Ejae (fresh from winning a Golden Globe for K-Pop Demon Hunters), Fcukers, President, Destin Conrad, Adam Klobi and more.

Amazon Music’s global head of music Paul Firth says in a statement, “Artists To Watch is one of the most meaningful initiatives we lead each year, because it’s about backing artists early, and championing them at this crucial stage in their career.” He adds, “For 2026, we’re spotlighting 49 exceptional emerging artists from around the world and supporting them where fans discover music—across our biggest playlists and through a new slate of Amazon Music Originals available exclusively on Amazon Music.”

To mark the launch, Amazon Music commissioned eight new Amazon Music Originals from Artists to Watch, recorded exclusively for the campaign. It includes JayDon covering R&B star Aaliyah’s “One in a Million” and other artists also new versions of hits, including Zach John King’s “As It Was,” Chloe Qisha’s “The Winner Takes It All,” Jamie MacDonald’s “Just The Two of Us,” and Bebo Dumont’s “Vamonos De Viaje.” In addition, Paris-born, U.K.-based pianist-producer Friqtao is contributing a new Amazon Music instrumental for the “Peaceful Meditation” soundtrack, all exclusively streaming on Amazon Music.

Amazon Music’s 2025 Artists to Watch included the likes of Addison Rae, Mk.gee, Sammy Virji, Gigi Perez, Cash Cobain and others. The years prior, the playlist and campaign were global as well as local to regions like the U.K., last featuring Tamil-origin Swiss artist Priya Ragu in 2022.

The post Kushagra, Vengayo and Naalayak on Amazon Music’s Global 2026 Artists To Watch List appeared first on Rolling Stone India.

Bengaluru music festival Bandland’s upcoming third edition has been canceled by organizers BookMyShow Live, citing unforeseen circumstances around their headliner Muse backing out to perform on the scheduled dates of Feb. 14 and 15, 2026.

“With the festival just a month away and our commitment to delivering the kind of uncompromised live experience Bandland stands for, we’ve made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s edition in the interest of preserving the experience we set out to deliver,” a statement on social media from the organizers said.

The third edition of Bandland was originally expected to take place in the last quarter of 2025, but was announced for February 2026, with headliners Muse, pop band Train, Australian prog favorites Karnivool, Indian hardcore act Scribe and more. While the pre-party featuring American rock acts Pinkshift and The Thing slated to take place in Mumbai on Feb. 13, 2026, stands canceled as well, details on possible standalone shows remain unanswered.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bandland (@bandland.in)

The festival organizers added in their post, “Bandland 2026, scheduled for February 14 & 15, will not be going ahead as planned. Muse, one of our headliners, has had to cancel their upcoming tour due to unforeseen circumstances, which includes their performance at Bandland. We completely respect their decision and send them love.” A statement from Muse is yet to go out.

All ticketholders will be eligible for a full refund, to be processed within 8 to 10 working days to the original mode of payment.

The post Bandland 2026 Canceled After Muse Pulls Out appeared first on Rolling Stone India.

Music licensing platform Hoopr and Universal Music India have announced a new Artist Accelerator Programme aimed at supporting emerging independent artists across India. The initiative, unveiled on January 13th, offers structured funding and comprehensive support for musicians to create, release, and monetize their work.

The programme addresses common challenges facing independent artists by providing end-to-end publishing, distribution, sync licensing, and brand partnership opportunities. Selected participants will receive A&R guidance, studio access, mixing and mastering services, music video production, and placement opportunities through Hoopr’s platform.

A key component involves creating original compositions to be released on Hoopr’s YouTube channel Songfest and distributed via Hoopr Smash, the company’s music licensing marketplace. Artists will also have the opportunity to reimagine tracks from Universal Music India’s catalogue, with these reimagined versions to be released on UMG India’s Revibe YouTube channel.

The programme is open to artists across all genres and languages. Participants will be selected through curated auditions conducted by UMG from Hoopr’s community of thousands of independent artists.

“We pride ourselves in being an artist-first label,” said Viral Jani, Chief Revenue Officer at Universal Music Group in India and South Asia. “With Hoopr, we have found a perfect sync: their significant network of emerging independent artists will have the chance to create new music the way they want.”

Gaurav Dagaonkar, Co-Founder and CEO of Hoopr, described the programme as an essential development for India’s independent music community, emphasizing transparent monetization through sync and microsync opportunities. He says, “Our ambition has always been to create an ethical, opportunity-rich music ecosystem. In establishing this program, we have begun to achieve that vision.”

The partnership combines UMG’s global distribution network with Hoopr’s technology platform and artist community, offering selected musicians access to both domestic and international audiences.

The post Hoopr and Universal Music India Launch Artist Accelerator for Independent Musicians appeared first on Rolling Stone India.

In his book India Psychedelic: The Story of a Rocking Generation, Sidharth Bhatia recounts how India in the 1960s was pushing against all odds to birth a culture of rock music.  

At Shanmukhananda Hall in Mumbai, where a band competition called Simla Beat Contest took place, he describes young Indians gathering for a show that was perilously put together. “Electric guitars were almost impossible to find, and amplifiers were even rarer; enterprising musicians managed somehow with tricks that would be laughed at today, such as using a valve radio or even PA systems better suited to public meetings rather than for music. Local guitars, such as ‘Givson’ (whose name bears a close resemblance to the iconic Gibson), manufactured in Calcutta, were available but hardly comparable to the real thing. Very basic drum sets were made in local workshops,” Bhatia writes.  

Inspired by the iconic Woodstock festival of 1969 in the U.S., a music festival called Sneha Yatra was held on the outskirts of Mumbai in 1971. Featuring backdrops of instruments, hippie-like caricatures and typography that was downright groovy, it reflected the Flower Power-inspired aesthetic seen in the U.S. from the Sixties onwards. In 1978, Jazz Yatra came to the front, and later led to festivals like Jazz Utsav. 

Described as India’s first jazz festival, Jazz Yatra was held at Rang Bhavan with generous help from travel partners like Air India, who covered flights, and support by the American consulate and embassy. Through the latter’s push, jazz greats like Sonny Rollins, Wayne Krantz, Larry Carlton, and Stan Getz made their way to India. 

Rolling Stone India Contributing Editor and Jazz Yatra team member Sunil Sampat says the atmosphere at Rang Bhavan was a sight to behold. “People would come with their whole family, it would be like a picnic. One guy would come with an ice cooler, his driver or help would bring that heavy cooler. After a while, the cooler would be opened, drinks would flow, you could have your alcohol. Somebody brought some samosas and pakodas, and you’re just sharing it with everyone. It was a great way enjoy to jazz,” Sampat recalls.  

He says it didn’t matter so much if people didn’t enjoy the sometimes esoteric, obscure forms of jazz being hosted. Jazz Yatra went on to set a precedent for jazz festivals in New Delhi and Kolkata. More than that, Sampat recalls that the connection between the organizer, the artists and the audience was completely different. “All the musicians were accessible to you as an audience member. Some of them would finish their set and come sit with you in the audience to enjoy the rest of the concert,” he says, noting how any barriers between the two were dismantled.  

Rang Bhavan would cost about ₹800 rupees to rent out in the Seventies and an additional ₹200 would go into renting chairs for a seated audience.  

By 1985, Rang Bhavan became the home of rock in India, mostly thanks to gig organizer Farhad Wadia setting up Independence Rock. It was largely about giving bands a stage and giving audiences a space to watch a band live, which was often where the concert experience began and ended in its initial years. Later, with sponsors coming in and the venue shifting to Chitrakoot Grounds in the 2000s, there was more activity around the festival grounds, including sponsor stalls and the like.  

Among bands like Pentagram, Agnee, Parikrama and more performing, metal band Brahma was active in the Nineties and 2000s, fronted by Devraj Sanyal. Today, he’s the chairman and CEO – India & South Asia of Universal Music Group and runs a wellness label called Vedam Records, but there’s plenty of footage of him and his bandmates at I-Rock editions, alongside favorites like Millennium, Parikrama and Pentagram.

Sanyal recalls performing at I-Rock and Great Indian Rock Festival (GIR), Rock ‘N India and several other concerts across the country, ranging from clubs to bigger stages. “Playing these crowds was the most fun I’ve ever had being on the other side of the music business, and it was always a thunderous, heart-pounding rush,” he says. Bands couldn’t have had it better, even if playing conditions were less optimal for them compared to the international headliners who were walking in with tech riders and demands. He recalls seeing everyone from Deep Purple to Bon Jovi to the Rolling Stones to Iron Maiden and the Scorpions. “As fans, we felt a cacophony of pure energy, and for us diehards, it was always a maelstrom of sound and sweat. And we left feeling richer for having experienced the greats,” Sanyal says.  

Sampat, for his part, recounts the Rolling Stones concert at Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium in 2003 as “badly done.” He says, “The concert was done at a venue near the road, so you could hear buses and taxis honking. They had to turn up the volume of the stage sound to counter that.” What was rewarding, however, was the chance to meet Mick Jagger at the Cricket Club of India (CCI), where Sampat was a member. That kind of chance meeting and willingness to spend time with fans is now lost, Sampat laments. “Today, you’re nothing more than a number. You’re taken for granted. It’s also become more of a social event,” he adds.  

By the Nineties, the Great Indian Rock festival became a traveling series across the country. On the other end of the spectrum were beach raves in Goa that birthed the Goa Trance movement and made the territory inextricably linked to electronic music. Where crowds flow, capital usually follows. And it could be argued that that’s where the corporatization of music festivals began with companies like Percept launching their own international-focused EDM festival Sunburn in 2007. Back then, it was an attempt to consolidate the market and give a home for electronic music fans around the country. Promoters like Submerge had already been in action since 2003, fostering electronic music as an underground movement that was about to blow up. Submerge co-founder Nikhil Chinapa, who was festival director at Sunburn, recalls, “The early editions were a lot more about music, because they happened in the absence of Instagram-led FOMO [fear of missing out] and fans came for one of two reasons — either they knew the artists, or they knew that being part of a festival experience was something unique and not seen before in India. They had seen festivals online across the world, and they wanted to participate in the birth of this new form of cultural and community togetherness.”  

As stage production and lineups grew bigger to emulate EDM festivals overseas, promoters like Submerge and Percept got sponsorship backing in a big way, which shaped the way brands came into the music festival experience. Back then, it also helped that artists were willing to waive their fees so that they could come to India. “When I brought Above & Beyond to play at the first edition of Sunburn in India, they charged me no fee and only came for the price of their flights and hotels. They wanted to experience what India was like,” Chinapa says. Interestingly, Above & Beyond headlined the Mumbai edition of Sunburn between Dec. 19 to 21, 2025.  

Chinapa moved on from Sunburn to become a key curator at festivals like Vh1 Supersonic and Satellite Beach Party and is now festival director at Arunachal Pradesh’s Euphony Voyage, taking place on Feb. 13 and 14, 2026 in Itanagar.  

After the likes of Sunburn, Big Chill, NH7 Weekender and others slowly came up, the idea of a music festival had also changed massively from just seeing your favorite artists on stage to a lived experience that you could keep going back to. Social media, according to Chinapa, is a large driver of FOMO-anxious audiences. But there’s another reason, too, for musical festivals finding favor. “While experience is still important, people think or people find that culture and community and their tribe and being a part of that movement together is as important as experience,” he says.  

It’s those intentions that set the tone for the music festivals that have come up around the country today. They were largely accessible in terms of location, offered exclusivity when it came to top-notch artists (who may or may not have returned to India in the decades since), and built a brand value that has turned into legacy. They also likely served as a compass or litmus test, becoming the events that experimented, failed and succeeded in their curation, organization and pricing so that future festivals would navigate with a little bit of knowledge of what has grown from a national music circuit to a concert economy.  

The post What India’s Earliest Festivals and Big Concerts Looked Like   appeared first on Rolling Stone India.

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. While the likes of Magnetic Fields Nomads, and Kala Ghoda Arts Festival are also slated for this period, they are yet to announce their lineups and additional details. In the meantime, 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

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Udaipur Tales (@udaipurtales)

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

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @imphal_indiemusicfest

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

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kantha: Sounds of Asia (@kantha.blr.hubba)

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

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bloom In Green Festival (@bloomingreenfestival)

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

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Goa Sunsplash (@goasunsplash)

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

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by BudXLoft (@budxloft)

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

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by TCS Ruhaniyat (@tcs_ruhaniyat)

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

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lollapalooza India (@lollaindia)

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

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sula Vineyards (@sula_vineyards)

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.

Sacred Spirit Festival

Feb. 13 to Feb. 15, 2026

Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mehrangarh Museum Trust (@mehrangarh)

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.

Mahindra Blues Festival

Feb. 14 and 15, 2026

Mehboob Studios, Mumbai

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mahindra Blues Festival (@mahindrablues)

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.

Bandland

Feb. 14 and 15, 2026

NICE Grounds, Bengaluru

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bandland (@bandland.in)

With U.K. act Muse and American band Train as headliners, it’s a dose of early 2000s rock and pop at the upcoming edition of Bandland festival. Australian prog band Karnivool and the comeback of Mumbai’s beloved hardcore unit Scribe also mark the third edition of Bandland festival. Bengaluru-based rock/heavy metal act Girish and The Chronicles, American pop-punk band Pinkshift, Welsh band James And The Cold Gun, Los Angeles act The Sophs and New York rock act The Thing are also on the lineup.

Get tickets here.

Riders Music Festival

Feb. 21 and 22, 2026

The Great India Place, Noida

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Red FM (@redfmindia)

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.

The post Upcoming Music Festivals on Our Radar in January and February 2026 appeared first on Rolling Stone India.

When Coldplay mounted their Music of the Spheres tour in India last year, the numbers alone were enough to grab headlines. But a moment that truly defined the night came from the audience, or more specifically, from the thousands of LED wristbands strapped to their wrists. As the stadium lights dimmed and the opening chords spilled out, the crowd lit up as one, a rippling galaxy of blinking colors moving in perfect sync with every chorus and crescendo. In videos that have since gone viral, it’s the sight of this pulsing sea of bands that captures the feeling of the night more than any camera pointed towards the stage. The Xylobands, powered by RFID technology, effectively became a dopamine hit that dissolved the space between the artist and their audience, making thousands of passive viewers feel like locked-in participants. 

India’s live music circuit is bursting at the seams, with a steady stream of international acts clamoring for attention in the country’s packed concert calendar, and homegrown heavyweights like Sunidhi Chauhan and A.R. Rahman dialling up their touring production values. With the organised live-events sector growing 15 percent in 2024 and crossing ₹100 billion in value, according to the latest FICCI–EY Shape the Future report, the infusion of technology into the live experience has emerged as one of the industry’s most visible shifts.

Tech is no longer an add-on, but rather the engine driving the scale and spectacle that makes an experience worth the hype and steep ticket prices. Nowhere has that been more visible than in the industry’s break from traditional stage design, from Lollapalooza India’s VerTech modular stage setup, to Echoes of Earth experimenting with sustainably-built dynamic stage structures. 

When Sara Awwad, the Creative Director and co-founder of Studio Majimé, set out to build India’s first 360-degree levitation stage for AP Dhillon’s 2024 Brownprint tour, it was a mammoth undertaking that required a structural reset. Safety protocols, rigging systems, and engineering workflows had to be reimagined and rebuilt piece by piece. And with a 360 layout offering nowhere to hide clutter, cables, or mistakes, every detail needed to hold up. “We had to switch to mesh screens to make sure the weight was lighter, customize rigging clasps, and understand every detail of the security aspect, just to ensure that nothing collapsed during the show,” Awwad tells Rolling Stone India, recalling the months of effort that went into putting together a production of this scale in a country where it virtually didn’t exist. 

Describing the stage as “emotion meeting engineering,” Awwad explained how this format allowed the “Brown Munde” hitmaker to feed off the audience’s energy from all sides, making the show truly immersive. “When you’re designing something like that, it psychologically breaks down barriers, because the crowd becomes part of the set,” she says. She adds that a 360-degree setup also democratizes the experience, giving fans at every price point an unobstructed view. “When you’re buying a ticket, you walk in with a perception of how good or bad your view will be. But with a 360, every category of ticket holder gets the full experience.”

Above the stage, another frontier has opened up. Drone light shows are quickly becoming one of the most in-demand additions to major concerts and festivals, with a rising trend of artists and sponsors tapping into novelty sequences that hover, morph and pulsate in sync with the music, pyrotechnics and lasers. 

“It’s a new technology that people haven’t experienced yet, so they go crazy for it,” says Neha Verma, the communication lead at Botlab Dynamics, which builds large-scale drone light shows for live events. Having curated custom drone shows for the likes of Alan Walker, Arijit Singh, and Karan Aujla, Verma notes that artists are increasingly turning to these spectacles to amplify the live experience in a way that lets audiences fully sink into the moment, especially in an era where everything feels fleetingly engineered for Instagram. 

“When a drone show is happening, everybody is watching that,” she says. “It lasts long enough to tell a story, and watching it live is a different experience altogether.” For artists, drone formations offer something pyrotechnics can’t: a highly customizable visual narrative that takes their stories, hooks and visual motifs to the skies. Verma also points out how these have become a marketing tool for brand sponsors to subtly plug in their messaging without force-fitting it. Especially in an era where every live moment finds a new life cycle online, drone shows give artists a way to command attention, both during the performance and in the media. “Artists can probably explore using drone shows to beat Guinness World Records when they want to get more media attention for an upcoming album or release because it’s fairly easy to do,” Verma adds. 

Even more experimental ideas are beginning to surface. Gesture-powered installations, interactive visuals, and holographic displays are slowly finding their way into Indian concerts. In 2024, Emergence, the crew behind the secret-location rave Those Who Know They Know, built what they billed as India’s first holographic 3D stage. Drawing from the visual worlds of Anyma’s sets and Eric Prydz’s Holosphere, the structure used layered transparent mesh LED screens to create layers of depth, dimension, and a sense of kinetic motion. Co-founder Akash Kothari says this wasn’t just done for ornamental flourish, but as a way to keep the crowd engaged without relying on marquee headliners. “We don’t require a name; What we require is good music,” he says.

In an oversaturated market obsessed with buzzy names, Kothari stresses that an immersive, thoughtfully engineered experience can still be the main event. He adds that while the “technology was always available”, promoters rarely invested in it because of the “low margins and uncertainty around ticket sales.” But as India’s live music market matures, those barriers are finally beginning to get dismantled.

Sustainability-focused tech is also slipping into the mix, with festivals like Echoes of Earth integrating solar-powered stage lighting and energy-efficient rigs into recent editions. The shift reflects a deeper evolution in how concerts are being conceived. For audiences accustomed to streaming and endless digital content, artists know that the live show must offer something irreplaceable. “Artists have now become aware that they need to create a thoroughly designed experience that gives [their audience something beyond what they get from] listening to their songs or watching their music videos,” reiterates Awwad. The visuals, staging, effects and technology must express personality as strongly as the music itself. A concert must become a statement, not just a setlist. 

Moving beyond visual firepower, technology is also rejigging how live-event mechanics work behind the scenes, with companies like Dreamcast reworking core infrastructure such as festival entry and on-ground purchasing. Having worked with Ziro Festival, Bangalore Open Air, and Echoes of Earth in recent years, product head Apoorv Rajawat says the focus is now shifting beyond RFID-enabled wristbands and tap-based touchpoints.

While many large festivals already operate without WiFi or internet to ensure uninterrupted attendee flow, Rajawat says the company is now “aggressively working on facial recognition” as a potential next step. He compares it to the DigiYatra system deployed at Indian airports, adding that similar models can be adapted for live events. “Anybody who’s tech savvy in the Indian ecosystem, there should be a possibility for them to just pass on with the right speed and ease.” As with DigiYatra, however, the shift raises questions around privacy, particularly since attendee data is often stored with festival promoters and event operators. If facial recognition is moving to the forefront, it may be time to read the fine print before buying tickets to your next concert.

Globally, the idea of what a “live” concert even means is being stretched in new directions. ABBA’s Voyage in London uses motion-captured, hyper-real digital avatars to perform without the band ever stepping onstage, while virtual performers like Hatsune Miku have long drawn arena-sized crowds through holographic concerts. Together, these shifts point to a future where concerts are no longer just about sound and sight, but about systems, data, and design working in tandem. India’s rapid adoption of RFID, drones, and immersive stage builds suggests a market quick to absorb these changes, even as it learns to negotiate their trade-offs. As audiences demand more and artists dream bigger, the technology powering India’s concerts may well become its most defining force.

The post The Concert Tech Revolution: Behind the Innovations Powering India’s Live Music Economy appeared first on Rolling Stone India.

When New Delhi-based DJ-producer Sartek played a sold-out Desi Elite Night at Amsterdam Dance Event in October 2025, he was finally on the other side of the stage after having attended the mainstay electronic music showcase since 2016.

Rewind a decade back and Sartek was making progressive house and releasing on labels like Black Hole Recordings (“Apocalypse”), Revealed (“Don’t Stop”), and Spinnin’ and says he often wondered how an Asian artist could get on stages like ADE. “And suddenly I see this desi genre of folk house picking up, and a promoter wanting to do an ADE show and booking a folk house artist which has Indian vocals — it was something very interesting for me.”

The ADE Desi Elite Night show at Jimmy Woo drew crew members and managers from Norway, Poland, and Belgium who have previously “had an Indian influence,” according to Sartek. “It’s just that Indian vocals are very layered, anybody can dance. You don’t understand the meaning of it,” he says cheerily yet matter-of-factly about the draw of any kind of desi sound on a global stage like ADE.

Just before ADE, Sartek toured Germany, playing Berlin, Munich, Cologne, and Düsseldorf. “Berlin was a mecca of techno and dance music, and suddenly this kind of sound is picking up,” he says. “It actually made me feel more motivated to work harder to make this sound even more global.” So far, Sartek’s ability to balance commercial, mainstream gigs with a more inventive folk house sound has also taken him to work with Aryan Khan’s luxury label D’yavol and perform at the Red Sea Film Music Festival in Jeddah, sharing the billing alongside the likes of A.R. Rahman.

For those who have followed Sartek through his reinventions, there was also a time when he was leaning into the idea of becoming a content creator, drawing on meme humor to maximize audience engagement. Sartek acknowledges that those kind of decisions reflect the reality facing modern musicians. “Content creator has become one big blanket,” he says. “You become a content creator first, and then you become a musician. It’s very hard for a musician to sit down and realize they’ll have to make some content around the music for people to listen to it.”

He’s pragmatic about it, however. “One or two viral videos you can get, one or two stupid memes you can make, but after that, what then? How would you convert that into shows?” The answer, he believes, is being both: “It’s a good combination of being a content creator and also a musician.”

With singles like “Sufi Tech,” “Eena Meena,” and “Ku Ku Ku” dotted across 2025, it was the culmination of a few years of studio tinkering, starting around the pandemic lockdown years around 2022. He understood that he couldn’t “completely switch from one genre and go completely different.” He adds, “So I had to make a crossover, like a unique innovation.”

The solution was to combine the nostalgia value-heavy Indian vocal samples with house beats. “If a 70-year-old uncle is sitting in a bar and listening to a ‘Mehbooba’ from his day and time, and suddenly it switches to a nice house beat, it caters to both audiences. It’s nostalgia redefined in modern sound.” The Indo house movement has also been on the rise, thanks to diaspora collectives like Indo Warehouse and Stick No Bills as well as artists closer home. “There’s a big thing happening across the globe where Indians want to listen to their kind of music, but in a very different sound,” Sartek says.

Now, there’s something for everyone with the way folk house and Indo house is presented. “The desis get their vocal bits, with Punjabi and little Indian influence. And the foreigners get their beats, their techno, their melodies. It’s a perfect combination, like butter chicken and sushi,” Sartek says with a laugh.

He points to songs like “Ghafoor” from Ba***ds of Bollywood by composer Shashwat Sachdev, as well as cuts by Punjabi artists like AP Dhillon and Karan Aujla that have infused house beats. “Typical Punjabi music is gone now. It’s just become more clubby. So I want to do this with traditional Indian folk heritage sounds.”

Different regions offer different sonic possibilities for the sound. “Punjabi vocal is different. Telugu vocal is different. Northeast has a different sound, Gujarati has a different sound. Why not just play around these kind of vocals and probably try and make a culture around this?”

In 2024, Sunburn Festival brought in Sartek to curate his own Folk House stage, signalling another sure sign for the artist to keep pushing the movement. The stage returned in December 2025 in Mumbai, bigger than before. “Sunburn festival giving me this chance to curate artists myself is a big deal,” he says.

For the 2025 edition, Sartek got a full day slot on day one to showcase artists working in the same space. He’s intentionally programming artists who “are not getting that kind of exposure on their social media right now, who I feel will be the next big thing and more importantly, believe in this kind of music.” That included flautist, sitarist and producer Akhlad Ahmed, Delhi’s Ansick, who reworks yesteryear Bollywood songs’ vocals; and Bengaluru duo Shor Bazaar, who blend Indian samples with dancehall, reggaeton, and Afro-house.

“If this goes good, then we might do a folk house showcase often — once every few months,” Sartek adds proudly.

For the next three to four months, Sartek is building on the success of songs like “Sufi Tech,” which samples the legendary qawwali powerhouse Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s vocals on the track “Tumhen Dil Lagi Bhool Jani Paregee.” The DJ-producer is diving headlong into more qawwali vocals and adapting it for techno or Afro house. “It’s a little tough because of the sound quality, where they’ve sung the songs, the timestamps, how to rearrange them,” he admits. “But it’s going to be interesting. Everybody’s trying to work on vocals, which are very simple, very easy to work with. Nobody’s trying to do this.”

Beyond that, he’s planning a “Sounds of India” album, featuring singers from different states performing in their regional languages like Kashmiri, Punjabi, Telugu, Malayalam, Assamese and Gujarati over electronic production. “Each song will have a different video with their ethnic singers in it, like a full folk vibe, with costumes, in a way that it looks like one full folktronic album.”

The post From EDM to Folk House, Sartek Has Started His Own Movement appeared first on Rolling Stone India.