For those who love music and are passionate about travelling, India has a lot to offer on both accounts. With contemporary music festivals sprouting in different geographical parts of the nation, music aficionados and travel freaks are in for a treat. The festivals have an eclectic mix of genres i.e. Rock, EDM, Jazz, Trance, Blues, Pop, Bollywood, Techno etc. and thus they cater to every taste. The state-of-the-art stage settings and trendy arrangements at these festivals pull huge crowds every year. There are many Indian artists who are featured and various International artists add to the rich line up. The extravaganza also includes unforgettable parties and tempting food options. We have picked out the best music festivals that will be taking place till December for you. Make sure you book your tickets in advance and pack your dancing shoes to make the most of what these festivals have to offer.
Ed Sheeran’s Concert, Mumbai
After the Justin Bieber concert, Ed Sheeran has been widely awaited by the Indian millennials. The concert is a part of Sheeran’s ongoing Divide Tour (to support his studio album Divide) when he’ll also be performing in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Manila, Jakarta, Singapore, Dubai and Bangkok. The tickets for the first round of sales were sold out within 48 minutes. This proves that Sheeran is much more popular than Bieber among the Indian crowd. There are different categories for the passes: Silver is Rs 4,750; Gold is Rs 8,000 and Diamond is Rs 12,000. Till now there haven’t been any crazy demands from his side as we saw during Justin Bieber’s concert. The performance will be taking place at Jio Garden, BKC Mumbai.
How to get there: One can reach Mumbai by air (Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the country) or by train.
When: November 19, 2017
Where: Mumbai
Bacardi NH7 Weekender 2017, Pune
Taking place in Pune on December 8-10, 2017, Bacardi NH7 Weekender is one of the largest multi-genre musical festivals in India. Several artists like Steven Wilson, José González, Mark Ronson, Mogwai, Flying Lotus, The Wailers, A. R. Rahman, Imogen Heap, The Vaccines, Megadeth, Farhan Akhtar Live, Fink, Jon Hopkins, Karnivool andhave performed in the previous editions of the festival. The festival has pulled crowds to the numbers of 1,00,000 as seen in the earlier editions. Apart from the music there will be a buzzing bazaar that’ll feature local finds and foods and interesting art installations.
Highlights : The highlights for the Pune edition include Vishal Bharadwaj, TM Krishna, Textures, Marky Ramone.
How to get there: Pune can be reached by air (Lohegaon Airport, Pune) and train. From Mumbai the bus takes about 3.5 hours to reach Pune.
When: December 8-10, 2017
Where: Pune
Magnetic Fields Festival
The Magnetic Fields Festival is set in Alsisar, which is a heritage village in Rajasthan. The festival will take place in Alsisar Mahal which has recently been refurbished into a luxurious hotel. The Mahal offers a good base to explore the nearby area of JhunJhunu. The theme for 2017 is ‘The Laws of Attraction’ by which they mean that everybody everywhere is connected. The lineup includes – Four Tet, Ben Ufo, Machinedrum, Teebs, Sandunes, The SkaVengers, Sid Vashi, Begum X,Jivraj Singh, Special Request and Ninja Tune’s Actress among others. Guests will be staying in luxury tents this year and are allowed to bring their own tents to pitch as well. At Magnetic Fields the best of the international underground music scene will be celebrated. Not only is there music, but guests also have the chance to dance under the stars, go star gazing, participate in wellness activities like yoga, go for exciting treasure hunts and enjoy the local delicacies.
Highlights :Four Tet, who is one of the most forward thinking producers and one of the most exciting DJs in the world. Ninja Tune’s Actress who is one of the most prominent figures in the UK Electronic music scene. Jivraj Singh who has been called “one of the hottest drummers on the planet” by the British Indian musician Nitin Sawhney.
How to get there: One can reach Shekhawati by road or by train. It is well connected to major cities like New Delhi (6 hours by road) and Jaipur (4 hours by road). Alternatively, one can also fly down to these airports and drive down to Shekhawati.
When: December 15-17, 2017
Where: AlsisarMahal, Shekhawati, Rajasthan
Enchanted Valley Carnival, Aamby valley, Lonavala
Enchanted Valley Carnival is a unique multi-genre music festival in Asia that has a fully-fledged campsite called the Enchanted Village. One can have a unique camping experience as well as participate in professional adventure sports. The festival also has a wide variety of street food options as well as pop up restaurants for various cuisines. It is also one of the first festivals in Asia to be held on an airstrip. There are a plethora of activities ranging from silent parties, bonfires, jam sessions, poi workshops, art and painting workshops, dream catcher making workshops and drum circles to keep everyone entertained. Usually the festival hosts Indian and International artists. The festival has about 5-6 different types of stage setups to accommodate different kinds of genres. The festival has seen the likes of Martin Garrix, David Guetta, Oliver Heldens, Fatboy Slim in the previous years. For those who enjoy electronic music, International Pop, Bollywood, EDM and techno music EVC is the idea music festival.
Highlights: Arijit Singh, the popular Bollywood star will be a huge crowd puller for this one. The other draw will be the Dutch DJ, record producer and remixer Armin Van Buuren.
How to get there: The nearest domestic airport to Lonavala is Lohegaon Airport, Pune. One can also board flights till Mumbai and then travel to Lonavala by bus or car.
When: December 16-17, 2017
Where: Aamby Valley City, Lonavala
Sunburn Festival, Pune
The Sunburn Festival is not only one of the most popular EDM festivals in Asia but also one of the biggest. The eleventh edition will be taking place in Pune in Pimpri-Chinchwad. In previous editions of the festival various international artists like Swedish House Mafia, Tiesto, Avicii, Hardwell, Deadmau5, Armin van Buuren, David Guetta, Afrojack and Nicky Romero have performed. The Pimpri-Chinchwad area is about 5 minutes from the express highway which makes it very conveniently located. The organizers will also organize camp fires, adventure activities, flea markets, helicopter rides, yoga, Ferris wheel rides and many other activities to keep the guests busy during the 4-day festival. The festival has been ranked as the 9th best festival in the world by CNN.
Highlights: DJ Snake, one of the most popular French DJs will be there. Martin Garrix will be closing the festival while ringing in the new year.There are rumors that Clean Bandit will also be a part of the lineup.
How to get there: From Mumbai to Pune the bus takes about 3.5 hours. From Pune one can reach Pimpri-Chinchwad in about 20 minutes by car. If you are coming to Pune airport then you can reach Pimpri-Chinchwad in about 40 minutes by car.
When: December 28-31, 2017
Where: Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pune
