A Peek At India's Upcoming Festival Calendar

There are still a host of music festivals on the horizon, and if you’re itching for a change of scene after your New Year escape there’s no better excuse to pack your bag, fill up your hip flask and let the journey commence. If you didn't manage to escape for New Year then you're definitely due some respite from your usual habitat.

Here’s our short and sweet round up of some of your options over the next couple of months. We’re incredibly intrigued by the Jodhpur Flamenco and Gypsy Festival and for those of you with malleable mouths or a taste for the unusual don't miss the 2nd World Mouth Harp Festival: "a self-funded event to create magic with Mouth Harps and other unique musical instruments"... yup, it actually sounds pretty amazing and we had a brief encounter with the incredibly talented gypsy-punk panic-party Balkan band 'Toporkestra' on a beach somewhere in North Goa. If we could, we would...

2nd World Mouth Harp Festival
30-31 January
Arambol Beach, Goa
A participant powered festival that features traditional mouth harpists and musicians from several regions around India.

Storm Festival
31 January – 2 February
Corporate Leisure City, Bangalore
The location has changed this year but the camping ethos and eco-friendly nature remains prevalent.

The Great Live Music Festival
31 January – 1 February
Elliot Resorts, Baga – Goa
A curious mix of rock and jazz from Indian and Russian artists.

SulaFest
1-2 February
Nashik, Maharashtra
We’ve only heard wonderful things about Sula Fest, the location, the music and of course the wine. A real step away from the typical Indian festival experience…

Falaknuma Festival
4 February
Taj Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad
The first edition of the 10 hour long festival is being curated by blueFROG. Quite a grown-up sounding affair with a ‘signature cocktail party’, music performances and a gala dinner to polish off proceedings.

Ragasthan Festival
13-16 February
The Desert, Jaisalmer
Lose yourself in the dunes and get carried away over 4 days of parties, music and adventure. A true test of stamina, you’ll be sad to leave this sandy bubble.

Mahindra Blues Festival
15-16 February
Mehboob Studios, Mumbai
Asia’s largest and finest blues phenomenon. Expect a hearty dose of damn fine blues over 2 days.

World Sufi Spirit Festival
17-24 February
Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur and Ahhichatragarh Fort, Nagaur
Hosted in 2 spectacular forts, you can expect to be mesmerised and bedazzled by the rich variety of folk performances.

Jodhpur Flamenco and Gypsy Festival
13-15 March
Mehrangarh Fort
Another festival for this fort, this time celebrating Gypsy voyages alongside the best flamenco traditions. This one sounds pretty special…

Image Main: Toporkestra