{"id":9175,"date":"2017-07-24T10:30:21","date_gmt":"2017-07-24T05:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gostops.com\/?p=9175"},"modified":"2026-07-14T11:52:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T06:22:14","slug":"folk-music-festivals-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gostops.com\/blog\/folk-music-festivals-india\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Best Classical and Folk Music Festivals in India"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Whenever I talk to my friends about traveling in a group, the term \u201cmusic festival\u201d comes up very often. <!--more-->For music lovers, India is a whole new world with an <strong>array of different kinds of folk music at different corners of the country and a plethora of native instruments!<\/strong> Over the years, India has become open to international music and one can find various Indian music festivals collaborating with international music organizations. Moreover, since India has a rich variety of folk music across all the 4 cardinal directions; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gostops.com\/traditional-music-india-north\/\">North<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/gostops.com\/blog\/traditional-music-india-east\/\">East<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gostops.com\/folk-music-india-west\/\">West<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gostops.com\/folk-music-india-south\/\">South<\/a>, the combinations that arise from experimenting with different styles are innumerous! If you&#8217;re the kind of musician that hunts down for different sounds or even if you&#8217;re someone who just enjoys listening to different styles, music festivals would definitely be on your yearly to-do lists. <strong>So, to treat those ears, here are some of the major folk and classical music festivals in India.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>1. Hornbill Festival (Folk &amp; Western)<\/h2>\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Hornbill Festival: full length film on India&amp;apos;s biggest fun fest!\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nuvbpdZUKFU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>When and where can <strong>one see the whole <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nagalandonline.in\/About\/Profile\/Culture\/index.html\">Naga culture<\/a> come together<\/strong> to mesmerize the world? It&#8217;s undoubtedly the Hornbill Festival. One of the greatest cultural tourism celebrations in the nation, the <strong>Hornbill Music Festival,<\/strong> has been attracting a wealth of vacationers throughout the years. This<strong> 7-day cultural holiday<\/strong> is held in the midst of the picturesque environs of <strong>Kohima in December.<\/strong> While here, you get the opportunity to witness the greatest rock music challenge in the nation. Furthermore, you can also find out about the rich cultural heritage of the place all under one rooftop.<\/p>\n<p>Click <a href=\"http:\/\/hornbillfestival.com\/\">here <\/a>to go to the website.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where :<\/strong> Kohima, Nagaland<br \/><strong>When\u00a0 \u00a0:\u00a0<\/strong>1 &#8211; 10 December, 2018<br \/><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<h2>\u00a02. Ziro Music Festival (Folk &amp; Western)<\/h2>\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ziro Festival of Music -After Movie 2016\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/M8MjzEnQTUI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>This is THE thing you&#8217;ve been craving for : An <strong>open-air celebration<\/strong> set in the rich <strong>Ziro Valley<\/strong> with independent music, <a href=\"https:\/\/gostops.com\/blog\/trek-to-everest-base-camp\/\">Himalayan perspectives<\/a>, and grass to lie back on. The line-up incorporates a <strong>blend of groups from the Northeast<\/strong> and also some <strong>electronic, shake, and jazz acts<\/strong>. The celebration is also an <strong>opportunity to meet the Apatani tribe<\/strong>; the indigenous group from the district known for their animist culture, economical way of life, and conventional tattoo culture. The Apatani towns, where the group lives and homesteads, are a short stroll from the scene and local people are glad to converse with any guest.<\/p>\n<p>Click<a href=\"http:\/\/zirofestival.com\/\"> here<\/a> to go to the website.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where :\u00a0<\/strong>Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh<br \/><strong>When\u00a0 \u00a0:\u00a0<\/strong>To be announced<br \/><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<h2>3. Dover Lane Music Festival (Indian Classical)<\/h2>\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Dover Lane Indian Classical Music Conference 01\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zUGGugZ5Iq8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>One of the biggest Indian Classical musical meeting held in India is the <strong>Dover Lane Music Festival<\/strong>. It is facilitated in the capital city of <strong>West Bengal, Kolkata<\/strong> and is a <strong>yearly occasion being carried on for 50 years now.<\/strong> It began as a social affair of a few musicians and later transformed into one of the most culturally imperative musical occasion of the year.<\/p>\n<p>It is a <strong>six-day long occasion<\/strong> graced by maestros in the field of music. The primary motive behind the inception of the Dover Lane Music Festival was <strong>to pull in more of the youth towards music and other artistic expressions.<\/strong> Over the years, they have effectively advanced in different arts and as a result, have provided nurturing for budding talents in the field of music.<\/p>\n<p>Click <a href=\"http:\/\/www.doverlanemusicconference.org\/\">here<\/a> to go to the website.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where :<\/strong> Southern Avenue, Kolkota<br \/><strong>When\u00a0 \u00a0:<\/strong>\u00a0To be announced for January 2019<br \/><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<h2>4. Saptak Festival of Music (Indian Classical)<\/h2>\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"37th Saptak Annual Music Festival 2017 Ahmedabad: Visuals from Day One\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xyKBRGRjTLc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>One of the main musical occasions of the year at this part of the country is the <strong>Saptak Music celebration<\/strong>, which takes place in the <strong>first week of January.<\/strong> <strong>Pandit Ravi Shankar<\/strong> introduced this festival in 1980. The festival goes on for a time of <strong>11 days<\/strong> and is overseen by an open magnanimous trust which runs the <strong>Saptak School of Music<\/strong>. In addition to this hosting concerts, Saptak tries to keep alive the blurring conventions of vocal music like Thumri and Dhrupad, and instruments like Sarangi and Pakhawaj by welcoming the more established era of craftsmen who have practical experience in these directions.<\/p>\n<p>Click <a href=\"http:\/\/www.saptak.org\/\">here<\/a> to go the website.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where :<\/strong> Ahmedabad, Gujarat<br \/><strong>When\u00a0 \u00a0:<\/strong>\u00a0To be announced for Januray 2019<br \/><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<h2>5. Tansen Music Festival (Indian Classical)<\/h2>\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Tansen samaroh 2015\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wOjtoxAlWI4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>Gwalior Gharana is one of the most seasoned and lofty gharana in the Indian music industry. The celebrated musical legend, <strong>Tansen<\/strong>, has also been a part of this gharana and this festival is held in his memory.<\/p>\n<p>Click <a href=\"http:\/\/tansensamaroh.com\/\">here<\/a> to go the website.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where :\u00a0<\/strong>Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh<br \/><strong>When\u00a0 \u00a0:<\/strong>\u00a021 &#8211; 26\u00a0December, 2018<br \/><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<h2>6. Thyagaraja Music Festival (Folk &amp; Indian Classical)<\/h2>\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Thyagaraja Aradhana - Semmengudi, MSSubbulakshmi-Endharo Mahanubhavulu-Sri_11m 31s\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DXT_nW0IE60?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>This festival is held in the memory of a saint cum musician, Thyagaraja. He spent the majority of his life in Thiruvaiyaru, Tamilnadu and this is the setting where this music festival is facilitated each year. The principle fascination of this festival is the gathering execution by incredible musicians of the Pancharathna Krithis. <strong>This festival is regarded as one of <a href=\"https:\/\/gostops.com\/blog\/folk-music-india-south\/\">the best folk and classical music festivals in Southern India<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Click <a href=\"http:\/\/thiruvaiyaruthyagarajaaradhana.org\/\">here<\/a> to go the website.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where :<\/strong> Tyagaraja, Tamill Nadu<br \/><strong>When\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong> <strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0To be announced for Jan 2019<br \/><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<h2>7. Ragasthan (Folk and Western)<\/h2>\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ragasthan, Desert Music Festival 2012 Official Trailer HD\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ckfEJ1lPsEA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>If you are looking for <strong>a mixture of folk, classical and western music<\/strong> in West India, <strong>Ragasthan<\/strong> is THE festival to go to. The desert of Rajasthan adds to the mood of this festival and there is simply nothing that you could think of that even remotely resembles the music and art during the festival. In addition to <strong>Magnetic Fields,<\/strong> which showcases mostly rock and electronic music, this festival is wider in scope and attracts the crowd from a wider variety of tastes.<\/p>\n<p>Click<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ragasthan.com\/\"> here <\/a>to go to the website.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where :\u00a0<\/strong>Jaisalmer, Rajasthan<br \/><strong>When\u00a0 \u00a0:<\/strong> To be announced for 2019<br \/><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<h2>8. ITC Sangeet Sammelan (Indian Classical)<\/h2>\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"ITC Sangeet Sammelan 2016 - Kumar Mardur\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/d5d4mX3zpTY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>ITC Sangeet Sammelan is another exceptionally well known musical occasion being facilitated in India. It is held each year in different parts of India. As the name recommends, it is organized by ITC. It had begun in the year 1971 in Delhi. With time it has turned out to be a standout amongst the most esteemed occasions of traditional and classical music festivals in India. Furthermore, it also stands out as <strong>one of the most popular cultural music festivals in the country.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Click <a href=\"http:\/\/www.itcsra.org\/\">here<\/a> to go to the website.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where :<\/strong> Throughout India<br \/><strong>When\u00a0 \u00a0:<\/strong> Refer to the calendar <a href=\"http:\/\/www.itcsra.org\/Upcoming-Recital-Sammelan-and-Tours\">here.<\/a><br \/><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<h2>9. Sankatmochan Music \u00a0Festival (Folk &amp; Classical)<\/h2>\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Varanasi: Ghazal king Ghulam Ali performs to packed audience at Sankat Mochan temple\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Nxt9MKULcaE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh is <strong>a yearly music celebration<\/strong> held in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gostops.com\/events-in-varanasi\/\">Varanasi<\/a> in lieu of Hanuman Jayanti. Being <strong>held for 70 years now<\/strong>, it has turned into a vital occasion among folk music festivals in India as the best musicians of the nation take a huge interest in this astounding festival.<strong> Held on the eve of Hanuman Jayanti<\/strong>, the celebration witnesses to a great degree some astounding and vibrant vibe loaded with classical music making the event a dreamlike encounter. This yearly celebration holds an extraordinary place in the hearts of the groups of pilgrims and travelers who visit Varanasi every year. This <strong>6-day long celebration<\/strong> is <strong>a tribute and a &#8220;haazari&#8221; to Lord Hanuman<\/strong> and the musicians feel regarded to be a piece of this superb felicitation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Clikc <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/events\/439545316390256\/\">here<\/a> to go to the event page.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Where :<\/strong> Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh<br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>When\u00a0 \u00a0:<\/strong>\u00a04-9 April, 2018<\/span><br \/><b>\u00a0<\/b><br \/>There are endless festivals that take place all across India, in villages, small towns, and cities. Exploration is something that doesn\u2019t expect you to browse at home and read a list and go seek it. It is what you find yourself. When I was in Dharamkot, I attended a small Israeli music meet on a rainy day at an unknown cafe and it blew my mind! These are some of the smaller things that come unexpectedly, and that is what makes up your story. So go out there and seek what you wish and stay in tune!<\/p>\n<p>To read more on the regional folk music in India and where you can listen to them, check out the links below:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gostops.com\/traditional-music-india-north\/\">North Indian Folk Music<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/gostops.com\/blog\/traditional-music-india-east\/\">East Indian Folk Music<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gostops.com\/folk-music-india-west\/\">West Indian Folk Music<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gostops.com\/folk-music-india-south\/\">South Indian Folk Music<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Featured Image Courtesy: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.indianeagle.com\/travelbeats\/rann-utsav-great-cultural-fair-and-festival-of-gujarat\/\">Indian Eagle<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For music lovers, India is a whole new world with an array of different kinds of folk music at different corners of the country and a plethora of native instruments! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":18127,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"9 Best Classical and Folk Music Festivals in India","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Trap and EDM becoming too mainstream? Looking to listen to something different? Here are some of the best classical and folk music festivals in India!","footnotes":""},"categories":[33,34,23,20],"tags":[212,187,213],"class_list":["post-9175","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","category-festivals","category-india-travel","category-music","tag-classical-music-festivals-in-india","tag-folk-music-festivals-in-india","tag-music-festivals-in-india"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gostops.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9175","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gostops.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gostops.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gostops.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gostops.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9175"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/gostops.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9175\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21037,"href":"https:\/\/gostops.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9175\/revisions\/21037"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gostops.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18127"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gostops.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9175"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gostops.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9175"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gostops.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9175"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}