Kolkata is set to host a three-day celebration of Indian music, dance and traditional performing arts, bringing together a distinguished group of artists from across the subcontinent.
The Kolkata Tradition Festival 2026 will take place from 2 to 4 October at South City International School on Prince Anwar Shah Road. The opening programme is scheduled to begin at 5.30pm on 2 October.
Among the prominent artists taking part are acclaimed singer Lopamudra Mitra, bhajan exponent Anup Jalota, percussionist Bickram Ghosh, drummer Sivamani and dancer Priti Patel. The festival has been designed to present several strands of India’s musical and cultural heritage on a shared platform, ranging from classical and folk music to traditional percussion and dance.
The event is being organised by the Hindusthan Art and Music Society, along with Bharat Sanskriti Yatra, an initiative of Eternal Sounds. Across its three-day programme, the festival will feature performances representing different traditions and styles, giving audiences an opportunity to experience a broad cross-section of India’s performing arts.
Folk traditions open the festival
The first day will feature Banglar Lokkotha, a special presentation centred on the folk traditions of Bengal. Lopamudra Mitra and Dohar will perform in the segment, bringing the region’s folk musical traditions into the festival’s opening programme.
Another major presentation on the first day will be Trikaal. The programme will feature Grammy Award-winning Pandit L. Shankar, Padma Shri recipient Pandit Tarun Bhattacharya, Bickram Ghosh, Pulak Sarkar and Pranab Dutta.
The opening day will also include Kathak performances by Guru Gajendra Panda and Guru Madhumita Roy, adding a dance component to an evening otherwise rich in musical performances.
Classical music and percussion take centre stage
The second day will feature a special performance by Begum Parveen Sultana, one of the highly respected figures in Indian classical music. She will be joined on stage by Pandit Samar Saha and Pandit Jyoti Goswami.
Percussion will receive particular attention that day with Agnir Baadya, a special presentation by Padma Shri recipient Sivamani. Known for his work with percussion and drums, he will be among the key performers of the festival’s second-day programme.
The schedule will also include a Bhajan Samrat segment featuring Padma Shri Pandit Anup Jalota and Pandit Prosenjit Poddar. Their appearance adds a devotional music component to a programme otherwise spanning several classical and contemporary performance traditions.
A diverse finale
The festival’s closing day will continue its emphasis on musical and cultural diversity. Oitijhyer Milan will bring together Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Vidwan Shashank Subramanyam, Yashwant Vaishnav and Kishore Ramesh.
The programme will also feature Pandit Gobinda Bose’s Taaler Dhwani. Dance will return to the spotlight with Bharater Nrityadhara, presented by Guru Priti Patel and Jaya Shilghosh.
The combination of established classical musicians, folk performers, percussionists and dancers gives the festival a deliberately varied character. Rather than focusing on a single musical tradition, the programme moves between regional folk culture, classical forms, devotional music, rhythm-based performances and Indian dance.
The venue, South City International School, is located at 375 Prince Anwar Shah Road in Kolkata. Established in 2009, the institution has academic activities alongside engagement with disciplines including music, dance, theatre and visual arts.
With performances spread across three days, the Kolkata Tradition Festival 2026 is expected to offer audiences a broad view of India’s performing-arts traditions. Its line-up brings together artists associated with different musical and artistic forms, making the event a significant cultural gathering in Kolkata at the beginning of October.
