Top 25 Music Festivals in India, Ranked by Popularity

ecently been a comprehensive rock and metal music festival in the country, with single-day events like MTV Rockathon and I-Rock making way for more genre-specific fests like Harley Rock Riders. Outrage Festival was a much-needed attempt to put on a multi-day festival focused almost entirely on heavy music. Reviving in 2019 after a four-year pause, the festival recruited prolific American chaos metallers Anaal Nathrakh, established Indian acts like Gutslit and Kryptos, as well as a crop of emerging metal bands. Over the years, they’ve added new stages and featured heavyweights like Testament, Ihsahn, and Cradle of Filth, even throwing in names like Katatonia and Fleshgod Apocalypse. While Outrage remains fairly genre-loyal, there’s a strong sense of underground discovery to the lineup that encompasses power metal, hardcore, thrash, progressive, and more. In doing so, they align themselves more closely to the likes of European summer festivals than heavy music events elsewhere in India. The festival’s lower ranking is rooted in its strategic placement for rock and metal fans, and its commitment to pushing newer talent to the foreground – S.J. 20. Taalbelia
Taalbelia. Taalbelia is proof that the Rajasthan desert – beyond being the preferred location for global audiences to consume annual music events – can be a site for dreamy and varied lineups. Started in 2016, the festival’s origins lie within the music community – singers Piyush Mishra and Kutle Khan, singer-songwriter Akhar Titi – which in forms a chunk of programming that travels to places like Mandawa and Gaganbawda. Over the years, they’ve included names like Asian Dub Foundation, Ritviz, Nucleya, and even more experimental aesthetics from producer Sarathy Korwar and Kefaya. The festival’s scores for inclusion of Rajasthani local talent and themes, such as a single-stage setup and a collaborative performance every year, add to its charm, making it one of the most progressing music festivals in India. – A.T. 19. February Crawl
The annual Vans February Crawl in Mumbai. This annual festival by sneaker brand Vans started as a music-brewing combined with DJs, skating, and food at Blue Frog in Mumbai. Today, February Crawl has evolved to feature gigs at different venues across the city to accompany the brand’s latest sneaker releases. Over the years, they’ve secured bookings such as Godflesh, Wolf Alice, and Charli XCX, packaging a mix of alternative, electronic, and chart pop acts that move around niche music venues not too big or too small. While its lineup has the potential for pop culture moments, the lack of consistent branding or long-term investment in the music ecosystem keeps it from becoming a more entrenched fixture, even now landing it in the lower half of the list. – S.J. 18. East Wind Festival The East Wind Festival in 2024 in West Bengal Music festivals in West Bengal have tried for years to cast the spotlight on the state beyond its illustrious cultural past, but the East Wind Festival has maintained a focus on the music rather than turning into just another online offshoot of the more popular Northeast festivals. Started by event company Greymind Communications in the tea gardens and forests of Dooars in north Bengal, the festival has drawn international acts like Wolf Alice and Bonobo alongside composers and musicians from India, Sri Lanka and Nepal. This mix of locals alongside a megastar like Caribou and genre-spanning newcomers like GREY, Takar Nabam and DJ Sa has led to a swell of interest in a festival that remains a hidden gem in the folk and electronic music scene of India.– A.T.