Kolkata is preparing for a three-day cultural celebration bringing together some of the most recognised names in Indian music, dance and traditional performance. The Kolkata Tradition Festival 2026 will feature a varied line-up spanning Bengali folk music, Indian classical music, devotional singing, percussion and dance.
The festival is scheduled to take place from 2 to 4 October at South City International School, 375 Prince Anwar Shah Road, Kolkata. The opening programme on 2 October is due to begin at 5.30pm.
Among the artists set to appear are singer Lopamudra Mitra, bhajan exponent Anup Jalota, percussionist Bickram Ghosh, drummer Sivamani and dancer Priti Patel, alongside several other established performers. By bringing artists from different traditions into one programme, the festival aims to present the breadth of India’s performing arts to audiences in Kolkata.
The event is being organised by the Hindusthan Art and Music Society, together with Bharat Sanskriti Yatra, an initiative of Eternal Sounds. The three-day programme has been structured around distinct musical and dance presentations, allowing each day to offer a different combination of artistic traditions.
The opening day will begin with Banglar Lokkotha, a special presentation rooted in the folk traditions of Bengal. Lopamudra Mitra and Dohar will take part in the performance. Bengali folk music, with its diverse regional forms and storytelling traditions, will provide a distinctly local character to the festival’s first evening.
The first day’s programme will also feature Trikaal, bringing together Grammy Award-winning Pandit L. Shankar, Padma Shri recipient Pandit Tarun Bhattacharya, Bickram Ghosh, Pulak Sarkar and Pranab Dutta. The day’s schedule will also include Kathak performances by Guru Gajendra Panda and Guru Madhumita Roy, adding a classical dance dimension to the evening.
The second day will turn towards Indian classical and devotional music. Begum Parveen Sultana, a highly respected figure in Indian classical music and a Padma Vibhushan recipient, will give a special performance, accompanied by Pandit Samar Saha and Pandit Jyoti Goswami.
Another major attraction will be Agnir Baadya, a special percussion presentation by Padma Shri recipient Sivamani. His appearance is expected to add a strong rhythmic element to the second day’s programme.
The same day will also feature a Bhajan Samrat segment, with performances by Padma Shri Pandit Anup Jalota and Pandit Prosenjit Poddar. Their inclusion brings devotional music into a programme otherwise encompassing a broad range of classical and traditional forms.
The festival will conclude on 4 October with another varied set of performances. Oitijhyer Milan will feature Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Vidwan Shashank Subramanyam, Yashwant Vaishnav and Kishore Ramesh.
The closing day’s programme will also include Taaler Dhwani by Pandit Gobinda Bose. Dance will once again take centre stage with Bharater Nrityadhara, presented by Guru Priti Patel and Jaya Shilghosh.
The choice of venue also reflects the festival’s emphasis on the performing arts. South City International School, established in 2009, is located on Prince Anwar Shah Road and is associated not only with education but also with activities involving music, dance, theatre and visual arts.
With folk traditions, classical music, devotional singing, percussion and dance represented across its three-day schedule, the Kolkata Tradition Festival 2026 is designed to offer audiences a broad cultural programme rather than focusing on a single artistic genre. The presence of performers from different musical and performance traditions is set to give the festival a distinctly varied character as Kolkata hosts the event in early October.
