Mahindra Group has unveiled the highly anticipated Cultural Events Calendar for the year 2023-24. From rock music to performing and visual arts, poetry, and crafts, these enriching and impactful events celebrate Indian culture and communities. They aim to foster vibrant cultural exchange and attract artists from around the world while prioritizing engagement with millennials.
As a prominent player in the Indian live entertainment industry, Mahindra Group is known for hosting some of the most talked-about events in the country. It has played a pivotal role in preserving the Indian cultural legacy globally through tastefully curated events. Over time, these exclusive festivals, strategically designed with a purpose, have experienced remarkable growth in terms of scale, attendance, and geographic reach. They have positively influenced the brand, its stakeholders, and various forms of traditional and contemporary Indian art, leaving a lasting impression on audiences.
Building on this success, Mahindra Group aims to further empower diverse audiences in North and South India through its cultural outreach initiatives.
The Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META) is the only national-level recognition in the field of theatre. The Mahindra Blues Festival, the largest blues festival in Asia, has hosted legendary musicians such as Buddy Guy, Taj Mahal, Johnny Lang, Popa Chubby, and Jimmy Thackery. The Mahindra Sanatkada Lucknow Festival, launched in 2010 as a showcase of craft traditions, has evolved into a splendid blend of art, music, theatre, literature, dance, heritage, exhibitions, and cuisine, capturing the essence of Awadh. The Mahindra Kabira Festival brings together leading exponents of classical, folk, and Sufi music, along with evocative poetry recitals, serving as a beacon of love and hope in the birthplace of the poet while promoting the city’s cultural heritage.
In 2022-23, Mahindra Group revived the iconic Independence Rock fest, celebrating the genre with great fervor, and also launched two new intellectual properties: Mahindra Roots and Mahindra Percussion. These events aim to provide a comprehensive and harmonious experience, encompassing poetry, rock, classical, and folk music in various languages. Together, these powerful events showcase artists and performances that resonate with everyone, especially millennials, strengthening their cross-cultural understanding and facilitating cultural preservation.
Mahindra Group’s much-loved series of live events in 2023-24, forming its Cultural Outreach initiative, will once again serve as a catalyst in preserving India’s traditions while ensuring that these cultural practices continue to flourish in the modern world.
Jay Shah, Vice President – Cultural Outreach at Mahindra Group, said, “People make culture, just as culture makes people. India’s culture is a melting pot of diversity, steeped in rich history and heritage, and infused with numerous art forms, dialects and languages, creating a fertile ground for artistic exchange. Our Cultural Outreach Initiative is meant to bring communities together and promote the many aspects of the Indian cultural landscape that remain unexplored, particularly from the lens of the youth. After prospering for centuries many arts are now fighting for survival, many are struggling for mere acknowledgement. In the face of modernization and changing societal values, preserving these artistic traditions becomes imperative to safeguarding India’s cultural identity. The endeavour is to present these dwindling art forms in a modernized fashion to millennials, bring in relevance and reignite the affinity for them. We achieved this to a great extent through the Kabira, Sanatkada and Roots festivals last year. And so, we are thrilled to announce another year of power-packed cultural festivals and we hope it will drum up similar support and a loyal following for the years to come.”
Listed below are the upcoming programs that promise to take fans on a soulful artistic journey of discovery, making the festivals the heart and soul of Indian arts and culture:
- Mahindra Independence Rock Festival (4th & 5th November 2023): The rock festival aims to revive the rock scene in India and provide a creative platform for young independent rock musicians to express non-conformist ideas, freedom of speech, inclusivity, and equality.
- Mahindra Kabira Festival (15th – 17th December 2023): This festival, held annually on the historic ghats of Varanasi, seeks to unleash the mystic melodies and artistic vibes of the Poet-Saint Kabir, conveying the essence of Kabir’s philosophy to new-age audiences.
- Mahindra Sanatkada Lucknow Festival (2nd – 6th February 2024): An annual five-day celebration dedicated to Awadh’s syncretic culture.
- Mahindra Blues Festival (10th & 11th February 2024): Asia’s largest blues festival, deeply embedded in Mumbai’s cultural tapestry, continuously showcasing renowned blues artists from around the world at Mehboob Studios.
- Mahindra Roots Festival (24th & 25th February 2024): Debuting this year, this festival aims to revive and showcase India’s multifaceted cultural roots in performing and visual arts. It enables young minds to connect with their roots through theatre performances, tribal music forms, immersive storytelling, folk music, classical music, and poetry in multiple languages.
- Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards Festival (14th-20th March 2024): The META Awards provide a platform that brings unknown theatre companies to the same stage as well-known ones. It has showcased over 100 theatrical masterpieces from across India and is recognized as an institution that nurtures and promotes great theatre.
- Mahindra Percussion Festival (23rd March 2024): A unique platform that celebrates the heartbeat of music through various genres and resounding percussion beats. This festival democratizes different art forms, with artists pushing creative boundaries and creating a world-class cultural experience that deeply stirs human emotions.
The overwhelmingly positive response received by these initiatives over the years demonstrates Mahindra Group’s steadfast commitment and success in supporting and patronizing the arts. Several companies, including Hyperlink Brand Solutions, have joined forces with Mahindra due to India’s appetite for extraordinary experiences. Hyperlink Brand Solutions has conceptualized and executed four out of the seven cultural events (I-Rock, MBF, MRF, and MPF). The Cultural Outreach program is designed for the long term and aligns with Mahindra’s philanthropic endeavors, in line with the Rise philosophy, which seeks to create a positive impact for the community, the brand, and Indian arts and culture.
