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Weekend events you can’t miss in Pune (Dec 5-7)
From 70+ speakers across 40 sessions at a literary festival to storytelling, open mics, and a full-blown jazz festival — there’s plenty to keep your mind (and music) flowing in Pune this weekend
Appearing (Group exhibition)
Appearing brings together six women artists from India and Iran who transform everyday life into quiet acts of rebellion through performance, video, hand-stitched memories, and more. Curator Yash Vikram keeps the experience layered, with bodies navigating cities, domestic rules turned on their head, and histories that refuse to behave. It’s the kind of show you’ll want to unpack over a chai outside.
When: December 6 (Saturday) - December 7 (Sunday); 7am-9pm
Where: Vida Heydari Contemporary, Koregaon Park
Entry: Free
Pune International Literary Festival
PILF is back with 70+ speakers across 40 sessions, with plenty to keep you busy. Columnist and social commentator Shobhaa Dé sits down with author and filmmaker Manjiri Prabhu to unpack The Sensual Self. It promises to be a lively conversation on desire, identity, and storytelling.
Voicing the Hidden is a bilingual session on translation led by Marathi writer and professor Ashutosh Potdar, poet and critic Aruna Dhere, and the Goethe-Institut’s Jayashree Hari Joshi. Also show up for conversations with Blossom Kochhar and Alka Pande. Bring your questions and comments.
Where: Agriculture College Campus, Ganeshkhind Road
When: December 6-7 (Saturday–Sunday); all day
Entry: Register at facebook.com/puneinternationalliteraryfestival
Safarnama Open Mic (Storytelling & spoken word)
Intimate storytelling with travel memories, flash fiction, and plenty of spoken-word poems. New voices turn up brave, tender, and occasionally brilliant — the sort of raw energy that makes editors take notes. Come for the stories; stay for the unpredictable emotional whiplash only a good open mic can deliver.
Where: The Thirdspace, SB Road
When: December 6 (Saturday); 6pm-8pm
Entry: Register on @_sugar._free / @thethirdspace_pune on Instagram
Why Plants Talk to Bugs & How It Shapes the World (Talk on chemical ecology)
A deep dive into the invisible conversations happening all around us. This talk by PhD researcher Sahil Pawar explores how plants use scents, colours, and chemical compounds to communicate with insects — attracting pollinators, warning neighbours of danger, or even defending themselves.
For anyone interested in nature or ecology, or simply curious about life’s small mysteries, this is a chance to see nature’s secret strategies up close.
Where: PUBLIQ, Koregaon Park
When: December 6 (Saturday); 1pm-4pm
Entry: ₹1,399; log on societyofintellectuals.org (Includes food & drinks)
Living Like a Forest (Slow-living workshop)
Ecologist Swapnil Rao, founder of Neil and Momo, inducts participants into what it means to live slowly and sustainably, in consonance with nature. Across two days, you relearn life’s underrated basics - seed saving, regenerative gardening, making natural cleaners, and even composting. It’s part philosophy, part design experience, and is designed for cityfolk who need a break from technology. Think of it as a weekend of heading into the wild without really leaving the city.
Where: Tokoro Farms, Pune
When: December 6-7 (Saturday and Sunday); 10am-5pm
Entry: ₹10,000; Book on @neilandmomo / WhatsApp 9405077206
I Feel, Therefore… (Contemporary movement performance)
The Pune Arts and Health Festival closes with a performance of dance, rhythm, and live music. Artists Anandee Ghorpade, Ravindran Dakshinamurthy, T.K. Subramanian, Shilpita Nadimpally, and Avani Rastogi create movement that reflects what it means to feel, heal, and be in sync with the world around us. Musician and West African djembe professor Varun Venkit brings music therapy to the fore with a closing drum circle.
Where: Pune Handmade Papers, Pune
When: December 7 (Sunday); 6pm-7pm
Entry: Free. Sign up via puneartsandhealthfestival.com
Shisha International Jazz Fest 2024
Pune’s longest-running courtyard jazz festival returns with four sharp, genre-bending acts. The Bombay Ducks’ brass-heavy swing, Light Star Guiding’s ambient-leaning fusion, and Many Roots Ensemble’s global-folk improvisations.
For the syncopated cherry on top, enjoy Finnish saxophonist Pekka Pylkkänen, who is known for his explosive solos and crisp Nordic tone.
Where: Shisha Café, The Mills, Pune
When: December 6-7 (Saturday–Sunday); 7pm onwards
Entry: ₹896 onwards. Book on BookMyShow
