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Weekend events you can’t miss in Pune (Feb 6-8)
From Anoushka Shankar and stargazing camps to comedy, open mics, heritage walks and hands-on art festivals, Pune’s culture calendar is buzzing
Anoushka Shankar: Chapters Tour (Music Concert)
What: The renowned British-American sitar player, composer, and producer gives Pune a taste of her inventive sound. Chapters, her trilogy, encapsulates her 30-year career on stage and her shift from dutiful prodigy (and daughter of Ravi Shankar) to an artist who has long come into her own. Her set moves through intimate, quiet passages and full-throttle ensemble crescendos. It’s perfect for listeners who like their tradition evolving into something new and equally stirring.
When: February 6 (Friday); 7pm
Where: Drome Arena, Laxmi Lawns
Entry: From ₹1,499 onwards. Book on skillboxes.com
Beyond Earth (Star gazing camp)
What: If city brightness has blocked out the night sky, this overnight stargazing camp brings it right back. Hosted by researchers from IUCCA (Pune University), the session moves from constellation spotting to identifying deep-sky objects using high-powered telescopes. It’s a crisp astrophysics event explained in plain English.
Between talks, there’s the promise of a warm bonfire, tea and long, nerdy conversations with similarly curious stargazers.
When: February 6 (Friday); 7pm onwards (overnight)
Where: Camp Hideout: Vengre
Entry: ₹2,090 onwards. Book on BookMyShow
No Country for Common Man – Ganesh Joshi Solo (Marathi Stand-up)
What: Ganesh Joshi’s eight-city solo comedy tour lands in Pune. It thrives on local observations that slice straight through daily Marathi life and its many middle-class absurdities, cultural contradictions and the strange poetry of surviving adulthood. The writing is tight, the delivery deceptively gentle, and the punchlines land with that very Pune flavour of “bolaycha tar kharach aahe”. A solid pick for anyone who likes stand-up that isn’t shallow but still gets everyone to LOL uncontrollably.
When: February 7 (Saturday); 8pm
Where: Backspace Pune, Balewadi
Entry: From ₹299 Book on BookMyShow
Pune Kabir Festival 2026 (Poetry + Music + Dialogue)
What: Four years in, this festival has become Pune’s most democratic cultural gathering. No tickets, no VIP rows—just voices rising in unison. The two-day edition makes Kabir’s spirit come alive through qawwali, folk recitals, succinct readings and community dialogues led by scholars and musicians. You will find yourself surrounded by a beautifully mixed audience: Students, retirees, die-hard poetry lovers, and the simply curious. If you crave culture without barriers or pretence, this one feels like a group hug.
When: February 6-8 (Friday- Sunday), multiple sessions
Where: Various venues across Pune
Entry: Free. Registration via @punekabirfestival
The Orange Open Mic (Poetry, Music, Stories)
What: If you like your Sundays slow, warm and a little artsy, this open mic is the perfect hideout. The Orange Café turns into a tiny creative greenhouse — singers test original melodies, poets read from dog-eared notebooks, storytellers manage to hush a room without trying.
People cheer loudly, forgive mistakes, and linger after the last act to discuss books or music. First-timers are treated gently; regulars feel like old friends. A cup of tea or coffee is included with every ticket.
When: February 8 (Sunday); 4pm - 7pm
Where: The Orange Art & Book Café, Aundh
Entry: Performers ₹250; audience ₹200. Register on @theorange_pune
Raviwar Peth Diwali Market Walk (Heritage walk)
What: Raviwar Peth isn’t just a market; it’s one of Pune’s oldest trading hubs, tracing its roots back to the Peshwa era. This tour with Pune Heritage Walks (PHW) traces the neighbourhood’s layered past on foot, from bustling lanes once dedicated to crafts and commerce to architectural landmarks such as Sugandhi Phadke Wada, Sonya Maruti, Someshwar Temple, Lakshmi Narayan Temple, City Jama Masjid and Saifee Masjid. Randhir Jaya Naidu’s insights bring centuries-old façades to life, folding in market chatter and everyday rituals that still pulse through the streets.
When: February 6 (Friday); 5pm to 7pm
Where: Raviwar Peth, Shukrawar Peth
Entry: ₹300 pp Book on allevents.in
Kalagram Cultural Showcase (Arts festival)
What: A rare four-day festival that treats culture as something you do hands-on. Pune Municipal Corporation and MIT-ADT University turn Kalagram into a living studio. There’s brick-by-brick wall-making, pottery, Warli and Gond workshops. There are heritage walks, folk performances, VR/AR installations, plus debates, poetry slams, and the IKS Olympiad. It’s part museum lab, part neighbourhood mela, part cultural bootcamp.
When: February 6-8 (Friday–Saturday); 10am-8pm
Where: Kalagram, Sinhagad Road
Entry: Free. Registration via @mitadtusap_official
