Sawai mahotsav to Sunburn: Is Pune becoming India’s next music capital?

As per an estimate, there are more than 70 music festivals organised in Pune, which usually commence in October and last till February...

Known as ‘Oxford of East’ for the plethora of educational institutions, Pune is now on the road of earning another sobriquet — India’s music capital.

The 10th edition of Sunburn festival was organised at Kesnand village near from December 28 to 31, 2016 (HT file)

From classical to western music, Pune has emerged as important destination for various concerts. The city hosted two major music events Sunburn and VH1 Supersonic, which previously used to be held in Goa. These festivals landed in Pune, given the large youth population city has. Most youngsters come to the city for eduction or employment, especially in the Information Technology sector. The city has nine universities and a number of educational institutions, which provide education to more than seven lakh students.

After having organised the festival for nine years in Goa, the 10th edition of the Sunburn festival, popular electronic dance music event, held at Kesnand near Pune from December 28 to 31, while VH1 Supersonic was organised between February 10 to 12 at Magarpatta.

According to organizers of VH1 Supersonic, the cosmopolitan vibe of the Pune gives the festival a wider audience that appreciates diverse genres of music. The city also boasts of a rich infrastructure that supports commute from metros across India, thereby making travel convenient for outstation attendees.

Saugato Bhowmik, business head, Integrated Network Solutions & Consumer Products, said, “This year is all about transformation of our music festival as well as transformative experiences for our audiences, and we are pleased to begin this journey in Pune, the youth capital of India. We have brought the best of artists from across musical genres and curating custom experiences to entertain our young audience.”

As per an estimate there are more than 70 music festivals organised in Pune, which normally commence in October and last till February.

The city experienced its first music festival 64 years ago after a Hindustani classical vocalist started Sawai Gandharv music festival in memory of his guru. It has now become one of the prominent music festivals in the country. Besides Sawai festival, the city also hosts Vasantostav, another annual festival of classical, semi-classical, folk and light music.