Delhi, 16th December 2025: The Jaipur Music Stage (JMS), held alongside the iconic Jaipur Literature Festival, returns from the 15th–17th January, 2026, with a vibrant and eclectic line-up, featuring celebrated contemporary musicians, indie favorites, and powerful genre-blending acts from across India. Presented at Hotel Clarks Amer, the festival continues to be one of India’s most anticipated music showcases, bringing together diverse sounds, fresh collaborations, and unforgettable live performances ,that reflect the evolving landscape of Indian contemporary music.
The Jaipur Music Stage opens on 15 January with Soumik Datta | Travellers, an immersive and atmospheric new production by the internationally acclaimed sarod virtuoso and winner of the 2025 Eastern Eye ACTA Award for Music. Blending the evocative voice of the sarod with ambient textures, field recordings, spoken word, and immersive sound design, Travellers forms part of Datta’s seven-month Melodies in Slow Motion tour across India. The evening also features the Vasu Dixit Collective, known for their high-energy Electronic-Folk sound, rooted in Kannada and Hindi traditions. Led by the dynamic singer-composer and filmmaker Vasu Dixit, the ensemble is celebrated for reinterpreting the works of saint-poets such as Basavanna and Kabir, through contemporary arrangements that are both spirited and soul-stirring.
On 16 January, JMS presents a powerful line-up ,featuring some of India’s most compelling voices from the independent music scene. Acclaimed rock band Parvaaz headlines the evening with their signature blend of progressive and psychedelic rock, infused with influences from folk and world music.
Their latest studio album, Na Gul Na Gulistan, released in December 2025, has already topped global indie charts, reaffirming their position as one of the most influential contemporary bands in the country. Joining them is singer-songwriter Raman Negi, whose solo work has emerged as a bold artistic reinvention following nearly two decades of shaping the landscape of indie music in India. Known for his introspective lyricism and genre-transcending sound, Negi’s acclaimed albums Shakhsiyat (2022) and Chaltey Purzay (2024) continue to resonate with audiences nationwide & he was the frontman of one of India’s most influential indie bands, The Local Train.The evening also features the musical talents of Yugm, Jaipur’s own folk-fusion ensemble, whose socially conscious storytelling, powerful melodies ,and modern arrangements, have carved a distinct space for them in the independent music movement.
The festival concludes on 17 January 2026 with a high-octane finale led by the celebrated multi-genre ensemble Thaikkudam Bridge. Known for their large-format performances, cross-genre arrangements ,and extensive global touring, the 15-member band has performed over a thousand shows worldwide ,and remains one of India’s most sought-after live acts. Joining them is Gauley Bhai, a contemporary folk-rock quartet that blends Nepali folk, blues, rock, hip hop, and Afrobeat, into a distinctive, genre-fluid sound. Formed in 2017, the band has built a strong national and international following with its sonically textured arrangements, lyrical depth and community-driven music initiatives.
Avik Roy, Festival Producer – Jaipur Music Stage said”At its core, the Jaipur Music Stage seeks to showcase India’s leading independent acts, celebrating the diversity and strength of the country’s independent music scene. We couldn’t be more delighted to have amazing artistes and musicians from across the country perform at India’s leading literature festival”
Over the years, the Jaipur Music Stage has become an essential cultural pillar of the Jaipur Literature Festival, offering audiences an exceptional platform to experience the breadth and dynamism of India’s contemporary music scene. The 2026 edition continues this legacy by fostering artistic collaboration, celebrating independent voices, and creating a space where creativity and community come together in a vibrant, unforgettable setting.
‘Friend of the Festival’ packages can be booked here: https://jaipurliteraturefestival.org/friendsofthefestival-registration
For more information on the Festival, please visit: https://jaipurliteraturefestival.org/
About Jaipur Literature Festival:
Described as the ‘greatest literary show on Earth’, the Jaipur Literature Festival is a sumptuous feast of ideas. The past 19 years have seen it transform into a global literary phenomenon, having hosted nearly 2000 speakers and welcoming over a million book lovers from across India and the globe. As the years pass and the Festival grows, our core values remain unchanged: to serve as a democratic platform offering access to all. Every year, the Festival brings together a diverse mix of the world’s greatest writers, thinkers, humanitarians, politicians, business leaders, sports people and entertainers on one stage to champion the freedom to express and engage in thoughtful debate and dialogue. Writers and Festival Directors Namita Gokhale and William Dalrymple, alongside Festival Producer Teamwork Arts, invite speakers to take part in the five-day programme set in the historic and dynamic state capital Jaipur.
Past speakers have ranged from Nobel Laureates J.M. Coetzee, Orhan Pamuk and Muhammad Yunus, Man Booker Prize winners Ben Okri, Margaret Atwood and Paul Beatty, Sahitya Akademi winners Girish Karnad, Gulzar, Javed Akhtar, M.T. Vasudevan Nair as well as the late Mahasweta Devi and U.R. Ananthamurthy along with literary superstars including Amish Tripathi, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Vikram Seth. An annual event that goes beyond literature, the Festival has also hosted Amartya Sen, Amitabh Bachchan, the late A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Oprah Winfrey, Stephen Fry, Thomas Piketty and former president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai.
Website: www.jaipurliteraturefestival.org
Jaipur Music Stage
Rooted in the heart of India, yet flavoured with offerings from across the globe, the Jaipur Music Stage 2026 is set to feature a variety of artistes from across the world, embodying variety, excellence, and collaboration. Running parallel to the Jaipur Literature Festival, the Stage is more than just a retreat for literature lovers after a day of stimulating talks, presenting a dynamic musical experience that introduces audiences to fresh, exciting sounds.Collaborations between artistes will salute the essential spirit of music – that of the freedom to create. Be it world music, ghazals, jazz, rock or the blues, the Jaipur Music Stage 2026 is set to be a music festival like no other, embodying variety, excellence and collaboration. The Stage, running parallel to the Jaipur Literature Festival, will present breathtaking evenings of showstopping performances, featuring a variety of artistes from across the globe.
About Teamwork Arts:
Teamwork Arts is a highly versatile production company with roots in the performing arts, social action and the corporate world. For over 30 years, Teamwork Arts has taken India to the world and brought the world to India, presenting the finest of Indian performers, writers , change makers and visual artistes in the knowledge and arts space in India and abroad. Every year, we produce over 33 festivals in 72 cities and 26 countries in the fields of performing & visual arts and literature. We produce the world’s largest literary gathering: the annual Jaipur Literature Festival; JLF international now travels to the US, UK, and Europe.
Even amidst the upheaval and unsettling times of 2020 and through 2021, Teamwork Arts successfully launched the digital series, JLF Brave New World and Words Are Bridges, which were viewed by over 4.8 million people in their first season. Through its digital avatar, the Jaipur Literature Festival reached over 27 million viewers in January 2021. Art Matters empowers artistes across India to collaborate by commissioning them to create new works. The digital series Be Inspired was launched in 2021 – a series that crystal gazes into the future with conversations on science, technology, innovation, environment and more. Three on-ground editions of ‘Be Inspired – Fast-Tracking the Future’ have been in India already.In 2024, Teamwork Arts collaborated with the Royal Family of Jaipur to produce the first edition of the Jaigarh Heritage Festival, presented by Vedanta.
Website: www.teamworkarts.com
