Following the triumphant return of their renowned Indika Festival, Milap are bringing some of the most acclaimed names in contemporary Indian music to the North West in Spring 2026.
Partnering with Liverpool International Jazz Festival 2026, Milap’s Spring programme spotlights some of the UK’s leading Indo-Jazz pioneers. The season begins with Milap’s annual return to the festival, on Saturday 28th February, with multi-award winning musicians, Zoe Rahman & Arun Ghosh.
An internationally-renowned pianist and composer, Zoe Rahman has firmly established herself as one of the most original and compelling voices in contemporary jazz. Celebrated for her vibrant, distinctive playing style, her music is deeply rooted in jazz, whilst reflecting her classical background. Her career includes collaborations with leading jazz figures such as Courtney Pine and George Mraz, as well as numerous accolades, including the Ivor Novello Impact Award.
Another key player on the UK Jazz scene, Arun Ghosh is a revered clarinettist, composer and innovator of the Indo-Jazz style. Twice awarded ‘Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year’ at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards, Ghosh leads his own ensembles, tours both nationally and internationally and has an impressive catalogue of critically-acclaimed works. With an open-eared aesthetic and philosophy, Ghosh’s work embodies a multi-genre approach where numerous strands of jazz join forces with a myriad of musical influences.
Paving the way for modern Indo-Jazz, the pair will explore their shared British-Bengali heritage in a musical conversation that blends South-Asian and jazz traditions.
Rescheduled to chime with the highly-anticipated UK Tour for his fourth studio album, ‘There Is Beauty, There Already’, Sarathy Korwar takes to the stage of Future Yard in Birkenhead on Saturday 28th March, promoted in partnership with Milap and the venue.
A standout figure on the UK Jazz scene, Korwar is a globally acclaimed percussionist, composer and producer. With ringing endorsements from the The Guardian, Rolling Stone, MOJO Magazine, Songlines and Jazz FM, Korwar has established himself as a defining jazz artist and collaborator – winning MOJO’s Jazz Album of the Year (2019), placing #2 in The Guardian’s Best Global Albums (2022) and winning Songlines’ Best Album of the Year in 2023.
Audiences can expect a striking, percussion-led exploration of rhythm, voice and electronics. With South Asian temple procession rhythms and contemporary minimalism, this is futuristic Indo-Jazz at its finest.
A luminous talent within the realm of Indian Classical music, Sarangi player Satwinder Pal Singh will be joined by Milap’s Artist in Residence Kousic Sen for a special performance in The Tung Auditorium’s lunchtime concert series, on Wednesday 18th February.
Pal Singh’s work encompasses a rich musical legacy, saturated with many musical influences from his family, while growing up in Punjab. Offering the perfect midday musical respite, Satwinder Pal Singh not only boasts a profound comprehension of the Sarangi, but also possesses an artistic versatility that sees him play multiple bowed instruments from across Northern India, including the Dilruba, Israj and Taus.
Following an exciting return to Manchester for Indika Festival 2025, Milap are bringing South-Asian dance and performing arts back to The Lowry, with ‘Just Enough Madness & Caught In The Net of Rebirth’, on Tuesday 31st March.
Created by and starring the award-winning, UK-based Kuchipudi dancer, Payal Ramchandani and Dutch dance artist and choreographer, Chandenie Gobardhan, the performance is an exploration of the concept of Trimurti – the cosmic cycle of creation, preservation and destruction of the self.
Weaving together poetic text and ritual – accompanied by a striking live musical score by three musicians on percussion, flute and vocal – the pair will express Trimurti through themes of motherhood, miscarriage and post-partum. Drawing inspiration from multiple dance styles – including Kuchipudi, Bharatanatyam, street dance and contemporary – this is a bold new dance-theatre work from two new generation South-Asian female voices.
For more information visit milap.co.uk.