Milap’s INDIKA festival is returning to Liverpool this October with a 15-day celebration of Indian music, dance and culture. The expansive range of events are taking place across the entire Liverpool City Region, as Milap strives to bring Indian culture to an even bigger audience.
Coinciding with their 40 year anniversary, the 2025 INDIKA festival “feels especially meaningful, as a celebration of how far we’ve come and a statement of where we’re headed” (Alok Nayak – Artistic Director of Milap). As one of Europe’s largest festivals of Indian classical arts, INDIKA has a varied programme which will allow audiences to not only watch and listen to performances, but feel them too, through multi-sensory experiences from both internationally renowned and British talent.
The programme will include captivating events that span across India’s diverse cultural traditions, such as traditional and contemporary dance and music, yoga, poetry, storytelling, talks, workshops, films, and more to inspire and connect with audiences.
Here’s some highlights coming up at this year’s festival.
The Tapi Project – Downstairs at the Everyman (22 October)
A continuous revival and retelling of stories and themes that make up modern India – held together by their compelling songwriting and compositions. Influences from the worlds of jazz, funk, folk and rock – filtered through the Indian subcontinent – all combine to create their unique and genre-defying sound.
Dancing The Divine – Unity Theatre (23 October)
Dancing the Divine by acclaimed Kathak artist Sanjukta Sinha comes to Unity Theatre on Thursday 23 October. This intimate solo performance takes inspiration from the figure of Krishna, exploring themes of love, longing and devotion through movement and stillness. Rather than retelling myths, Sinha invites audiences into a personal, meditative journey where presence, absence and the search for the divine unfold on stage.
Rohan Roy Collective – Philharmonic Hall Music Room (24 October)
Taking place in The Music Room at Philharmonic Hall, acclaimed violinist Rohan Roy leads the collective in a bold fusion of Indian classical and contemporary sound. Joined by Giuliano Modarelli on guitar, Domenico Angrano on bass, and Harkiret Singh Bahra playing the table. This promises fusion at its finest as they combine Indian classical ragas with jazz, groove, and global sounds.
The Stringmasters – The Tung Auditorium (25 October)
After being brought together by Milap in 2013, Anil Srinivasan, an award winning Indian pianist, and Dr Jayanthi Kumaresh, a virtuoso of the Saraswathi Veena have come together and created a remarkable blend of Western and Carnatic classical traditions.
A Carnatic Quartet- A Concert for Children and Families -Philharmonic Hall Music Room (29 October)
Also taking place in The Music Room at Philharmonic Hall is an exciting opportunity to introduce a new generation to the magic of South Indian classical music. Designed just for families, the Carnatic Quartet have created a high-energy interactive performance perfect for curious young minds. Comprised of Shreya Devnath (Violin), Mylai M Karthikeyan (Nadhaswaram), Praveen Sparsh (Mridangam), and Adyar G Silambarasan (Thavil), the quartet create melodies that open up a world of wonder.
Sarathy Korwar – Future Yard (29 October)
One of the most original and compelling voices in the UK Jazz scene. Sarathy Korwar – globally acclaimed percussionist, composer and producer – is set to present music from his upcoming album ‘There Is Beauty, There Already’. Expect a striking, percussion-led exploration of rhythm, voice and electronics. With South Asian temple procession rhythms and contemporary minimalism, this is futuristic folk at its finest.
Resonance – Strings Across Borders – The Tung Auditorium (31 October)
A captivating concert taking place in the Tung Auditorium is Resonance – Strings Across Borders, made up of the duo of acclaimed sarod maestro Dr Pandit Ranajit Sengupta and distinguished sitarist Ashim Chowdhury and also the versatile and virtuosic German guitarist André Krengel. Accompanying the musicians is the esteemed Kousic Sen on tabla. It’ll be an evening where you can experience a fusion of musical traditions, where Indian music meets contemporary guitar and where tradition meets innovation.
INDIKA festival will take place across Liverpool from the 17th-31st of October, with Diwali on the 20th of October featuring as the centrepiece of the festival. Full of exciting events and experiences, this multi-arts festival has something for everyone to explore and enjoy.
INDIKA Festival 2025
17-31 October
Various venues
More information can be found on Milap’s website.