REVEALED: Mumbai’s iconic Independence Rock music festival will NOT take place in 2025

After resuming in 2022, Mahindra Independence Rock will not not be taking place this year. Photo Courtesy: File pic

Fans of rock music in India will be disappointed as Mumbai's iconic Independence Rock music festival will not be held this year, reveals the team, the organisers have confirmed.

The response comes at a time when many fans are asking about the return of the music festival not only offline but also online while revisiting the 2024 posts on Instagram in the last few weeks. On one such post a few days ago, Farhad Wadia, the founder of the music festival, has responded to a user Dharmil Patel saying ‘dharmil18, sadly no". The music festival fan responded saying "farhad.wadia okay I hope you guys make a comeback next year."

Responding to mid-day, they said, "After the landmark 30th anniversary edition of Mahindra Independence Rock in 2024, we felt it was the perfect moment to pause, reflect, and reimagine what comes next.

"I-Rock has always been more than a music festival. It's been a movement and a gathering of generations. Rather than rush into another edition, the team is taking time to explore and reimagine how the festival can evolve to match today's soundscape and spirit. This isn't goodbye; it's a moment of recalibration. We're grateful to everyone who's kept the flame alive for all these years, and we're excited for what comes next."

The festival, a must-visit for many rock fans not only in Mumbai but also other parts of the country, started in 1986 at Rang Bhavan, and has since then been a stage for some of the country's biggest rock bands.

Ever since its return, the music festival has featured lineups that have not only included the likes of Parikrama, Indus Creed, Thaikkudam Bridge, Avial, 13AD and Pentagram but also the likes of Pineapple Express, Swarathma and even Bloodywood, apart from Girish And The Chronicles.

Apart from Mahindra Blues Festival, Lollapalooza 2026 has been a recent addition that has become a solid festival fixture in the last few years in the music calendar of many Mumbaikars. This year has also seen standalone performances that have seen the likes of Coldplay, Cigarettes After Sex, Ed Sheeran, Maroon 5 and Guns N' Roses perform in the city in 2025 till now.