23 January,2026 06:47 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Shadab Khan
Devotees are seen flocking to the Haji Ali Dargah off the coast of Worli
Pics courtesy/Mumbai Fringe
March will bring its share of magical moments as the city prepares to open its first-ever Mumbai Fringe, starting on March 12. Hosted in Bandra, the four-day festival will witness events across the genres of spoken word, comedy, and performance arts. The city will now join Melbourne, Prague, Edinburgh, and London in the 2026 Fringe calendar. "We are extremely excited that the dream of bringing Fringe to Mumbai has been realised. The city deserves to have its own," shared Steve Gove (above), founder-director, Prague Fringe and Mumbai Fringe. Co-founder, Simar Singh (below) added, "We hope to give Mumbai an experience they never forget."
Ustad Zakir Hussain performs in Mumbai. File pic; (right) Zubin Balaporia rehearses for the show. Pic courtesy/Prithvi Theatre
Prithvi Theatre is all set to debut at Lollapalooza India 2026, scheduled to kick off at Mahalaxmi Racecourse this weekend, with Prithvi Presents, a curated musical ensemble that pays tribute to late Ustad Zakir Hussain. Rooted in a relationship that began in 1984 through Prithvi's Memorial Concerts, the performance will reflect his commitment to nurturing artists and widening audiences. The show is scheduled to take place on January 24. Kunal Kapoor, trustee, Prithvi Theatre said, "Presenting this ensemble allows us to extend Zakir saab's vision globally." Led by seasoned musicians Zubin Balaporia and Gino Banks, the ensemble will also feature young artistes. Balaporia added, "With this performance, we hope to keep his memory alive."
Goregaon Cha Omkareshwar in procession. Pic courtesy/Om Sai Datta Mitra Mandal
Goregaon Cha Omkareshwar, at MG Road, Goregaon, is one of the Bappa idols prioritising sustainability for this Maghi Ganeshotsav (which fell on January 22). "The Ganesh idol is made entirely of paper (earlier, it was a clay idol) and has naturally-made colours. It takes 10 to 15 minutes to dissolve, avoiding contamination of water bodies during immersion. We also avoid using plastic bags for sweet distribution; we distribute cloth ones to devotees instead," shared Sanket Jalgaonkar, committee member of the Om Sai Datta Mitra Mandal.
A participant plays the guitar at the previous year's edition of the festival. Pic courtesy/@qknit foundation
Members of the LGBTQiA+ community will take centre stage on January 24 at VG Vaze College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Mulund for Anubhav, a youth festival led by city-based queer community, QKnit Foundation. "It is open to participants between the ages of 18 and 35, especially college students.
We host this every year at colleges across Mumbai, to give queer voices a platform to tell their stories, and allow youngsters to interact with other like-minded people. Contests range from dance and instrument-playing to public speaking," founder Sumit Pawar (right) revealed to this diarist.
Grace n' the Cliches performs on stage. pic courtesy/Grace n' the Cliches
New talent is on the horizon, ready to experience the spotlight in the upcoming edition of the Mahindra Blues Festival at Mehboob Studios, Bandra on February 14 and 15. Bengaluru-based band, Grace n' the Cliches has won the festival's Big Blues Band Hunt, which brings emerging talents in the blues genre from across India to the forefront. Expected to perform in Mumbai at the two-day festival, members of the group were undoubtedly elated. "It is especially wonderful for us, considering there are very few spaces for blues artistes to perform and get exposure [to audiences]," band member Neil Aryan mentioned. Member Grace Maureen further revealed to this diarist the band's intentions of bringing more progressive elements into the genre, saying, "We'd definitely like to add more transitions and variety, and show up for the Blues scene."
