Forgotten WhatsApp groups will rise from the ashes around this time of the year to plan the fabled ‘Mumbai to Goa trip’. The Goans, however, have different plans. Choir conductor Parvesh Java is packing his bags to board the Konkan Kanya Express to Mumbai, popular Fadista Sonia Shirsat is flying into Mumbai from Istanbul, and the finest feni from Baga has started flowing into the city.

“A hundred choristers in a train to Mumbai. You can imagine how electric the atmosphere is,” shares Java, who will be met with a change of scenery from the ethereal basilicas of Goa to the heritage Royal Opera House stage in the city with Festa de Goa. “Goa’s cultural heritage has long been relegated to the backseat amidst all the talk about its food, drinks, and its trippy nightlife. We wanted to unearth these gems and present them at one big festival,” shares organiser Asad Lalljee, of Avid Learning.