The World Music Festival is a cultural festival held in Udaipur, a city in the state of Rajasthan, India. Amidst the chilly winters, the city plays a host to the popular music festival. The festival has been conceptualized as an annual event since its first edition in 2016.
The festival features live musical performances by numerous international artists. The festival is curated and produced by the SEHER group.
1. Why Udaipur?
Udaipur is known as the city of lakes and attracts a large number of travellers from all over the world. The history of the city dates back to 1559 when Maharana Udai Singh II shifted his capital from Chittorgarh after it was conquered by Akbar. The city, therefore, boasts of having a myriad of historical sites.
The weather in Udaipur is enjoyed by many as it is quite disparate from the rest of Rajasthan. The lakes around the city make it extremely scenic and give out a soothing vibe.
Hence, Udaipur was chosen as the location for the World Music Festival as it can cater to all kinds of travellers. The festival since its inception has been a massive success and hopes to grow into a well-known festival around the world.
2. What kind of music?
The festival includes a mix of popular Rajasthani folk, fusion rock, jazz, instrumental guitar, Bollywood and a diverse selection of music from all over the world.
During the 2019 edition, there were music representations from around 30 nations. The occasion advances to the music sensibilities of individuals crosswise over all ages and backgrounds.
3. What kind of artists?
The festival has been curated to not only showcase Indian culture and folklore but also cater to the musical tastes of the diverse group of travellers from all around the world.
Accomplished, as well as upcoming artists from around the globe, come in to enthral the crowds. The festival has been graced by the French composer Mathias Duplessy, Grammy-award-winning singer Dobet Gnahoré, the Raghu Dixit Project and vocalist Mukhtiyar Ali during the 2016 edition.
The 2017 edition went one step further with Kailash Kher, Kabir Café, Swarthama, London Community Gospel Choir and Yillian Canizares gracing the occasion.
Bollywood giants Shankar-Ehsan-Loy, Youtube Sensation Maati Baani, NoJazz from France, Ankur Tewari and the Anand Bhaskar collective performed at the 2018 edition.
The music pioneer Karsh Kale headlined the 2019 edition with a niche display of his tabla and remixing skills. The Israeli band Gulaza enthralled the crowds at Gandhi Ground. The popular independent rock band 'The Local Train' culminated the festival on a high with their energetic sounds!
4. Where in Udaipur?
The festival is held at several locations around Udaipur city. All the locations are picturesque and the stages are aesthetically designed with colourful décor. Lights and production props are on point with their glares lighting up the Udaipur Ghats. There aren’t many other festivals around the world with such a magnificent sense of vivid eye-catching scenes.
The festival is held across locations around the city such as Ambrai Ghat, Gandhi Ground and Fateh Sagar Pal.
5. When?
The festival in its previous editions has been held in the 2nd week of February. The Udaipur winters are extremely pleasant, hence it serves as the best season to host a festival at such a large scale. The 4th edition was held from 9th to 11th February 2019. Each day has a well-known artist headlining the evening events.
6. Cost?
FREE!
The entry to the festival is completely free of cost for people of every nationality. It’s totally worth visiting Udaipur during this time and enjoying the festivities!
The Rajasthan Tourism hopes to grow this festival into a one-of-its-kind fest in the world and is looking to attract tourists, locals and travellers in larger numbers.
7. How to reach Udaipur?
Air:
Maharana Pratap Airport is a small domestic airport situated in Dabok village around 25 kilometres from Udaipur. Daily flights connect Udaipur with Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai. Flight tickets can be as cheap as 3.5k-4k for a return flight if booked well in advance.
Train:
The Udaipur City Railway Station and Rana Pratap Nagar Railway Station are the two major stations around the city. There exists a broad gauge network with connections to all major cities within India. The luxury trains operated by the Indian Railways such as Palace on Wheels and Maharaja Express have a scheduled stop at Udaipur.
Road:
The Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC) and numerous private operators provide A/C and Non-A/C services to and from other cities. The roads are great and the landscapes are worth a view.
8. Where to stay?
There are many hostels and hotels around Udaipur catering to all kinds of budgets. I would recommend staying around Lake Pichola. Most of the hotels and hostels offer unbridled views of the City Palace & Ghats. There are a number of cafes around the area too!
Recommended hostels: Hostelcrawl, Bunkyard, GoStops and Moustache.
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