Hyderabad is gearing up for a vibrant musical celebration on World Music Day, with events spanning multiple genres, venues, and cultural traditions. From the globally celebrated Fête de la Musique to special choir performances, the city will host a variety of free and ticketed concerts between June 19 and June 27, 2026.
Fête de la Musique: An open-air musical celebration
The highlight of Hyderabad’s World Music Day celebrations is Fête de la Musique, an international open-air music festival that began in France in 1982 and is now observed in over 120 countries. The Hyderabad edition, produced by Goethe-Zentrum Hyderabad and Alliance Française Hyderabad in collaboration with Dark Vibe Society and George Hull Collective, continues a remarkable tradition of over 20 years.
“It originated in France 44 years ago, but the fact that Hyderabad has been doing it for over 20 years without a break, including online events during the pandemic, is remarkable,” shares Amita Desai, founder-director of Goethe Zentrum Hyderabad.
Event details:
- Date: June 21, 2026
- First session: 4 PM – 8 PM at NEXT Galleria Mall
- Second session: 8:30 PM onwards at EXT Film Nagar
- Entry: Free, no prior registration required
The festival will feature a diverse lineup of musicians, including both established and emerging artists. The performance roster includes Rohit H. Sivaram (Carnatic prog-rock), Gianna Mukerjee and Milania Mukerjee (pop), Anupam Kunapalli (jazz piano), Sanjana Akasam (jazz musical theatre), Rajib Sarkar (freestyle flute), The Long Parade (Euro-indie-pop), Underdog Project (emancipation songs), and Abstruse (hip-hop), among many others.
Alright Mela: Mediterranean rhythms
Adding an international flavour to the celebrations, the Alright Mela will bring rhythms of the Mediterranean to Hyderabad as part of its India tour. The event aims to introduce audiences to different musical traditions while encouraging cultural connections through shared experiences.
Hyderabad Voices: A patriotic choral tribute
Hyderabad Voices, including its junior chorus group, is set to blend patriotism with World Music Day through their concert titled “Wings of Song”. As many as 75 singers—40 from the senior choir and 35 from the children’s choir—will present a rendition of ‘Jana Gana Mana’, the National Anthem in three-part harmony.
“We wanted to make it secular so people of different age groups, cultures, ethnicities, and orientation can participate,” says music educator Ashrita Arockiam D’Souza, who co-founded the group with Shakila Dowsi.
Concert details:
- Dates: June 19 and June 27, 2026
- Venue: Bhaskara Auditorium
- Tickets: ₹250, available on Bookmyshow and at the venue
The two-hour concert spans multiple genres, with 16 compositions ranging from classics by The Beatles and Queen to African folk songs, ABBA recreations, and Mozart’s ‘Requiem’.
Music as a universal language
For Amita Desai, the essence of World Music Day lies in its ability to break barriers and bring people together. “We are in dire need of being together and coming together, of coexisting harmoniously, and that is the purpose of music. It communicates and connects. I may not know your music, but I am happy to explore it,” she says.
She adds: “A young person could be playing the Beatles, which belongs to my generation, or they could be playing a rap which is their generation, but it connects us”.
With a range of events spanning free open-air concerts, international rhythms, and patriotic choral tributes, Hyderabad’s World Music Day 2026 promises a celebration that resonates across ages and cultures.
