In Mumbai, sit under the stars for some poetry, music and conversation

Sriti Jha performed at the last edition of Spoken Fest in Mumbai. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

When was the last time you sat on the grass and listened to poetry? Or when you found yourself completely immersed in lyrical lines under the stars, and were inspired to put pen to paper?

Growing steadily since its first edition in 2018, this year Spoken Fest in Mumbai will feature over 70 artists who will come together on 1st and 2nd February at Jio World Garden, BKC for spoken word performances, music, discussions and more. But will come. This year, the Kommune’s Spoken Fest will be presided over by lyricist, veteran poet and lyricist Gulzar.

Lyricist and Pete Gulzar during Jaipur Literature Festival 2024

Often deeply personal, emotional and soul-stirring, spoken word involves the creators reciting poetry that often encompasses a range of stories and experiences. It is not limited to just one genre, and can range from simple poetry recitation to hip-hop or jazz poetry.

“More than half of our audience are creators themselves, and many queue up for the festival at the beginning of the year as it opens the door to inspiration for the year. It has been a life-changing experience for many, and it is truly unique that people sit to listen to poets, and then immediately stand up for a musical performance,” says Roshan Abbas.

From 5,000 people in its first edition, Spoken Fest’s audience has tripled over the years, with more than 55% of the crowd being women. The event features a mix of spoken word artists, poets, actors, comedians, writers and singers among the 70 odd artists who take the stage.

Priya Malik Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

“Over the past few years, we have continuously worked on curating the lineup, 30% of which is made up solely of people from the spoken word community including Priya Malik, Nayaab Midha, Nidhi Narwal and more. And we also have actors, speakers and thought leaders who are curious about the format, and ready to put in the preparation and rehearsals required for it,” explains Roshan. It includes actors Divya Dutta, Huma Qureshi, Ashish Vidyarthi, Gajraj Rao and Raghubir Yadav, who Roshan says will perform folk songs as part of their performance.

In addition to spoken word performances, the extensive musical lineup this year includes talks and tunes with singer Shankar Mahadevan, and performances by the band Agni, singers Mansa Jimmy, Ankur Tiwari, Sanjita Bhattacharya and hip-hop duo Khasi Bloodz.

In December 2024, Spoken Fest made its debut in Shillong and in the coming year, the festival is expanding to other cities as well.

“Each person has something unique to bring to Spoken Fest, and we have talent coming from all over the country. Gulzar saab’s Utsav title was a dream come true for us; “Sitaron ke Neeche Gulzar” will be the defining experience of this edition, says Roshan.

@Jio World Garden BKC on 1st and 2nd February from 2 pm to 10 pm. Tickets are available on Insider.in and are priced starting at Rs 999