2018 was a good year for music festivals in India. There were several festivals that took place this year. Artists such as Diplo, Marshmello, Sean Paul, FKJ, Chrome Sparks, God Is An Astronaut, Joe Satriani, Alt-J, Ghastly, Ookay and more come down to India this year. There were also festivals that debuted in India this year and absolutely killed it. As the year is coming to an end, let’s look at our favorite music festivals that really surprised us this year!

1. Magnetic Fields – Rajasthan

Magnetic Fields is a gift that keeps giving.  The Alsisar Mahal had Chrome Sparks, Daphni, Shanti Celeste, Oneman, Denis Sulta and many more performing this year. Homegrown acts such as Zokhuma, Malfnktion , Delhi Sultanate, Sid Vashi, Natural Selection and more also performed brilliant sets. Although the headlining acts had to cancel their appearance, Magnetic Fields still put up an amazing show. Adding to the splendid music, there were also other fun activities to take part in such as yoga retreats, VR showcases and aromatherapy. We hope our readers make it a point to attend this beautiful music festival in the coming years!

2. Life In Color – New Delhi

Life In Color music festival managed by Phoenix Live debuted in India this year. The festival was so beautifully put together that it was hard to believe that it was the very first edition. It was headlined by Diplo and had 4B, Divine, Ritwiz and Smokey in the lineup. Not only did the festival had a steller lineup, but also had a paint party,lots of graffiti, flea markets and areal acts. It was also 4B’s debut performance in India, and the crowd absolutely loved him. We hope Life In Color comes back next year even bigger and better!

3. Echoes Of Earth – Bangalore

This festival took it’s attendees into the wild as the venue was amidst nature. The multigenre, ecofriendly festival had performances by Tennyson, FKJ, Nolah, Dualist Inquiry, Rafiki, Ape Echoes, When Chai Met Toast and many more. This year’s theme revolved around the marine and aquatic life. The four stages and all of the art installations were made of recyclable materials. The festival always has great music accompanied with an important message of environment conservation.

4. Bacardi NH7 Weekender – Pune

Bacardi NH7 Weekender is known to be the happiest music festival of India. It has put up great shows for years and this year was no less. Although there were some artists that cancelled their set due to allegations on OML, the show went on. On the lineup this year were several artists across different generes such as FKJ, Joe Satriani, God Is An Astronaut, Salim Sulaiman, The Local Train, Tarqeeb, Sandunes,Gurbax, Komorebi and more. It also had comedy showcases by renowned Indian comedians like Biswa Kalyan Rath, Zakir Khan, Kaneez Surka and even the contestants of Comicstaan. Other attractions included the Thar Zone, Levi’s Tailor Shop, creative smoking zones and more.

5. VH1 Supersonic – Pune

VH1 Supersonic music festival is known to raise the bar high every year. This year’s edition featured Major Lazer, Dillion Francis, Incubus, Alt-J, Sean Paul, Ghastly, Ookay, Nucleya, Blot and Zaeden among others. The lineup was quite diverse and the mainstage looked absolutely stunning. The festival also had a Super Flea which was full of tasty food, merchandise, massage and tarot sessions. It also had several free water stops. They also had official after parties in various clubs across Pune to ensure that the party doesn’t stop!