Delhi International Arts Festival

Delhi International Arts Festival is a recurring multi-venue arts festival held in Delhi, bringing together artists and cultural groups from India and other countries.

Its programme spans several artistic disciplines, with performances and presentations that can include classical and contemporary dance, music, theatre, literature, film, puppetry and visual arts.

• Festival period — Usually scheduled between autumn and early winter, with the exact dates varying by edition.
• Programme dates — Individual performances, exhibitions and workshops are spread across the festival period.

Cultural exchange — The festival creates opportunities for artists from different countries and artistic traditions to meet and present their work to Delhi audiences.

Artistic diversity — Its broad programming places classical, folk, contemporary and international forms within one city-wide cultural programme.

Public engagement — Performances and related events provide audiences with opportunities to encounter artistic traditions beyond their usual cultural settings.

The festival emerged in the late 2000s as a large-scale arts initiative for Delhi, developed through collaboration among cultural organisations and public institutions.

Over time it evolved as a recurring multi-arts and multi-venue festival, presenting Indian traditions alongside international performances and collaborations in theatres, cultural centres and public spaces.

Public — Audiences attend scheduled performances, exhibitions, talks, workshops and other cultural programmes at participating venues across Delhi.

Artists — Visiting and local artists present established works, new productions and cross-cultural collaborations in different artistic disciplines.

Cultural institutions — Partner venues and organisations host individual programmes, helping the festival operate across multiple parts of the city.

The celebration follows a changing programme rather than a fixed ritual sequence. Performances and exhibitions are scheduled across participating venues, with audiences moving between dance, music, theatre, visual arts, literature and other presentations according to the edition's programme.

Delhi — The festival is centred on Delhi and may use theatres, cultural institutions, auditoriums and public spaces in different parts of the city.

International participation — Visiting groups and artists bring artistic practices from different countries, while Indian artists represent a range of regional traditions and contemporary approaches.

• Multi-venue artistic programming
• Classical and contemporary dance presentations
• Indian and international music performances
• Theatre and storytelling
• Visual arts exhibitions
• Artist workshops and cultural exchanges

Stage performance — Represents the festival's focus on live artistic expression and shared audience experiences.

International collaboration — Reflects the exchange of artistic ideas between Indian and overseas performers.

Multiple venues — Represents the festival's city-wide character and its connection with Delhi's cultural institutions and public spaces.

• The festival is designed as a multi-arts and multi-venue event rather than a single-stage celebration.
• Its programming has included both Indian and international artists and cultural groups.
• Classical Indian forms such as Kathak, Bharatanatyam and Odissi have featured in its programmes.
• The festival can combine performing arts with theatre, literature, film, puppetry and visual arts.
• Programmes have been presented at cultural institutions as well as prominent public spaces in Delhi.
• Some associated programmes have provided opportunities for international participants to perform Indian classical music and dance traditions.