Musical Marathon: Backstreet Boys to Ultra music fests are ready to rock India in 2023

Held in India’s paragliding hub, Bir, Musicathon is a music festival in the mountains that offers a residential experience where attendees and artists share the same roof, giving fans a chance to actually meet the artists. Its latest edition will take place on April 7-8, giving you the perfect weekend getaway. For a single-day pass, the price is ₹1,299. It’s ₹2,399 for a two-day pass. Both of these options do not include accommodation. The price for a pass along with a stay in trekking tents (on dual sharing) is ₹4,199 per person. The tickets are available on its official website.

After a short hiatus, Ultra Worldwide is returning to India with its signature event series Road To Ultra. As always, this year’s lineup includes some of the world’s finest performers and most popular DJs, like Afrojack, James Hype, and many others. Road To Ultra: India will kick off in Mumbai on April 14, followed by a second show in Bengaluru on April 15. The tickets start at ₹1,500 per person and are available on BookMyShow.

If you missed Delhi’s Jazz Festival in February, fret not. Because the World Jazz Festival is taking place in Mumbai this April. Featuring Jazz musicians from around the world, the festival will take place at the Bal Gandharva Rang Mandir in Bandra. Tickets start at ₹885 and are available on BookMyShow.

Every millennial’s favourite childhood boy band is returning to India after 13 years. As part of their DNA world tour, Backstreet Boys will perform on May 4 and May 5, at Jio World Gardens in Mumbai and at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi, respectively. Tickets start at ₹4,000 and can be purchased on BookMyShow.

Introduced in 2012, the Ziro music festival has today become one of the most popular festivals, receiving attendees from across India. Singers Lucky Ali, Prateek Kuhad, and Jazz artist Nubya Garcia are among those who have performed on Ziro’s stages over the years. While this year’s exact dates are yet to be announced, the four-day festival takes place in September every year at the Ziro Valley in Arunachal Pradesh. Dubbed India's most eco-friendly music festival, the early-bird tickets started at ₹5,000 last year. The passes for this year will soon go live on the website.

​Jodhpur RIFF is a not-for-profit roots music festival endorsed by UNESCO. It takes place at one of Rajasthan’s largest forts, the Mehrangarh fort in Jodhpur. HH Gaj Singh of Marwar-Jodhpur is the chief patron of Jodhpur RIFF and Sir Mick Jagger, the front man of the rock band The Rolling Stones is the International Patron of Jodhpur RIFF. The ticket prices for the festival are yet to be announced.

Delhi Music Festival aims to bring together the diverse sounds and rhythms of India and celebrate India’s vibrant culture. Though the lineup of the festival is yet to be announced, the tickets are live on Insider and start at ₹999. The festival will take place at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in Delhi.

Majuli in Assam is the biggest river island in the world and every year in November it hosts the Majuli music festival. The three-day festival celebrates a diverse range of musical genres, including folk, classical, and contemporary music, while also exhibiting the works of local artists. Lucky Ali was one of the singers to perform at the festival last year. This year’s lineup and ticket prices are yet to be announced, but tickets started at ₹1,500 last year and were available on Insider.

Offering a blend of Rajasthani folk and contemporary music, Magnetic Fields is a three-day music festival held at the Alsisar Mahal of Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan. In 2022, the basic ‘pitch your own tent’ package started at ₹12,500. The festival pass without accommodation was available for ₹15,000. This year’s dates are yet to be announced, post which the passes will go live on the festival’s website.

Apart from the aforementioned festivals, NH7 Weekender and Sunburn will also take place this year but their dates are not yet confirmed. Usually, the NH7 Weekender takes place in November in different locations in India. Last year it was held in Pune. Sunburn takes place in December in Goa.