South Side Story draws 13,000 attendees at Delhi edition

MUMBAI: Delhi got a taste of the South, and it clearly wanted seconds. The eighth edition of South Side Story wrapped up at the KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium on August 30, drawing more than 13,000 attendees over two days as music, food, literature, art and performing arts came together under one roof.

The festival’s Delhi edition moved comfortably between generations, genres and languages. Day One featured Baby Jean, The Raghu Dixit Project, Sooraj Santhosh and Karthik, alongside cultural showcases including Kalaripayattu and Chenda x Dhol.

Day Two kept the tempo high with Arya Dhayal, Aksomaniac, Padma Bhushan Dr Shobana, Masala Coffee and Thaikkudam Bridge. Thaikkudam Bridge, which has appeared at South Side Story for eight consecutive years, closed the Delhi edition on a high-energy note.

Music, however, was only one part of the mix. The festival featured Bharatanatyam and Kathakali showcases, Kalaripayattu, Chenda and Dhol performances, literary sessions and art installations. Food also took centre stage, with a 20-plus-dish Onam Sadhya alongside curated food and beverage experiences.

For Padma Bhushan Dr Shobana, the appeal lay in bringing different forms of South Indian expression together for audiences from varied backgrounds and generations. Baby Jean similarly highlighted the festival’s ability to put contemporary sounds alongside traditional cultural experiences and introduce them to wider audiences.

The festival also gave newer talent a platform through Hocco Spotlight, with winners ThamBUraan and AARAA performing across the two days.

Technology entered the cultural mix through digital-twin partner AskSila, which hosted a “Scan. Twin. Win.” activation. Visitors could create AI twins, with selected winners getting the chance to meet artists backstage and receive signed posters.

Nisha Narayanan, Director & COO, Red FM, said the property had evolved beyond a music festival into a broader cultural platform where rock, pop, folk and R&B could sit alongside performing arts, food, literature, cinema and immersive experiences.

The Delhi edition follows South Side Story’s maiden Pune edition earlier this month and sets the stage for its next stop in Bengaluru on November 28, 2026.

The Delhi festival was supported by Harley-Davidson as Title Partner, Hocco as Presenting Partner and AskSila as Powered By Partner. The wider partner line-up included Bank of Maharashtra, LIC Housing Finance, New India, Kati Patang, Smirnoff, Radisson, The Hindu, Local Samosa and Its On Us.

Its literary programming brought together Oxford Bookstores, Kunzum Bookstore, DC Books and Kerala Literature Festival, while the cinema experience was curated with the Indian Habitat Centre. Food partners included Mahabelly, South Side Habits, Draavin Canteen, Naivedyam and Bili Hu, alongside the Onam Sadhya.

With Delhi now in the rear-view mirror, South Side Story’s eighth year is heading to Bengaluru, continuing its shift from a music-led property into a wider celebration of South India’s sounds, stories, flavours, art and contemporary culture.