Music and Youth
MTV is getting serious
It will mark 1 December, World Aids Day, with a day long MTV Music Summit for AIDS at the SNDT college campus in Mumbai.
There’s a reason for the summit, says MTV India managing director Alex Kuruvilla. A recent study has indicated that 50 per cent of those newly infected with the deadly HIV/AIDS virus are youth.
The day long concert, first of its kind in India, will have live performances from 19 leading artistes including Shubha Mudgal, Colonial Cousins, Euphoria and many others from the Indian music scene. The concert kicks off at noon on the SNDT campus.
At a press meet held to announce the summit, Kuruvilla said that the concert aims at bringing young people together on a campaign against HIV and the AIDS virus. “The idea of the campaign is to communicate the serious message to youth in an entertaining and catchy manner and not in a preachy and holier-than-thou manner,” he added.
The channel is pulling all marketing strings to push the ‘concert with a message’, which he says, fell in place within six weeks. MTV has already lined up an interesting on-air promo throughout out the day. An approximate 15 promos are being aired currently, but will be joined shortly by fresh promos as the campaign hots up.
The MTV logo has already donned the red ribbon signifying the fight against the virus, while the channel VJs will gradually take the issue up in the course of their programmes. They will talk to viewers across the country about the facts and myths associated with the virus.
Although the live concert will be aired only on a later date, the channel has lined up an exclusive premiere Staying Alive 3 hosted by rap and hip-hip music artiste, Sean ‘P Daddy’ Combs. It has also lined up Staying Alive – Music To Live For, a 90-minute show featuring Moby, Destiny Child and teen heartthrob Britney Spears. Both these programmes are dedicated to the cause of HIV/AIDS.
MUMBAI: Mumbai is about to witness something it has never seen before. The Global Youth Festival arrives on 6-7 December at Jio World Garden with 15,000 attendees and 60-plus experiences sprawled across six sprawling arenas. On its sixth edition, this is no ordinary jamboree—it is a carefully orchestrated collision of wellness, adventure, arts, music, yoga and social change.
Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis will throw open the proceedings with a landmark ceremony, signalling the state’s backing for a movement that has already mobilised youth across 20-plus countries and 170-plus cities. The sheer scale is staggering: 500-plus volunteers powering the machine, 600,000-plus volunteer hours logged across previous editions, and millions of lives touched annually.
The speaker roster is formidable. Diipa Büller-Khosla and Dipali Goenka, chief executive of Welspun India, will share the stage with Malaika Arora in conversations spanning leadership, creativity and culture. Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Mansukhbhai Mandaviya will also attend, reinforcing GYF’s reach into the corridors of power.
But this is not mere talk. The Solaris Mainstage promises concerts from renowned Indian artists. Innerverse delivers a 360-degree LED spectacle of art, technology and sound. The Love and Care Arena houses hands-on projects spanning women’s empowerment, child education, rural upliftment and animal welfare. India’s largest outdoor sound-healing experience awaits. An inflatable obstacle course, neon drifter karts and open-sky bouldering cater to thrill-seekers.
Some have branded GYF the “Coachella of Consciousness.” Others call it “India’s Largest Sober Festival.” Spiritual visionary Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji, who inspired the festival, will deliver the Wisdom Masterclass. Every rupee goes to charity.
After Mumbai comes Kolkata on 14 December. New York looms next year. For one weekend in December, Mumbai becomes the epicentre of youth-driven change—and nothing will be quite the same after.
Tickets available on BookMyShow. Visit youthfestival.srmd.org or follow @globalyouthfestival on Instagram.
