Mahindra Blues Festival

• History
• Places to visit
• How to reach

Celebrated in Mumbai, the Mahindra Blues Festival is known as Asia’s largest and also one of the finest Blues phenomenon. It is responsible for bringing some of the most amazing Blues musicians in the world under one roof for over a period of 2 days. The music at this festival is simply exceptional. Held at the Mehboob Studios,  Mumbai, this festival essentially celebrates a form of music that has been quite deeply rooted in the need to challenge diversity. The Mahindra Blues Festival of Mumbai, owing to its charm has come out as a great platform for the Indian Blues bands to perform along with the best Blues musicians from all over the world.  

Since its inception in the year 2011, this festival has played a very significant role in assimilating some of the most iconic music legends to perform on stage. Some of the popular musicians who have performed at this festival are Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker Jr., Taj Mahal Walter Trout, and many others.

A Look at Some of the Performers

1. Beth Hart. The Blues Magazine once dubbed this amazing singer an ‘ultimate female rockstar’. She is a Grammy-nominated singer and also a songwriter. Hart comes with an astounding career span of around 20 years and has always been admired for her inspiring work.

2. Charlie Musselwhite. In his career spanning fifty years, this man has won around 35 awards and has been nominated 12 times for the Grammys. When it comes to music, he is one of the most inspirational guys people want to see perform. 

3. Sugarray Rayford. His vocals and the art for singing and his taste in creativity is simply exhilarating. So much so that his shows aren’t considered as shows in the first place, rather are seen as a poised amalgam of creative expression. 

4. Brandon Santini. He is the kind of musician who is compared with James Cotton and Paul Butterfield. His work and contribution in the art industry is considered unparalleled. He is a multi-award winner and also a founding member of the band, Delta Highway. 

5. Arinjoy Trio. He was the winner of the Mahindra Blues Band Hunt, 2018. Along with him, the trio consists of Sounak Roy, Aakash Ganguly. Together they are known for performing some of the most iconic musical performances from old school to contemporary. 

The Mahindra Sanatkada Lucknow Festival 

Apart from Mahindra Blues, the other two culturally vibrant events are The Mahindra Sanatkada Lucknow Festival and Mahindra Kabira Festival. The Mahindra Sanatkada Lucknow Festival is celebrated with the objective of bringing back the Lucknowi Tehzeeb in the form of pure art. This is the kind of event which involves some of the master craftsmen from various regions of the country. And spanning over 5 days, this is a festival that enjoys some of the most notable and electrifying performances from artists like Shubha Mudgal, Indian Ocean, Dastan Goi, etc. For anyone who is keen on learning and getting a peek into the Nawabi culture and style, this is one of the best chances to do so. 

The Mahindra Kabira Festival 

After the Lucknow Festival, the most recent addition in the chain of Blues events is the Mahindra Kabira Festival which will be held in the city of Varanasi in the month of November. This primary objective of this festival is to celebrate the spiritual teachings of Saint Kabir. 

How to Reach  

Mumbai is a city that never sleeps and still it's referred to as the city of dreams! Mumbai or Bombay has some dreamlike beautiful destinations and sites that never fail to attract your attention and influence you in magical ways. The divinity of Siddhivinayak temple, and Haji Ali Dargah, the flavoursome Vada Pao, the magnificent Elephanta Caves, the sparkling Film City, and the warm hearts of Mumbaikars will definitely make you come back to the city!

Switching focus to its infrastructure, the financial capital of India has a well-developed transportation network that lets you arrive in the city via airways, roadways, and railways. Put forth are a few best travel options that you can consider if planning a visit to Mumbai.

By Air. Mumbai has its own airport which is known as Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport whose former name was Sahar International Airport. It receives direct flights from nearby and major cities such as Delhi, Kolkata, Pune, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad. Listed below is a tally of airlines that offer direct flights to Mumbai Airport.

1. Delhi - AirAsia, AirIndia, GoAir, SpiceJet, IndiGo, Vistara with one-way fare starting from Rs.2900
2. Kolkata - AirIndia, AirAsia, Vistara, GoAir, SpiceJet, IndiGo with fare one-way fare starting from Rs.3500
3. Bengaluru - AirAsia, GoAir, SpiceJet, IndiGo, AirIndia, Vistara with one-way fare starting from Rs.2000
4. Ahmedabad - AirIndia, GoAir, SpiceJet, IndiGo with one-way fare starting from Rs.2200 
5. Hyderabad - AirAsia, Vistara, SpiceJet, IndiGo, AirIndia with one-way fare starting from Rs.1900

By Road. Travelling to Mumbai via road is a great experience owing to its great road connectivity. You can travel here hassle-free via Delhi, Pune, Hyderabad, Bengaluru. Below mentioned are the route directions and estimate distance in kilometres to reach Mumbai from nearby cities and states.

1. Pune - 150 km via Mumbai-Pune Highway  
2. Thane - 25 km via Eastern Express Highway or Mumbai Agra National Highway 
3. Virar - 70 km via NH 48
4. Alibaug - 95 km via NH 66 
5. Shirdi - 250 km via NH 160
6. Kolhapur - 375 km via NH 48

By Train. Mumbai has very good connectivity via rail network. You can easily get a train from nearby and major Indian cities like Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Bangalore. You can consider boarding direct trains like Darshan Express, Swaraj Express, or Dehradun Express from Delhi, Gitanjali Express or Samarsata Express from Kolkata, Rajkot Express or Udyan Express from Bengaluru.

If you are arriving from Pune then you can consider travelling by Chalukya Express, or Pragati Express, from Shirdi; CSMT FAST PASS, from Nashik; Devagiri Express, or Sevagram Express. 

You can plan your trip and create your own route to the city with Adotrip’s technically driven circuit planner. Click here

PLEASE NOTE : Dates can vary due to cancellation or last-minute changes.