Ziro 2017

It's that time of the year again when The Apatani people of Arunachal Pradesh open doors to their holy land for the Ziro Festival of Music. Held in the picturesque Ziro Valley, and surrounded by sepia-toned paddy fields, the festival brings together music lovers and artists from around the world, 5,800 ft above sea level. The four-day festival pass costs Rs 6,000 and tickets to the campsite are an extra Rs 3,000. For those interested in buying tents, package deals are available on the festival's website. At least 6000 attendees are expected to make their way to the festival this year, by road, air and train travel. Ziro is 450 kms from the capital city of Guwahati, so be prepared for a scenic, albeit 12-hour journey. If you're traveling by train, you'll find Naharlagun as the station closest to, and three-hours away from, Ziro.

While getting to Ziro (and forking out money for tickets and camping) is the hard part, the most peaceful and joyous vibe of the festival more than makes up for it. The beauty of Ziro Valley, though, is what makes the experience truly worth it.

The after-parties, meanwhile go on till dusk, giving camping music lovers a chance to bond with each other, the locals, and the artists over conversations and bonfires.

The festival line-up last year saw a wonderful mix of Israeli Sufi music, Kumaon electronica, Rajasthani folk and Italian rock. And, in the four festivals held so far, the organizers at Ziro have done an excellent job at bringing underground artists from the North-East to the fore.

This year, the organizers at Ziro have put together a beautifully curated line-up, featuring New-Delhi based D&B artist Reggae Rajahs, rapper Sofia Ashraf, folk singer Rizal Abdulhadi and percussive guitarist Dhruv Visvanath. The line-up also includes Thaalavattam, Montry Manuel's percussion project featuring instruments made of waste plastic and metal, among the festival's 40 acts.

The Business of Ziro

In 2011, Menwhopause guitarist Anup Kutty met Bobby Hano after a canceled gig left him stranded in Itanagar. The duo's love for music inspired them to bring together funds and start Ziro Festival in 2012.

From 300 attendees in that first year to a massive 6000 (expected) this year!

Ziro has come a long way. Some of its headlining acts have included Indus Creed, Lee Renaldo and Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth), Sha’air, Barmer Boys, Donn Bhatt, Lou Majaw, and Peter Cat Recording Company. Artists hoping to perform at Ziro, can always send their profiles to festival management, but as Shaheen explains, the final line-up is chosen based on their form. It's also ideal if they have an album released that same year.

Promising four days of splendid music and art, Ziro costs Rs 6 to 7 million to produce.

Lubna Shaheen, one of the organisers of Ziro, told Loudest that extensive arrangements are made to ensure the ecology of the valley is preserved. "We are also an eco friendly festival. The infrastructure is wholly made of bamboo, signages on reclaimed wood using eco-friendly paints. The local college students are involved in cleanliness drives (every morning)," she said. Dustbins are also placed throughout the ground.

According to a BusinessWorld article, "the festival gets about 50 percent of its funding from the government, while the rest is a mixture of ticket sales and a handful of corporate sponsors like the United States Embassy and the guitar makers Gibson and Fender."

In India, Ziro gets it sponsorships from the North East Tourism Development Council (Ministry of Doner), Department of Tourism (Government of Arunachal Pradesh), Doordarshan and Air India.

Apart from production costs, getting artists to Ziro is where most of this money is invested. Key to Ziro’s success has been the involvement of locals, who agreed to provide homestays for visitors and transportation services.

Since its very inception, The Apatani Youth Association has been involved in "motivating youngsters to take pride and ownership in the festival". Besides, the Apatani are known for their hospitality and go out of their way to make the festival a comfortable experience. All the apong (rice beer) helps too.

The locals also come together to put forth their own traditional dances and performances, decked up in colorful attires, and representing the ever-vibrant Apatani culture.

While favorites like burgers, fries and cold drinks are always available at food stalls, it is the local food that catches everyone's attention. Bamboo chicken, grasshoppers, silkworms, smoked chicken feet, kiwi wine -- the mind boggles.

There's also a "well-stocked festival bar selling beers and spirits" -- festival goers aren't allowed to bring their own liquor.

Vendors from around the country come to the festival to set up all kinds of stalls, apart from food. In 2014, Anish and Shalu, two blind boys from Kerala "travelled by train and bus to set up a reflexology kiosk at the festival." Some artists choose the festival to display their art installations too.

As for camping, Ziro finds support in operators like Kite Manja, which has provided equipment at the festival since its very inception. In the last two years, adventure company Camp Venture also set up a campsite at the festival.

According to Shaheen, Ziro has been termed "India's Greatest Outdoor Music Festival by the media and 'Woodstock of the East' by festival goers." Also, with Doordarshan as an Official Media Partner, it is India's largest festival in terms of outreach.

Doordarshan Kendra, Itanagar (Arunachal) and Programme Production Centre (NE) of the Guwahati Kendra provide intensive coverage of the entire festival. This is telecast on DD-National, DD-Bharati, DD-India, DD-North East and Doordarshan Kendra Itanagar. DD-News covers the festival too.

Yet, organisers struggle to convince regular corporate sponsors "to start looking out of their jaded box."

In an earlier interview, Kutty told Economic Times that most corporate sponsors were uninterested largely due to the festival's location, not realising that the locale is what brings so many people to it.

The festival starts in the afternoon everyday, leaving attendees free in the morning to do anything they like. They can just lay on the grass and read a book, or hike on one of many trails, go biking, river rafting or bird watching, or even visit Apatani villages along the edge of the forest. The festival has a bunch of activity booths too, to keep everyone busy.

According to the festival's FAQ page, festival goers say Rs 1000 a day per person are enough to cover food and drink expense "with ease," and that many people manage to spend much less.

The story of Ziro festival is a great example in building a sustainable business model, despite the lack of corporate sponsorships. It also shows the difference it makes when locals themselves are involved in the production and success of such experiential music festivals. We hope the many upcoming festivals.are taking notes.