Jodhpur RIFF 2026 Opens With Folk Music, Global Artists And Cultural Performances

Jodhpur RIFF 2026 opened on October 22 with free community events for schoolchildren and residents, reaffirming the festival’s focus on making traditional music accessible while providing artists with a platform to showcase their work. The festival, held against the backdrop of Mehrangarh Fort, continues until October 26, coinciding with Sharad Purnima.

The opening day featured schoolchildren’s activities and a preview performance near Mehrangarh Fort, welcoming audiences without tickets. The following day brought together folk music, dance, theatre and ritual performances, highlighting Rajasthan’s cultural heritage alongside Indian and international musical traditions.

The free Bal Mela at Veer Durga Das Memorial Park introduced schoolchildren to traditional Rajasthani performance arts, including Kathputli puppetry, Bhawai acrobatics, Chari dance and bhapang music. Organised with the participation of Kawa Circus artists, the event showcased folk forms rooted in travelling performance traditions.

The opening-night City Concert below Mehrangarh Fort featured Rajasthani folk performers alongside visiting Indian and international artists, with funk influences, drumming and dance. The concert recorded its biggest turnout yet, according to the festival organisers.

Folk traditions and immersive music experiences

The festival’s first full day began at sunrise at Jaswant Thada with performances by the Meghwal of Marwar. Traditionally known as weavers, the community has preserved devotional singing associated with poets and saints such as Kabir, Ravidas, Meerabai and Gorakhnath. Bhallu Ram and Mala Ram Meghwal performed bhajans, followed by sisters Dariya and Kelam, accompanied by the tandura.

At Mehrangarh Fort, workshops led by Kathak artist Tarini Tripathi and Vinay Kumar of Adishakti introduced attendees to classical dance techniques and the expressive principles of the Natya Shastra. The fort’s courtyards also hosted performances by Bhagoriya, Khari and Bamrasiya dancers, alongside young Langa musicians.

The evening programme at Chokelao Bagh featured INAYAT: A Duet for Four, a festival commission from 2023 co-developed with ANKH, Mumbai. Choreographed by Gauri Sharma Tripathi, the production brought together Tarini Tripathi’s Kathak with musicians from SAZ, including Sadiq Khan on dholak, Asin Khan on Sindhi sarangi and Zakir Khan Langa on khartal. Following presentations in Mumbai and New York’s Lincoln Center, the production returned to Jodhpur.

The programme also marked the festival’s first full-length theatrical presentation with Adishakti’s Brhannala, directed by the late Veenapani Chawla. The play features Vinay Kumar as Arjuna during the final year of exile, exploring questions of identity through an episode from the Mahabharata.

At Dhanna Bhiyan Chhatri, devotees of the 15th-century saint Jasnath Ji performed fire dances accompanied by music, adding a ritual dimension to the evening.

From Rajasthani Maand to international sounds

The Zenana Courtyard hosted Moody Riffs, bringing together performers from different musical traditions. Ganga and Sundar presented Rajwadi Maand, while Mohini Devi performed traditional Jogi repertoire. Padma Shri awardee Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande followed with khayal music from the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana.

International performances included Argentine duo Camila y Silvio, who presented zamba and chacarera using the charango and legüero, and Portuguese guitarist Pedro Dias, accompanied by Tiago Tomé and singer Inês Jacinto in a fado performance.

The programme also featured Ilham, with Smita Bellur performing Sufi poetry alongside the sarangi and dholak of SAZ and Bundu Khan Langa.

Late-night programming offered two contrasting experiences. At Club Mehran in Salimkot, Isam Elias blended Arab melodies and dabke rhythms with club music. Meanwhile, the Desert Lounge at Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park presented an unamplified performance by Idu Khan Langa on the alghoza, followed by Mir Bassu Khan singing works by Bulleh Shah and Baba Farid in Seraiki.

Women and the preservation of musical heritage

Across the opening two days, women performers featured prominently in the programme, spanning Meghwal devotional singing, intergenerational folk traditions, classical khayal, Portuguese fado and Sufi music.

Through its combination of free public events, artist workshops, traditional performances and international collaborations, Jodhpur RIFF continues to connect local communities with diverse musical practices while providing a platform for the preservation and presentation of heritage arts.

Jodhpur RIFF 2026 runs until October 26. Further programme details and passes are available at jodhpurriff.org.