MBIFL 2026 To Host Live Music Evenings Alongside Literary Sessions
The music programmes will take place over three nights starting at 7.30 pm and will feature a range of contemporary, folk and experimental performance
Events
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The seventh edition of the Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters (MBIFL) will mark a cultural fusion of literature and music, with live musical performances scheduled alongside its core lineup of literary sessions. The festival runs from January 29 to February 1, 2026, at Kanakakkunnu Palace in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
In a departure from typical literary festivals, three nights of live music at the Nishagandhi Auditorium will complement panel discussions and book talks. The programmes, beginning each evening at 7.30 pm, will showcase a mix of contemporary, folk and experimental sounds.
The musical schedule features notable performances: on January 30, playback singer Naresh Iyer will take the stage with guitarist–composer Vijay Ganesan, accompanied by vocalists Srikant Hariharan and Aparna Harikumar. January 31 highlights a folk-fusion set by Kerala-based band Thakara, while the festival’s closing evening on February 1 will feature Shanka Tribe, led by singer-songwriter Neha Nair, blending electronic and tribal influences.
Festival organisers say the addition of music is in line with MBIFL’s broader mission to celebrate ideas and creativity across art forms. M V Shreyams Kumar, Festival Chairman and Managing Director of the Mathrubhumi Group, said the live music evenings are “an extension of this vision,where music meets literature, and audiences experience culture in its most vibrant form.”
MBIFL 2026 itself is expected to draw more than 400 Indian and international writers, readers and speakers, with sessions covering fiction, poetry, politics, environment, cinema, science and technology. The festival theme, “Paradox of Pace,” is set to frame discussions on how rapid change shapes literature and society.
Traditionally known as one of South India’s premier literary gatherings, MBIFL’s integration of music reflects a trend within cultural festivals to offer multidisciplinary experiences to audiences, blending dialogue with performance.