Connecting Artists, Audiences, and Cultural Heritage
The Indian Performing Right Society Ltd. (IPRS) returns to the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival (KGAF) 2026 with the IPRS Stage, reaffirming its commitment to nurturing India’s diverse musical ecosystem. Positioned within one of the country’s most respected multidisciplinary festivals, the IPRS Stage is not just a performance platform, it is a cultural initiative designed to create sustained visibility, dignity, and opportunity for original, folk, and regional music.
At festivals like KGAF, where art, literature, design, and performance converge, music becomes part of a larger cultural dialogue. The IPRS Stage plays a vital role in ensuring that music communities, especially those that remain underrepresented in mainstream spaces, are seen and heard alongside other art forms. For artists, the stage offers credibility, reach, and meaningful connection. For audiences, it opens a gateway to discovery, context, and deeper cultural engagement.
Bridging Traditions, Regions, and Generations
The core strength of the IPRS Stage lies in its ability to bridge gaps, between generations, regions, and musical traditions. By presenting original and tradition rooted music within a contemporary festival environment, IPRS ensures that these art forms are not confined to niche audiences. Instead, they are introduced to listeners who may be encountering them for the first time, fostering curiosity, respect, and long-term appreciation for India’s rich musical heritage.
In an era where listening habits are increasingly shaped by algorithms and automation, curated cultural platforms like the IPRS Stage become essential. They offer something technology alone cannot, context, authenticity, and human connection. The IPRS Stage brings audiences closer to the stories, identities, and lived experiences behind the music, enabling discovery beyond digital patterns and encouraging dialogue and cross-cultural exchange.
IPRS Stage at KGAF 2026: Featured Performances
The 2026 edition of the IPRS Stage at Kala Ghoda Arts Festival features two distinct performances that embody this vision:
- 1st February 2026 | Black Sapphire
Goa-based band Black Sapphire brings original regional language music to a national cultural platform, demonstrating how deeply local voices can resonate widely when given the right space. Their presence reflects IPRS’s focus on amplifying contemporary original music rooted in lived culture and identity. - 6th February 2026 | Abhijit Pohankar – Global Varkari Project
Conceived by renowned classical pianist and fusion music producer Abhijit Pohankar, the Global Varkari Project represents the continuity of folk and devotional traditions within modern artistic frameworks. Drawing from the ancient Marathi Varkari tradition of the Bhakti movement, the project showcases how heritage can evolve while retaining its essence, relevance, and dignity.
“Platforms like the IPRS Stage are essential to sustaining India’s musical diversity. By partnering with festivals such as the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, we are creating spaces where artists can be discovered and audiences can engage meaningfully with the cultural roots of our music.” – Rakesh Nigam, CEO, IPRS
Carrying India’s Musical Legacy Forward
As the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival continues to serve as a meeting point for India’s creative communities, the IPRS Stage stands as a model for how cultural institutions can actively support artists, educate audiences, and strengthen cultural continuity. By building direct engagement between artists and listeners, the initiative reinforces the idea that music is not just content, but culture, deeply rooted in people, regions, and shared histories.
Through the IPRS Stage, IPRS remains committed to ensuring that India’s musical legacy is not only preserved, but experienced, valued, and carried forward into the future.