Across 15 days in October, the INDIKA Festival lit up the Liverpool City Region in a vibrant celebration of Indian Arts, Music & Culture.
2025 marks our 40th year of bringing people together with a common love for Indian Arts, and the biggest INDIKA to date was the perfect way to celebrate this milestone!
Reflections on Indika 2025
INDIKA 2025 captured what Milap has always stood for — uniting hearts through arts. Across generations, backgrounds, and styles, we came together to celebrate creativity and connection.
This year’s programme reflected both the depth of tradition and the spark of originality — with music and dance that honoured the past while fearlessly exploring the new.
From improvised performances that reminded us of our roots to fresh collaborations that reimagined what Indian arts can be, Indika 2025 became a living expression of continuity and change.
It was wonderful to see so many people experiencing Indian music and dance for the very first time — they’ve fallen in love, and we hope they become lifelong supporters of Indian arts. We’re equally grateful to our loyal audiences who have stood by us over the years. We are thankful to Arts Council England for their tremendous belief in what we do, and for helping us take the festival across the Liverpool City Region — reaching new audiences and making Indika 2025 a truly unforgettable celebration.
Our sincere thanks also to Liverpool City Council and Culture Liverpool for their support and for helping us make a home for Indian arts here in the city for over 40 years.
Alok Nayak, Artistic Director & CEO
Indika festival opened with a sold out show at Liverpool’s Philharmonic Music Room – culminating in a riotous standing ovation – featuring leading Carnatic flautist of his generation J.A.Jayant, Sarod maestro Debasmita Bhattacharya and two of India’s finest percussionists, Bangalore Prakash & Kousic Sen.
Seamlessly blending musical styles from North & South India, audiences witnessed four exceptional musicians, a unique combination of instruments – the Carnatic bamboo flute, Hindustani sarod, tabla, and mridangam – and a rare musical encounter across styles and traditions.
Day 1 October 17, 2025
The Music Room, Liverpool
Milap and Liverpool Philharmonic Hall presented Flute J.A. Jayant and Debasmita Bhattacharya with Kousic Sen & Bangalore Prakash
“Milap to me is like an extended family” Flute JA Jayant
Flute J.A.Jayant and Debasmita Bhattacharya
The opening weekend continued with fully booked sessions with the Storybarn at the Reader and culminated in a special Diwali celebration featuring dance performances, crafts, henna and even magic tricks – and of course the incredible desi street food – at Bundobust Liverpool.
Day 2 & 3 October 18-19, 2025
The Storybarn, Liverpool
Milap and the Reader presented «Diwali at the Storybarn»
“Milap has never simply been a promoter of concerts. It’s a movement — a celebration of Indian heritage, artistry, and its place in the UK’s evolving cultural identity.” Liverpool Music City
Diwali celebration at Bundobust Liverpool – Photographs by Atanas Paskalev / Nice to Film You
Day 4 October 20 & 27, 2025
Liverpool Central Library William Brown St, Liverpool
Sahaja Yoga
We were delighted to introduce Sahaja Yoga to Liverpool at this year’s Indika with multiple free sessions at Liverpool Central Library. Audiences were invited to experience deep meditation and self-awareness, learning techniques to reduce everyday stress and tension.
Yoga is an artform that many people enjoy, but these sessions were particularly special, as audiences were able to delve into a different form of yoga than they may be used to and experience a completely unique part of Indian culture.
This year, we welcomed a number of cross-cultural music collaborations, with many shows blending Indian traditions with Western-jazz, futuristic folk, groovy funk and experimental sounds. Highlights included The Stringmasters – a Milap-conceived project blending Carnatic and Western musical traditions at The Tung Auditorium, a hypnotic contemporary performance from The Tapi Project at the Everyman and a soothing bridge of cultures from dynamic fusion group, Rohan Roy Collective at the Music Room.
Our music programme at INDIKA also saw many firsts – with the introduction of the wellness series featuring Yoga & Live Sitar sessions, two A Carnatic Quartet concerts featuring two instruments rarely seen or heard outside of India (the Nadaswaram and Thavil) – and the grand finale Resonance, showcasing a unique and beguiling interplay between Sarod and Spanish Guitar.
Day 6 October 22, 2025
Downstairs at the Everyman
Milap and Mellowtone present TAPI Project Ft. DJ Richie Vegas
Spotlighting cross-cultural music collaborations, The Tapi Project captivated audiences with a blend of Indian traditions alongside futuristic folk and funk.
Their hypnotic contemporary performance at the Everyman weaved together stories of the Indian subcontinent – exploring themes of urban life, lost roots, alienation and the search for the self – through powerful vocals, electronic soundscapes and tribal grooves.
The Tapi Project at the Everyman, photograph by Alan Blundell
Day 7 October 23, 2025
Unity Theatre
Milap and Unity Theatre presented «Dancing with the Divine» by Sanjukta Sinha
Taking centre stage with mesmerising movement, sensitivity and grace was the Dance and Performing Arts programme. The festival spotlighted three forms of Indian dance – Kathak, Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam – at the Unity Theatre. The world-acclaimed Sanjukta Sinha and Apoorva Jayaraman – two of India’s most in-demand dancers, showcased Kathak and Bharatanatyam at its finest, blending classical technique with contemporary innovation. Mohiniattam, rarely seen in the UK, was brought to life by the mesmerising ensemble Upahaar Dance Company, who shared the Diwali story with families and children, and gave the audience a chance to try the dance form themselves – a unique and interactive experience.
Sanjukta Sinha at Unity Theatre, photographs by Alan Blundell
Day 8 October 24, 2025
Unity Theatre, Liverpool
The Idea of God, Apoorva Jayaraman
Dr. Apoorva Jayaraman, Unity Theatre, photograph by Alan Blundell
Day 9 October 24, 2025
The Music Room, Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool
Milap and Liverpool Philharmonic Hall presented Rohan Roy Collective
The Rohan Roy Collective introduced audiences to a fresh and fearless take on fusion, bringing Indian classical ragas into conversation with jazz, groove and global sounds at the Music Room. Led by acclaimed violinist Rohan Roy, the ensemble performed a rich and varied selection of original compositions – ranging from soothing, melodious ballads to energetic and intricate melodies that had everyone moving along to the music.
Screenshot
Day 9 October 25, 2025
The Tung Auditorium, Yoko Ono Lennon Centre, Liverpool
Milap and The Tung Auditorium present «The Stringmasters»
A stunning highlight from the festival this year came in the form of The Stringmasters – a Milap-conceived project blending Carnatic and Western musical traditions at The Tung Auditorium. Starring world-acclaimed Jayanthi Kumaresh on veena & Anil Srinivasan on piano, the performance created an ethereal atmosphere in the Auditorium. The piano and the veena – whilst not natural bedfellows – worked beautifully together. The pair also worked in a couple of Beatles’ melodies with a stunning version of ‘Hey Jude’, which the Liverpool audience loved. The concert ended in a roaring standing ovation, with people queueing to meet the artists in the foyer.
Jayanthi Kumaresh, The Stringmasters at the Tung Auditorium, photograph by Atanas Paskalev / Nice to Film You
Day 10 October 26, 2025
Blue Reading Room, The Reader
Milap and the Reader presented Shared Reading at Indika Festival
In partnership with the Reader, we brought some beautiful pieces of literature to Indika Festival this year – introducing audiences to poems and stories from Indian authors.
Bundobust Manchester Piccadilly
Milap and Bundobust’s Diwali Party in Manchester
Theatre Room, The Storybarn, Liverpool
Milap and the Reader presented Yoga & Live Sitar
We were really proud that this year’s music programme saw many firsts – one of which was the introduction of our wellness series, featuring the Yoga & Live Sitar sessions at Williamson Gallery. The sessions were really popular from the first announcement, selling out shortly after! We were delighted to get such wonderful feedback from these sessions and we are proud to have connected two Indian-based artforms together – yoga & Indian music.
Sian GriffinJonathan Mayer
Day 11 October 27, 2025
Liverpool Central Library
Sahaja Yoga
Unity Theatre
Milap and Unity Theatre present «Stories of the Ramayana» and Workshop by Upahaar Dance Company
Upahaar Dance Company, Unity Theatre, photographs by Alan Blundell
Day 12 October 28, 2025
The Studio, Widmis
Ashim Chowdhury & Kousic Sen
Ashim Chowdhury & Kousic Sen
Day 13 October 29, 2025
The Music Room, Philharmonic Hall Hope St, Liverpool L1 9BP
Milap and Liverpool Philharmonic Hall presented «Together» by A Carnatic Quartet and a concert for children and families
A Carnatic Quartet truly stunned audiences with two wonderful concerts, featuring instruments that are traditionally played in Indian temples (the Nadaswaram and Thavil) – and are rarely seen or heard outside of India. The ensemble took risks and presented Carnatic music in a unique way, blending traditional instruments & melodies with electronic beats and synths. The children’s concert was an amazing way to introduce little ones to Indian instruments for the very first time and the evening concert had a brilliant response from the audience, with a standing ovation.
A Carnatic Quartet
Day 14 October 30, 2025
Williamson Gallery, Birkenhead, Wirral
Yoga & Live Sitar by Milap at The Williamson
Sian Griffin
Day 15 October 31, 2025
The Tung Auditorium, Yoko Ono Lennon Centre, Liverpool
Milap and The Tung Auditorium present «Resonance – Strings Across Borders»
“A kind of music I have never experienced before, magic!” Audience member
The grand finale of Indika 2025 took place in The Tung Auditorium, featuring Ranajit Sengupta (Sarod), Ashim Chowdhury (Sitar), Andre Krengel (Guitar) & Kousic Sen (Tabla). A tale of two halves; the first, a traditional raga-based conversation between sarod, sitar, tabla and vocals and the second, original compositions from both Ranajit and Krengel. The incredible musicians infused Indian traditions with a variety of musical influences, including flamenco and folk – all topped by a standing ovation.
Resonance: Strings Across Borders, photograph by Alan Blundell
About INDIKA
Milap launched INDIKA in 2012 and it is now one of Europe’s largest festivals of Indian classical arts, taking place biennially in Liverpool. The festival offers something for everyone with an incredible mix of music and dance performance, talks, workshops and films, all of which feature both internationally renowned and British talent.
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