Milap’s biennial Indika festival returns to the Liverpool City Region from 17 to 31 October 2025, marking the organization’s 40-year anniversary with 15 days of Indian music, dance, and culture. Programming includes contemporary work and classical traditions, with Diwali on 20 October positioned as a centerpiece. Events are scheduled across key venues including The Tung Auditorium, Liverpool Philharmonic Music Room, Unity Theatre, Future Yard, the Everyman, The Reader’s Storybarn, The Studio (Widnes), Williamson Art Gallery and Liverpool Central Library.
Music leads the program expansion. Carnatic flute player J.A. Jayanth and Hindustani sarod player Debasmita Bhattacharya open the run, with tabla artist Kousic Sen and mridangam artist Bangalore Prakash. Cross-genre projects follow, including The Tapi Project, The Stringmasters (Anil Srinivasan and Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh), and the Rohan Roy Collective. Sarathy Korwar tops the bill at Future Yard.
Dance and family programming hold equal space. Upahaar Dance Company brings Stories Of The Ramayana; Sanjukta Sinha’s Dancing With The Divine explores devotion through kathak; Dr. Apoorva Jayaraman’s The Idea Of God investigates the shifting concept of the divine in bharatanatyam. Family concerts with A Carnatic Quartet sit alongside workshops and readings with The Reader.
Community events round out the fortnight, including free Sahaja Yoga sessions at Liverpool Central Library (two dates), Yoga & Live sitar sessions at The Storybarn (sold out), shared reading, and a Diwali celebration in partnership with Bundobust (details to follow).
Key Dates At A Glance
- Fri 17 Oct, 7.30pm — Music Room, Liverpool Philharmonic
J.A. Jayanth (flute) & Debasmita Bhattacharya (sarod) with Kousic Sen (tabla) & Bangalore Prakash (mridangam) - Sat 18 & Sun 19 Oct, 10am — The Storybarn, Calderstones Park
Diwali Storytelling (families, ages 4–9) - Mon 20 Oct, 6–7.30pm — Liverpool Central Library
Sahaja Yoga (free) - Wed 22 Oct, 7.30pm — Downstairs At The Everyman
The Tapi Project - Thu 23 Oct, 7.30pm — Unity Theatre
Dancing With The Divine (Sanjukta Sinha) - Fri 24 Oct, 7.30pm — Unity Theatre
The Idea Of God (Dr. Apoorva Jayaraman; bharatanatyam) - Fri 24 Oct, 7.30pm — Music Room, Liverpool Philharmonic
Rohan Roy Collective - Sat 25 Oct, 7.30pm — The Tung Auditorium
The Stringmasters (Anil Srinivasan, piano; Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh, saraswati veena) - Sun 26 Oct, 10am & 1.30pm — The Storybarn
Yoga & Live sitar (sold out) - Sun 26 Oct, 11am & 1pm — The Storybarn
Shared Reading At Indika Festival (1pm sold out) - Mon 27 Oct, 6–7.30pm — Liverpool Central Library
Sahaja Yoga (free) - Tue 28 Oct, 2pm — Unity Theatre
Stories Of The Ramayana (Upahaar Dance Company) + Family Workshop 3–3.50pm - Tue 28 Oct, 4.30–6pm — Unity Theatre
Mohiniattam Workshop For Dancers (Upahaar) - Tue 28 Oct, 7.30pm — The Studio, Widnes
Ashim Chowdhury (sitar) & Kousic Sen (tabla) - Wed 29 Oct, 2pm — Music Room, Liverpool Philharmonic
A Carnatic Quartet: Concert For Children And Families - Wed 29 Oct, 7.30pm — Music Room, Liverpool Philharmonic
“Together” By A Carnatic Quartet
(Shreya Devnath, violin; Mylai M. Karthikeyan, nadhaswaram; Praveen Sparsh, mridangam; Adyar G. Silambarasan, thavil) - Wed 29 Oct, 7.30pm — Future Yard, Birkenhead
Sarathy Korwar - Fri 31 Oct, 7.30pm — The Tung Auditorium
Resonance: Strings Across Borders
(Pandit Ranajit Sengupta, sarod; Ashim Chowdhury, sitar; André Krengel, guitar; with Kousic Sen, tabla)
Indika runs citywide, with additional activity at Williamson Art Gallery and Liverpool Central Library. Further Diwali details with Bundobust will be announced by Milap.
“As Milap turns 40, this year’s INDIKA feels especially meaningful, as a celebration of how far we’ve come and a statement of where we’re headed; it’s a reflection of everything we believe Indian arts can be. It is a space for everyone – whether you’ve grown up with these traditions or you’re discovering them for the first time – to feel inspired, moved, and connected. I’m excited that we’re welcoming back some incredible artists loved by audiences over the years, who’ve shaped our story, while also showcasing bold, boundary-pushing work that’s shaping the future of Indian music and dance. For me, INDIKA is where tradition meets imagination – and every performance is designed to leave a lasting impression on you. I hope you’ll join us this October for a festival of experiences that are rich in spirit, depth, and meaning!“
Alok Nayak – Artistic Director of Milap
More at milap.co.uk
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central