Bangalore Hubba 2026 (BLR Hubba) is a 10-day arts and culture festival in Bangalore from 16th to 25th January. It is undoubtedly a cultural extravaganza, with over 250 events across 20 locations, catering to a wide range of interests. This year marks the festival’s third edition, featuring art and culture across genres such as music, dance, theatre, film, talks, food, and more.
The Bangalore Hubba 2026 is anchored by ‘Unboxing BLR,’ a not-for-profit platform that brings people and stakeholders together for a better Bangalore. Also, it intends to celebrate the city’s rich heritage and strengthen its soft infrastructure.
Bangalore Hubba, an overview
Bangalore Habba came to form with the creative aspirations of Unboxing BLR Foundation, cofounded by Prashanth Prakash and Malini Goyal. The non-profit foundation came into being from their book ‘Unboxing BLR’, which deals with the city’s evolution and potential. Furthermore, the foundation engages in various undertakings like publishing data reports and participating in urban conservation, such as maintaining lakes and museums, producing podcasts, etc. However, the habba is to portray Bangalore beyond its identity as a tech city. Hence, it aims at showcasing Bangalore as an art and cultural hub as well.
The festival gets its name as BLR Hubba, deriving the term ‘BLR’ from Bangalore’s airport code and ‘Hubba’ from ‘Habba’, which means festival in Kannada. Hence, the Habba or BLR Hubba showcases the city’s cosmopolitan outlook and heritage on the one hand and it being the hub of technology, art, and culture on the other.
Bangalore Hubba 2026
Bangalore Hubba 2026, Bangalore’s premier arts and culture festival, is held from 16th to 25th January. Art and culture will find expression through 250-plus events across 12 diverse genres, held in 20-plus iconic venues. The hubba has something for everyone, from children to adults. Click here for Bangalore Hubba events.
Bangalore Hubba Sub-festivals
Apart from the main hubba, there are subfestivals within the Bangalore Hubba 2026 that embrace all, thereby catering to the interests of everyone.
- Futures Hubba is about connecting the dots of the future that are likely to be for humanity at large.
- Kala is about freeing you through art via a Public Arts Project at Freedom Park. Seek answers to the question of whether art is capable of providing spaces for solidarity, mental well-being and care.
- Makkala Hubba, with ‘Makkala’ meaning ‘children’ in Kannada, is naturally a child-friendly space in the heart of Freedom Park. It aims to restore wonder and ignite curiosity in children, which has taken a back seat owing to urban development.
- Thindi Hubba, with ‘Thindi’ meaning ‘food’ in Kannada, beckons you to please your palate and understand street food in a whole new light.
- Churumuri Hubba is a mixture of events of theatre, art, music, film, etc to engage and enthuse you.
- Anubhava Hubba is where the ordinariness of everyday life becomes extraordinary. The festival beckons you to stop, unearth hidden joys and encounter new experiences.
- Kantha Hubba is a multi-genre music festival at Freedom Park featuring daily performances by local and international artists from Asia.
- Natrisu Hubba, with ‘Natrisu’ meaning ‘dance’ in Kannada, seeks to move you, too, with its folk traditions, contemporary artistic styles, and urban dance cultures.
- Rasthe Hubba, with ‘Rasthe’ meaning ‘street’ in Kannada, is about fostering meaningful connections across neighbourhoods. It brings Bangalore’s familiar sights, sounds and tastes to familiar streets for a whole new experience beyond the confines of one’s homes.
- Vishesha Hubba is about celebrating Karnataka’s diverse cultures, art forms, communities, and languages. The festival showcases ancient stories and the contemporary world through traditional janapada folk artists, musicians, dancers, and theatre artists across genres.
- Nataka Hubba, with ‘Nataka’ meaning ‘theatre’ in Kannada, stages a collection of live performances across many venues in Bangalore.
- Speaklore Hubba provides a platform for discovery through performance poetry, puppetry, improv and oral storytelling.
Quick Facts
- For entry, all events need an event-specific pass.
- Donor pass guarantees entry.
- First-come, first-served for a free pass.
To book events, visit the respective event page and book.
In conclusion, BLR Hubba is a much-awaited event that is celebrated every year.
Also read
Major Festivals in Karnataka
