Brighton Festival, a major event in the international arts calendar, has a long tradition of attracting some of the most exciting performers from across the globe, this year as far afield as India, the US, Australia, Peru and Italy, as well as promoting local artists, and presenting fresh, challenging new work. This year’s Festival takes place with 120 events across music, theatre, dance, circus, visual arts, film, literature, debate, outdoor and community throughout the city and beyond.

This year’s Guest Director, the Grammy-nominated and genre-defying musician, composer and activist Anoushka Shankar was inspired by the theme of ‘New Dawn’, working with Brighton Festival to shape a programme that imagines a hopeful future after a difficult time, celebrating our collective ability to recover, take action and come together to change the world for the better. 

2025 sees an exceptional programme across art, dance, workshops, theatre and much more - find out about all that is offer on the Brighton Festival website. The music programming features a plethora of South Asian talent, read on to find out who you can catch in Brighton in May. 

When: 3 - 26th May 2025
Where: Brighton (UK)


“For Brighton Festival 2025, we look towards a New Dawn. Together with the Brighton Festival team, I’ve been shaping a programme that envisions a hopeful future – an emergence from the dark of night into the glow of early morning. For years now there have been many reasons to worry, to lose hope. But we have the power within us to create an alternate future. That’s what Brighton Festival 2025 is about – let's come together to reflect, lift each other up and take action. This is a festival for everyone to participate in, to connect with, to feel part of. I can’t wait.” - Anoushka Shankar

Shankar has invited artists who have inspired her over the years, including mesmerising Pakistani-American vocalist Arooj Aftab and Mercury Prize-nominated singer songwriter Nadine Shah. Anoushka Shankar herself performs her new album, Chapter III: We Return to Light. With 30 years’ performing and eleven Grammy nominations, Shankar has spent her career redefining conventions in the sitar and in world music. This performance marks the culmination of her recent trilogy of mini-albums; following Chapter I: Forever, For Now and Chapter II: How Dark it is Before Dawn, it completes the cycle, looking towards a new dawn – a time of strength, wisdom and change. 

Shankar will co-host and perform in a specially curated version of Brown Girl In The Ring, supported by Dishoom Permit Room. The platform, founded by Sweety Kapoor, celebrates female talent across music, film and culture – featuring an exceptional cohort of award-winning poets, actors, dancers, musicians and activists including Mona Arshi, Nikita Gill, Asha Puthli, Meera Syal (CBE) and Indira Varma.

In Room-i-Nation, supported by the Bagri Foundation, young virtuoso of South Indian Karnatik music Aditya Prakash combines live music, sound, video projection and personal stories to reflect on his experience growing up as an Indian man in America, offering a hopeful look at bridging cultures and musical traditions.

A special performance supported by the Bagri Foundation brings together two incredible talents for the first time: Aruna Sairam, a giant of Indian classical music and Ganavya, a rising star who melds South Asian sounds with spiritual jazz.

Shiva Soundsystem's founder Nerm welcomes his friends and top secret star guests to the decks for a super special closing party for Brighton Festival 2025.


“Brighton Festival 2025 is a magnificent body of work – inclusive, generous, global, confident, inter-generational, classical and very cool. Anoushka Shankar has guided, created and curated a very brilliant set of projects which radiate care – for one another, the planet, art, music, ourselves. There are unique events in here which will be memory-making – lucky people of the future will be able to say ‘I was there.’ That is what Brighton Festival is all about. I’m honoured and excited to share it with the world.”
- Lucy Davies (Chief Executive of Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival)

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Music artists from the Asian community on the line up include:
  • Ahadadream
  • Arooj Aftab
  • Anoushka Shankar (Passages, Chapter III...)
  • Mehfil – e – Rose Hill
  • Aruna Sairam & Ganavya
  • Shahbaz Hussain & Helen Anahita Wilson
  • Aditya Prakash (ROOM-i-Nation)
  • Nadine Shah
  • Sarathy Korwar (Percussion Parade)
  • The Official Brighton Festival Closing Party: MANTRA x MANARA | Perera Elsewhere | OX7GEN | Equal-i | Vidya Patel | Bollyillusion | Nerm & Friends