“We’ll Always Promote Indie Artists,” Says Bir Music Festival Founder Ahead Of Kick-Off

Last Updated:June 13, 2025, 12:26 IST

Alakhananda Sharma, the founder of the Bir Music Festival, shares how the music festival aims to promote indie artists and preserve Bir’s culture.

The Bir Music Festival is all set to kickstart from June 14.

Nestled at the foothills of the Himalayas, the charming town of Bir offers its visitors a chance to slow down, sprinkled with just a touch of adventure. Known for being Asia’s largest paragliding site, Bir boasts of scenic beauty that you can only find in movies, now couple that with a vibrant music festival happening amidst the mountains and you’ve got the experience of a lifetime.

For the past eleven years, Alakhananda Sharma, along with her team of volunteers, has not only been working hard to create magic in the mountains, but she has also become the first woman to own a music festival in India. Today, her dream, which took wings during the pandemic out of necessity to revive the local economy, is in its twelfth year of celebrating live music by providing a platform to over four hundred indie artists all under the open sky.

In a conversation, Sharma shed light on what goes on behind the scenes when it’s time to curate the artist lineup. She said, “Artist lineup is one of the most controversial aspects of the festival, and since the beginning, our vision has always been to promote musicians whose original compositions win us over.” She added that it is not about numbers or the amount of followers an artist has on social media, but more about their sound and how it resonates with the festival’s vibe.

While the festival puts music and emerging artists at the forefront, the cultural significance authentic to Bir is not on the back burner either. The priority always remains to enhance the cultural significance that the village holds, says Sharma. Furthermore, she shares how visitors get to experience a slice of Bir via the festival, “Local cuisine, indigenous handicrafts, and a special Himachali concert are always a part of the experience,” said Sharma. Apart from this, other things that render the festival unique are aspects that incorporate spirituality, such as the sound healing experience and yoga sessions in the morning.

This one-of-a-kind festival, promising an experience like no other, is all set to begin this weekend on 14th June, with soulful melodies by renowned artists like Nizami Bandhu and Rajeev Raja filling the air, setting the perfect tone for an unforgettable celebration.

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Location :

Delhi, India, India

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News lifestyle “We’ll Always Promote Indie Artists,” Says Bir Music Festival Founder Ahead Of Kick-Off



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