Things to do in Delhi this week

This is the first time the American band is heading back to India since their last concert here in 2022. This time, they’re celebrating their fifth studio album, Automatic. The set list will include newer tracks alongside all-time favourite bangers like Ho Hey, Ophelia, and Stubborn Love. There’s no better time to attend a concert – February’s weather all but guarantees a sweat-free experience. Tickets range between ₹2,000 and ₹7,000, but you might catch a resale if you’re quick.

When: February 1

Where: Huda Ground

How to get there: Since the venue’s in Gurugram, it’s best to travel to the Millennium City Centre metro station and walk to the concert venue. The ground has plenty of food and drink options.

You don’t have to be a snob to attend the India Art Fair. I would even go to the extent of saying that it’s far more popular than you’d expect an art festival to be – with tickets selling like hot cakes and the entire venue packed, year after year. The fair brings together contemporary and modern South Asian artists, curators, collectors, and institutions under one roof. Tickets start at about ₹800 for a full day pass. 

What to expect: This year, the festival will host over 130 exhibitors, 500+ artists, and, as always, loads of performances, talks, and large-scale installations. Expect paintings, sculptures, photographs, experimental work by younger artists sharing space with the greats.

When: February 5-8

Where: NSIC Exhibition Grounds, Okhla

How to get there: It’s about a kilometre from the Okhla NSIC metro station. 

Returning for its 39th year, the mega exhibition brings together hundreds of artisans, handloom and handicraft artists from across and beyond India. Alongside stalls selling knick-knacks, rugs, furniture, ornaments and other handicrafts, the mela will host workshops, folk music, and dance performances. Tickets priced under very affordably, at about ₹200.

This year’s theme revolves around Uttar Pradesh and Meghalaya, so expect a strong showcase from these states, along with international participation from Egypt, the partner country this year.

When: Until February 15

Where: Faridabad, Haryana

How to get there: The Delhi Metro’s violet line will take you to the Badarpur border, from where the fair is a short auto-rickshaw or cab ride away.

The theatre festival is a month-long reminder that live theatre is very much alive and kicking. Organised by the National School of Drama, events are scheduled across India and, for the first time, some in Sri Lanka – though the lion’s share takes place in Delhi.

Several plays are typically scheduled each day. Most Delhi venues are clustered around Mandi House, making for an extremely convenient viewing experience. Head to the festival website for the full line-up.

Here's what to expect.

When: Until February 20 

Where: Scattered venues, but most around Mandi House

The exhibition at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) is an ode to one of India’s most celebrated, most daring artists. The show, said to have been five years in the making, is curated by Kishore Singh in partnership with the Gujral Foundation, and spans 167 works tracing the artist’s life.

What to expect: It’s an incredibly moving show. The displays encompass his works, juxtaposed with old photographs that piece together his career as a painter, collector, artist, and cultural thinker, alongside his life with his family. Much of the work spans the horrors of Partition, but also his time in Mexico. One to watch out for is Mourning en Mass, along with gorgeous sculptures and reliefs, and some of his personal items.

When: Until March 30

Where: NGMA, Delhi

The Songlines exhibition’s been making the rounds at Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) for a couple years now, but it remains one of the most popular multimedia installations in Delhi. It’s incredibly unique and totally immersive in how it tells the story of how ancient knowledge, story and song were interwoven into the Australian landscape through Aboriginal Law. The display, which is part of a collaboration between the KNMA and National Museum of Australia, has shifted out of the former venue into the newly redeveloped Humayun’s Tomb Museum. 

When: Until March 15, 2016

Where: Humayun’s Tomb Museum, located between the tomb and Sunder Nursery. The area’s newly abuzz with a bunch of recently-opened coffee shops and restaurants – the proximity makes for a great afternoon or evening out. 

How to get there: It’s a ten-minute cab ride from JLN Stadium metro station.