Nayantara Singh

It’s a relief to shrug off a rather long and sluggish January. The sun’s coming out, the weather’s near-perfect, with cool mornings, bright afternoons, and evenings that are begging for bar crawls. And February may be the shortest month, but in Delhi this year, it's completely action-packed. The calendar’s stuffed to the brim with theatre, sport, music, culture, and ROMANCE (or did you forget about Valentine’s Day?), making it one of the most reliably busy months to be out and about. The big-ticket item this month is, of course, the T20 World Cup, with multiple matches in Delhi. The music scene’s alive and well too – The Lumineers, Armaan Malik, the India Jazz Project, the HT City Unwind (the GOAT Lucky Ali returns) and the Sufi Heritage Festival (featuring big draws Daler Mehndi and Sona Mohapatra) all in a single month. The Pride Parade and the Delhi Literature Festival are also big crowd pullers, along with the ongoing Bharat Rang Mahotsav, which kicked off in late January and features plenty of theatre productions through the month. We simply cannot forget the Surajkund Mela, which brings artisans from across and beyond India under one roof, selling some of the most unique things money can buy. You’ve also got the big V-Day bonanza starting mid-month, with loads of bars and restaurants hosting special events and offering hefty discounts, so make sure to catch those. But all in all, like we said, February’s weather is too good to be true – so don’t miss this chance to grab

Time is flying and we’ve already hurtled through the first week of February. If you’re still experiencing 2026 growing pains and didn't manage to catch a break this first week, don’t worry – we’ve got the rest of your February covered. Of course, the big ticket item this week is John Mayer live at Mahalaxmi Race Course, long awaited after his initial performance date of January 22 got postponed. We also have comedy king Gianmarco Soresi performing his first and only Mumbai shows this Wednesday and Thursday, so if you’ve managed to snag tickets for that one, consider yourself lucky and envied by many. Musical couples will be delighted by this week’s lineup. We’ve got Mahindra Blues Fest, Sanam in Concert AND Anuv Jain all happening on V-Day so consider those plans sorted. If you’ve missed out on tickets, try celebrating the weekend a little earlier: there’s some really cool artists performing at India International Music Week, and a fabulous opportunity to catch some classical music in the SOI Spring Season. What could be more romantic than a world-renowned orchestra serenading you at one of the best venues in the cities? Time Out tip: Treat every restaurant in the city with the same reverence as a golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory and book those reservations EARLY.

We’ve beaten a week of overcast mornings and moody weather to make it to the second week of February, and things are looking up! The sun’s managed to peek through, afternoons are becoming balmy, and everyone’s starting to make plans for the Valentine’s Day weekend. Fear not if you’ve got nobody to engage in a lovefest with – Galentine’s goes just as hard as date night with your significant other.  There’s some stuff going on through the week – there’s a couple of T20 World Cup matches being hosted at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium, for instance, and Bharat Rang Mahotsav is on as well, with more than one play lined up everyday at Mandi House. Solid shopping opportunities at the Surajkund Mela, and of course, some stellar exhibitions at NGMA and the Humayun’s Tomb museum.  The weekend, though, is reserved for stuffing your face at the city’s best restaurants and hanging out with friends. Catch the two-day workshop organised by Opn Art House x Gaysi Family at Max Mueller Bhavan for some artsy-crafty fun, or check out some of these bowling alleys in Delhi if you’re planning to head out with a big bunch. It’s also just really great weather for being outdoors and doing nothing, and while Delhi’s famous for its monuments, some stunning heritage sites have flown under the radar, and are worth checking out if you don’t like crowds.  Here’s everything you need to plan a week that’ll keep you busy round the clock. 

February’s usually when the productivity panic starts to kick in. After all, it’s time for the post-January festive blues to come to an end. Never mind about the New Year resolutions that never made it past the 30-day trial run. Year after year, Mumbai runs on high-speed autopilot through January, what with Lollapalooza, but February is just as action-packed this year, and here’s everything worth checking out. It’s perhaps one of the best months for music: we have the Symphony Orchestra of India’s Spring 2026 season for western classical music lovers; John Mayer performing live; not one but TWO jazz festivals, among other really cool DJ sets, folk recitals, and of course, the Mahindra Blues Fest returning to Mumbai. Tickets are selling out faster than Labubus, but fear not if you don’t get ‘em – there’s plenty of other live music that Mumbai has on offer through the year. It’s also a big time for the artsy-fartsy. We’re kicking off the month with the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival from January 31 to February, followed by the annual All India Arts Exhibition at Jehangir Art Gallery and exciting exhibits coming to NGMA, CSMVS and the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum.Theatre’s alive and kicking: a slew of shows are scheduled, from the Primetime Theatre Company to Spoken Fest 2026. Stand-up comedy shows through the month, of course, and how could I mention stand-up without talking about the BIG TICKET ITEM! Gianmarco Soresi’s touring India for the first time! Another big event to top it all of

There's no way to travel all of Asia in one lifetime, but you can damn well bet that we're going to try. From bustling city destinations to wild island paradises, there's so much on the regional travel menu that we'd gladly spend our annual leave on in 2026 – and if you're having a hard time choosing, then you're in the right place. We talked to our Time Out editors and travel contributors in Asia to suss out what's on their radar for the coming year. These destinations are emerging hotspots: long overlooked or previously hard to reach, but now on the map for travellers seeking alternatives to well-trodden destinations like Bali, Tokyo, and Bangkok. Many on the list have become better-connected, too – all the more reason to buy that plane ticket in 2026. And it goes without saying: they all have spectacular natural attractions, rich culture, and fantastic dining scenes to satisfy the pickiest of travellers. Here's Time Out's list of the best places to visit in Asia in 2026.  Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Asia newsletter for the best travel inspiration straight to your inbox. READ MORE: The most spectacular places to visit in Asia and The most gorgeous islands in Asia 

My first thought upon entering Barbet & Pals is how many drinks it's going to take for me to be able to laugh at the same pitch as the other folks guffawing inside. That, and the mean-ish rumination on how many people know that a barbet's a kind of bird – though the decor, has, of course, made it glaringly obvious, from the birds flying off the servers' lapels to the little winged stirrers clattering about inside highball glasses. Barbet is, mercifully, not a speakeasy. By that, I mean it isn't faux-hidden behind a pair of nondescript doors that can only be reached via a great big shady lift. No, Barbet's right there, flatly proud, placed in the inner lip of Greater Kailash II's M Block Market, which is currently in the throes of an intense, competitive popularity.The unselfconscious location's a relief, really, and a bit of a surprise – given that inside, Barbet feels much more like a speakeasy than any of the other bars that have mushroomed with greasy ease across south Delhi. It's small, but not too small (38 seats). Dimly lit, but not in the infuriating way that makes you want to pull out your phone torch to squint at the menu. The speaker spouts 80s oldies, but not all of them are bangers. It's good to know there's yet some appreciation for deep cuts in this city. When they launched, publications went wild waxing lyrical about the pahadi inspiration behind the menu. I read it all, and I'd come here to sample it, but to tell you god's honest truth, the drink that's caught