Tanvi Chakravarty

Picture this. It is a sweltering May evening. It’s been a long week. You’ve just rewarded yourself with a hefty lunch and mangoes in three different forms; fruit, lassi and ice cream to ‘cool off’ and now you don’t know what to do with the rest of the weekend. As tiring as it is attending plans, making them can be even harder in weather that makes you crave a literal brain-freeze. So instead let us make plans for you because no heat is stopping this month from being a stacked one.  Perhaps the most exciting thing we have this month is Ye in India and Mochakk’s multicity India debut tour. IPL quite literally heats up with some beloved rivalries in action at Wankhede Stadium. Musicland is finally here after months of delays to celebrate local hip hop like no other.  A Time Out favourite, Art Night Thursday, is back on the list, among some other cool museum exhibits, festivals and galleries worth checking out. Bandra remains the trendiest neighbourhood with a one-of-a-kind gourmet night market and the opening of a new theatre space featuring some cool comedians. You would be remiss not to attend one of the many live gigs, International Jazz Day celebrations and EDM parties happening around the city. It seems like Mumbai sure knows how to keep up with the soaring temperatures. 

It's reaching that point in the month where Mumbaikars are praying for rain, a tall claim considering our love-hate relationship with the monsoon season. Temperatures will still be hitting highs of 33°C and the humidity rages on.  Nevertheless, we quickly move past it since nothing can ever stop this city from making it's plans. IPL forges on with the final resident Mumbai Indians match of the season. An interesting new gourmet night market is taking place in Bandra for the aspiring chefs. It's never been a better time to be eating out with Chef Gaggan Anand's Masque  residency this week and new openings across the city. Also be sure to check out one of the many gigs happening this week. Overally, a great roundup of weekly events, I'd say!   

April has always been a coveted month for me. A light at the end of the tunnel. It’s the last month before summer officially begins. Mango season is arriving. The torture that is Mumbai's May heat is yet to arrive. No rain, clear skies and lots of sunshine. And there's another reason why my disposition is annoyingly cheerful this month – just look at how many things there are to do! April kicks off with some incredibly cool art festivals, a very boozy cocktail festival (right up my alley) and a brand new event that has piqued my curiosity and should yours as well – Bombil Bassline, a 140bpm exclusive night featuring crazy cool local artists. Speaking of, Mumbai sure knows how to celebrate as an underground niche and mainstream international stage. Calvin Harris finally touches down in the city this month. The hype has been building for many months now. The same goes for Circoloco, which makes its India debut on the 19th.  We’ve also got some more refined and classical concerts at the NMACC Grand Theatre this month with Oscar nominated film composer and pianist Max Richter and Kathak-contemporary duo Aditi Mangaldas & Aakash Odedra. The Royal Opera House is also hosting a stirring night of Sufi music by the KM Sufi Ensemble. For old school rock lovers, legends Scorpions close out the month with their Mumbai show of the Coming Home Tour.  The other fun bit: IPL in full swing, with an exciting home match in our dearly beloved Wankhede Stadium! Lil Flea also returns this month fo

Here's a fun fact about Mumbai, despite the richy-rich reputation. The city rewards you at every price point for food, if you know where to look. And who better to prove that than someone whose entire career is built on precision and taste? Nooresha Kably is the city's official expert on all things Japanese cuisine: literally. Like, appointed by the Japanese government as 'goodwill ambassador for the promotion of Japanese cuisine' official. Trained at the Tokyo Sushi Academy (on a whim, of all things), her restaurant Izumi in Bandra has done some pretty successful promoting, and sits comfortably at #12 on Condé Nast's Top 50 Restaurants of 2025. Her latest venture, Idoru, is one of the city's finest vinyl bars, with a unique spin on Japanese cocktails and bar snacks. So yes, obviously, she knows her food. But here's the thing – when I asked her for recommendations, she laughed and said, ‘I don't eat Japanese food too often on my time off.’  It turns out she eats across Mumbai, seriously and enthusiastically, from ₹550 thalis to 24-karat gold-plated khichidi. Here, ordered by how much they'll set one person each back, is where she's spending her time off duty.

Chef Rijul Gulati’s hospitality knows no bounds. He is fun. Full of josh. And of course, a massive foodie. In other words, he’s the quintessential Delhi Boy. So you might understand my slightly prejudiced (I’m a Mumbaikar) surprise when I notice there is zero arrogance in the man when he chats to me about the changing currents in the culinary world and what Indian Accent Mumbai has in store. Despite finding towering success at a relatively young age, Rijul is still fuelled purely by passion and expertise. The picture of humility. There is absolutely zero room for Delhi tropes here.  But, at the risk of invoking a cliché, you can take the boy out of Delhi, but you can’t take Delhi out of the boy. After nearly a decade at Indian Accent in the capital, Rijul moved to Mumbai in 2023 to helm the restaurant’s brand new NMACC outpost. Mumbai can’t ever replace home, but it’s come with its own sense of community. Celebrity chefs Prateek Sadhu (NAAR) and Varun Totlani (Masque) are ‘dear brothers’, he says, while he remains tight with Manish Mehrotra, founding chef of Indian Accent, as well as Himanshu Saini of Michelin-starred Trèsind Studio fame.  But where does he go when the Delhi foodie in him starts to itch? ‘Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport,’ he says with a grin. Jokes apart, in the three years he’s been in Mumbai – a city not always known for getting North Indian food right – he’s found a handful of places that come close. Here’s his guide to Punjabi comfort classics i

March is finally here, marking the arrival of a very Mumbai spring – aka sweltering heat and humidity. But the good news is that March somehow manages to outperform February, with an exciting lineup of events, plays, concerts, and lots and lots of music festivals.  It’s safe to say that after years of neglect, artists are finally recognising India as a major international stage. Tap into the electronic music scene, with gigs and acts like Keinemusik, and Anjunadeep to look forward to.  Apart from a ton of international artists performing this month, we also have some of India’s biggest names on tour. You can see Yo Yo Honey Singh, Sonu Nigam and Shreya Goshal live in Mumbai. March is also an ode to the growing rap and hip-hop culture in the city, with not one but two music festivals showcasing the country’s best rap and hip-hop acts.  If there’s a theme for March, it’s certainly enjoying the open air, drink in hand, and enjoying a live musical act. It’s an official end to 22-degree winters (freezing for Mumbaikars), and we’re kicking off a month less left until summer with a bang. Here’s everything exciting happening this March. 

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

The CSMVS is Mumbai’s biggest, and arguably, the best museum. The grand, massive Indo-Saracenic building – built in 1922 and now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site – as impressive as what’s housed inside, with a unique blend of Indian, Persian and British architectural styles that echo the rest of Mumbai.  Visiting Mumbai and don’t have a plan or friends to catch up with? The museum boasts a mammoth collection of over 70,000 works, and therefore makes it my personal pick for the loiterers of the museum world. You could easily spend the better part of a day here pondering, sketching, or journaling.  Displays inside cover the broader history of the subcontinent through a largely archaeological lens: the terracotta structures of the ancient Harappan civilisation; Buddhist sculptures dating 1-500 CE showcasing early Chinese and Japanese society; impressively preserved sculptures dating to early Hindu dynasties. Other displays include Victorian paintings, rare textiles, and a Natural History gallery showcasing taxidermied birds and mammals. What’s more – this is a museum that one can keep returning to, because they also host a series of highly curated exhibitions throughout the year, mostly focused on explorations of Indian art, culture, identity and history through various mediums.  Time Out tip: Make sure to save time for a quick detour within the grounds to check out the Exhibition Gallery within the Children’s Museum, often showcasing acclaimed artist works. Also enclosed

Picture this. We’re listening to John Coltrane croon A Love Supreme on vinyl as we’re gathered in a circle, seated on crates and couches. Some doodle, some browse through the shelves of records and books while I admire the art on the walls. What follows is a conversation centred around Liz Pelly’s book Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist on the perils of streaming culture, and our role in it. It’s a discussion bound to leave one changed, inspired, or at the very least, reflective. As tempting as it may be to use the buzz word, I hesitate to call FRICTION at Method a third space. The word tends to be lost in mistranslation to a zeitgeist hell-bent on instant gratification. Building community takes time, mutual trust and effort: tenets that most self-proclaimed ‘third spaces’ tend to replace with ambient lighting and overpriced lattes in an attempt to become the latest viral hangout spot in the city.   Instead, FRICTION is unpretentious and wholehearted in its dedication to art and music. Substance over style. Art for art’s sake that I cannot help but revisit over and over again. What is it then, you ask? I think my inability to label FRICTION essentially sums it up. A vinyl forward listening room, art gallery, library, cultural symposium. A counter-institution. Why FRICTION? Abhi Meer, the man behind it all, is wary of smooth edges and seamlessness. In an internet-driven world fueled by ease and efficiency, we have forgotten the physicality

Foodstories, the beloved gourmet grocery store (aka India's Erewhon) is here! After successfully providing aspiring home-cooks and chefs with boujee ingredients in Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad, they're finally making their way to Mumbai. The store's opening in two flagship locations – the first, very fittingly being in.. you guessed it, Bandra, and the second in Lokhandwala. It's not too clear when the stores will open, but it could be as early as the end of this month. Delivery services should also be available soon.  Why's Foodstories special? Foodstories stores are the mastermind behind things like a water sommelier and grocery raves. They take premium grocery shopping to an entirely different level. They're known for carrying an abundance of imported and premium gourmet goods that you won't be able to find anywhere else in the country – and most of them put health and wellness first. You've got sustainably farmed greens and produce, artisanal rare cheeses, an entire chocolate library, raw imported dark chocolate bars, wellness shots, natural juice counters, and much more. Of course, it's easy to rack up a long and hefty bill buying ₹20,995 caviar or freshly made guacamole from Peruvian imported avocados worth at least ₹700 apiece. Even more popular is their café, which is more reasonably priced at around ₹1,500 per person, known for their burrito bowls, freshly brewed coffee, truffle omelettes, and more. Mumbai gets a taste of all this, as the launch not only comes wi

A historic moment for Arsenal fans worldwide! Tears were shed and cheers erupted as the team finally broke a two-decade curse and snagged their first Premier League title in 22 years on a day they weren’t even playing. The teams sealed the deal as champions after Manchester City’s 1-1 draw at Bournemouth. Riding off that high, they’ve also made it to the finals of the UEFA Champion’s League, set to play against Paris St Germain on Saturday, May 30th. Such a monumental Arsenal run deserves to be witnessed in style. Luckily for Indian fans, for the first time ever, the kickoff time is early enough where we don’t have to be burning the midnight oil to catch the action. The match starts at 9.30pm IST, making for some very fun screening opportunities.  In celebration of the earlier start, Heineken 0.0 is hosting a massive screening event at the The Ballard Pier Downtown Experience Centre in Fort, and they’re pulling out all the stops: cinematic screen, stadium grade sound and lighting, games, food, drink and surprise acts and band performances. Tickets start at ₹699 on District. If you’re looking to find some fellow friends instead of watching solo, this is the perfect event for you.  Other venues will also be hosting screenings so be sure to hit the pubs with your friends. If you’re looking for a more low-key (I use the term loosely) affair,  Glocal Andheri is also having a screening, with tickets at ₹199 on District, among many other sports bars across the city.  Oh, to be a goo

They say everybody wants to be a DJ and no one wants to dance. Techno seems to singlehandedly prove that wrong. The genre’s had a massive global resurgence in recent years, with India not far behind on the scene.  Surprisingly, it’s not the faux-techno (which, let’s face it, is really ambient house misclassified) that’s easing listeners into the scene. It’s hard techno that’s made a comeback! Think all black attires, brutalist buildings, and deafening high-octane 160 bpm beats. Maybe our love for the genre represents a deeper disillusionment with the state of the world. Either way, it’s given rise to some pioneers of new-gen hard techno, and French DJ Trym, aka Martin Drack, is one of them.  After bursting onto the scene with a breakthrough Boiler Room set in Paris in 2019, Trym has quickly launched himself on the international stage as one of the genre’s torchbearers. It’s no surprise, considering he grew up in Paris, at the heart of the underground techno scene, formally training at the DJ Network School.  The music producer has performed at crazy global stages like Tomorrowland, Ultra, and EDC Las Vegas, including a residency with Paris collective Possession, and has started his own label, COLOUR. Affectionately nicknamed ‘Sparkling Water Boy’ (due to the beverage being his only drug of choice to fuel him through his sets), Trym steers away from being stereotyped into a dystopian, nihilistic, overly-serious techno artist, and instead shines a different light on the genre.

Mumbai may not be the greenest big city in India (that title's reserved for Delhi), but it is one of the few cities in the world to have over 1,300 hectares of natural urban forest. Mumbai's incidentally also the country's arts hub, and at that intersection of art and nature comes Artists for Aarey, a collective started by Harshad Tambe. Putting on the Tarpa Theatre Festival after it was first conceptualised in 2018, it's the first theatre festival in the city to take place in a forest! The festival's an extension of the Save Aarey Movement, a campaign to save the Aarey forests, which have served as home to the incredible biodiversity found there, as well as the indigenous Warli adivasi tribe. Tarpa is an attempt to give back – an ode to nature by educating audiences on themes of sustainable practices, indigenous culture through theatre and folk storytelling.  It’s art that’s meant to stay with you and change you, urging audiences to care about protecting their environment through folk music, poetry and stage performances.   What to expect Some highlights of the festival include Kavan, a musical performance of Ambedkarite songs and Maharashtrian folk protest poetry which is happening May 15 at 6pm. Lavani Ka Rang explores gender and identity through traditional Lavani dance on May 16 at 6pm. There’s even a Marathi folk retelling of the famous Japanese memoir Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window, 11am, May 16. When's this happening? The three day festival will take place

Gaggan Anand wears many hats. The most notable being a chef’s hat. I use the word chef loosely because Gaggan Anand is more akin to a mad food scientist. His penchant for culinary theatre and gastronomical dining has made him a frequent collaborator with one of the city’s best fine dining restaurants, and Masque's known specialising in the same.  This month, from May 18-22, Gaggan will be reuniting with Masque Head Chef Varun Totlani at the 1,250 square foot Masque Lab, launched by the Masque team in 2020 as a space to experiment, research and develop new recipes.  The five-day takeover consists of an exclusive 14 seater space offering an intimate glimpse of the five-time ‘Best Restaurant in Asia’ winner hard at work. The collaboration comes right after Varun himself did an Indo-Thai takeover at Gaggan’s namesake award-winning 14-seater restaurant in Bangkok. Gaggan’s Masque Lab residency builds on that collaboration with an elaborate and meticulously crafted 20-course test kitchen to dining experience. Details of the menu remain a mystery – all will be revealed to the lucky diners. Timings: The lab is hosting two seatings each evening, one at 6pm and the other at 9pm  Price: ₹35,000 per person including one cocktail or zero-proof pairing  Bookings: Reservations can be booked via the restaurant directly over the phone or WhatsApp. Alternatively, you can book a spot through Swiggy Scenes Contact: Phone/WhatsApp: +91 98190 69222 Address: The Masque Lab, Gala 2, Shree Laxmi Wool

After a massively successful debut in Mumbai last year, Sunburn Festival is coming back to the heart of the city. Equivalent to Asia’s Coachella, the official festival Instagram account announced the dates for the second edition of their electronic music festival – on the weekend of December 18-20 this year! What's more – pre-sales for tickets start as early as this week! More on that below.  What is Sunburn Festival?  What started as a beach festival almost 20 years ago in Goa has evolved into India’s foremost electronic music festival. It’s a multi-day affair with a lineup of some of the biggest international and local artists. Past headliners boast Skrillex, Swedish House Mafia, David Guetta and more.  While Sunburn 2025 took place at Infiniti Bay, Sewri, it was announced that for this year, the venue had been changed to the Mahalaxmi Race Course via social media. No reasons were explicitly stated for the change except a desire to be 'be in the heart of the city' in a venue 'that has witnessed some of the city’s most defining live music nights'.  Tickets  Tickets go live in several phases. You can register for the pre-sale on BookMyShow.  Here's the full schedule: Thursday, May 14 for RuPay credit card holders at 12pm.Saturday, May 16 for those who register on BookMyShow at 12pm.Monday, May 18 is when general sales open at 12pm.  Price Prices for tickets vary from ₹5,000 to ₹16,000. Here’s a break-down:   RuPay PresaleGeneral Admission: ₹5,000VIP: ₹10,000Fan pit: ₹12,000 R

Mango season is upon us, and honestly, seems to be the only advantage of the brutal heat that Mumbaikars are clinging onto. 'Well, at least we have mangoes,' we say as the harsh afternoon sun forces perspiration down our brows.  But unfortunately, and somewhat uncommonly, mango production seems to be suffering this year.  The fact that India's famously the world's largest mango producer is a source of great pride; so much so that we tend to gatekeep the fruit to a certain extent – despite producing 40-50% of the world's mangoes, less than 1% is exported. The rest is gobbled up in-house. That's why the fact that this year's mango yield is expected to reach barely 15% is a knife to the heart for so many Indians.  A sizeable drop The drop is projected to be as bad as 50-90% less yield!  Reasons are mostly weather related: erratic weather patterns, extreme heat and rainfall shocks have disrupted mango harvesting in the Konkan region (Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka). Farmers of the beloved Ratnagiri mangoes are claiming immense financial distress, due to the low yield, the likes of which many haven't ever witnessed.  In Karnataka, the annual Mango Mela in Dharwad has been cancelled due to the sharp decline in the region's yield of premium Alphonso mangoes! Erratic weather could also be partly due to the Super El Niño. the exceptionally intense El Niño event – which will hit India in its entirety later in the year – is characterised by a rare, extreme rise in temperature in the tr

After a debut that packed out arenas and flooded timelines, HYROX is making its way back to Mumbai for its second race of the season, and if the first round was anything to go by, this one’s expected to be bigger, louder, and even more competitive. The global fitness race, which has steadily built a cult following among both serious athletes and everyday gym-goers, has quickly carved out space in the city’s ever-evolving workout culture – somewhere between a sporting event and a full-blown spectator spectacle. Registrations for the Master’s Union HYROX Mumbai will go live on the official HYROX India website on Friday, May 7 at 3pm IST, with multiple categories open depending on how hard you’re willing to go. Ticket prices per person vary depending on level of participation: Spectators: ₹395 - ₹700 Relay: ₹3,478 - ₹5,500 Doubles: ₹6,392 - ₹8,000 Singles (Open/Pro): ₹8,000 - ₹9,000 The event will take place on the weekend of September 18-20 at the NESCO Centre, Goregaon East.  What is Hyrox? A race combining running and functional strength workouts. Being dubbed as the ‘marathon’ for gym bros and girls, it was conceptualised back in 2017 in Germany. Now, Hyrox has more than 90 global races and more than 3,00,000 participants. People train for months for a timed race in a massive exhibition hall consisting of 8 rounds of running 1km, followed by a strength exercise. Exercises include  1000m SKiErg  50m sled push 80m burpee broad jumps  1000m rowing  200m farmers carry  100m san

What was meant to be an exciting first week of May has turned into major disappointment for many music fans. Two concerts that were meant to take place this weekend have been postponed: Musicland, a hip hop festival headlined by artists like Badshah, Chaar Deewari and Seedhe Maut, as well as Brazilian house DJ Mochakk’s India debut. Mochakk, who made waves with his set at Coachella earlier this year, was set to do multiple shows across the country in Mumbai, Delhi, Goa and Bangalore, which have all been cancelled. No official reasons have been cited for the postponement of both events.  Why was Musicland cancelled? The music festival took to their official Instagram page to announce the news, stating 'circumstances beyond our control' on Monday, just five days before the event was slated to take place. The news comes after the concert had already been postponed from March to May. The post further described the announcement as 'one of the hardest messages we’ve had to write', saying 'we truly feel the weight of letting you down…we will come back stronger, bigger and better.'  All tickets will be fully refunded via District within 10-12 business days. No alternative date for the concert has been announced as of now.  Mochakk's mystery cancellation As for Mochakk's tour, no official confirmation has been given yet by organisers or promoters, but multiple prominent and reliable sources in the electronic music space took to Instagram to announce that 'due to unforeseen circumst

Maharashtra is known for many things – mangoes, Mumbai, misal pav, among others. But stars? Not particularly. However, in a bid to develop tourism in the state, the state government has plans to expand Maharashtra into an astrotourism hub. Eleven spots around the state have been marked as key development areas for curated astro-tourism experiences, such as stargazing sessions, meteor shower viewings, and night sky photography workshops.  Why astrotourism?  Maharashtra already has many  ‘dark-sky areas’, untouched by light pollution and ideal for spotting stars, meteors and more. Tackling light pollution from cities and dark-sky conservation is an identified sub-policy under the Maharashtra government’s 2024 Tourism policy. It’s part of a major tourism project initiative known as Vikasit Maharashtra 2047, a bid to make the state an economic powerhouse by 2047.  What are the 11 assigned sites?  Among isolated areas in the Sahyadri ranges, forest belts and remote hinterlands, some of the 11 marked sites include;  Pench Tiger Reserve Lonar Crater Lake  Harihareshwar in Raigad  Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve  Toranmal Hill Station, Nandurbar Bhandardara dam, Ahilyanagar Udmal Tribal Village, Nashik  Bhimashankar, Pune District  Melghat, Amravati Yawal East Range, Jalgaon What can we expect? Once development is complete, astro-tourism infrastructure in the mentioned sites will include: Observatories  Eco-friendly stay and accommodation  Telescope viewing stations  Astronomy inter

International Jazz Day is, in my opinion, a vastly underrated day. Celebrated annually on April 30, UNESCO proclaimed in 2011, with jazz legend Herbie Hancock by their side, that jazz has played a vital role in fostering peace, building community and promoting freedom of expression. In a time where physical third spaces are wearing thin and internet discourse is replacing real conversations, it is a sacred thing to be able to witness jazz, live, in all its glory.  Luckily, Mumbai seems to finally be catching on, and has a series of jazz performances to celebrate 15 years of this very special day. Some note-worthy events include: Bombay Jazz Club live at 8ish Jazz night at Nariman point’s newest groovy bar, 8ish.Date: Wednesday, April 29, 8.30pm Address:  8ish, Ground Floor, Express Towers, Plot A, Ramnath Goenka Marg, next to HDFC Bank, Nariman Point, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400021Price: Free entry  Alemay Fernandez live at NCPA The sultry vocalist is the only Asian jazz singer to have Count Basie Orchestra, Duke Ellington Orchestra & Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Joined by acclaimed pianist Sharik Hassan for a soulful jazzy evening at the Tata Theatre, NCPA.Date: Thursday, April 30, 7pm Address: Tata Theatre, NCPA WRG9+6J4, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Rd, Nariman Point, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400021Price:  ₹900 onwards The Latination live at NMACC Indian jazz collective The Latination will be giving a special performance of live latin jazz and afro-Cuban jazz. It’s rhythm and