When a festival weekend arrives in Bandra, the rhythm changes, streets hum, neighborhoods buzz the news, spirits lift, and anticipation fills the air, as Bandra holds its first ever culture and community gathering festival in the first weekend of February.
Titled Rhythm n Roots, the three day festival traces its origins to the annual Bandra Zonals, a 68-year-old cultural institution nurtured under the aegis of the Andrean Cultural Council. Conceived as an extension of this long-standing legacy, the festival seeks to expand the spirit of the zonals beyond the periphery of Bandra, bringing together all the Mumbai deaneries. For Brian Tellis who is part of the organising team, the ‘Zonals’ is an institution that is 70 plus years old and counting. “The idea is to celebrate the various art forms that the zonal system embraces. We aspire to make the Zonals an all Mumbai Inter Deanery activity in the next few years and in the process aggregate community that is citywide”.
Scheduled for 6th, 7th, and 8th February 2026 at St. Andrew's School grounds, the festival transforms the space into a welcoming haven for artists and audiences alike. Eschewing competition in favor of genuine connection, it invites performers of all ages and backgrounds to share their talents in music, dance, choral singing, and interdisciplinary acts.
Rhythm n Roots is a name that resonates in very many ways, says Tellis. “Life is a constantly evolving journey. It necessarily means that we have to constantly keep in touch with life’s prompts and enjoy it. This is so in tune with the Arts and in particular the performing arts. One needs to embrace it as part of our RHYTHM. In doing so, one must always remember our beginnings and all it has taught us. Staying connected with ourselves and the community around us is a happy must do. This is what ROOTS stands for”.
At its core, Rhythm n Roots aims to create a unified, inclusive platform that celebrates culture, faith, and community engagement, while fostering connections across parishes and generations.
Over the weekend, the festival's lineup highlights the community's role in nurturing local talent and bridging generations. Audience will get to witness past Bandra Zonal winners who have risen to prominence in the music industry, dance performances, with the finale featuring a 100-member choir from across the Archdiocese.
Tellis who has organised festivals and music events over the years, says the biggest challenge curating this particular festival, has been more operational and financial in nature, while welcoming support to the cause. “As far as curation is concerned, we stuck to music, dance and Choral/instrumental showcases. We decided to approach people and companies in the Arts domain who believe in our vision and objective. Thus far we are very pleased with the enthusiasm of the performers as also the Archdiocese.”
Beyond the performances, Rhythm n Roots promises to have everything fostering community spirit through interactive elements that make it a family-friendly affair. Attendees can browse through stalls offering kitschy clothing, handmade jewelry, an array of food counters, a kid zone, all which make the festival a wholesome and inclusive experience.
When it’s a festival and an event in Bandra, Bandraites never fail to turn up in large numbers, and expectations are high for the debut edition of Rhythm n Roots. “Given that we have the highest quality of performances, food, fun zones, and various stalls that will have unique shopping opportunities, we expect a good turnout. Most importantly, the vision and objectivity, coupled with the fact that we would have an audience aligned to each other is a big plus” signs off Tellis.
With hopes to make this festival an annual feature, the litmus test would be on it first run which promises to be a sellout.
(The Free Press Journal is the Media Partner for the event.)
