We’ve all heard a great deal about the Sunburn festivals and NH7 Weekenders. Yet there are some music festivals that offer instances where nature becomes one with music. Camping, adventure, leisure and winding down by winding up, these festivals are making the rounds in the music circuit and growing bigger and better every year, and they’re all here! In our lovely country!
Here are four outdoor music festivals that you must absolutely know about.
Ziro Music Festival, Arunachal Pradesh
As the festival slogan goes, Eat, Drink, Merry! Ziro, Festival of Music is all about fun and living the life. Located in the Ziro Valley, which is the district headquarters of Lower Subansiri district in Arunachal Pradesh, the location is 167km from the capital, Itanagar. 
It is one of the oldest towns in Arunachal Pradesh in a valley at a height of over 5500 feet above sea level surrounded by misty mountains. This means that not only will you get the chance of losing yourself into music, but you will do all the losing and dancing smack dab in the middle of nature!
In the past years, the festival has seen performances from famous bands like Shaa’ir & Func, Menwhopause, Sky Rabbit, Lee Ranaldo, Steve Shelley and The Dust, and many more.
This year, the calendar dates are marked to be 22-25th September and will be joined by artists like Prateek Kuhad, Menwhopause, The F16s, Dualist Inquiry, Tetseo sisters, and so on.
It is one of India’s biggest Outdoor festivals, which means that you can go camping, chill and relax.
How to get there:
According to the official festival site,
Airport: The nearest airport is Tezpur. However, flights to Tezpur are often cancelled without reason. The best option is to fly to Guwahati and do the road journey or take the overnight train to Naharlagun.
Rail: The nearest railhead is Naharlagun. There’s an overnight train from Guwahati to Naharlagun after which it’s a 4 hour drive to Ziro.
Road: Direct buses are available from Guwahati, Itanagar and North Lakhimpur.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
All visitors – Indian and foreigners – to Arunachal Pradesh need special permits to enter the state. Indians need an Inner Line Permit (ILP) and foreigners require a Protected Area Permit.
Other options for Accommodation:
Hotel Blue Pine, Hotel Pine Ridge, Arunachal State guest house, Hotel Valley View.
Storm Festival, Coorg
Conceptualised over a decade ago, the Storm Festival Storm Festival debuted in 2012 in Napoklu, Coorg in the middle of unspoilt natural beauty. The admirable efforts of the Festival organisers in keeping the beauty of Coorg intact, has made this music festival one of its kind.
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An escape from the hustle bustle of city life, the Storm Festival provides it’s ‘Stormers’ with music workshops, jamming sessions, camping opportunities, yoga activities and amazing artists to blow their music socks away.
According to the official site,
“Held in December, Storm is a mélange of pulsating Electronic Dance Music and soul-stirring live acts set in captivating lush green outdoors. The festival is already making its presence felt amongst the calendars of music revelers far and wide. With alluring venues, a charged atmosphere and a promise to preserve and respect Mother Nature Storm takes the concept of “responsible enjoyment” to a new level.”
How to get there:
You can fly or take a train to Bangalore. From there, there are Storm Bus services, that shuttle music-goers from various pickup points.
Accommodation:
TENTS.
Rajasthan, Jaisalmer
Organised amidst the golden sun and sand of Jaisalmer in the month of February, this quirky music festival brings together various music lovers as well as travellers due to its unique location and includes an experience of camping out on the sands under the star lit sky, outdoor activities, exemplary music, exotic local cuisines and art. With artists like Nucleya, Dualist Inquiry, Mame Khan, Swarup and many more, the festival is only getting bigger and better.
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The festival has three stages, that cater to various music genres. Ujalo, the ‘Film Tent’ at Ragasthan is where you can pull yourself a mattress and enjoy open air film screening under a canopy of stars till midnight. Moreover, Hathai, is the artist’s corner, where various artists from in and out of Rajasthan are showcased. What’s more? There are adventure activities like hot air balloon rides, zorbing and many more and on site camping, as well.
How to get there:
You can take a train to Jaisalmer, followed by a taxi to the campsite.
Accommodation:
MORE TENTS.
The festival usually arranges for Dhanis (swiss tents) with a minimum capacity of two people and maximum capacity of four. These tents are equipped with a washroom, and veranda space. There are also smaller tents but those would differ in facilities. One may even bring their own tent for the stay.
Book a Hotel in Jaisalmer
Enchanted Valley, Ambay Valley, Maharashtra
A three day carnival, this glamourous new festival in Ambay Valley has been steadily growing in popularity. Located near Lonavala, this music festival pays ode to music genres like House, Techno, Trance, Drum and Bass and the likes. The Enchanted Valley Carnival is popularly regarded as an adventure in music because it has several camping, adventure activities and an experience of different genres of music all in one festival.
The previous edition had been home to artists like Tiesto, Fatboy Slim, Far East Movement, and many many more! Being hosted by the gorgeous Ambay Valley, which makes an excellent weekend getaway for residents of Pune and Mumbai, this gorgeous locale also offers the fun option of a trip to its neighbouring hill station of Lonavala to explore its natural grandeur.
How to get there:
One may fly or take a train to Mumbai (122 kms away from Ambay valley), or either Pune (94 kms away from Ambay Valley). One can also take a train to Lonavala, and drive down or take a taxi to the location. There are also festival shuttle buses that run from Mumbai, Pune and Lonavala.
Accommodation:
Any guesses?
TENTS.
There are various kinds of tents provided. A two man tent, a four man tent, luxury two man tent, you name it!
So are we ready for this festival season? Yes we are!
