(Clockwise from top left) South Side Story 2025 includes performances by T.M. Krishna, the Raghu Dixit Project and Wild Wild Women, among others. Photos: S. Hariharan (Krishna), Courtesy of the artist
In the run-up to this year’s edition of cultural festival South Side Story taking place on Aug. 30 and 31 in New Delhi, organizers Red FM have laid out thalis in the capital’s restaurants and even called on politician and author Shashi Tharoor for a literary extension of their IP.
This week, however, the music is taking center stage. Over at KD Jadhav Wrestling Stadium in New Delhi. South Side Story 2025 brings back a familiar name in Malayali rock favorites Avial—arguably a no-brainer considering the band is named after a Kerala dish—along with the country’s top fusion band Thaikkudam Bridge and folk-fusion artist Job Kurian, among others. The real headliner, though, is a traditional Onam sadhya meal served to attendees. At South Side Story 2025, first you feast and then you rock out.
In New Delhi’s crowded live music circuit, it stands out as one of the few events that transforms the food, art, music, and dance of a cultural festival like Onam into a larger celebration of South Indian traditions. It’s also a rare platform for artists from the South to find the representation they deserve in the country’s capital. Here are just a few must-see acts at the festival this year.
Wild Wild Women
The Mumbai multilingual hip-hop act always have a flair for performance, from their onstage looks to choreographed moves (possibly inspired by girl pop groups) and hard-hitting bars. It’s often just a backing track on stage, but we’re likely to see Wild Wild Women’s Pratika, JQueen, Krantinaari, HashtagPreeti, and MC Mahila bring the heat like few others in desi hip-hop.
T.M. Krishna
In a video message promoting his South Side Story performance, Carnatic artist, activist, and writer T.M. Krishna promised the “soul of South India.” If there’s a specific performance you can expect that stands as testament to Krishna’s versatility, it’s “Poromboke Paadal.” A Tamil rock song originally written by Kaber Vasuki, the vocalist turned it into an evocative yet mournful song about man-made ecological disasters, steeped in the tradition of Carnatic ragas.
Aattam Kalasamithi
Performing on both days of South Side Story, there are very few reasons to miss Kerala percussive collective Aattam Kalasamithi. Bringing a traditional art form to the stage in a performance that is also expected to feature veteran Bharatnatyam dancer Shobana, expect everything from echoes of ancient rituals, to love songs and primal hunting chants.
The Raghu Dixit Project
Whether it’s local festivals in Karnataka or a cozy acoustic gig in New Delhi, a club somewhere in the UK or music festival stages, Bengaluru-based artist Raghu Dixit is always a demanding performer. He’ll make his audience jump and sing along, as they should to songs off albums like Jag Changa, Antaragni, and most recently, Shakkar, which came out in 2024. With the Raghu Dixit Project, there’s bound to be high energy with a side of stories, which is apt for South Side Story.
Sooraj Santhosh Live
A returning performer at South Side Story 2025, Kerala multilingual artist Sooraj Santhosh has had a busy and fruitful year so far, performing across South India and now in the capital after singing for film composers like Anirudh Ravichander for Coolie as well as prepping to release music from the Malayalam movie Sambhava Vivaranam Naalarasangham – The Chronicles of the 4.5 Gang with fellow Kerala artist Varkey. Expect film hits as well as music from his 2022 project, The Gypsy Sun.
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