Makes More Senses

The dance-rock act Laxmi Bomb will play on the first day of The Secret Garden Weekend in Pune

With the same acts getting booked at every music festival across India, the indie music scene has started to look repetitive. However, The Secret Garden Weekend (TSGW) could well be a game changer. Focusing more on the experience of spending two days at the Pune venue than the line-up of musicians, the festival attempts to be the first in delivering an experience that is more than just about listening to the same old acts in a new space. The festival is being held at Irish Villager Brewery, Koregaon Park, on June 7 and 8.

“The idea is to get people to act like children again, and experience things, as opposed to just coming and listening to music. The colours are going to be loud, the music is going to be happy, we are trying our best to create a different world at The Secret Garden,” says Varsha Krishnani, Project Head of the festival. The organisers are expecting a footfall of around 1,000 people a day at the festival.

The festival has been divided into the five human senses and each department has something to offer. “Sound” will feature 40 indie and electronic music acts across two stages. The smaller Gulmarg stage will have world music.

“Sight” has a life-size maze, filled with a bunch of artworks, a confessions tree where you can vent your anger anonymously, The Bed of Light installation where people can lie on a bed of flowers as visuals are projected around them, fire jugglers, aerial acts, among others. “Taste” has a number of food stalls by restaurants, cooking demos, and events around food. “Smell” has wine tastings, and a blindfolded trail to help you identify flowers using your sense of smell. The festival will end with “Touch”, which will have people throwing colour on each other.

A two-day pass costs Rs 1,400.