What went down at Lollapalooza India 2026

If 2025 proved one thing, it was that there’s never been a better time for Indian gig-goers. The luck continued with Lollapalooza, the annual get-together of Gen Alpha, Gen Z, millennials, and boomers, where dads, mums, and their children got to watch some of their favourite musical acts. At the 2026 edition, produced and promoted by BookMyShow Live, artists from Japan to the UK, São Paulo to Canada, and the US to Asia congregated at Mumbai’s Mahalaxmi Racecourse over the weekend to offer us the chance to get nostalgic, get exposed to new sounds, and dance the night away.

The festival’s natural circadian rhythm divides each day into two clear halves. The afternoon sun leads determined attendees to brave the humidity and grab a beverage—the Diageo team delivered some standout cocktails—as they stage-hop across the venue (there are four). As the sun dips and a pleasant breeze surges through the air, lit-up stalls and multiple stage lights make one wonder if we’ve ventured across a vortex into another dimension. 

Yungblud teared up the stage and gave one skinny, shirtless boy from the crowd the memory of a lifetime while others tried to sort their feelings about getting an eyeful of his posterior. A Linkin Park fan did an Alex Honnold, climbing up a sound tower to watch the band and probably hear them better over the 80,000 fans singing along to every song (two days later, IG is still fuming at the thought of a nearly jeopardised concert).

Fuji Kaze (shampoo-ad tresses, butterfly-print pants, et al) had the whole crowd waving their hands for the ‘Matsuri’ step, while Latin jazz ensemble Nubiyan Twist and rockers Pacifist were pure underrated gold.

As the fourth edition of Mumbai’s multi-genre festival unfolded, The Nod took some notes.

Afternoons were for indie gems

For music discovery, coming in early was key. Some of the best Indian independent acts were slated for the afternoon sets, between 2 and 4 pm. A dreamy set from Sunflower Tape Machine, the Nepali folk of Gauley Bhai, Sijya’s surreal soundscapes and stage design, Suyasha Sengupta’s angsty rock as Still In Therapy, Pho’s rap and Zoya’s main pop girl energy made up day one. Day two was for Gini’s acoustic soundtracks; experimental melodic rap from Excise Dept; Ex Supersonics’ frontman Ananda Sen, who now goes by Sen; and OAFF x Savera’s ensemble.

Gen Z hip-hop fans did a Weapons takeover

As the Opium crew took over the BudX stage and the Destroy Lonely x Homixide Gang got the crowd moshing with their high-octane set, Gen Z lads were seen running like the wind with arms splayed wide in anticipation towards the BudX stage, reminding us of the children in the 2025 horror blockbuster Weapons. This one was for the bros, as men took off their shirts and danced with joyous abandon. 

Obviously, the best fashion moments came to the H&M stage

If you missed Fuji Kaze’s set on day one or Kehlani belting neo-soul on day two, you missed some astounding showmanship, dance crew synchronisation, and probably the best fashion moments, while being serenaded by real, raw pop power.  

Marigolds were everywhere 

From the F&B stalls to NYC DJ-producer duo Baalti’s sound system, we spotted the humble marigold across the Racecourse venue. Rameshwaram Cafe’s decor featured marigolds, while garlands dangled from the two sound systems on the Perry’s stage, making it both ubiquitous and unique at the same time. 

Of course there were guest performances

Hanumankind, Talwiinder, Apeksha Dandekar, Komorebi, Gaurav Raina aka GRAIN, three-time Grammy-nominated flutist Pt Ajay Prasanna, Lothika, rapper Dhanji, Samad Khan.... The guest performers took things up a notch as musicians Rudy Mukta, Kehlani, Karsh Kale, OAFF x Savera, Baalti, and Gini brought out their friends and collaborators for some spark and surprise. 

Dad rock closed the Alternative stage

Synthwave band The Midnight and American pop-rock act Lany brought a retro energy to the Alternative stage with soft riffs, piano ballads, and tender moments. The solo by The Midnight’s saxophonist was the stuff of time-honoured sonics as the band channeled a Bryan Adams-meets-synth-pop sensibility. Lany made us want to slow down, cuddle up, and sway our phone lights.

Some killer acts came with killer visuals

Knock2 headlined the stage on day one and curated thrash beats, electro, thumping tech-house with climactic build-ups and drops for hits such as ‘Baddadan’ and a dub mix of  ‘Clarity’ by Zedd x ‘Diamonds’ by Rihanna, making a strong case for technical artistry and commercial balance. The screen displayed a much appreciated message of “Haath Upar Karo” in Devanagari script. India’s bass pioneer Nucleya live debuted his new album, Diggi Bumba, on day two with sick visuals by Dipraj Jadhav, Carnatic rap elements, an edit of AP Dhillon’s ‘Thodi Si Daaru’ and a couple of folk Punjabi vocals all wrapped neatly in a neck-wrecking bass bow. Both acts were stellar closers for the electronic stage. 

There was never a dull moment at the Budx stage

With headliners Playboi Carti (that American rapper who confused India for Indiana) on day one and day two’s much-anticipated Linkin Park, the Budx stage was the most hardcore. Bloodywood’s fusion-thrash metal was intense and had everyone chanting at the top of their lungs. (The hairography was next level, too.) On day two, every Gen X, millennial and Gen Z attendee kept up with Emily Armstrong and MC Mike Shinoda, proving there’s space for both ‘The Emptiness Machine’ and ‘Numb’. 

The food court was actually banging

An edible flower + thecha pizza. Benne dosas so fluffy yet crisp. Mutton bheja rolls and strawberry tres leches. Bad Boy Pizza, Rameshwaram Cafe, Bademiya, and Magnolia Bakery came through with their gourmet selections to break stereotypes of fast finger-food-only items at a music festival. Honourable mentions go to the cult Korean eatery Sun & Moon, social media stars The Croffle Guys, and the newly opened Bang Bang! Noodle. At 11 pm on day two, after the Linkin Park show, when leaden-legged fans waiting in queue for their ‘Bud and Burgers’ were told the stall had run finally out of supplies, a helpful attendee walked down the line announcing “no buns, no buns, no buns...”