Prepare for an electrifying evening of beats, grooves, and pure rhythmic magic! The Kolkata International Drum Festival (KIDF 2025) is back—bigger, louder, and more spectacular than ever. Imagined by Grammy-nominated Tabla Maestro Pt. Subhen Chatterjee and brought to life by his son SambitC (drummer of Aswekeepsearching, What Escapes Me), this festival puts Kolkata on the global rhythm map!
This year, the second edition of the Kolkata International Drum Festival honors the legendary Ustad Zakir Hussain on his birthday, dedicating the day to his incredible legacy. It’s a celebration of rhythm in its purest form—the heartbeat of humanity!
Kolkata International Drum Festival Lineup:
What’s in Store? An insane lineup of drumming masters!
🎶 A. Sivamani – Percussion wizard and rhythm icon
🎶 Pt. Subhen Chatterjee & Karma – Tabla brilliance meets fusion energy
🎶 Shariq Tucker (USA) – The New York drumming sensation
🎶 Study Group ft. Jivraj Singh, Premjit Dutta & more – Experimental and mind-blowing
🎶 Bunty presents BPM – Bass, Percussion & Madness!
🎶 Historic drum duet – Featuring drummers from Fossils (Tanmay Das) & The Anupam Roy Band (Sandipan Parial)
🎶 Padmashree Gokul Chandra Das Dhaaki – Bengal’s legendary folk rhythm master
🎶 Sanjay Mondol & Kids – A percussion spectacle like no other!
📍 Nazrul Mancha, Southern Ave, Dhakuria, Southern Park, Kolkata, West Bengal 700029, India
📅 March 9 | 4 PM
🎟️ Passes start at just Rs. 599!
Read More > See what went down @ MBF2025 in Mumbai last month
The city of Kolkata grooved to the magic of rhythm and beats as the second edition of the Kolkata International Drum Festival (KIDF 2025) took place at one of the most reputed auditoriums of the city, Nazrul Mancha, on 9th March 2025. This date holds a special place in the hearts of everyone across the world as it is the birthday of none other than the legend Zakir Hussain, and what better way to celebrate the maestro’s birthday than this big event?
Kolkata’s KIDF 2025 drummers made the whole ‘City of Joy’ groove to their beats
The event started with a grand inauguration where all the performers took to the stage to participate in a cake-cutting ceremony for Ustad Zakir Hussain in front of a beautiful frame that had a lively picture of the legend himself.
Act – 1
The first set from the line-up to take the stage was Bunty’s Percussion Methodize (B.P.M.)! This set was what you may call absolutely electrifying, with a big ensemble comprising not only rhythm instruments but also guitars, bass, and violin. Together, this act set the perfect mood for the evening as the audience braced themselves for the acts that followed.
Act – 2
Second in the line-up was Padmashree Gokul Chandra Das Dhaaki, the legendary folk rhythm master from Bengal. Besides his excellence in his craft, he is also someone who brought an end to the gender bias by training women to play the Dhaak, the traditional wooden drum of Bengal and Assam. Their performance was nothing short of brilliant and evoked the traditions of India with every beat.
Act – 3
The next group to hit the stage was the Sanjay Mandal Troupe, and this set came off as a surprise through a spectacular show. Besides their performance, the most essential aspect of this group happens to be the fact that the majority of their instruments were made with household waste and that is all they needed to put up such a brilliant and unforgettable act.
Act – 4
While a dedicated festival for drums may give you a hint of the fact that things are going to be real loud, that was not the case with the fourth act of KIDF 2025 as Study Group, a set led by one of the most innovative drummers of the country, Jivraj Singh took the stage with three other drummers from the city. This set was highly inspirational as it was a play on time, rhythms, and silence. However, it felt as if this particular set would be great in a smaller space instead of such a huge auditorium, only to feel the subtle intricacies that the performers showcased. But it made the audience think otherwise, considering that silence is also an integral part of rhythm.
Act – 5
After four brilliant acts, it was now time for the fifth one and guess what, this act left each and everyone in the audience completely speechless because the New York drumming sensation, the one and only Shariq Tucker set the stage on fire with his chops and gut-wrenching drum performance, and in the end he obviously did receive a standing ovation from each and everyone present in the auditorium as he left a permanent mark of his outstanding artistry in the hearts of those who were lucky enough to witness him at his best.
Act – 6
After the phenomenal performance by Shariq Tucker, the people of Kolkata present at the KIDF 2025 were still awaiting another surprise. It was none other than a drum-off between Tanmoy Das and Sandipan Parial, the drummers of two of the most famous bands of Kolkata, Fossils and The Anupam Roy Band. The best part of this performance was that the two drummers played on the tracks of each other’s bands besides their face-off jam, and that is something that made the audience go mad over this powerhouse performance.
The Final Act
As the Kolkata International Drum Festival 2025 (KIDF 2025) was moving towards its end, the final act saw Pt. Subhen Chatterjee and Karma showcase their brilliant fusion music, and in between one of their songs towards the end of their performance, the showstopper or the real star of the event, none other than the legendary A. Sivamani walked in from the back of the auditorium and walked through the audience right up to the stage, and all of this, while he played a Kanjira. As he joined the band on stage, the audience witnessed a magical jam that will remain etched in their hearts forever. Sivamani continued to cast rhythmic spells on the audience, bringing the 2nd edition of KIDF 2025 to an end on a note of sheer brilliance and next-level artistry.
An entity of flesh and bones in pursuit of becoming a higher being. A connoisseur of the mystic arts and everything musical. His origins are unknown, and so are his true motives.
