Jan 22- 24, 2027
Sur Jahan (previous name Sufi Sutra) is an annual World Peace Music Festival with the motto of ‘Music for Peace, Music for All’ and has been held at Kolkata since 2011. The festival has also travelled to a few cities like Jaipur, Delhi, Panjim, Patna and Dhaka in the past. Sur Jahan is a non-ticketed festival, open to music lovers. Sur Jahan always presents international music bands, with world music bands from 34 countries participating at the festival till date. The format includes evening concerts and daytime interactive workshops with the audience. The USP of the festival is presentation of traditional acoustic instruments of various countries as well as folk music in various mother tongues/ vernacular languages, celebrating the essence of World Music, i.e, music of the world. Celebrating cultural diversity and plurality is the basis of this festival, which also is the essence of Kolkata, the City of Joy. In 2026, the festival hosted world music bands, Saucējas from Latvia, Vigüela from Spain, Folker Band from Hungary, and Radiant Arcadia from Denmark, alongside Sidi Goma from Gujarat and Bauls of Bengal.
Till now 34 countries have participated in this folk festival since its inception in 2011.
Over 50 international teams from 34 countries have participated in 10 years.
Since 2011, 20 national teams have performed in Kolkata, Goa, Jaipur, Delhi and Patna.
Since 2011, the festival has been held in Kolkata, Bannabagram Baul Ashram, Patna, Goa, Delhi, Jaipur and Dhaka.
One of the biggest music festivals, 350 popular artists and their teams from India.
Over 1000 folk artists have performed on the Folkstage since its inception in 2017.
Over 12 years, over a lakh of people have enjoyed the concerts in different cities.
Since its inception, 330 internationally acclaimed singers have performed with their troupes in Sur Jahan.
The 2026 edition brought together an extraordinary constellation of musicians, each carrying the living pulse of their homelands. Saucējas (Latvia), led by Vineta Romāne, evoked the elemental power of ancient Baltic vocal traditions through haunting polyphony and open-air calling songs. Radiant Arcadia (Denmark), guided by Maren Hallberg Larsen and Anja Præst Mikkelsen, offered a luminous, immersive soundscape shaped by women’s voices and cross-cultural lineages. Folker Band (Hungary–Transylvania), led by Angéla Hont, delivered raw, electrifying folk rooted in social dance and community memory, while Vigüela (Spain), under Araceli Tzigane Mapamundi, revived the vibrant musical heritage of central Spain through forms like jota, seguidilla, and fandango.
Indian traditions resonated just as strongly. Sur Jahan Kolkata featured Debojyoti Mishra’s tribute to Salil Chowdhury, honouring a timeless musical legacy, and Folks of Bengal presenting Music of Women, foregrounding powerful stories of women’s labour and longing. Sidi Goma, led by Sidi Sabbir, and the Bauls led by Babu Fakir together revealed two powerful expressions of mysticism—one through ecstatic Afro-Indian rhythms and Sufi devotion, the other through Bengal’s introspective Baul philosophy—both rooted in syncretic traditions that transcend rigid boundaries of faith and form.
The site of Sur Jahan is abuzz through the entire span of the festival. A corner is dedicated to craftspeople engaging with visitors about traditional art and artisans displaying their unique artwork in the form of folk painting, embroidery, and weaving in designated stalls. They’re pleased to meet visitors and eager to answer questions about their process. Folk singers and performance artists holding crowds in thrall with little scheduled shows from afternoon to evening. The participating bands discuss their music, tradition, instruments, engage with the audience and collaborate with local bands. They even conduct and participate in small scale workshops during the mornings of Day 2 and Day 3. A little way away from this constant activity is the enchanted main stage, which only comes alive at sundown.
Over the years, many participating artists, both international and national have performed and brought the language of music to life. Invited guests return with beautiful memories and perhaps a food for thought for us. The audience has motivated us to be braver with their encouraging words and views. Here, we have strived to bring you these lived anecdotes from the performers, guests and viewers who have become part of the Sur Jahan family.
I would like to express the feeling of Muzsikas members and our two guests, Istvan and Hanga. Back in Hungary after a few days we know that a miracle was what happened to us. The music was great, b
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Dear Sur Jahan, we do not have words to thank you for all your work, organization, work, love for music and peace. You invited musical groups and festival organizers, and promoters, and at the end
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Thank you very much for having us at Sur Jahan 2018! The whole Tuuletar band and all documentary team members feel extremely honoured to have been able to share these two weeks and all expression w
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Thank you Sur Jahan for this amazing experience.
We are filled up with music, love, sunshine and gratitude.
Love you all very much, greetings from Helsinki.
Although the winter is already in Poland, but Sur Jahan is in our hearts and still very warm after the wonderful experience at your magnificent music festival. We hope our routes will cross again a
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Common paths, dreams and music, thank you Sur Jahan for an amazing experience, a true celebration of togetherness and love through music, waiting for you in Poland.
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Sur Jahan is simply awesome, it was a real privilege to meet you all and feel the warmth and quality music and carnival atmosphere. I must say that these moments were very special for me and will r
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The promise was already included, never did we experience friendship through music so warm till we arrived at Sufi Sutra. Thanks so much for this wonderful inter-cultural meeting, surrounded by an
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I can only say THANK YOU a thousand times for letting me be a part of this musical miracle called Sufi Sutra! I felt so lonely and sad that day I had to leave for home. I even miss the food and st
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It’s Tommy from Atse Tewodros Project, I want to reply to you right now: THANK YOU!!! More than a week passed, and everyday I’m still thinking about the AMAZING experience that was Sur Jahan. I
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I begin by thanking ALL that was done for us. All the attention and the kindness you and your team put into each gesture. Thank you very very much.
Concerning your country, India, and especia
Sur Jahan is a jewel with very quality of music and super organization, thank you so much.
Mario
Sur Jahan is unique. Reception, Technical, Accommodation - everything was perfect. But there is something else, very rare : this is a festival for the musicians! We can meet all these wonderful peo
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Truly an amazing experience! To me and all of us at Sur Jahan, we saw the world full of peace and music. I learnt so many things from every musician from all over the world and I hope to see you ag
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Sur Jahan to me is where Responsible entrepreneurship meets art. I admire your artistic vision in combination with your social business concept. This should be considered a piece of art in itself.
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Sur Jahan is not just a festival.
It’s a meeting place where musicians and listeners get a chance to show their dedication to culture as a force of unification.
In these days of in
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Here at Sur Jahan, you feel to be part of community. From the first moment, you are warmly welcomed by team, by artists and by locals. You will get the idea about what is happening at the tradition
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I have had the immense pleasure of performing at Sur Jahan in Kolkata, rural W. Bengal, and Goa. These places were all very different, but all united by a common theme: 'music for peace, music for
Read MoreOne of the biggest music extravaganzas in the heart of Kolkata allows you to explore hidden gems of Bengal. This grand music festival is an opportunity to enjoy the local culture and landscapes of West Bengal at its finest. Visit Sur Jahan next year!
