Pune: 72nd Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav To Be Held At Fergusson College From January 13 To 17, 2027
The 72nd Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav will be held from January 13 to 17, 2027 at the Fergusson College ground in Pune, moving from its usual December slot.
Photo: Himanshu Rane / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Pune, 29th October 2026: Sawai Gandharva is moving to January. The 72nd edition of the Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav will be held from January 13 to 17, 2027, and for the first time the festival will take place on the Fergusson College ground in Shivajinagar.
Shrinivas Joshi, executive president of the Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal, announced the dates and the new venue. The Mandal has organised the festival since it began.
For regulars, the shift is a big one. Sawai has almost always been a December affair, and many families plan their winter around those five nights of music. Reports say the Fergusson ground is already booked in December for the Pune Book Festival, so the organisers settled on mid-January instead. The Deccan Education Society, which runs Fergusson College, has agreed to support the event.
The organisers feel a central venue will be easier for audiences to reach. FC Road and JM Road are close by, and the Shivajinagar and District Court Metro stations are not far.
Quick facts
- 72nd Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav
- Wednesday, January 13 to Sunday, January 17, 2027
- Fergusson College ground, Shivajinagar
- Artist line-up and ticket details: not announced yet
A festival that keeps moving
This is not the first time Sawai has changed address. It started at Renuka Swaroop Prashala and then spent roughly 35 years at the New English School grounds in Ramanbaug, which is where most older Punekars remember it. From 2019 it moved to the Maharashtriya Mandal sports complex in Mukund Nagar, which also hosted the 71st edition from December 10 to 14, 2025.
Pandit Bhimsen Joshi started the festival in 1953 in memory of his guru, the Kirana gharana vocalist Sawai Gandharva. After Panditji passed away in 2011, it was renamed the Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav. Over seven decades it has grown into one of the most respected classical music festivals in the country, and a first performance here is still a big moment for young artists. The festival traditionally ends with a recording of Ustad Abdul Karim Khan singing Raag Bhairavi.
Tickets and line-up
Nothing has been announced on either front yet. Season passes and daily tickets usually go on sale a few weeks before the festival. We will add the details here once the Mandal releases them.
One word of caution: every year, passes are resold at inflated prices on social media. Buy only through the official channels the Mandal announces.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Sawai Gandharva 2027?
The 72nd Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav will be held from January 13 to 17, 2027.
Where will Sawai Gandharva be held this time?
At the Fergusson College ground in Shivajinagar, Pune. This is the first time the festival will be held there.
Why is Sawai Gandharva not in December this year?
The Fergusson College ground is booked for the Pune Book Festival in December, so the festival was moved to January.
Has the artist list been announced?
Not yet. The organisers will announce the line-up and schedule closer to the festival.
