By Avni Jain
ACF returns with its cultural guide for March 2026. Unfolding as a vibrant celebration of culture across forms and cities. From folk to film, theatre to design, March brings together diverse creative voices shaping India’s cultural calendar.
- Wench Film Festival
When: 26 February – 01 March 2026. Where: Multiple Venues, Mumbai
India’s first film festival dedicated to horror, sci-fi and fantasy, highlighting films directed by women and non-binary filmmakers, enters its sixth edition this March with a stellar lineup of 52 Films: 20 from India, 8 from Asia, 33 directed by women.
- Nabanna Folk Art and Craft Festival
When: 27 February – 09 March 2026. Where: Santiniketan, West Bengal
Unfolding over ten days during Basanta Utsav, nearly 200 artisans showcase, demonstrate, and sell traditional and contemporary crafts directly to visitors. The festival blends craft, literature, performance, sustainability dialogues, and community initiatives into a dynamic cultural gathering rooted in Bengal’s artistic spirit.
- Design Cultures
When: 27 February 2026 – 01 March 2026. Where: Kolkata Centre for Creativity, Kolkata
Design Cultures presented by Raw Collaborative reaches Kolkata, celebrating the many languages of Indian design. Presenting works of 50+ artists, designers and creative voices across India, the festival dissolves boundaries between local and global, traditional and modern voices.
- Sufi Heritage Festival
When: 28 February – 01 March 2026. Where: Sunder Nursery, New Delhi
Set amidst the historic gardens of Sunder Nursery, Sufi Heritage Festival brings together music, poetry, dance, craft and storytelling to celebrate the living spirit of Sufi tradition. It blends timeless Sufi traditions with contemporary voices like Daler Mehendi, Sonam Kalra and more.
- Shivaarghya: A Festival Dedicated to Male Dancers
When: 01 March 2026. Where: Ganesa Natyalaya, New Delhi
Spotlighting 19 male dancers across Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Sattriya, and Neo-Classical, Shivaarghya presents a rare, powerful celebration of masculine grace within India’s classical traditions. Curated by Rama Vaidyanathan and envisioned by the late Saroja Vaidyanathan, the festival honours Lord Shiva as Nataraja, expanding the stage for dialogue, devotion, and dynamic reinterpretation.
- Songs of the Stone
When: 08 March 2026. Where: Qutub Minar, New Delhi
Returning for its second edition, Songs of the Stone designs an experience that transforms historic spaces into living stages, where architecture, sound, light, scent, and storytelling come together to create a multi-sensory environment featuring flautist Rakesh Chaurasia.
- Red Lorry Film Festival
When: 13 – 15 March 2026. Where: Multiple Venues, Mumbai
Over 120 films from 30 countries converge, from Hollywood premieres to Oscar-nominated standouts and cult classics that have journeyed across the globe at Red Lorry Film Festival.
- Folk & Tonic Live
When: 14 March 2026. Where: Sabha Blr, Bangalore
Catch an all-women vocal collective weaving Eastern European, Afro-Cuban, Japanese, Indian, and Ladino folk traditions into lush, close-harmony storytelling live in concert. Rooted in vocal blend and global rhythms, their performance is an intimate sonic journey across cultures, where every note feels both precise and powerfully alive.
- Comic Con
When: 14 – 15 March 2026. Where: Gymkhana Club Grounds, Gurugram
Gurugram joins the pop culture map as NODWIN Gaming brings the first-ever Comic Con India to the city on 14–15 March 2026. Presented by Maruti Suzuki Arena and powered by Crunchyroll, the two-day festival promises comics, anime, cosplay, gaming, and fan-fuelled spectacle .
- Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards
When: 19 – 25 March 2026. Where: Kamani Auditorium & Shri Ram Centre, New Delhi
For its 21st edition, ten standout productions take centre stage in New Delhi, reaffirming the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META) as India’s most definitive celebration of stagecraft, honouring playwrights, performers, directors, and designers across languages and regions.
As March 2026 unfolds, it offers an expansive view of India’s cultural landscape, bridging tradition and experimentation, regional voices and global dialogues. Across cities and disciplines, these festivals collectively reflect the vitality, diversity, and evolving spirit of contemporary creative practice in India.
Whether you are a practitioner, patron, or curious observer, this month presents a valuable opportunity to engage with the arts in their many forms. Mark your calendars. Book the tickets and immerse yourself in events shaping culture this month.
