The music industry never stops. From new labels to new music, there is always something for listeners to look forward to. Billboard India helps you cut through the noise and pick the essentials you need to know to stay up to date.
- Ziro Music Festival announces its lineup for 2026
One of the most-awaited festivals in India’s music scene, Ziro Music Festival ensures the trek to the North East is worth it. For their 13th edition this September, they’re going by tradition of showcasing local and national talent. Expect Punjabi legend Sukhbir, Sri Lankan export Yohani, indie rock band Parikrama, and hip-hop and electronic artist Karan Kanchan, sharing space with Temsu Clover, an independent pop singer from Nagaland, Sikkim rockers Tribal Rain and singer-composer David Angu from Arunachal Pradesh. Check the full lineup here. - A. R. Rahman to host the first Tamil Idol
With the success of Indian Idol, reality TV singing shows have become a regular on Indian television. Now Sony Vizha has announced Tamil Idol. With A. R. Rahman front-and-centre in the search for musical talent from Tamil Nadu. Auditions for the show begin August 23 in Chennai.
This is not the first time Rahman has backed a talent hunt – in 2018, he launched ARRived on his YouTube channel, a hunt for new voices. The winner got an opportunity to sing a song for Shah Rukh Khan’s Zero. - Global investment firm KKR acquires minority stake in BookMyShow
India is fast-emerging as a strong market for international artists – heavyweights Coldplay, Linkin Park, Akon, Enrique Iglesias and Guns N’ Roses have performed in the country in the last two years. Indicating confidence in the market, global private equity firm KKR has acquired a 6% stake in BookMyShow, as per Reuters. “The timing of this investment is particularly exciting, as we have significantly expanded our presence across the live entertainment landscape and are seeing the opportunity for India’s entertainment economy grow like never before,” said Ashish Hemrajani, Founder and CEO of BookMyShow in a statement.
- Believe India launches ‘BL/UR’, a new imprint focussed on independent Indian pop
Continuing the spate of new labels in the Indian music industry, global artist development company Believe has launched their fourth imprint in India. After regional-specific imprints, with BL/UR, the focus is on blending Indian and global sound. The spotlight is on Marathi pop artist Sanju Rathod, composer and producer Anurag Saikia, poet and rapper Farhan Khan and rapper-songwriter Bali. The first release from the imprint, “Badeela” by Anurag Saikia launched on August 21.
