MUMBAI: Conversations around the gender balance of music festival lineups and safety of women attendees abound around the world. Public events like music festivals aren’t the safest spaces for women, and even though many events have taken action in that direction with welfare support zones and sensitivity training workshops for festival security and staff, incidences of harassment are way too common. It was this thought that propelled media entrepreneur Darshan M to think of Sonic Tigress, a music festival for women, by women.
“We live in a world where acronyms like DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) are thrown around a lot, but in reality nothing has changed at the ground level,” says the Bangalore-based Darshan. “Women are still fighting for opportunities. So the whole thought behind this festival is not to give women a seat at someone else’s table, but to build a full table just for them. Sonic Tigress isn’t about inclusion; it’s about owning the stage,” he adds.
But there’s also a more sombre intention behind conceptualising an idea like Sonic Tigress. “I have personally been to too many events where I witnessed drunk men harass women, and I hope Sonic Tigress would be the beginning of a new experience for women who just want to be able to enjoy themselves without unwanted attention,” he shares.
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Sonic Tigress will be held in Bangalore on March 29. Tickets for the festival – split across three categories, general admission Rs 999, fan pit Rs 4999 and VIP Rs 9999 – are available here.
Envisioned as a space where women come together -not just to perform, but to inspire, support, and amplify one another, Sonic Tigress is a celebration of talent, resilience, and the unique stories that only women can tell through their art in Bangalore on March 29. Multi-lingual playback singer Nikhita Gandhi, who has innumerable Bollywood hits to her name, has been announced as one of the festival acts so far.
Darshan and his team have gone to extreme lengths to ensure that the festival is 100 per cent women, even asking performing artists to rework the band lineup. “Artists have been very accommodating of our idea and intention,” he shares, adding, “Additionally, we will make sure all the support staff, usher, hosts and even security guards are all women. We have also requested the police to provide women constables.”
The multi-genre festival caters to all whims and fancies, and not just when it comes to music. With its focus on experiential adventures like interactive installations, immersive spaces where technology and artistry meet, and a showcase of handpicked, homegrown boutique brands, Sonic Tigress is aimed to appeal to every kind of festival goer, not just for the music heads.
