Indian music is set to make global cultural history as New York City’s Carnegie Hall announces its first-ever Indian Music Festival, launching in 2027. Conceived as an annual three-day event, it will embed Hindustani and Carnatic traditions alongside film, folk, and contemporary sounds. Backed by a 10 million dollars endowment from Indo-American philanthropist, vocalist and composer Ila Paliwal, the initiative aims to give Indian music a permanent institutional home.
“I grew up watching Indian maestros walk onto global stages as guests — revered, applauded, and then gone,” Paliwal says. “What struck me was not the absence of brilliance, but the absence of continuity. Those were moments. I wanted to build a movement.”
While the venue has hosted legends such as Ravi Shankar and Zakir Hussain, Paliwal believes permanence is key. “Music should be universal, and yet Indian music hasn’t had a permanent address. Hopefully, this festival gives it not just a weekend, but a home.”
Ila Paliwal
Festival framework
Conceived as an annual three-day event, the festival will embed Hindustani and Carnatic classical traditions alongside film, folk, Sufi, indie, and contemporary crossover sounds — marking a structural shift in how Indian music is positioned within one of the world’s most influential music institutions
