KOCHI: Close on the heels of various cultural programmes and mega events like the Biennale, another big event is on the horizon — Freeground Music Festival, which kicks off at KTDC’s Bolgatty Palace grounds this weekend.
“For years, one of the minus points that used to be raised regarding Kochi is its lack of entertainment avenues,” says Akshay Krishna, co-founder of Freeground. Explaining the aim behind the conduct of the event, he adds, “We firmly believe in the profound impact this festival will have. Not just in captivating audiences but also in significantly contributing to the growth of Kerala’s tourism industry.”
The company wants to show the world that Kochi is a happening place. “Avenues for entertainment is one factor that would attract more techies to Kochi,” says Akshay.
Of course, music events do happen in the city, Faris Faisal, co-founder of Freeground, says that “not all those events draw musicians from across the country and even from the global platform.”
Another aspect of the event is that it is not just a musical programme. The festival will also showcase digital art installations along the lines of Biennale. “This is an annual event that will travel around. If one year it is held in Kerala, the next year it will be held outside the state,” Akshay says.
This is the first edition of the Freeground Music Festival. The next edition is slated to be held in Dubai. “This is the start. Since we are like a flower bud getting ready to bloom, we have kept the theme of the festival as Genesis,” says Akshay.
He says the festival is the realisation of the hard work of a large number of people. “Every one of those involved has either worked on the forefront or in the background of various art events and hence come with great experience in organising such a big event,” he says.
The festival will see different genres of music being staged. “One stage will solely cater to hip-hop and electronic. This is the first time that the 3D project stage is being set in Kerala. In the second stage, all live performances will happen. In total, 20 artists will be performing over the two days,” says Akshay.
What led them to take the plunge in organising such a big festival is the interest that Malayalees have when it comes to musical shows, art and culture. “If you look at the crowd at any of the music festivals happening anywhere in the world, you will be able to find a big crowd of Malayalees right in the front. Similarly, if you take a peek into the backstage hands, you will find a large number of Malayalis there as well,” he adds.
The festival can accomodate a crowd of 4,000. The show will open at 11am and end at 10pm every day. Registration is on and the ticket costs `1,250.
Artist line up includes
Funktuation
When Chai Met Toast
Parikrama
The Raghu Dixit Project
Dualist Inquiry
Street Academics
... among other artists