IIT Madras to hold ‘Saarang’ cultural fest from January 8 to 12

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras will host the 52nd edition of the “Saarang” cultural festival on campus from January 8 to 12. Saarang is one of the largest cultural festivals with an expected footfall of over 80,000 visitors.

This year, the festival will host new initiatives, revived flagship events, and a social outreach programme, reinforcing its standing as a cornerstone of Chennai’s cultural calendar.

The theme of the cultural fest is ‘Beyond Realms’, which will feature competitions, workshops, exhibitions, and performances that bring together students, artists, and audiences from across the country.

“Highlights include a Non-Competitive Cluster featuring open performances and interactive acts, the debut of the ‘Nova Experience Zone’, a relaxed, open- access space inspired by early-2000s pop culture, the return of the Saarang Parade, which will turn the campus into a moving cultural spectacle and the revival of the Saarang General Championship (GC) after a hiatus, encouraging colleges to participate across multiple events,” the official IIT Madras press release said.

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Saarang 2026: Impact through social campaign

Saarang also launched its social campaign ‘Kalaa’, aimed at uplifting custodians of traditional arts and empowering underprivileged communities through sustainable handicraft opportunities. The campaign has partnered with

Kalaa partnered with several organisations and NGOs for digital outreach, conducted awareness sessions in local schools on ancient South Indian art forms, and created on-campus marketplaces for handmade products. The campaign has raised over Rs 20 thousand, which will be disbursed to partner organisations to support their ongoing work.

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Saarang’s Pro-shows, World Fest

The “Professional Shows” mark an end to each day at Saarang. Inaugurating the 5-day festival, Saarang will host Padma Shri Awardee Sri Thota Tharani as the chief guest. He has revolutionised set design and visual storytelling in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi cinema.

• Classical Night (Day 0, January 8) will feature the melodious Vijayalakshmi and Krishnan Lalgudi as the opening act, followed by Prasanna Ramaswamy on guitar.
• Choreo Night (Day 1, January 9) will bring colleges from across India to perform and compete.
• Hip-Hop X EDM Night (Day 2, January 10th) marks a first for Saarang, opening with the sensational DJs Angemi and Viola, followed by headliner Brodha V, whose sounds have redefined Indian Hip-Hop.
• Rock Night (Day 3, January 11) will see the electric band Avial taking the stage, with the opening act performed by Skrat.
• Pop Night (Day 4, January 12) concludes the fest, headlined by the nation’s beloved Sid Sriram, preceded by India’s first pop girl group, Wish.

Saarang’s World Fest will be celebrated as an international music festival, featuring free daytime concerts. The festival will showcase a diverse global lineup, including contemporary jazz from Italy, alternative hip-hop from Denmark, and progressive metal from Finland. The World Fest is supported by international cultural bodies, including the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the OltreConfine grant.