The Heavy Burden of Being NH7 Weekender: Where Demand and Supply Hardly Meet

Why the long-running music festival, scheduled for November 25th to 27th in Pune, is always hit with criticism when it comes to their lineup

- ANURAG TAGAT

The 13th edition of bacardi NH7 Weekender might just prove unlucky for the Pune music festival. Not only have they gathered the resources to host it a second time in the same year – the 12th edition featuring entirely Indian and Indian-origin artists was held in March – but they’re also up against the resurgent crop of music festivals like Lollapalooza and big-ticket tours bringing around international artists like Russ.

Compounding this is the endless flow of rumors and guessing games for Weekender headliners. While this tradition is built upon the stellar past lineups which have satiated fans – in particular, programming artists such as Opeth, Steven Wilson and Steve Vai, among others – it’s safe to say that the festival hasn’t really been able to meet the mountain of expectations they’ve fostered.

How else do you explain #AtLeastTool – which started out as a genuinely tall order for Weekender to bring down American prog favorites Tool? They command a high fee and come with massive stage production demands that would make them a very unlikely booking for any Indian promoter, much less a festival that’s been running for a decade.