Bengaluru Finally Gets A 24-Hour Arts Festival Bangalore linear (And The Metro Line Is The Hero)

Here’s a sentence you probably never thought you’d read: Bengaluru is about to host its first-ever 24-hour performing arts festival, and the best part is you don’t even have to drive there. The whole thing has been designed around the city’s Green Metro Line, which is probably the closest thing Bengaluru has to a magic carpet.

The festival is called ಬೆಂಗಳೂರುlinear (Bangalore linear), and it kicks off at 3 pm on September 13, 2025, ending exactly 24 hours later on the 14th. The organisers (an outfit called linear festivals) have taken one look at the city’s traffic and decided the only way to win is not to play. Instead: hop on the metro, pop out at a stop, wander into a theatre or performance space, and you’re in. No parking apps, no U-turns, no cursing at Google Maps.

Fest That Refuses To Sit Still

What exactly is ಬೆಂಗಳೂರುlinear? Think of it as a buffet you can’t finish: seven premieres, theatre, music, dance, shadow puppetry, hip hop, electronic experiments, and at least one all-night telling of the Mahabharata. The point, say the festival directors Vishruti Bindal and Bharavi, is discovery.

“In India, audiences tend to stick to what they know,” says Bharavi. “A metalhead might only go to a metal gig, a theatre fan might never dream of stepping into a hip-hop show. With linear, discovery is built in. You stumble into a genre you’d never normally seek out, and leave changed.”

It’s a nice idea — that the city’s famously picky audience might surprise itself.

The curation didn’t come easy. “We spent a whole year watching shows to curate this edition,” Vishruti admits. “Our vision is to present premiere works in Bangalore, even if they’re not popular or obvious choices yet. We hope that down the line, audiences will trust us — trust the risks we take.”

Festival directors Vishruti Bindal and Bharavi (Image courtesy Shivam Ghai)

She also loves the fact that the festival is metro-friendly: “I’ve never learned how to drive,” laughs Vishruti. “I’ve always depended on public transport, which makes getting to shows a challenge. This time, you can grab a bite between performances, hop back on the metro, and enjoy the city while doing it.”

Who’s Performing?

This is the fun part. ಬೆಂಗಳೂರುlinear is not about blockbuster names; it’s about freshness. Which means you’ll get artists like:

1. Roshan Mathew, directing Bye Bye Bypass. He says: “This will be our first show outside Kerala. We’re curious to see how universal themes resonate with a non-Malayali audience, and what requires translation.”
2. Shilpa Mudbi, with Songs Of My Ancestors, describing it as: “A tribute to my grandmother and the women whose songs shaped our everyday lives. It’s living memory, carried in music.”
3. Fat Krrent, who promises: “I’ve performed in Bangalore before, but never a solo show. This city’s validation means something to me, so I’m gonna make sure I leave with even more fans.”
4. khokkosh., performing her debut skinned – live. She says, “It merges visuals, music, storytelling. I hope my art finds a home in more hearts.”
5. Aseng Borang, who is revisiting her work The Chinky Express Comes to Town: “It premiered in Bangalore in 2022, but I’ve reworked it completely. I’d love for people who saw it then to return — it’s a different beast now.”
6. There’s also Zeron, Gundu Raju, Anohnymouss, and more, rounding out a line-up that includes shadow puppetry, experimental electronic music, and theatre that is likely to break your heart, or your expectations, or both.

Why You Should Go

When was the last time you saw Bengaluru stay awake for art? It’s been almost two decades since the city hosted an overnight performance. And never a 24-hour festival. Even when the metro shuts down at night, the festival won’t. That’s when the all-night Mahabharata takes over, shadow puppets flickering against the dark. Who needs sleep when epic storytelling is on offer?

Linear festivals themselves are brand new, but they’ve already built a reputation for being cheeky, and boundary-pushing. Their plan is to make regular performance attendance a thing in India, not just something you do once a year. As Bharavi says, “We want people to stumble into shows they’d never pick off a poster. To go home saying, ‘I didn’t think I liked this, but I do now.’”

What: ಬೆಂಗಳೂರುlinear is a city-wide performing arts festival, strung along Bengaluru’s Green Metro Line like lights on a tree.

Who’s in it: Artists from Hassan to Kottayam, Ajmer to Ernakulam, Kalburgi to Lower Dibang Valley. Risk-takers, boundary-pushers, storytellers.

When: From 3 pm, September 13th to 3 pm, September 14th, 2025.

Where: Everywhere within a short walk from the metro. From PCPA in Konankunte Cross to Bangalore Creative Circus in Mahalakshmi, if the Green Line gets you close, ಬೆಂಗಳೂರುlinear has taken over the space.

Whether you’re there for the midnight Mahabharata, the hip hop from Ajmer, the Lepcha folk songs, or just because you’re curious about what happens when shadow puppets meet sleep deprivation, you’ll leave with a story.

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