With just a couple of days before we bid farewell to 2017, we at Bangin Beats have tried to round up the biggest happenings within the country’s music scene! Having already shared our favourite releases by Indian artists in 2017 and our Top 10 Indian acts of the year, it is about time that we share our Top 10 list of some of the most influential and buzzing events of 2017!
So without further ado, jump down below and read on.
10. KSHMR LIVE in Delhi
One of India’s most adored acts, KSHMR announced his return to the sub continent with a massive 6 city India tour in partnership with Sunburn Arena. Spanning cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai, the ‘Wildcard’ producer played a special charity show in the capital, bringing his live show to the city, making it the first time India saw such a show from a major act in the electronic music realm.
9. Transition 202 feat. Charlotte De Witte
Underground music came to the fore in 2017, with some absolutely incredible acts touring India throughout the year. November saw India host Belgian techno DJ/producer Charlotte De Witte for a two city tour. The Delhi leg of the show was a part of the Transition showcase, and witnessed some relentless techno from the Belgian wunderkind, with support from one of India’s finest upcoming acts, dotdat.
8. Boiler Room Delhi
Having made its debut in India in 2016 in Mumbai, and another edition in Bangalore in April, 2017, Boiler Room finally made its way to the capital city in May, in association with Budweiser. With a lineup featuring Roger Sanchez, Josey Rebelle, BLOT!, and Abhi Meer, Delhi finally got a taste of the global underground music phenomenon in all of its glory.
7. Lane 8 presents This Never Happened: Delhi
One of the most looked forward to tours in recent memory had been Lane 8‘s This Never Happened. An interesting concept which required absolutely no cellphones and cameras on the dance floor, Lane 8’s first stop for the tour was Delhi, and boy, was it one gig to remember. Playing an exceptionally mind bending set, Daniel Goldstein delivered one of the finest sets of the year, something we’ll be remembering for a long time to come.
6. Birth of boxout.fm
India’s first independent online community radio station, boxout.fm secures a well-deserved place in our Top 10, thanks to its notable contribution towards the music scene in the country! Co-founded by Sahej Bakshi (Dualist Inquiry) and DJ MoCity, boxout.fm announced its arrival in April 2017, and since then, has gone on to steadily change the landscape of the Indian music scene. Providing listeners around the country with the freshest music on offer on a daily basis, thanks to their tasteful curation, boxout.fm has also managed to bring underground music to the fore with their weekly gig concept, boxoutwednesdays. Having remained quick on their feet, the latter half of the year also saw the birth of their own label boxout.fm Recordings. With an exciting journey which lies ahead of them, we can’t wait to see what they have in store next!
5. Road To Ultra: Delhi
2017 also saw the entry of another international dance music giant into India, Ultra Music Festival. Announced during the Ultra Miami, UMF brought its Road to Ultra format to Mumbai and New Delhi on the 7th and 8th of September. With The Chainsmokers as headliners, and supporting acts including Rezz, Slushii, Sam Feldt, Getter and more, the Delhi leg of Road to Ultra India saw quite the turnout. With the show being live streamed as well, Delhi turned up in huge numbers to see the magic of Ultra Music Festival’s India debut, and it didn’t disappoint.
4. Vh1 Supersonic
Vh1 Supersonic might not have made an appearance in 2016, but it only enabled them to come back stronger and bigger than ever before! Announcing a new home and dates for the festival in 2017, Vh1 Supersonic managed to pull off a booking that most fans could’ve only dreamed of. Eric Prydz. The Swedish maestro, who Nikhil Chinapa had been trying to book for a number of year, finally made his India debut, and managed to wow every single person at the festival. The same year saw Vh1 Supersonic branch out to different genres, and saw American rapper Macklemore as the second headliner, with Zedd closing out the festival. With festival experience at their core, Vh1 Supersonic redefined what it’s like to be at a music festival in India.
View this post on Instagram@ericprydz in all his glory at @vh1supersonic! Day 2, bring it on. #GoSupersonic #TBBAtSupersonic #Vh1Supersonic #EricPrydz #pryda #Pune
3. Magnetic Fields
Easily the most exquisite festival in the country right now, Magnetic Fields transcended into the superior quality this year. A magical live set by master Four Tet on the Bira stage, pounding DJ sets from Ben UFO, Special Request and Jayda G on the Red Bull stage and the secret Resident Advisor party with Arjun Vagale & Tijana T steered the crowd to create a perfect vibe. Not to mention a handful of after-parties for the ravers, the serene sundowner at the palace terrace and a lovely chill zone on the sands made the festival a complete three-day experience.
2. Justin Bieber
The man needs no introduction and you definitely can’t round up 2017 without mentioning him! Yes, we’re talking about the one and only Justin Bieber who made his way to India for one of the biggest live concerts the country has ever witnessed. Taking over the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Mumbai for a historic performance as part of his Purpose World Tour, the sold out show saw the ‘Sorry‘ hitmaker perform some of his biggest hits in recent years. With a mind-blowing production which also graced the landmark event, JB’s debut stint certainly didn’t fail to impress his die hard fans in the country!
1. Ed Sheeran
Taking the crown as the biggest live spectacle of the year is Ed Sheeran, who managed to make his way to India once again for his second ever performance in Mumbai as part of his ongoing Divide Tour. A humongous sold-out show which saw him deliver a stellar performance for his Indian fans, the famed singer/songwriter made sure to treat the attendees to some of his biggest hits till date, alongside dishing out multiple cuts from his latest album! Making everyone swoon to his incredible tunes, Ed Sheeran’s sophomore stint in the country stands testament as to why he continues to be one of the greatest showman in music!
With inputs from: Rajrishi Murthi and Varun Luthra.