What is the Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav?

It is a five-day classical music festival held annually in Pune, India, featuring renowned artists.

How did IndiGo flight disruptions affect the Sawai Festival?

Organizers made extra arrangements, including rebooking artists on other airlines, to ensure they could attend despite IndiGo's widespread flight issues.

Where is the Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav held?

The festival is held at the Maharashtriya Mandal ground in Mukundnagar, Pune.

Home / Arts and Entertainment / Sawai Festival Defies Flight Chaos With Resilient Lineup

Sawai Festival Defies Flight Chaos With Resilient Lineup

9 Dec, 2025

•

Summary

Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav proceeds without lineup changes despite flight disruptions.
Organizers booked artists on Air India, incurring triple airfare costs to ensure attendance.
Alternative travel arrangements included road transport from Mumbai for some performers.

Sawai Festival Defies Flight Chaos With Resilient Lineup

The 71st Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav will commence as scheduled on Wednesday, with organizers successfully navigating significant air travel disruptions. Despite widespread IndiGo flight delays and cancellations, the festival's lineup remains unchanged. Organizers proactively addressed the crisis by rebooking artists on Air India, a move that nearly tripled airfare costs but ensured no performers were stranded.

To further mitigate risks, alternative travel plans were implemented. Some artists were instructed to fly into Mumbai, with arrangements made for their subsequent road journey to Pune. This strategy capitalized on Mumbai's larger airport capacity, reducing the likelihood of flight diversions compared to Pune's airport.