Serendipity Arts Festival is set to return to Panjim, Goa, from 12–21 December 2025 for its landmark 10th edition, offering a 10-day celebration of music, dance, theatre, visual arts, craft, photography, and immersive experiences for all ages. This December, Panjim will once again transform into a nucleus of creativity, presenting over 250 projects curated by more than 35 leading voices. The Festival unites artists, performers, chefs, musicians, designers, and storytellers from across India and the world, promising families, students, travellers, and culture enthusiasts a vibrant and unforgettable experience.
Over the past decade, Serendipity Arts Festival has embraced a nomadic spirit, bringing its celebration to cities across India and beyond. From Birmingham to Ahmedabad, Delhi, Varanasi, Chennai, Gurugram, and Dubai, the Festival has fostered artistic exchange, cultural exploration, and community engagement, culminating in Goa for its largest edition yet. Founder–Patron Sunil Kant Munjal reflects that culture builds empathy, cultivates leadership, and teaches what education alone cannot—kindness, patience, and the ability to hold multiple perspectives. The Festival transforms public spaces into living canvases of creativity and supports hundreds of emerging artists across South Asia.
The 10th edition of Serendipity Arts Festival is rooted in sustainability, inclusivity, and accessibility. Events are family-friendly, mostly free to attend, and spread across walkable routes with free shuttles connecting venues. The Festival unfolds across multiple locations in Panjim, including the Old GMC Complex, Art Park, Festival Barge along the Mandovi, and the Nagalli Hills Arena. Accessibility features, volunteer assistance, sustainable practices, and interactive sessions for children and individuals with special needs reflect the Festival’s commitment to responsible cultural growth.
Visitors are encouraged to follow hygiene and safety guidelines, including responsible parking, shuttle usage, and use of refillable water bottles. First-aid facilities and information desks are available at all venues. While most projects are free with registration, tickets for limited events can be booked online via the Festival website or app.
As it celebrates ten years, Serendipity Arts Festival remains committed to its simple yet powerful vision: culture is for everyone. With its expansive and diverse program across disciplines, the Festival invites audiences to Goa not just for a holiday, but for a celebration of creativity, connection, and community. Registrations are now open for the 2025 edition, and audiences can book their Art Pass, explore workshops, exhibitions, and performances, and stay updated with the latest announcements on the Festival website.
The Serendipity Arts Festival returns to Panaji this December for its tenth edition, reaffirming its long-standing commitment to making art accessible to all. As South Asia’s largest multi-disciplinary arts festival, SAF has grown into a dynamic platform where artistic practices, lived experiences, and community relationships converge.
This year, the festival once again transforms Goa’s riverfront and public spaces into vibrant zones of creativity, connection and inclusion from December 12 to 21. Throughout the year, the festival travelled through Birmingham, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Varanasi, Chennai, Gurugram, Dubai and Paris, offering previews of its tenth edition and engaging new audiences beyond Goa. Accessibility has been at the foundation of the festival since its inception, and in 2025 it continues to be central to the programming curated by poet and artist Salil Chaturvedi.
At the Access Village in the Old GMC Complex, sensorial, interactive and community-centred projects welcome visitors with diverse needs to experience art in ways that honour dignity and participation.
This vision is echoed by founder and patron Sunil Kant Munjal, who emphasises that culture must belong to everyone and that no visitor should ever feel excluded. The festival brings a range of unique experiences such as Scented Stories, a fragrance-based storytelling workshop; Hand/Eye, which explores touch as a mode of visual perception; and Breath + Sound Immersion, which blends meditative breathwork with sound healing.
Spaces like Studio Me and the Sensory Room provide open, calming environments for neurodiverse and neurotypical visitors to decompress and create. Curated by Tanul Vikamshi, the Paper to Sculpture workshop focuses on recycled materials and collaborative processes, while Nature’s Symphony offers blind audiences an auditory and tactile introduction to urban birdlife at Art Park and the Access Village.
The Gallery presents Therefore I Am, showcasing seven artists whose practices draw deeply from lived disability. Performances include Silent Rhythms, featuring India’s first group of deaf performers led by Dr. Alim Chandani, and Poems on the Move 2.0, curated by Thukral & Tagra with Chaturvedi, bringing live poetry readings into shuttle cabs across the city.
At The Lab, workshops by Siddhant Shah, Access for All, Rohan Marathe and Shivani Dhillon invite children, seniors and neurodiverse participants into sessions such as Dear Normal, Sound of Silence, Sensory Storytelling and Panchtantra Stories. Special projects further expand the accessibility commitment, including Cinema for Every Sense with audio-described Hindi films and a Pilates Flow Performance by Kaizen Wellness.
SAF Director Smriti Rajgarhia reflects on the decade-long journey, emphasising that accessibility has been a core priority long before it became a larger cultural conversation and remains central to the festival’s mission. Co-patron Shefali Munjal echoes this, noting that the festival has grown into a movement that fosters creative and social connection while supporting artists and cultural heritage.
As registrations for the 2025 edition go live, audiences are invited to secure their passes and explore a growing programme of exhibitions, performances, workshops and immersive encounters designed to make art a space for everyone.
This December, Panjim, Goa, will host the 10th edition of the Serendipity Arts Festival, transforming the city’s heritage spaces into a vibrant celebration of creativity across visual arts, theatre, dance, music, craft, design, photography, and culinary innovation. From 12–21 December 2025, the festival will occupy over 300,000 square feet across iconic venues, including The Old GMC Complex, Art Park, Kala Academy, and more, presenting a rich panorama of contemporary South Asian culture.
This milestone edition places a special focus on children, transforming the festival into an artistic playground where young audiences are active participants, creators, and storytellers. The carefully curated children’s programming spans themes from the environment and food to music, film, literature, and mindfulness. Activities include interactive workshops, storytelling sessions, film-making labs, animation projects, hands-on art and craft, and wellness experiences, ensuring every child discovers a unique way to engage with the arts.
Highlights include “Once Upon a Taste,” a food futures workshop led by Usha Chhabra and Thomas Zacharias, where children aged 8–12 explore the stories and futures hidden in food, culminating in their own creative “Cookbook for Tomorrow.” Other storytelling sessions explore Goan culture, wildlife conservation, folktales, and marine life. Artistic workshops introduce embroidery, weaving, terracotta, and crochet, while science and nature activities, architecture projects, and filmmaking experiences encourage curiosity and imagination. Mindfulness, emotional awareness, and musical exploration round out the festival’s immersive program for children.
Over the past decade, Serendipity Arts Festival has evolved into a platform that nurtures creativity in all its forms, fostering empathy, cultural understanding, and a lifelong love for the arts. Founder Patron Sunil Kant Munjal emphasizes that children are the greatest source of imagination, and the festival seeks to empower them to experience art joyfully and participatorily. Director Smriti Rajgarhia notes that the children’s programming is designed not only to engage but to give children confidence, creativity, and ownership of artistic expression. Co-Founding Patron Shefali Munjal reflects on ten years of impact, expressing gratitude for the artists, audiences, and partners who have helped build a movement that champions creativity as a force for social change.
Registrations for Serendipity Arts Festival 2025 are now open. Families and young creatives are invited to join this vibrant celebration of imagination and culture in Panjim, Goa, from 12–21 December 2025, and participate in what promises to be the festival’s most ambitious and joyful children’s programming yet.
Panaji, November 2025: December in Goa is set to bloom with art, performance, and cultural brilliance as the Serendipity Arts Festival (SAF) celebrates its landmark 10th edition from December 12–21, 2025. Spread across more than 300,000 square feet of heritage-rich venues, SAF will showcase a decade of artistic innovation through visual arts, theatre, music, design, craft, photography, culinary arts and more.
One of the festival’s most anticipated highlights is the arrival of the celebrated Malayalam immersive play, The Legends of Khasak, which will run from December 17–20 at 6:30 PM at the SAG Ground, Panaji.
A Landmark Work of Magical Realism
Curated by Anuradha Kapur for the performing arts vertical, the play is based on OV Vijayan’s legendary novel Khasakkinte Itihasam. The adaptation brings to life a young man’s journey into a remote Kerala village as he confronts his past and becomes entangled with the region’s spirits, myths, and living memories.
Running for approximately 200 minutes, the play dissolves the boundaries between the real and the mystical, inviting audiences into an emotionally rich, reflective universe.
An Immersive Sensory Experience
Festival Director Smriti Rajgarhia describes the production as an atmospheric dreamscape. Performed in an open-air riverside arena, the play uses fire, water, soil, scent, fog, puppetry, masks, and Kerala’s traditional folk arts such as Theyyam to create an eco-theatrical spectacle. The experience is not just visual—it’s elemental, philosophical, and deeply visceral.
A Powerful Artistic Collaboration
The ambitious production brings together acclaimed theatre artistes including:
PC Gopala Krishnan
KV Krishnan Mash
P. Baskaran Master
Kumar Pariyacheri
CK Sudheer
Directed by Deepan Sivarman—who also helms dramaturgy and scenography—the performance is complemented by the soulful musical compositions of Chandran Veyyattummal.
Viewers’ Advisory
Some scenes contain ritualistic and intense content, and viewer discretion is advised for very young audiences.
Registrations Now Open
SAF 2025 is a ticketed festival, open to all age groups. Passes, tickets, workshop details, and performance schedules are now live.
By Maryanne De Souza || Team Allycaral In its largest-ever edition, the festival will have 35+ curators including Shubha Mudgal, Lillete Dubey, Ehsaan Noorani, Manu Chandra, Thukral & Tagra, and Geeta Chandran among others across disciplines like visual and performing arts, craft, culinary arts and accessibility.
Serendipity Arts Festival (SAF) returns to Panaji, Goa in its landmark tenth edition, from December 12 to 21, 2025, with a renewed vision, expanded ambitions, and a vast roster of curators and grants. As one of India’s largest multi-disciplinary arts events, it will mark a decade of celebrating the arts and fostering creativity, collaboration, inclusivity, and cross-cultural exchange across disciplines.
To mark this significant edition, along with the recently concluded SAF Mini Edition in Birmingham, UK, the Festival will extend its presence beyond Goa, activating events in cities across India through the year, culminating in the main event in December. This anniversary edition will reflect on Serendipity’s past journey while also looking forward — with dynamic art-led interventions, deeper community engagements, and greater national and global presence.
Commenting on the milestone 10th Edition, Sunil Kant Munjal, Founder and Patron, Serendipity Arts says, “Ten years ago, when we conceived the first Serendipity Arts Festival, we imagined a place where canvasses, workshops, stages, cuisines, cultures, and audiences could come together in a seamless mix…and where everyone felt welcome. We also visualised a platform where technology and tradition could blend and reflect on our reality. At that time, it seemed like a difficult, if not an impossible, goal. It is a delight to see that a decade later, this very place has become a thriving city of ideas where we are not merely celebrating art—we are redrawing its map and reaffirming our belief that when the arts come together, society moves forward. Many have played a part in this evolution: our own teams, the Government of Goa, the people of Goa, our amazing partners from many counties, the thousands of artists, the millions in the audience over ten years and our curators with their rich imagination and boundless energy. Each of these stakeholders are deserving of a big thank you from all of us.”
Mayor of Panaji, Rohit Monserrate, lauds all the past editions of the Festival which have added to the cultural vibrancy of Panaji. He says, “In each of its past nine editions, the renowned Serendipity Arts Festival has brought Panaji, the state capital of Goa, alive, nurturing creative expression, supporting our local economy and putting Goa on the world map as far as cultural and artistic expression are concerned. The festival’s diverse programming and inclusive spirit bring life to public spaces and boost tourism, helping create jobs and support Goa’s local economy. SAF is a stellar illustration of how art and culture are the soul of our city and the backbone of its growth. On behalf of the citizens of Panaji, we offer best wishes to the organisers of SAF on the occasion of their landmark 10th edition.”
Curators for the 2025 edition
In celebration of its grand 10th edition, Serendipity Arts Festival has brought together its largest-ever line-up of 35+ curators across disciplines like visual arts, dance, music, theatre, design, and culinary innovation amongst others. It features some of the most accomplished voices including actor-directorLillete Dubey, musicians Ehsaan Noorani, and Zubin Balaporia, Padma Shri Geeta Chandran, art historian Anjana Somany, artist Sudarshan Shetty, curator-publisher Rahaab Allana, tabla maestro Aneesh Pradhan, celebrated chef Manu Chandra, acclaimed poet and cultural theorist Ranjit Hoskote, multi-disciplinary designer Sandeep Sangaru, theatre director and recipient of Sangeet Natak Award Anuradha Kapur, amongst others.
Speaking about this year’s robust curatorial mix, Smriti Rajgarhia, Director, Serendipity Arts Foundation & Festival says, “As we step into our 10th year, Serendipity Arts Festival remains committed to creating spaces for artists, audiences, and communities to meet in meaningful and inclusive ways. With a stellar line-up of curators and an expanded set of grants and initiatives, we hope this edition catalyses new ideas, questions and connections that continue to energise the arts in South Asia.”
The Visual Arts section includes curators like cultural theorist Ranjit Hoskote, artist duo Thukral and Tagra and large-scale conceptual artist Sudarshan Shetty. Mumbai-based curator and writer Veeranganakumari Solanki known for her narrative-driven practice spanning public and private spaces will take the visitors on an interesting site with her artistic interventions. Vidya Shivadas, Director of Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art (FICA), and has a practice deeply rooted in critical art discourse, will curate exhibitions based on pedagogical and material experimentations.
The Craft section has curators such as ceramic artist Kristine Michael, and textile designer/artist Rashmi Varma who is known for exploring identity, memory, and gesture through the language of handmade fabric. Art historian and craft researcher Anjana Somany, committed to showcasing living craft traditions, will curate a project exploring the subterranean worlds of step-wells with a craft showcase. Designer Sandeep Sangaru, who works with indigenous materials will spotlight Kashmiri crafts in his curation.
The Photography section will be curated by several lens-based practitioners including Ravi Agarwal, an artist and environmentalist whose lens-based work interrogates ecology and nature. Rahaab Allana, curator and publisher of the Alkazi Foundation for the Arts, will curate an exhibition of image-oriented works from the Indian subcontinent and Arab peninsula. Documentary photographer and co-founder of Nazar Foundation, Prashant Panjiar’s curation will spotlight various occupational communities from Goa. Another of his curations will be a display on preserving family tales woven through self-portraits, inherited material, workshops, listening booths and talks. Dinesh Khanna, a veteran photographer and educator will curate projects on the theme of migration and memory.
The Dance section will have curators including the iconic Geeta Chandran, founder of Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts, Jayachandran Palazhy, writer and dance practitioner Ranjana Dave, and Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee Tanusree Shankar. Dave’s curation based on dance and movement will focus on a wide range of accessibility needs. Palazhy will curate projects that explore the strength of human connections, the concept of influence, and daily urban challenges through AI interventions, visual installations and interactive performances.
The Theatre section’s curations are poised to ignite the socio, political and cultural consciousness of the society. Award-winning playwright, director, and filmmaker Mahesh Dattani known for bringing contemporary issues to the stage will curate an Ambedkarite opera. Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee Anuradha Kapur will spotlight the 180-year-old rich legacy of Marathi theatre. Sankar Venkateswaran will bring a classical touch to his curatorial work around a Koodiyattam act which will let the audience reflect on the themes of justice, power, and love in an unequal world. The other curators in this section also include popular actor-theatre director Lillete Dubey, and theater actor-director Quasar Thakore Padamsee.
The Music section will have an exciting lineup of curators like Ehsaan Noorani, Bickram Ghosh, Aneesh Pradhan, Ranjit Barot, Shubha Mudgal and Zubin Balaporia. Balaporia and Noorani will curate a performance that will bring the magic of blues, funk and jazz. Barot with Balaporia will curate a musical tribute to the iconic tabla player and composer Zakir Hussain. Pradhan and Mudgal’s curatorial performance will enthral the audience with a percussion act spotlighting folk instruments.
The Culinary curators including Odette Mascarenhas, Rahul Akerkar, Thomas Zacharias and The Locavore will create a sensorial experience that will extend beyond taste and smell. The collective Edible Issues focussed on Indian food systems, will curate projects that probe the cultural perceptions of aroma, as well as those around climate change’s effect on livestock and pastoral communities. Influential Chef Manu Chandra who has helmed several award-winning restaurant brands will pay an ode to old Goan tavernas in his curation. Sommelier-restaurateur Prahlad Sukhantar will spotlight India’s diverse salt traditions in his curation.
As Accessibility of arts forms the core of Serendipity Arts Festival, writer and disability campaigner Salil Chaturvedi will curate acts led by deaf and mute artists, workshops tailored to audiences with special needs, and create an inclusive space like Studio Me where everyone at the festival can try their hand at art.
These curated programmes will be spread across age-old heritage venues in Panjim including the Old GMC Complex, Art Park, Promenade and Gazebo, Kala Academy, Excise Building, Directorate of Accounts Building, Azad Maidan, Santa Monica Jetty, Yoga Promenade Jetty, The Arena at Nagali Hills Ground amongst others.
Below is a sneak peek into the much-anticipated 10th-year edition
Serendipity Arts continues its commitment to supporting emerging and mid-career practitioners through an expanded portfolio of grants in 2025. These initiatives are designed to provide financial, infrastructural, and mentorship support to practitioners across regions and disciplines through the following grants and residencies:
Futures in Formation | Public Art Programme (in partnership with FICA)
Serendipity Arts Residency 2025
Senior Artist Residency (in collaboration with Royal College of Art)
Enduring Traditions Grant
Serendipity Arles Grant
Folk Arts Grant
Independent Music Production Grant
WAC (Write | Art | Connect)
Arts Journalism Grant
With such an exceptional curatorial team, an expanded grants portfolio that will be showcased at SAF 2025, along with a commitment to year-round multi-city engagement, the 2025 edition promises to be its most exciting edition yet for the Serendipity Arts Festival. The Foundation invites audiences, practitioners, and patrons to be part of this milestone celebration as it reaffirms its belief in the transformative power of the arts.
Overview:
Serendipity Arts
Serendipity Arts is a not-for-profit collaborative platform based in Delhi, fostering empathy, curiosity and cross-cultural dialogue by supporting emerging artists across South Asia. The Foundation’s aim is to nurture artistic practice, promote research, and provide sustainability and education in the field of the arts. Over the past decade, Serendipity Arts has encouraged cultural heritage projects alongside contemporary art practices with extensive residencies, grants, collaborative projects, art writing initiatives and a multi-disciplinary arts festival.
