Unboxing BLR Habba 2023: 11-day extravaganza blends tech, lit, and design

Bengaluru: The annual Bengaluru Habba will go big this year with nearly 45 organisations joining forces to host diverse cultural events under the banner ‘Unboxing BLR Habba 2023'.

The 11-day mega festival, starting December 1, will offer something for everyone with the fine blend of cultural heritage to technological advancement.

Several private individuals will anchor the festival with backing from government departments. The festival follows the launch of the book “Unboxing BLR” by Malini Goyal and Prashanth Prakash.

In an effort to globally popularise the festival on the lines of the UK’s Edinburgh Festival or Goa’s Serendipity Arts Festival, organisers have clubbed together the trio of significant events in the city's calendar — the Tech Summit, Lit Fest, and Design Week.

Over 300 events have been planned across the city, right from conversation and visual arts, film screening to heritage walks, putting together the best experience the city can offer to global visitors.

Not stopping with that, the list of events, categorised under 12 banners, will also have food, open street events, and golf tournaments.

V Ravichandar, one of the festival organisers, said ‘Unboxing BLR Habba’ is decentralised.

“Events have been geographically spread across Bengaluru so that people need not travel long distances. There is something for everyone,” he said.

“Two Indian cities are popular for their annual events. Chennai for the Carnatic music festival and Goa for arts festival. In the next five years, we hope people from all over the world come to Bengaluru in the first week of December as we have plans for a variety of programmes,” Ravichandar added.  

Block the dates 

* Tech Halli ( Bangalore Tech Summit)
Nov 29-Dec 1 at Bangalore Palace 

* Lit Nagara (Bangalore Lit Fest)
Dec 2-3 at The Lalit Ashok   

* Kala Koota (visual arts)
Dec 2-11

* Thindi Puram (food & beverages)
 Dec 1-11

* Handmade crafts mela
 Dec 2-3 

* Ranga Katte (Music, theatre, dance) 
Dec 1-11

* Design Mantapa (Bangalore Design Week)
Dec 2-9

* Walks Populi (City Trails: City Walks)
Dec 1-11  

* Green Maidana (golf tournament)
Dec 9 at Prestige Golfshire  

* Churu Muri (Conversations, arts, crafts & culture)
Dec 1-11

* Public Jaaga (Open street festivals, Namma Raste)