Welcome to the 2021 Darbar Festival 

21-24 October at the Barbican Centre 
 

I am absolutely delighted to share the 2021 Darbar Festival programme with you. This celebrates our long-awaited return to live performances after the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Now in its 16th year, the Darbar Festival returns to the Barbican Centre, with a plethora of ground-breaking concerts and performances featuring world class legends, maestros and maestras and the very best of UK talent.  

Set up in memory of Gurmit Singh Ji Virdee, an inspirational tabla player and teacher, the Festival continues to be the perfect place to discover an enchanting world of melody and rhythm. 

India’s classical music is among the oldest continual musical traditions of the world, dating back some 5-6,000 years. We at Darbar, believe that everyone should experience both our live performances and livestream events of this life-changing art form.  

Indulge your senses in this emotive music, which will leave you with a wholesome appreciation of the form.  

Explore the finest Indian classical music festival right here in London. 

Sandeep Virdee OBE 
Artistic Director 
Darbar Arts Culture and Heritage Trust