Bengaluru’s party scene is transforming with immersive and unusual themed events.
By: Ileena Dutta & Jahnavi Sanjeev
TV shows become party themes
The ball was invite-only and ticketed between Rs 999 and Rs 2,000. 001, organised by a healthcare startup, picked a hospital to host the party on Aug 22. “Some 100 people turned up for it, and everyone was head-to-toe in drip, dressed up big time.
Bengaluru party evenings are no longer ordinary Of late, they have turned into full-blown, immersive events, hosted at the most unusual venues, and with unexpected themes Call them “weird,” “quirky,” or “just wild,” but costume nights, activity jives and Swiftie drag parties are fast becoming a fixture of Bengaluru’s party scene, which has long revolved around clubs, DJ nights and the routine of paying an entry fee and dancing. We wanted to bring novelty to the Bengaluru party scene, and came up with the Bridgerton ball,” says Gautham S, who organised it at Arena Brewhouse, Indiranagar. “Several women relate to the characters in the series,” he notes. Dubbed “underground parties”, or “experiences” as Avrann from organiser team Concept01 puts it, these events have people easily spending up to seven hours grooving to techno music by carefully picked DJs. It’s…primal,” says Avrann. Avrann says he wanted to do things differently, skip the predictable. Eventually, an event group or club or restaurant picks it up and makes it huge… that seems to be how all sorts of wild trends pick up,” says Mehr Contractor, residing in the city for a decade. “I bought a satin gown, gloves and a tiara from a local shop to wear to the ball,” says 24-year-old Anughna, who attended the event. But the experience was splendid,” he says. At a gathering in the style of “Modern Family Mayhem,” fans could watch the sitcom on a screen while taking part in games, trivia and other activities based on the show’s chaotic family dynamics. We surveyed to find out the most loved sitcoms and came up with a unique curation idea to make people experience rather than just attend,” says Vanshu, one of the organisers. Essentially, it’s like two worlds colliding — you don’t have to go to the party, it comes to the gym,” says Sidharth Yadav of Stride Run Club, who organises gym raves regularly in the city. The energy is high, the music is great, and the crowd is cheerful,” says Madhusree, who works as a tech auditor. The Q List founder and curator, and a drag artiste himself, Saif Kachroo, says that Swifties thought Taylor’s “The Life of a Showgirl” would have showgirls, sequins and bedazzling looks. And then it hit — ‘Oh, drag queens are the new showgirls,’” Saif says. “There were guys with kohl eyes, dancing in stilettos, so comfortable in their own skin, and no one to judge,” says Shalaka Sankar, a Swiftie. A masquerade party brings in that thrill of mystery,” says Pavan P Bhooman, organiser and founder of GlennX Entertainments. Pavan says he started organising parties to escape, in his words, “the banalities of everyday existence. “The idea behind foam parties was to bring an Ibiza-inspired experience to the city,” says Yogesh Kadam, founder of HypeWaveCulture, which organised the party You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Bengaluru | Silver Rate in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru | Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Petrol Price in Bengaluru | Diesel Price in Bengaluru | CNG Price in Bengaluru | LPG Price in Bengaluru Stay updated with the latest Bengaluru news.
One evening you’re a Regency aristocrat; another has you investigating a murder well into the night; and some mornings you’re in gym wear at 6am, dancing your way through a workout! The Bridgerton series-inspired ball in the second week of Sept took the national internet by storm. “Wherever you go, we see techno, pool and DJ parties. Almost none host theme-based parties. Another Bengaluru rave that broke the internet was at a space that functioned as a dark store for a quick commerce platform. “The only conversation you can have with your friends here in the loud music, is without talking, when your language becomes gestures and motions. The underground locations add to the experience, making it seem more secretive and fun under dark-red lighting and swaying silhouettes. He wanted to experiment with ideas drawn from cities like Berlin and London — the Secret Party(ies) that keep the names of DJs under wraps till the fun begins. As weird as it can get, a Bengaluru hospital rave called HOSPITA/ITY vol. There was live music, food, drinks, and the party was hosted on the hospital premises after OPD hours on non-clinical floors. The event became controversial after videos appeared online, and even made international headlines. Many people questioned the appropriateness of organising a party at a hospital. The organisers assured that patient spaces were different from the area where the event was taking place, and that alcohol, smoking and vaping were banned. From fake sangeets to house parties, everything goes viral in Bengaluru. Maybe it’s just a Bengaluru thing! “You do a thing with your friends, and then the rest of the city catches up. At the Bridgerton ball, the crowd showed up in period costume — corsets, gowns and suits. Srivathsan VM, another attendee, observes that there were more women than men. “I attended entirely out of curiosity. The organisers also arranged bookmark-making, wax-sealed letter-making and tarot card reading workshops — activities they could relate to from the series, set in 19th-century London. Fans of TV shows in Bengaluru are now getting together for organised, themed events. “We wanted to conduct trivia that culminates in a social event or a party for all. What appears to be a set of unusual events is, in fact, part of a broader change in the way young people want to socialise. The idea of going out doesn’t have to be tied to the place; what matters is the experience that awaits there. This is particularly true in a city like Bengaluru, where thousands of young professionals move for work every year. For those who want to party while something dark is going on, there are murder mystery parties. In a city that plays Murdle — the logic puzzle game combining murder mystery storytelling with grid-based deduction — playing detective has several takers, say organisers. Guests come up with identities, secrets and motives. One person is the murderer; the rest are suspects, and the conversations take on the character of interrogations. “We have eventually built a fan community who are regulars. Guests get a sheet of paper mentioning the story, plot, characters and clues. They get to pick who they want to be,” say Vanshu, who organised one such event with Bhawna at Watson’s, Indiranagar. Food and drinks, redeemable against the entry fee, are served alongside. It’s a party as well as a game — and that difference matters. At gym raves, you can’t really tell if it’s a party or a fitness session. “The idea is to bring a DJ inside a gym; there’s a curated playlist and people work out to the beats. It’s a party at the gym. Strangers meet up at 6am at a gym, walk into a bar of protein shots, groove to the music and choose workouts to challenge themselves. That sounds appealing. “There’s so much happening — rowing, skiing, boxing, endurance challenges. Put together and curated by The Q List at Indiranagar Socials, The Mirror Ball: Drag Swiftie Night in July was the perfect space for Taylor Swift fans who also want to enjoy a glamorous drag show. Having mostly hosted invite-only secret events, The Q List made this the first one open to all. “But when the album dropped, it had nothing to do with showgirls. That’s when I wondered, ‘Who are showgirls these days? It was so much fun,” she adds. Bengaluru marks Sept with a masquerade ball and a foam party. “Let’s face it, you at some point feel like your actual life is pretty boring. For people who wanted to go a few steps further, there was a foam party. Download the TOI App.
Clues must be pieced together, alliances established, and accusations made before the evening concludes.