Put on your party hat at this flamboyant music festival in Bandra

Brazilian musicians perform at the festival

In the nine years since elrow was first held in Barcelona, the event has grown in stature to now be regarded as one of the biggest - and most flamboyant - electronic music festivals in the world.

Where else have they been held? Flamboyant, because this isn't just a music fest. It's an out-and-out party that involves people walking on stilts mingling with the crowd, drag artistes adding a touch of eccentricity, magicians performing tricks out of the blue, and confetti showers that take place after the music reaches fever pitch and is then followed by a drop. It's not something that India has ever seen before. But that's going to change come March.

For, Mumbai will host the country's inaugural elrow edition next month. It's a development that has been in the offing for a while. The Spanish founders behind the festival - the brother-sister duo of Juan Arnau Lasierra and Cruz Arnau Lasierra - secured funding from an American equity firm in 2017 to take the event to the next level, with plans for editions in Asia. And in doing so, they followed a rich legacy of organising parties, because the Lasierra family has been in the business of entertainment for almost 150 years.

High production quality is one of the fest's key features

"After having led our international expansion through 2018, entering 2019 with India is a natural move for elrow. Since India is one of the largest growing markets globally for entertainment, it is both a mission and a fun experience for us, and we are confident that the execution will be flawless here," Juan says.

A member of the organising team, adds that the theme will be in keeping with "Sambowdromo do Brasil", elrow's usual tag line. "There will be a Brazilian jungle that will be created in the heart of Mumbai, complete with animals, fruits, etc," she says, adding that the line-up hasn't been announced yet. But given the stature that this festival enjoys, you can expect some big names to show up.

ON March 16 AT MMRDA grounds, G block, Bandra Kurla Complex
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