October 28, 2026
Photo Credit/Naveen V
Indian classical dance, jazz and a free community day are among the events planned for Penn Live Arts' Arts of India Festival at the Annenberg Center in Philadelphia.. Pictured: KHANKHANĀ: the sound of dancing feet.
A free afternoon of Indian dance, music, food and crafts is coming to University City on Sunday, Nov. 1, as part of Penn Live Arts' Arts of India Festival.
Presented with Sruti, the India Music and Dance Society of Philadelphia, the festival also includes jazz, classical dance, a tribute to late musician Zakir Hussain and an art exhibition at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 3680 Walnut St.
The free community day runs from 1 to 4 p.m. and includes live performances, percussion demonstrations, crafts, henna body art and Indian food samples.
Nardhana Academy of Dance will perform at 1:30 p.m., followed by Penn Sargam, a University of Pennsylvania student music group, at 2:30 p.m. A percussion demonstration begins at 3 p.m. The dance performance has reached capacity, but registration remains open for the other activities.
The festival's upcoming concerts begin Friday, Oct. 30, with the Arun Ramamurthy Trio and Rudresh Mahanthappa Hero Trio. Both groups blend jazz with other musical traditions, including South Indian classical music.
On Sunday, Nov. 1, sitar player Niladri Kumaar will present The Space Between the Notes, a tribute to the late Indian musician Zakir Hussain. The concert draws on a recording of their final performance together.
The Nrityagram Dance Ensemble will perform Nov. 6-7, presenting KHAṄKHAṆĀ: the sound of dancing feet. The show features live music and traditional Indian dance created by artistic director Surupa Sen over the past 30 years.
The festival also features Chrysalis, an exhibition of paintings by Pragya Gupta exploring identity and personal change. The exhibition runs through Dec. 13.
A separate program, Illuminating Arts of India, will take place Nov. 14, with a musical brunch, a discussion with Penn alumni working in the arts and student performances. RSVPs are requested by Oct. 31.
Tickets and additional festival information are available through Penn Live Arts.
Dates: Through Nov. 14, 2026, with art exhibition through Dec. 13
Location: Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 3680 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104
Admission: Free community day; separate tickets required for ticketed performances
Upcoming events:
• Oct. 30, 7:30 p.m.: Arun Ramamurthy Trio and Rudresh Mahanthappa Hero TrioRegistration: Free community day registration
More information: Penn Live Arts festival schedule
Have an event coming up? Let the PhillyVoice Events team know about it by emailing events@phillyvoice.com.
