On a typical morning at Besant Nagar Beach, one person might be watching the sunrise, another might be taking photographs, and a group nearby could be warming up for a run. A little further away, someone may be settling down with a book, while vendors prepare for the day’s visitors. Come evening, the scene changes again, with families, food stalls, performers and people looking for a few hours by the sea.
For a long time, these everyday rituals defined Chennai’s relationship with its beaches. Going to the beach meant spending time with family, meeting friends, eating something from a roadside stall or simply watching the waves. But the coastline is increasingly becoming a place where people organise their interests around others.
From photography walks and community running sessions to live music, creative workshops and beachside celebrations, Chennai’s beaches are taking on a more active cultural identity today. We speak with artistes, organisers, and community heads to understand how the coastline shapes the cultural lens of the city.
Finding a community
Sathish Ashwin, founder of VAMOS Run Club, knows how quickly a small gathering can grow into something larger. The club began with three people running together. Today, he says, it has more than 5,000 members and organises regular weekend sessions alongside larger events and collaborations.
“Running is one of the sports that is very hard to pick up because it needs a lot of patience. A lot of people will not do it alone,” he adds.
VAMOS therefore makes its weekend sessions about more than covering a particular distance. Running is accompanied by games and opportunities to meet people, helping participants form connections that encourage them to return.
The beach plays a central role in this approach. The club’s weekend gatherings are usually held at Besant Nagar Beach, although the organisers also use Palavakkam and Marina beaches interchangeably. Sathish says the open space allows them to accommodate group activities that would be difficult to organise in more confined urban settings.
The location also attracts people who have not necessarily come to exercise. Some arrive for the sunrise, notice the group and decide to join in. Others are drawn by the sight of people running together.
“A lot of people look at us, and people who come just to visit the beach get interested and join us,” he says.
For VAMOS, the beach is not simply a scenic alternative to a running track. It is part of what makes the community possible. The openness of the space, the presence of other people and the informal atmosphere encourage participation without making the activity feel exclusive.
The beach as a creative classroom
Safrin Halima of the art collective The Chaos Club also credits the open coastal setting. Through photography walks, she encourages participants to observe people and everyday life through a camera lens.
For Safrin, the beach is a particularly rewarding place to do this because it brings together a cross-section of Chennai’s population. Vendors, shopkeepers, families and visitors share the same landscape, creating opportunities for photographs that reflect the city beyond its familiar landmarks.
In a city where social activities can often revolve around restaurants, shopping centres, and organised entertainment venues, a photography walk offers a different way to spend time together. It is inexpensive, informal and centred on learning through observation.
The beach’s accessibility is a major part of its appeal. Participants do not need a studio, specialist equipment or an elaborate setup. They can begin with a phone camera, a willingness to observe, and an interest in the people around them.
Safrin believes the beach has also become a place where people are learning to slow down. Some arrive to read, others to crochet, while some simply want to sit and spend time without an agenda.
“There’s a certain mindfulness in how beaches are approached today. They’re less a place to pass through and more a place to pause,” she says.
Safrin hopes to expand this idea through a group art workshop on the beach. She sees the coastline remaining one of the most accessible settings for organisers and artistes, particularly those looking to create experiences around shared interests rather than formal instruction.
Bringing the arts beyond the stage
For musicians, however, moving into public spaces requires a different kind of adjustment. Vibha, a singer who has performed by the beach, is accustomed to singing with a live band or accompanying herself on guitar. But performing in an open setting has required her to adapt to the environment and the audience.
The difficulty is that people arriving at a beachside venue may not have come for music. They could be there to eat, socialise or enjoy the view. Unlike a concert audience, they have not necessarily chosen to listen to a particular performer.
Vibha says she sometimes feels she is losing the crowd when people do not recognise a song or are unfamiliar with the genre. During a jazz set in July, she addressed this by performing jazz versions of popular songs. Her rendition of Metallica’s Nothing Else Matters became a crowd favourite.
“It was something that they could recognise,” she says, explaining why the arrangement connected with listeners who might not ordinarily seek out jazz.
There are practical challenges as well. Wind can affect the audio, the heat and humidity can make singing uncomfortable, and connectivity problems can prevent performers from accessing backing tracks or accommodating song requests.
Yet the experience offers something that a conventional venue cannot always provide: the chance to encounter music unexpectedly. A person who did not plan to listen to a singer might stop out of curiosity and discover something new.
Beach; a part of the celebration
Not every beach gathering is organised around a hobby or artistic pursuit. For Meghana Sumesh, who works in management at VGP Heritage, the coastline also provides a setting for celebrations that people want to make memorable.
Beachside weddings, birthday parties and breakfast gatherings are among the events she has seen take place. Their appeal lies in the atmosphere that the setting naturally provides. “Beach weddings are no longer just a thing of the West!” she says.
A celebration by the sea offers a different experience from a conventional banquet hall. The landscape becomes part of the occasion, while the light and breeze influence how people experience the event. In the early morning, Meghana says, Golden Beach at Injambakkam can be particularly beautiful, with the sunlight reflecting on the water.
“It’s really pretty, and I wish more people could experience this,” she says.
Meghana believes the natural surroundings reduce the need for elaborate decoration. “You don’t need a huge backdrop or décor when nature’s given you something incomparable.”
The beach also draws guests from across Chennai, not just those who live nearby. According to Meghana, people are willing to travel for the experience of celebrating by the sea.
This reflects a broader change in how people approach leisure. A location that once served as the default destination for an evening outing can become the main attraction for a more carefully planned experience. The setting is familiar, but the reason for visiting has changed.
Keeping the beach open to everyone
As more communities use the coastline, maintaining the space becomes a shared responsibility. The very qualities that make the beach attractive, including its openness and natural setting, can be compromised if visitors and organisers fail to look after it.
Meghana says cleaning up after events remains one of the biggest challenges. While event teams arrange cleaning before and after gatherings, she wants visitors to take greater responsibility for their own waste.
“Be sensitive towards all living creatures and ensure that we don’t leave behind our trash,” she says.
She also points to the need to respect turtle-nesting grounds and to be mindful of the ecological effects of increased night-time activity. The beach is not simply an open-air venue. It is part of a living coastal environment, and the growth of events must take that into account.
Safrin acknowledges that weather is a major limitation for outdoor activities. Wind, heat and humidity can affect the comfort of participants, while open spaces cannot accommodate every type of workshop or event. Vibha’s experience with sound and connectivity reinforces the fact that a beautiful setting does not eliminate practical difficulties.
The challenge is to make the beach more welcoming without making it less accessible to the people who already depend on it for recreation, work and daily life.
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