Amidst much gusto and fanfare, BACARDÍ NH7 Weekender kicked off its much-awaited 14th edition on Friday, December 1, in Pune. Hundreds of music lovers from all over Pune and surrounding cities flocked to the 25-acre sprawling Teerth Fields to catch some of their favourite live acts and discover new music.
The day was headlined by the much-awaited British progressive metal band Monuments, which played to a huge passionate crowd. Day one of this three-day music festival also saw India's debut performances by American progressive metal band Arch Echo, Mercury Prize winners Ezra Collective, French reggae duo – Jahneration and Australia-based instrumental progressive rock artist I Built The Sky who delivered high-energy sets.
The BACARDÍ ARENA stage with its’ tropical kaleidoscopic designs curated by muralist Osheen Shiva was brought to life by Antwerp-based metal upstarts BEAR whose electrifying performance was preceded by electro-alt rock band Corner Café Chronicles and three-piece punk rock band The Lightyears Explode from Mumbai. New Delhi-based rock band Komodo Jane and Chennai-based indie musician Sunflower Tape Machine delivered impressive sets at The Bat Stage which incorporated bat wings towering above its unique dome structure.
Aimed to propel the convergence of music with gaming, the futuristic NODWIN Gaming Stage was unveiled with audio video sets by Skipster and IB INC (DJ Ishani x Bobkat) and also hosted the World Cosplay Summit 2024 India Qualifier #2, with projections from the stage being mapped on the signature iconic Ferris wheel overlooking the grounds.
The Fanculos, Nate08 and Chirag Todi shone at the rather spacious CASA BACARDÍ Stage which has a first-of-its-kind semi-circular truss design and wowed the audience with their fervour and fresh music. The stage was headlined by Mercury Award winners jazz quintet — Ezra Collective. And speaking of upcoming homegrown acts; Second Sight and Frizzell D'Souza set the right tempo at the open-air Pineapple Groove Stage. British artist, Romare also made his Indian debut on this stage with a groovy live set.
The exciting new introduction this year, the sleek speakeasy CASA BACARDÍ Container, which seemed to be an instant hit with festival goers created quite a stir with hip-hop and afrobeats-infused sets by Suggahunny, General Zoos and Su Real.
The festival grounds also saw vibrant activity zones. Food stalls and cocktail bars stocked culinary delights crafted by Impresario Hospitality and Social Offline. As temperatures cooled down, revellers were spotted hobnobbing at the interactive gaming street while some were seen taking pictures with their pets as they toured the festival site.
Needless to say, the first day of BACARDÍ NH7 Weekender imbibed quite a vibe right from the music to the food to the gaming zones. Over the last thirteen years, BACARDÍ NH7 Weekender has grown to be one of the country’s most loved musical weekends. This year, over 45 artists are expected to play over three days and across six different stages.