The tribute concert, sadya special, food festival and more: Make the most of your weekend with these events in Chennai

High on flavour
August 26 | Velachery
This food festival promises flavours from around the globe. Phoenix MarketCity is gearing up to 
celebrate Swiggy’s 8th birthday with 35 food brands like The Bowl Company, Keventers, Fresh Pressery and more. Also, look out for live music, games and recreational zones. On till August 31. 
12 pm to 10 pm. bookmyshow.

Say cheese! 
August 26 | Manapakkam
Ready to delight in a variety of cheesecake flavours ranging from blueberry to chocolate to Oreo? Feathers Hotel is organising a cheesecake festival, stop by their lobby café Truffles and order one of your favourite delectable desserts. INR 300 onwards. On till August 31.

Sadya ready
September 8 | Nungambakkam
Are you away from home during Onam? The Park Chennai has a special Onam buffet (INR 1,750)  in-store at  Six ‘O’ One. The spread includes delectable dishes such as Injipuli, Vellarikai Pachadi, Mathanga Erissery, Pazham Pori, Sarkkara Varatti, and more. There is also a home delivery option available. Meal box for two: INR 1,999. 

Tunic love
August 24 | Nungambakkam
It’s time to revamp your wardrobe! Namrata Joshipura is back and this time she is launching the Fall 1 collection in the city at Tifara. Featuring georgettes and crêpes, look out for silhouettes like kurtis, jumpsuits, and long-back tunics that are perfect for the season. Price on request.

Movie première
August 25 | PVR Cinemas
Liger is a multilingual sports drama in which Vijay Deverakonda plays a stuttering kickboxer. The film will show how he went from being a street kid to representing his country at the international level as an MMA fighter. Directed by Puri Jagannadh, the movie also starres Ananya Panday. In theatres.

Beyond Sita
August 26 |Alwarpet 
Written and directed by Gowri Ramnarayan, What She Said: Six Voices from the Ramayana promises to give you a revolutionary take on characters from the epic. Presented by JustUs Repertory and Chennai Art Theatre, the script of the play surprises by moving away from the usual male heroes and focusing on Urmila, Manthara, Surpanakha, Tara, Mandodari, and the forgotten Shanta, as individuals with powerful but untold stories that are relevant to our times. Gowri says, “I discovered that these women do not merely inhabit the sidelines of puranic stories and times. Their problems reflect the situation of women today, the quandaries of the world today. I found that I was writing a play not about way back when, but now. I heard them raising disturbing questions which are very much alive in our contemporary world. But exploring those issues is emancipatory. And I hope that searching for answers together with our audience will bring insight and understanding.” The all-woman cast has Sunandha Raghunathan, Akhila Ramnarayan, and Aarabi Veeraraghavan portraying the six women.  INR 300. At Medai, also on August 27, at 4 pm.

Dance drama
September 1 | Muttukadu
Here is an opportunity to savour rich colourful vignettes of the festival of Onam right here in Chennai. Every year at DakshinaChitra they celebrate the occasion with much excitement and enthusiasm as they showcase the exquisite arts, crafts and dance forms of Kerala. This year, their Onam Festival is packed with activities too. We shine the spotlight on the stage where you can expect a colourful and exuberant performance of the poorakkali. It is a traditional dance ritual performed by men during the nine-day Pooram festival at Bhagavathy temples in Kerala, we are told. This time, the performers are from the Nerangam troupe run by Pramod Appyal from Kasaragod. Also, look out for the colourful pookalam competition and the wooden craft of theyyam sculptures on display. Poorakkali dance performance on till September 4. Timings: At 11.30 am, 12.30 pm, 3.30 pm and 4.30 pm. At DakshinaChitra Heritage Museum.

Whiff of trouble
September 3 | Nungambakkam
A five-character play, Glue, by Theatre Nisha brings to the stage an intense and disturbing script that explores the lives of street children. Scripted, designed and directed by V Balakrishnan, the story revolves around the character Lehsun who succumbs to the toxic addiction of glue to seek escape from the harsh realities of life. But it seems like there is no escape for her as reality catches up with her soon enough and is as deadly as the poison of glue. With her friend Ganju and mentor Kakdi, Lehsun tries to navigate through an overwhelming storm and the future looks bleak as ever. Will she manage to stay ahead or succumb like her peers to the stony silence that addiction leads one to? INR 200. Entry is restricted to 16+ At Alliance Française of Madras, Nungambakkam.

Bangalore boys in town
August 26 | Mylapore
Thermal and A Quarter brings a themed evening, Bangalore Rock to Chennai. Expect an eclectic mix of genres that capture the essence of the South Indian city. The band has won several awards and reached the top of the Euro Indie and World Indie charts. Get ready to dance all night! INR 250 onwards. At Bay 146, Savera Hotel. bookmyshow.com

Tribute concert
August 27 | Triplicane 
Head to Kalaivanar Arangam where stalwarts of the music industry — Vairamuthu, Saroja Devi, SPB Charan and others will enthral you as they honour P Susheela in her 70th year of playback singing. INR 500. bookmyshow.com