The best of Kolkata events this August with festivals, performances and art

The Conclave Verde hosts Ilish Haat, an a la carte festival celebrating Bengal’s love for Hilsa. On offer are classics like Shorshe Ilish, Ilish Bhapa, Posto Ilish and more, served with steamed rice, lemon, and chilli. Priced at ₹599 plus taxes, the festival runs daily till August 31 from 12.30 pm to 10.30 pm.

Experimenter presents No Race, No Colour, the first Indian solo by Sri Lankan artist Pushpakanthan Pakkiyarajah. Developed over four years, the works explore themes of organic communication, forest regeneration, and interdependence. The exhibition offers a contemplative space to engage with the artist’s evolving practice and layered visual narratives. Going on till September 30.

Kolkata Centre for Creativity presents Ebong Koushik at the KCC Amphitheatre from 6.30 pm on August 16. This session features musician Koushik Chakraborty revisiting his journey through Bengali folk and Bangla rock, with unplugged performances and untold stories. The evening marks the anniversary of his band Prithibi, with rare insights into Kolkata’s independent music scene.

Munawar Faruqui performs his stand-up special Dhandho on August 17 at Kala Kunj Auditorium from 4 pm. Known for his sharp, observational comedy, Munawar delivers humour rooted in everyday experiences, personal reflections, and cultural quirks. The Kolkata stop promises fresh material and his signature style of mixing satire with storytelling.

On August 22, at 6.30 pm, the Academy of Fine Arts stages Rajnaitik Hatya, Jean Paul Sartre’s political drama originally titled Les Mains Sales. The play follows Hugo, a young revolutionary torn between ideology and action, whose mission to assassinate party leader Hoederer blurs the lines between personal motives and political duty, raising timeless moral questions.

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