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It’s a relief to shrug off a rather long and sluggish January. The sun’s coming out, the weather’s near-perfect, with cool mornings, bright afternoons, and evenings that are begging for bar crawls. And February may be the shortest month, but in Delhi this year, it's completely action-packed. The calendar’s stuffed to the brim with theatre, sport, music, culture, and ROMANCE (or did you forget about Valentine’s Day?), making it one of the most reliably busy months to be out and about. The big-ticket item this month is, of course, the T20 World Cup, with multiple matches in Delhi. The music scene’s alive and well too – The Lumineers, Armaan Malik, the India Jazz Project, the HT City Unwind (the GOAT Lucky Ali returns) and the Sufi Heritage Festival (featuring big draws Daler Mehndi and Sona Mohapatra) all in a single month. The Pride Parade and the Delhi Literature Festival are also big crowd pullers, along with the ongoing Bharat Rang Mahotsav, which kicked off in late January and features plenty of theatre productions through the month. We simply cannot forget the Surajkund Mela, which brings artisans from across and beyond India under one roof, selling some of the most unique things money can buy. You’ve also got the big V-Day bonanza starting mid-month, with loads of bars and restaurants hosting special events and offering hefty discounts, so make sure to catch those. But all in all, like we said, February’s weather is too good to be true – so don’t miss this chance to...

A confession: I’m biased towards the smaller gallery experience. But I’ve got to say this year’s India Art Fair has, as it does every year, outdone itself. It’s a delightfully curated mix of creativity, people, and experiences, with a number of exhibits that can tire you out if you’re not careful (guilty). We’re helping you plan your day better – here are five unskippable features of the fair to pace yourself for. 1. Jayasri Burman’s I, Dharitri Photo by Poulomi DebJayasri Burman’s I, Dharitri This contemporary artist is known for still paintings of gods and goddesses, looking after you, comforting you. Now, a memory of a six-hour surgery, and seeing her severed legs, have provoked an exploration of the myth of Sati.In a multi-panel painting, seething hues of red and brown overtake a depiction of a white cotton sari. The other side of this bears the reverse imprints but in colours of the earth. I’m usually suspicious of works that try to universalise the experience of women across society. But here, attention is taken away from the very cycles of life and regeneration itself and given instead to a sacrifice. I couldn’t look away for several minutes. Equally jarring is the accompanying small set of pleasant grey-washed watercolour paintings that veer towards diary entries and poems – you’re suddenly brought back to the hyperpersonal. It’s quite the experience. Be sure to read the note with them. Where: The Art Alive gallery booth   2. The Sensory Pit by KNMA Photo by...

February’s biggest draw has always been Valentine’s Day. And what did you picture when I said that? Chocolates? Candlelit dinners? Heart-shaped boxes? Yep, all of the above. But then Pride shows up to remind us all that love doesn’t come in one format.  I repeat – it’s finally time for the Delhi Queer Pride Parade! The excitement’s high after the parade was rescheduled from November last year, which means 2025 passed by without the event. It’s also finally not unbearably cold outside, which in Delhi, feels like a minor miracle after an icy January.  The half-day event’s the biggest celebration of queer identity in the city, and is set to chart its usual course: a march from Connaught Place until Jantar Mantar. Organised by the Delhi Queer Pride community, the event grows bigger and better each year, but the march itself remains as high on energy as ever: folks in snatched outfits, painted faces, bearing slogans. And glitter everywhere.  Here’s everything you need to know: When and where? Allies should flock to Connaught Place by 11am latest on Sunday, February 8 (the parade is always held on a Sunday). Reach 20 minutes early if you want to avoid jostling through a really heavy crowd. This’ll also give you a chance to exit the metro station peacefully (if you’ve come by metro) and chit-chat with people before the march begins.  I do advise against getting a personal vehicle here. The best course is the metro – get down at Barakhamba Road (on the yellow line), and exit from...

One day in 2008, when most Indian artists were skeptical of the format, the India Art Fair was conceptualised as a trade platform in Delhi, and though it was rooted in commerce (by galleries for collectors), it’s since blossomed into one of the most head-turning, headline-churning art galas in the country.  IAF courts modern and contemporary artists across India and South Asia, and sometimes even beyond. You’ve got cutting-edge artwork, of course, but more than that, it’s grown into a space that encourages active discussion on what art is. This time, panels on the theme ‘What Makes Art Happen’ are lined up for the weekend, as well as out-of-the-box workshops and in-person performances.  Last year saw a supremely successful show. MF Husain, SH Raza and Raja Ravi Varma were the biggest crowd pullers, but it was the textile exhibits that – quite surreptitiously – grabbed eyeballs, the most notable being Rekha Rodwittiya’s embroidery exploring gender politics. Well, the fair’s entering its seventeenth season – here’s some stuff to keep in mind.  When and where is IAF happening? When: The fair is open on February 7-8 for general entries, with the last entry time being 5pm. On Saturday, you can be there from 10am to 7pm; if you’re on a student ticket, your entry time would be 1pm. The next day holds the same time for entry, but the fair will wrap up by 6pm. Where: It’s at the Okhla NSIC Exhibition Grounds in South Delhi, where you can enter from Gate 6. That’s walking distance...

We’ve beaten a week of overcast mornings and moody weather to make it to the second week of February, and things are looking up! The sun’s managed to peek through, afternoons are becoming balmy, and everyone’s starting to make plans for the Valentine’s Day weekend. Fear not if you’ve got nobody to engage in a lovefest with – Galentine’s goes just as hard as date night with your significant other.  There’s some stuff going on through the week – there’s a couple of T20 World Cup matches being hosted at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium, for instance, and Bharat Rang Mahotsav is on as well, with more than one play lined up everyday at Mandi House. Solid shopping opportunities at the Surajkund Mela, and of course, some stellar exhibitions at NGMA and the Humayun’s Tomb museum.  The weekend, though, is reserved for stuffing your face at the city’s best restaurants and hanging out with friends. Catch the two-day workshop organised by Opn Art House x Gaysi Family at Max Mueller Bhavan for some artsy-crafty fun, or check out some of these bowling alleys in Delhi if you’re planning to head out with a big bunch. It’s also just really great weather for being outdoors and doing nothing, and while Delhi’s famous for its monuments, some stunning heritage sites have flown under the radar, and are worth checking out if you don’t like crowds.  Here’s everything you need to plan a week that’ll keep you busy round the clock. 

A quick glance at any list of up-and-coming bars in Delhi and you’d think you’ve landed somewhere in Prohibition-era USA, judging by the sheer number of speakeasies opening across the city. Everybody and their mother wants to enjoy the heady rush of being at a place that’s kept ‘secret’ from the crowds, but truly, very few bars can claim to be the real, traditional deal. The Bar Behind The Sandwich Shop (TBBTSS) is one of them.  The bar – no social media page or Google Map location, by the way – is located behind the popular sandwich shop Shokupan in Priya Market, behind a pair of Japanese-style flap curtains. The light is dim, the wooden tables feel unmanicured but tasteful, and the speaking is, indeed, in murmured tones. Their menu’s nothing less than a piece of art, fashioned in the style of a bartender’s notebook, with intricately written recipes and sketches for all the drinks on the menu, and even tiny polaroids clipped on.  The drink, then, you’ll be relieved to know, live up to the entire experience that precedes them arriving on your table. They’ve done away with outlandish garnishes and instead focus on being clean and precise. Try the Ginaké (gin + sake, simple in execution but complex in taste) or the Grey Area, where Earl Grey tea and a homemade almond liqueur meet a Palo Santo-infused dark rum. The classics are done very, very well too, with the Old Fashioned being among the best in Delhi. They’re also happy to customise your drinks to your taste! This is...

The bookstore culture's not what it used to be, it's true. But come on – this is Delhi. Folks quote centuries-dead poets over beer at dimly lit bars. With a straight face. How could it not be a city of readers? The writing legacy here is absurdly rich – so rich that Delhi's housed and nurtured Meer Taqi Meer's romanticism, Khushwant Singh's bawdiness and Arundhati Roy's meteoric rise all within a single millennium. If that kind of history can't keep e-commerce book-shopping at bay, nothing can. Which is why bookshops in this city still manage to hold considerable sway over readers, and a lot of that has to do with the owners themselves, who've quietly shaped literary trends through the way they curate.  I’ve realised on my bookstore rounds in and around Delhi that browsing can be a wildly different experience depending on where you visit. Each shop here has its own die-hard fanbase and, strangely enough, several are even used to establish bragging rights over fellow readers. Such is the cult of personality. So if you're confused about which bookshop suits you best, here's a guide to point you in the right direction.  

Whether you think of the holiday as a capitalistic gimmick hounding your pocket or the best day to declare your love (or maybe even pop the question), Valentine's Day’s kind of the best excuse to have fun. There’s gonna be mood lighting at every restaurant, a big bonanza of red and pink, and chocolates on discount. This year, it falls on a weekend – and though a Saturday night dinner date sounds like the safest bet, Delhi’s got a whole bunch of other events that could easily imbibe a romantic energy if you’re game. Fear not – they’re not all bougie over-the-top excuses to splurge. And if you’re looking to hang with your buddies, this list’s got you covered, too. Solo flyers needn’t sulk either.  Swipe Right dating comedy show Comedy for matchmaking makes sense when you consider the wasteland that’s online dating. After more than 20 shows across six cities in India, Swipe Right arrives in Delhi right on cue for Valentine’s Day. It’s a one-of-a-kind matchmaking show where random audience members are pulled from the crowd to be set up with someone else. If you’re single, above 16, and looking to cast a wide net, don’t miss this.  When: February 14Where: Hide Out Comedy Club, Delhi How to get there: It's a 10-minute walk from the Malviya Nagar Metro Station (yellow line). Attend two back-to-back Candlelight Open Air concerts It’s back to the roots for this edition of Candlelight Concerts. The concept, still newish in India, will organise a live music set playing Bollywood...

There’s something quietly charming about Lodhi Art District, which sits plushly in the middle of Lutyens Delhi. The entire district, in effect, is a honking great art gallery – India’s first open-air art gallery, actually, and an ever-evolving one, at any rate. The colony used to be a sleepy residential quarter with an admittedly great location, and in 2015, a foundation by artist Hanif Kureshi breathed life into the walls around the quarters built for government employees by commissioning 50 murals painted by artists from over 25 countries.  Today, the district – which still slightly retains that laid-back, drowsy charm of colonial Delhi – bursts forth with colour. Unlike a real gallery, not every wall’s labelled, and there aren’t any directions to help you go on your way, and so it encourages aimless wandering and lots of experimental street photography. You never really know what’s around the corner – it could be a mural of a giant pair of eyes, or a kaleidoscope of birds stretching across a three-storeyed building.  Some murals, especially, demand attention – The Tourist by Avinash and Kamesh, Impressions of Lodhi by Yip Yew Chong, and New Delhi by Nespoon are some of the really eye-catching ones, so be sure to look out for those. Since the art project’s recent, several walls are still empty and in effect, are blank canvases for more artists to paint on. It’s a common sight to see new work every few months, or bump into muralists working through the day. And did I...

There’s a certain charm that lends itself to the concept of retrofuturism: think Back to the Future, DMC DeLoreans, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune; of music genres that you can’t pinpoint but still enjoy; of interiors that feel like doomsday bunkers, but the warm, cosy kinds. Now imagine if said bunker also offered drinks, and wham! Welcome to AaBbCc.  Located smack dab in the middle of Delhi’s Basant Lok market, AaBbCc has cemented its place in the list of cooler bars in the city. On the ground level, an entire wall displays the 80-odd ingredients that go into their drinks, each stored in well-lit individual jars. Sort of a whacko periodic table. Next to it lies the innovation lab, where they come up with recipes for new drinks, complete with beakers, test tubes, and other Willy Wonka-esque equipment.  A short set of stairs later and you’re at the main bar, where you’re greeted by a 21-foot long bar and some tables, all bathed in soft yellow light. The bar chairs, especially, deserve special mention for being incredibly comfortable. The top floor hosts the Amp Room, which turns into a music lounge every now and then.  The cocktail menu is divided into three distinct sections: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. Yesterday reimagines a bunch of classic cocktails: the Bellini, Godfather, LIIT, and Sex on the Beach, but with a slight twist to set them apart. Today is where they begin to tease that innovation lab of theirs, with drinks like the Tea-Pache (oolong-infused vodka with...