Serendipity Arts Festival returns to Goa: 10 days, 250 projects, 35 leading voices

From December 12–21, Panjim’s riverfront, heritage buildings, art districts, auditoriums, and open-air stages will come alive with over 250 projects curated by more than 35 leading voices, bringing together artists, performers, musicians, chefs, designers, and storytellers from across India and the world. For families, students, travellers and anyone looking for something new to stumble upon.

What sets Serendipity apart is the way the festival spreads across the city. Instead of confining visitors to a single venue, Panjim itself becomes the landscape of the festival. One moment you might be exploring the Old GMC Complex, where exhibitions, theatre, photography and culinary projects unfold inside a heritage building. A few minutes away, the Art Park hosts live music, pop-ups, interactive art, and families enjoying open-air performances. Further along the river, the Festival Barge sits on the Mandovi, offering site-specific works shaped by the ebb and flow of the water. And every evening, crowds walk towards the Nagalli Hills Arena, where large-scale concerts take over the outdoors, turning the Goan winter evenings into a lively, electric atmosphere.

This 10th edition brings an exceptionally strong theatre programme, with works ranging from intimate monologues to grand, multi-sensory productions. Audiences can expect to encounter compelling stories that travel from small towns and villages to mythical landscapes — whether it is the award-winning performance Nihsango Ishwar, imaginative The Legends of Khasak, or experimental works like Handle With Care and Bob Marley from Kodihalli, which infuse humour, realism and contemporary themes.

Music lovers will find plenty to look forward to at the Arena. The lineup includes tributes to percussion traditions through Clay Play, powerful blues and funk sets by SlyFly and The Blues Company, and genre-blending concerts featuring classical and contemporary musicians. One of the festival’s long-standing audience favourites, River Raag, returns as a memorable sunset performance on the Mandovi River.

Visual arts and photography continue to play a major part in the festival’s identity. Across venues such as the Old GMC, the Directorate of Accounts and the PWD complex, visitors will encounter exhibitions that explore craft traditions, coastal histories, participatory art, and contemporary lens-based practices. From projects on Kashmir’s atelier traditions to Thukral & Tagra’s highly interactive Multiplay 02- Soft Systems, the variety is designed to appeal to seasoned art viewers as well as curious first-timers.

Food has emerged as one of Serendipity’s most distinctive offerings, and this year’s programme brings together culinary installations, historical food journeys, and traditional kitchens. Visitors can experience the multisensory installation What Does Loss Taste Like?, savour recreations of old Goan kitchens and tasting stations, and explore the layered storytelling behind beloved dishes like bebinca. These experiences have made the festival a major draw not just for art enthusiasts, but also for travellers who view cuisine as a cultural lens.

What truly makes the festival ideal for travellers is its accessibility. The events are free to attend, family-friendly, and spread across walkable routes in Panjim. Parents with children, young groups of friends, students, senior visitors, and solo travellers all find enough variety to comfortably plan two to five days around the festival. For many, the experience becomes a balanced mix: art-filled afternoons, concerts in the evenings, and the rest of Goa’s beaches, food and weather to enjoy in between.

This edition marks 10 year of SAF and the festival has taken to the road — embracing a nomadic spirit that carries its celebration across cities and cultures. The journey began in Birmingham with Birmingham City University to present poetry readings, performances, and exhibitions at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire & Symphony Hall. In Ahmedabad, SAF collaborated with India Art Fair during Ahmedabad Cultural Week. Delhi welcomed Shaam-e-Ghazal against the striking backdrop of Safdarjung Tomb, an evening of ghazals with Sabhyata Foundation that honoured a decade of cultural celebration. In Varanasi, River Raag travelled from Goa's shores to the banks of the Ganges.

Chennai hosted an exclusive evening celebrating art, philanthropy, and community. The event brought together leaders from business, culture, and the arts for a discussion. The evening concluded with a powerful performance by Uru Paanar. In Gurugram, with B-Side Sessions the Festival stepped into an alternate soundscape that reimagined what electronic music can be: fluid, experimental, and rooted in South Asia's evolving sonic landscape. With Dubai, the Festival steps into a region that has long served as a cultural crossroads, where contemporary art, heritage, and global ideas coexist in one dynamic ecosystem.

The road ahead leads to Paris and eventually converges in Goa, where the festival will present its largest edition yet — a homecoming of sorts after months of wandering.

Reflecting on the journey, Sunil Kant Munjal, founder–patron of Serendipity Arts, says: “As we celebrate 10 years of Serendipity Arts, our vision continues to be rooted in the spirit of artistic excellence, collaborative exploration and cultural exchange. With every edition, we have sought to create spaces where art connects people, places, and ideas. Over this decade, we’ve witnessed remarkable impact — transforming 300,000 square feet of spaces in Goa into living canvases of creativity, supporting hundreds of emerging artists across South Asia. In today’s world, culture has never been more important. It builds empathy in an increasingly divided world, cultivates empathetic leadership, and teaches what education alone cannot — kindness, patience, and the ability to hold multiple perspectives. As we look toward our largest edition yet in Goa this December, we remain committed to the belief that culture is not a luxury — it is essential to human connection, and the thread that weaves our collective story."

Adding to that, Shefali Munjal, co–founding patron of Serendipity Arts, expresses: “Serendipity Arts has grown into more than a festival — it has become a movement that champions creativity as a vital force for social change. As we look to the future, our commitment remains unwavering: to nurture artistic voices, honour cultural heritage, and create meaningful spaces where art and humanity converge.”

Spanning visual, performing, and culinary arts alongside film, live arts, and literature, the Festival challenges status quo relationships — between art and viewer, city and citizen, proscenium and audience. This cultural experiment supports artistic practice while demonstrating how culture cultivates empathetic leadership, teaches kindness, and builds the foundation for a safe, healthy, and progressive society.