Picking Up The Weekend

The conflict hit Delhi's weekends hard. After cancelled parties and postponed luxe store launches, the scene now is slowly on revival mode. Event managers are fixing up schedules, the bands are tuning up, cultural celebrations have got a new date, and the Delhi qualifiers of the Red Bull Dance Your Style competition are officially back on the calendar.

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After a tense, quiet weekend that saw a series of cancellations—from food tours to literary festivals, Delhi is beginning to stir back to life. With the ceasefire offering relief following the brutal Pahalgam attack and simmering tensions with Pakistan, the capital city is cautiously optimistic. From bookstores to performance venues, organisers are tentatively putting events back on the calendar—some postponed, others rescheduled.

The return to normalcy, however, is being handled with care. "Now that a ceasefire has been agreed upon, I hope things will fall into place quickly," says Ashmita Lucktoo, marketing head of Rooh Restaurant. Anjaleka Kripalani, founder of Angie Homes, agrees that "more than financial distress, it was the fear and uncertainty that caused more damage".

Many cultural spaces across the city share this optimism. The Rabindra Jayanti celebrations, originally scheduled conveniently on a weekend for May 9—Tagore's birthday is on May 7—have been rescheduled for Sunday, May 18, at the Kali Mandir Society premises in Chittaranjan Park, with an evening of music, poetry, and other artistic expressions. Likewise, the Red Bull Dance Your Style Delhi qualifiers—initially paused—are now confirmed for today, May 17, at Travancore Palace.

Paritosh Parmar, founder of ToTheCulture, the distribution partner for the Red Bull event, explains that the qualifiers—set for last Saturday—were thrown into limbo due to rising cross-border tensions. "There was disappointment. The event was called off just a day before, but people were supportive, just a little sad. But now everyone is looking forward to what's coming next this weekend—there's definitely still excitement in the air," says Parmar.