Why Bengaluru is now a beacon of culture – India’s Silicon Valley has seen a boom in creativity across art, music, theatre and food
- Institutions like the Museum of Art and Photography and the Indian Music Experience have turned Bengaluru into one of India’s most vibrant cultural cities
- Validation has come from the World Cities Culture Forum: Bengaluru is the only Indian city to have been invited to join the group, which it did in 2023
Bengaluru is South African comedian Trevor Noah’s favourite punchline. In September 2023 he landed in the Indian city, got stuck in unusually horrendous traffic, arrived late to a badly set up auditorium and cancelled his shows.
Ever since, Bengaluru – formerly known as Bangalore – has been fodder for his comedy. But the fact he chose to perform in the city, along with Delhi and Mumbai, in the first place – and why his promises to return are so earnest – speaks volumes.
Known by many nicknames – “India’s Silicon Valley”, “pensioners’ paradise”, “garden city”, “beer capital” – Bengaluru is now emerging as one of India’s most vibrant cultural cities, where performers of all types want to stop.
The city was long seen culture-wise as little more than a gateway to the heritage sites of Mysore and Hampi. But that is changing as private institutions spearhead a boom in creativity and inclusivity, across art, music, theatre and food.
Validation has come from the World Cities Culture Forum: Bengaluru is the only Indian city to have been invited to join the group of “global cities sharing a belief in the importance of culture”, which it did in 2023.
Perhaps the most significant development was the opening of the Museum of Art and Photography (MAP) in February 2023.
