New Delhi [India], September 9: The India Habitat Centre (IHC) Theatre Festival 2026, one of the country’s prominent platforms for contemporary theatre, is set to return from September 18 to 27, 2026, at the Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. The festival, supported by National School of Drama, Sikkim Repertory Company, will bring together a diverse selection of critically acclaimed and contemporary theatrical productions in Hindi, English, Tamil and Punjabi, offering audiences an engaging cross-section of India’s vibrant theatre landscape.
The IHC Theatre Festival has established a distinct identity through its strong curatorial vision, commitment to diversity and emphasis on artistic excellence. While the India Habitat Centre hosts plays throughout the year, the annual festival provides a larger platform to bring together varied theatrical voices, forms, languages and perspectives under one programme.
Speaking about what distinguishes the festival, Prof. Dr. K.G. Suresh, Director, India Habitat Centre, said: “The India Habitat Centre stages theatre throughout the year, but the IHC Theatre Festival has a distinct place in the cultural calendar. Over the years, it has built a reputation for bringing together theatre that is diverse in language, form, sensibility and subject, while giving audiences an opportunity to experience both established practitioners and newer theatrical voices. The festival is not simply a collection of plays; it is a celebration of the breadth, vitality and continuing evolution of Indian theatre. Its enduring appeal lies in this diversity and in its ability to bring artists and audiences together in a meaningful cultural dialogue.”
The festival’s mission is to explore new approaches to storytelling, support emerging theatre practitioners and make quality theatre accessible to a wide and diverse audience. Over the years, the festival has presented the work of several eminent theatre personalities, including Rajat Kapoor, Neelam Mansingh, Manav Kaul, Faezeh Jalali, Kalki Koechlin, Saurabh Shukla, Satish Kaushik, Atul Kumar and Ashwin Gidwani, among others.
It has also showcased landmark productions, including Akvarious Productions’ 80th show, This Time, as well as META Award-winning productions such as Raghunath and Hunkaro. The festival has further developed collaborations with leading theatre institutions and organisations including Ranga Shankara, Bengaluru; Adishakti Laboratory for Theatre, Art & Research; Akvarious Productions; and the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA).
The self-funded, non-competitive and non-commercial festival is driven by a commitment to the performing arts rather than commercial considerations. With an annual footfall of over 5,000 theatre-goers, the festival has consistently attracted audiences as well as extensive media attention and cultural partnerships. In keeping with its objective of making quality theatre accessible, ticket prices are deliberately kept affordable at ₹200, ₹350 and ₹500, contributing to consistently well-attended and often sold-out performances.
Talking about the curation of this year’s festival, Syed Shadab Hussain, Head – Programmes, India Habitat Centre, “The curation of this year’s festival has been guided by the idea of presenting a programme that is varied, engaging and representative of the many ways in which theatre is being imagined today. We have looked at the diversity of stories, languages, theatrical forms and perspectives while putting the programme together. From contemporary narratives and adaptations to regional and classical traditions, the selection brings together very different theatrical experiences. At the same time, we wanted each production to have a distinct voice and something meaningful to offer the audience.”
A Diverse Ten-Day Programme
This year’s festival will open on September 18 with Dancing with Dad, written and directed by Maneesh Verma. The programme will continue with Breast of Luck, directed by Leena Yadav, on September 19, followed by Amb Da Boota, devised and performed by Anya Ghai, Bhavya Rampal and others, on September 20.
The festival will resume on September 22 with The Tragedy of Ham Maclear, written and directed by Akash Khurana, followed by Window Tak Aashiqui, written and directed by Manurishi Chadha, on September 23. September 24 will feature Cilappatikaram / The Anklet’s Verdict, directed by Sooraj Nambiar. Cilappatikaram / The Anklet’s Verdict breathes new life into the ancient Tamil epic through the meditative vocabulary of Kutiyattam, bringing together a classical literary tradition and an evocative theatrical form.
The final three evenings at the Stein Auditorium will feature Har Marz Ki Dawa, directed by Saurabh Nayyar, on September 25; The Queen, directed by Daniel Owen D’Souza, on September 26; and Bhasabharatam, directed by Piyal Bhattacharya, on September 27.
Bhasabharatam, presented by the NSD Sikkim Repertory Company revives the timeless plays of Bhasa through the vibrant oral traditions of Charan and Bhatta, offering audiences a distinctive encounter between classical Sanskrit theatre and living performance traditions.
The festival will also feature additional performances at ‘The Theatre’, including Maaye Ni Meri Akh Lag Gaya, Home in a Suitcase and Hindi Medium Tight, offering audiences further opportunities to engage with emerging and distinctive theatrical voices. Maaye Ni Meri Akh Lag Gayi will be a special highlight for children and families at the festival.
With its combination of established practitioners, new voices, multiple languages and diverse theatrical forms, the IHC Theatre Festival 2026 continues the India Habitat Centre’s endeavour to make theatre an accessible, evolving and meaningful part of Delhi’s cultural life.
IHC Theatre Festival 2026
Dates: September 18–27, 2026
Venue: Stein Auditorium & The Theatre India Habitat Centre, New Delhi
Languages: Hindi, English, Tamil and Punjabi
Programme: 9 mainstage productions + 3 performances at The Theatre
Ticket Prices: ₹200, ₹350 and ₹500
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