5:30 AM to 7:30 AM
Jaswant Thada (outside Mehrangarh Fort)
Full Festival pass/ Day Pass/ J RIFF Dawns Pass Rs. 400/-

Mangka Mayanglambam, ft. Marjing Mayanglambam, M.Mangangsana & Elangbam Jayanta
Musician, dancer, educator and passionate advocate for Manipuri folk performing arts, Mangka is one of the last remaining players of the Meitei folk instrument pena – a single string lute that was once a celebrated instrument at royal courts of Manipur, and usually played only by men. She is also a teacher and mentor to young musicians, many of them young girls who learn pena and folk performance under her guidance. Mangka’s performances are a seamless blend of music, movement, and dance that embody the folklores and mythology of the Meitei culture.
At Jodhpur RIFF, Mangka will be joined by her guru and father, an elder of the community, M.Mangangsana on vocals, flute, and langden, Marjing Mayanglambam on pena and vocals, and Elangbam Jayanta on pung and dholok.

9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Chokelao Mahal
Full Festival pass/ Day Pass

Ghoomar & Chari dance bootcamp
A stand-alone session that requires no prior dance experience, this is a rare opportunity to learn two extraordinary dance forms of Rajasthan from the fantastic Durga Devi.
Ghoomar is derived from the Hindi word ‘ghoom’ which literally means ‘to twirl’. One of the most popular dance forms of the country, as the name signifies, the chief movement of this form is pirouetting. The footwork and hand movements are always in synchronization with this spinning motion. Ghoomar is conventionally performed by women in groups, who wear colourful, mirror-embedded ghaghra (flowing skirts) and cover their faces with a matching-coloured veil. The coordinated movement accompanied by the haunting music of Rajasthan’s folk musical instruments, this dance form is vivid and surreal.
Chari dance, although just as graceful, demands a great deal of balance from the dancer. It is usually performed by women balancing a brass or earthen pot – chari – on their heads, containing a small flame. Originally performed to welcome the arrival of monsoon in the desert, it is a breathtaking display of poise.

Jodhpur RIFF presents rustic dance bootcamps, facilitated by noted practitioners and trainers. Short, intense, and rigorous, these camps will give participants an experiential insight into the movements and practice of traditional dance forms.
Please Note:
This is the one-and-only, stand-alone session of this form.
Please wear/ bring appropriate and comfortable clothing that allows free movement such as T-shirts, long/ loose shirts or blouses, tights, loose track or harem pants or long skirts.
Do carry your own rehydration and drying material. Be prepared to sweat! It is a boot camp!!

09:45 AM to 5:00 PM
Venues throughout the Mehrangarh Museum
Museum Entry Ticket/ Full Festival pass/ Day Pass

Discover the myriad hues of the traditional dance forms of Rajasthan, reflecting its distinctive root traditions, some popular and some rare, including: Behrupiya, Garasia dance, Chari dance, Dandiya Gair and the captivating vocals of Young Langa and Manganiyar Musicians!

11:00 AM to 1:30 PM
Chokelao Bagh
Full Festival pass/ Day Pass

My Boli Sajiri – Marathi: Language, Life & Legacy
My Boli Sajiri is an evocative celebration of Abhijaat Marathi Bhasha and the rich cultural legacy that has evolved through traditional Marathi. In conversation with Dr. Meghaa Vishwaas, Sanjeev Dhuri, Varun Deore, Shashank Padwal, and Anurag Garge through an engaging interplay of literature, music, storytelling and performance, as the session journeys through the many ways in which Marathi has shaped and preserved the cultural memory of Maharashtra. From the written word to oral traditions, from the sounds of traditional instruments to the flavours, clothing and celebrations of everyday life, every element reflects the depth and diversity of Marathi musical and cultural heritage.

NCPA’s Page to Stage, in collaboration with Jodhpur RIFF, presents My Boli Sajiri – Marathi: Language, Life & Legacy – a celebration of the richness, cultural depth and enduring legacy of Classical Marathi Language. Page to Stage, a flagship literary initiative of the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA, Mumbai), conceptualized and curated in association with Dr. Sujata Jadhav. It brings books and the written word to life through readings, recitations and performances, creating a unique platform where literature meets the performing arts.
Jodhpur RIFF’s interactive session series In Residence gives the audience a rare opportunity to meet fascinating artists from various root traditions. The sessions encourage audience members to engage and discuss challenges, forms and traditional practice through performances, lecture-demonstrations and facilitated conversations. As more of Rajasthan and India’s rich traditional cultural heritage disappears, Jodhpur RIFF puts the spotlight on some of its remarkable music forms and traditions (some nearing extinction) and opens dialogue to surface and explore how these challenges could be addressed.

5:30 PM to 6:40 PM
Chokelao Bagh
Full Festival pass/ Day Pass

An evening with the stalwarts of Rajasthani performing arts.

Taga Ram Bhil
One of the foremost masters of the double flute alghoza, Padma Shri awardee Taga Ram ji has spent over 50 years, dedicating himself to this pastoral instrument of the Bhil community. At the heart of his performance is the extraordinary technique of circular breathing particular to the wind instrumentalists of Rajasthan, allowing an uninterrupted flow of music where melody and drone become inseparable. As one flute sustains a resonant, earthy note and the other weaves agile melodic phrases, the sound unfolds like the shifting winds of the Thar Desert- rhythmic, meditative, and hypnotic.
Every performance draws upon an oral tradition that has been nurtured across generations, presenting indigenous Bhil melodies that speak of landscape, memory, celebration, and community. Equally devoted to the craft of instrument making, Taga Ram continues to make his own alghoza instruments, ensuring that both the music and the instrument remain living traditions. Having carried the music of Rajasthan from village gatherings to stages across more than thirty-five countries, his performance at Jodhpur RIFF offers a rare opportunity to experience the timeless voice of the alghoza through the artistry of a musician whose life’s work has become synonymous with the preservation of one of India’s most distinctive folk traditions.

Gafruddin Jogi
Padma Shri awardee Gafruddin Jogi is a living legend from the Mewat region of Rajasthan. Celebrated for his expertise in playing the bhapang, a traditional stringed percussion instrument popularly known as the “talking drum” of Mewat, Gafruddin ji is also a renowned practitioner of “Jogi Pandu ka kada”, the Mewati oral tradition of singing tales from the Mahabharata, a full length performance of which can go up to 48 hours. Gafruddin’s performances are always charming, lively and humorous, full of verve and joie de vivre.

7:00 PM onwards
Zenana Courtyard
Full Festival pass/ Day Pass

Folk Futures
Showcasing the young heirs of Rajasthan’s root musical traditions.

Ghewar Khan, Feroze Khan, Darre Khan
Brothers Ghewar Khan Manganiyar and Darre Khan Manganiyar are the undisputed masters of the Kamaicha, a string instrument completely unique to the Manganiyar community. A unique Rajasthani string instrument, the kamaicha (a round bodied, fretless string instrument, variant of the Persian kamanche) is rarely heard today, with few musicians able to play the instrument as masterfully as brothers Ghewar and Darre Khan Manganiyar can. Sons and students of the late Padma Shri awardee Sakar Khan ji and custodians of his legacy, the brothers present a special showcase of some of the most unusual, significant, and legendary tunes of their traditional repertoire on the rustic, earthy and soulful kamaicha.
Tying the trio together is their brother Feroze Khan Manganiyar, arguably the finest dholak player among Rajasthan’s folk musicians. The brothers have made a name for themselves around the world, for their exquisite musical artistry, soul-stirring performances, and collaborations with classical and contemporary artistes from India and abroad. They are also teachers of their tradition, sharing the concern and care for the future of the legacy that they’ve inherited. On stage at Jodhpur RIFF they are joined by their sons…. All emerging artists in their own right.

In its present form, the kamaicha comes with 10-17 strings and is played with a bow. Made of mango wood, its rounded resonator is covered with goat skin. Three or four of its strings are goat intestines called roda and joda while the other 14 strings of steel are ‘jhara’. The kamaicha (also called kamaicha, but completely different from the spiked fiddle from Iran – the kamancheh) bow is prepared from khejari; wood and horse tail hairs or synthetic thread. Small bells (ghungroo) are attached to the bow to produce rhythmic jingles along the notes.

Karolina Cicha, ft. Anita Dangi
Singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and often a one woman orchestra… Karolina Cicha donnes many titles. Known for her powerful vocals and performances with an accordion in one hand, keyboard in the other and drums by her feet, she is an equally proficient in Yiddish and Esperanto. Karolina’s life’s work has been giving voice to communities whose languages and music have been quietly disappearing.
At Jodhpur RIFF this year, we get to witness Karolina’s first ever collaboration with a Rajasthani folk singer, Anita Dangi. A treasure trove of a vast repertoire of the traditional music of the Damami community of western Rajasthan, Anita Dangi is one of the most important woman voices of the Rajasthani folk tradition today. Hailing from the village of Nimbola near Nagaur, she comes from a family that has been the custodian of the Rajwaadi Maand for generations. Trained by her mother Ratani Devi, she carries forward this form that closely resembles Thumri and Ghazal in its classical-like refinement, and is extremely difficult to master.
Look out for what happens when the custodians of music from the two worlds come together on the same stage.

This collaboration is a Jodhpur RIFF commission

Michael McGoldrick, Donald Shaw & Sorren Maclean ft. SAZ
Widely considered one of the UK’s finest flute and Uilleann pipe players, Michael McGoldrick is defined by an extraordinarily lyrical playing style, and an unending curiosity that has taken him from the deep roots of Irish traditional music to collaborations with musicians across the globe. For his India premiere, joining him on keys and accordion, is his longtime collaborator and friend Donald Shaw – BAFTA nominated composer, and artistic director of Celtic Connections. They will be accompanied by guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer Sorren Maclean on the guitar.
At Jodhpur RIFF, we get to witness what unfolds when decades of friendship and musical partnership come together onstage, and the first look of a new project in the works, as SAZ begins to collaborate with the Scottish musicians.
Earlier in January 2026, Jodhpur RIFF presented the rising stars of the contemporary Rajasthani folk scene – SAZ – at Celtic Connections in Glasgow, one of the world’s leading folk and roots music festivals. This October, Celtic Connections comes to Jodhpur, in the form of two of the most outstanding musicians of the tradition, both significant figures who have put Scotland’s traditional music on the global map.
This performance is part of an ongoing artistic exchange between Jodhpur RIFF and Celtic Connections, Glasgow

Martha Redbone Roots Project
Martha Redbone is one of the most vital voices in American Roots music today. Her work spans folk, R&B, gospel, funk and traditional Native American music, heavily drawing from these traditional roots, incorporating their elements into her original music to create something that carries the fervor of gospel and the celebratory energy of indigenous music.
Joining her is Aaron Whitby – award winning pianist, songwriter, composer and record producer who is also Martha’s longtime collaborator and husband. His piano is the melodic backbone to the fiery energy of Martha’s voice. Together, they bring a performance that is the best of both worlds.
In their duo songwriter format, Redbone’s powerhouse vocals—shaped by her Afro-Indigenous heritage and Appalachian upbringing—blend with Whitby’s expressive piano and musical direction, creating a rich sonic landscape that moves effortlessly between genres and emotional registers. Through story and song, they share reflections on identity, resilience, and the human spirit, inviting audiences not just to listen, but to connect.
Martha and Aaron’s time at Jodhpur RIFF this year also marks the beginnings of a collaboration between Martha, Aaron and SAZ- a budding conversation of two traditions deeply rooted in storytelling, ancestry and the resilience of community.

This is Martha Redbone and Aaron Whitby’s premiere appearance in India.
This collaboration is part of an ongoing creative partnership between Jodhpur RIFF and Lincoln Center, New York.

Butter Funk Family
Record producer, songwriter and singer Printz Board is better known for his work with the music group Black Eyed Peas and as a multi Grammy winner and nominee. But at Jodhpur RIFF, Printz Board brings an authentic and original sound of the Butter Funk Family, a lethal combination of the energy of the 70s and irresistible and groovy music that you can’t help but dance to. Tight drums, booming trumpet, driving bass lines, staccato guitars, brass that echoes in your head and lyrics that deliver funk commandments reminiscent of James Brown, the Butter Funk Family’s music is a movement built around a single joyful mission: to spread love, groove, and funk to everyone in the room. Their music makes no distinction between age or taste. It makes you sing and dance along regardless.
Come ready to move!

This is Butter Funk Family’s premiere festival appearance in India.

Midnight onwards
Salimkot
Full Festival pass/ Day Pass

DOBBY
Jodhpur RIFF has always honored music that is inseparable from the communities that made it; music that carries the weight of history, land and remembering. DOBBY, the ARIA Award winning Filipino-Murrawari musician, drummer, rapper and composer from Australia is a torchbearer of that very tradition. A fierce advocate of truth and justice, DOBBY’s music is an act of preserving cultural memory as much as it is performance. Rooted in storytelling, he fuses hard-hitting beats, live instrumentation, and urgent lyricism to deliver performances that are both electrifying and deeply moving.

This is DOBBY’s premiere appearance in India.

Killabeatmaker
Hilder Brando Osorno, popularly known as Killabeatmaker, is a Colombian DJ, singer and songwriter from Medellin, and one of the most compelling Afro-Colombian voices in contemporary music. Jodhpur RIFF audiences will remember him from his Indian premiere at last year’s festival. This year, he returns with his explosive DJ set, accompanied by Guadalupe Giraldo (tambora, gaita, vocals) and Yulian Perc (alegre, congas, vocals). Together, they bring a raw, high-energy experience where ancient sounds and modern electronics collide, moving effortlessly between freestyle, percussion, and soaring vocals.
Building on the collaboration that began at the festival last year, he will once again join forces with the young and emerging Khartal player Mamta Sapera, celebrated Rajasthani dhol drummers Chanan Khan, Pyaru Khan, Sawroop Khan and Sattar Khan, Dine Khan on morchang and khartal, and Zakir Khan Manganiyar on the khartal.
What began last year as an instinctive, electric collision between Afro-Colombian indigenous beats and the folk traditions of the Thar returns this year with a stronger conversation between two traditions that have discovered a common musical language.

Killabeatmaker’s collaboration is a Jodhpur RIFF commission