Come December, and the Serendipity Arts Festival is returning for its 11th edition in Panjim, Goa. Continuing its long-standing curator-led approach, the 2026 edition — to be held from December 13 to 20 — brings together a tightly selected group of practitioners whose practices are deeply rooted in inquiry, experimentation, and collaboration, reinforcing the Festival’s commitment to building programming through strong curatorial voices.
Each year, curators are invited not only to present work, but to shape thought, provoke dialogue, and build intersections across artistic forms. This edition reflects this ethos through a considered roster of curators across visual arts, craft, culinary arts, music, dance, accessibility, and special projects.
Commenting on the Festival’s continued evolution, Sunil Kant Munjal, founder patron of the Serendipity Arts, says, “As Serendipity enters its second decade, our ambition is not only to present art but to shape how it is experienced, shared, and understood. The curators are central to this — they bring deep expertise, but more importantly, a spirit of inquiry that keeps the Festival restless, questioning, and alive to its times."
‘Otherland’, curated by Ranjit Hoskote, at the Serendipity Arts Festival 2025.
The Visual Arts programme will be led by art historian and curator Latika Gupta and artist and curator Sheba Chhachhi. Their practices bring together rigorous art historical inquiry and politically engaged, lens-based work.
In Craft, Fashion and textile designer Kshitij Jalori and Mumbai-based interdisciplinary artist, designer and social entrepreneur Sudheer Rajbhar bring distinct yet complementary perspectives — bridging design innovation with grassroots material practices.
The Culinary Arts vertical will be curated by Anisha Rachel Oommen, Goya, expanding the discourse on food beyond consumption into a cultural and critical framework.
Music at the Festival will be shaped by Aruna Sairam and Ankur Tiwari, bringing together classical depth and contemporary soundscapes. Sairam is a Padma Shri award-winning Carnatic vocalist and composer and Tiwari is one of India’s leading singer-songwriters and composers, Ankur is a Recording Academy Voting Member and the former Creative Architect of the award-winning Coke Studio Bharat, where he designed collaborations that showcased the depth and diversity of India’s music.
The Dance programme, curated by Ashley Lobo and Surjit Nongmeikapam, will explore the body as a site of both discipline and disruption.
‘Ottam — Born to Run’ curated by Mahesh Dattani at the Serendipity Arts Festival 2025.
The Theatre programme will be curated by Mahesh Dattani and Anuradha Kapur, two leading voices in contemporary theatre whose practices bring together artistic rigour, critical inquiry, and a deep engagement with the social and cultural landscape.
Accessibility, an integral and evolving focus of the Festival, will once again be led by Salil Chatturvedi, ensuring inclusivity is embedded as a foundational approach.
Finally, Special Projects, curated by Sreyansi Singh and Padmini Chettur, will act as a connective thread—bringing together cross-disciplinary explorations that push the boundaries of how art is encountered.
Together, this curatorial cohort reflects a shift towards a more deliberate, research-led approach where each discipline informs and expands the other. The Festival’s programming emerges not as a collection of independent showcases, but as an interconnected ecosystem of ideas, practices, and conversations.
Speaking about the upcoming edition and curatorial body for 2026, Smriti Rajgarhia, director of the Serendipity Arts, shares, “Curators at Serendipity Arts are not just programme-makers; they are critical voices who shape how audiences experience, understand, and question the arts today. Our 2026 cohort has been brought together with a clear intent — to push interdisciplinary dialogue further, create room for slower and more layered engagement, and tell sharper, more intentional stories across the Festival.”
