Pune, Mar 17: ICONiQ White NH7 Weekender 2026 wrapped up a spectacular three-day celebration of music, comedy, and culture at Mahalakshmi Lawns in Pune, drawing over 20,000 fans across the weekend. With an all-Indian lineup featuring some of the country’s biggest and most exciting artists, the event, an IP of NODWIN Gaming and organized in collaboration with Zee Live, once again reaffirmed its position as one of India’s most iconic multi-genre music festivals.
From the moment the gates opened, festivalgoers poured into the venue, moving between stages, discovering new artists, and soaking in the vibrant atmosphere that has long defined India’s happiest music festival. In total, more than 70 artists performed across the festival’s stages, spanning genres such as folk, hip-hop and Marathi hip-hop, Bollywood, indie, pop, EDM, stand-up comedy, and interactive comedy shows. The diversity extended to the audience as well, with festivalgoers ranging from as young as two years old to attendees in their sixties, highlighting how ICONiQ White NH7 Weekender continues to create a shared cultural space where multiple generations come together to celebrate live entertainment.
Headliners including Aditya Gadhvi, Aditya Rikhari, Indian Ocean, KING, Nucleya & Friends, Prateek Kuhad, Raftaar x KR$NA, and Talwiinder drew massive crowds, delivering many of the weekend’s standout moments. Alongside these marquee acts, artists such as Bandish Projekt, Bharat Chauhan, Faheem Abdullah, Gini, Hargun Kaur, Kushagra ft. Tanishka, Naalayak, Nanku-Karun, Pho, Vasu Raina, and Vichaar showcased the strength and variety of India’s independent music ecosystem, reinforcing the festival’s role as a platform that brings together established performers and rising talent.
“Performing at NH7 Weekender in Pune was an incredible experience,”said Talwiinder after his set.“The energy from the crowd was unreal. Hearing thousands of people sing along and seeing everyone fully immersed in the music is something every artist hopes for. Nights like this remind you why live festivals are so special.”
Comedy added another lively dimension to the festival experience throughout the weekend, with performances by popular stand-up artists including Aaditya Kulshreshtha (Kullu), Anish Goregaonkar, Fatima Ayesha, Rajat Sood, Shreeja Chaturvedi, Sonali Thakker, Sumaira Shaikh, Supriya Joshi, Urjita Wani, Urooj Ashfaq, and Varun Thakur. Interactive formats such as Kvizzing with Kumar Varun and Madhur Model also drew enthusiastic participation from the crowd.
“NH7 Weekender 2026 is a strong reminder of how powerful live experiences can be when great artists, passionate audiences and the right partners come together. For Z Live, being part of this edition was about contributing to a cultural property that has consistently shaped India’s modern festival landscape. Our partnership with NODWIN allowed the spirit of NH7 to travel far beyond Pune, reaching audiences across the country. As the live entertainment ecosystem in India continues to evolve, collaborations like these will play an important role in building larger, more meaningful experiences for fans,”commented Gareth Eswin Thomas, Business Head, Z Live.
Beyond the performances, festivalgoers explored immersive experiences, brand activations, food zones, and activity areas spread across the venue, making ICONiQ White NH7 Weekender not just a music festival but a vibrant cultural gathering for young audiences.
Akshat Rathee, Co-founder and Managing Director of NODWIN Gaming said,
“Bringing NH7 Weekender back to its hometown of Pune and seeing that kind of energy from fans once again was incredibly special for all of us. This edition was the result of a huge effort from the teams behind the scenes who worked tirelessly to bring the festival together, and I’m incredibly proud of what they pulled off. Seeing tens of thousands of fans turn up for a lineup made up entirely of Indian artists is a strong reminder of the depth of talent we have in the country and the kind of audiences that are eager to support it. We’re also grateful to our partners who helped bring this edition to life. NODWIN Gaming has always been committed to building platforms for India’s artists and youth culture, and we’re already looking forward to making next year’s festival even bigger and more exciting.”
With packed stages, enthusiastic crowds, and a strong showcase of homegrown talent, the 2026 edition of ICONiQ White NH7 Weekender demonstrated the growing strength of India’s independent and mainstream music ecosystem.
The festival was presented by ICONiQ White Packaged Drinking Water, powered by Mastercard, curated by Big Bad Wolf, with Exceed Entertainment as the revenue partner and EVA Live as the event partner.
