Have you ever thought about having a hot cuppa? A few DJs in India, inspired by concerts in Amsterdam and Berlin, now organize small concerts with cozy gatherings in coffee shops. Patrick Topping, a DJ from the UK, first came up with this concept six months ago, which deviates from the usual nightclub culture.
DJ Tanishq, who performed at Corridor Seven Coffee Roasters in Nagpur on December 8, was one of the first Indian DJs to explore the concept. Speaking about the concert, the 23-year-old shared: “I saw a cafe with bouncers for the first time. [The turnout was so good that] despite the full hall, people were still standing outside the cafe to enter. For a tier 2 city like Nagpur, this is unimaginable. So now we’re doing a 10-city tour!”
Rest for an hour
He also took to Instagram to share a video of the event, which became an instant hit with over 2 million likes. Speaking about his intention to hold such an event, he continues: “I was thinking of turning the cafe into a night club. However, it was not an overnight event. We held it in the evening, from 6 to 7 p.m., when people usually like to relax and come on dates for coffee.”
Concert without alcohol
Nida, who also tried the same concept and played at Nandan Coffee in Mumbai on a weekday, says she got a “good response”. “The purpose of the event was to bring people together after work. It was designed for people who do not necessarily want to drink alcohol, but also want to relax after work. So we also saw a lot of visitors as there was no entrance fee. She adds, “After the success of the event, I received many inquiries from coffee shops in Jaipur, Mumbai and Delhi.”
POV on small gigs
Yahvi and Parthivi Mariwala, who run Nandan Coffee, which organized the mini-concert with Nida, shared, “We opened our place two months ago with the idea of an immersive experience and wanted to combine the idea of music and coffee. Almost 60 people showed up after RSVP, and there were lots of events, including from the surrounding area.”
Aavika Chhawchharia, founder of Honey & Dough, who will also be organizing one such concert this month in New Delhi, further elaborates on the idea, “I saw it at Reels from the US and always thought something like this would work in India. because of the Gen Z crowd, especially because of their music choices. The atmosphere has changed – jazz and house dominate the playlists of cafes instead of Bollywood.”
She continues: “If all goes well, we may start doing this regularly. Although coffee will certainly be served, food will depend on attendance.”
