The Serendipity Arts Festival concluded its 10th edition on December 21, 2025, transforming Panaji into a city-wide cultural stage for ten days. Artists and performers in the Goan city activated heritage buildings, public spaces, waterways, and neighbourhoods with over 250 programmes, including exhibitions, workshops, music, theatre, dance, children's programmes and culinary experiences.
Caravaggio Makes A First Stop In Goa
Visitors saw Caravaggio's Magdalene in Ecstasy for the first time in Goa at the Directorate of Accounts. This joint presentation by Serendipity Arts Festival, the Embassy of Italy in India, Consulate General of Italy in Mumbai, Italian Embassy Cultural Centre New Delhi, Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Mumbai, and MetaMorfosi Cultural Association paired the 400-year-old painting with contemporary works, including Multiplay 02: Soft Systems by Jiten Thukral and Sumir Tagra, and Diptej Vernekar's Goa's Smallest Big Tradition: The Mini Narkasur Archive. Artists supported by the Serendipity x Arles Grant presented new creations developed through the program, backed by the French Institute in India and the Embassy of France.
Craft Comes Alive
Azad Maidan hosted craft-based projects. Kristine Michael's Home Is Where the Heart Is, Rashmi Varma's Infinite Drape, and Anjana Somany's Stepwells: Poetry in Craft highlighted craft as a living practice connected to memory, ecology, and identity. Musicians performed across the IPRS Stage, from the Vayali Bamboo Band to Shahbaaz Khan's qawwali, folk-inspired harvest songs, and Himalayan music by Ladakhi band Dashugs.
Art, Dance, Tech
At the Old GMC Complex, Divya Cowasji's There Are No Love Letters Here, curated by Prashant Panjiar and Tanvi Mishra, explored memory and family archives, while Ranjana Dave's Duty Free used dance to examine labour and endurance. Culinary workshops, including Rahul Akerkar's Is AI the New Ingredient?, encouraged visitors to experiment with creativity and technology. Classical theatre appeared in G. Venu's Mrcchakatikam in Kutiyattam, and choreographers in Folios of Time 2.0 responded to climate change, migration, gender, and displacement. Photography exhibitions, OTHERLAND curated by Ranjit Hoskote and Displacement curated by Rahaab Allana, examined migration, identity, and decolonial narratives.
Theatre, Dance, Concerts
Kala Academy presented theatre, dance, and experimental performances. Prahlad Sukhtankar's Salt explored salt as material and memory, and plays including Abhishek Majumdar's Kavan, under Mahesh Dattani's curation. The Arena at Nagalli Hills hosted large-scale concerts, including opening with Clay Play, curated by Shubha Mudgal and Aneesh Pradhan. Dard-e-Disco, Sneha Khanwalkar TAIN TAIN TO TO Live!, and a tribute to Zakir Hussain titled Ustad. Konkan Funk reimagined folk music with funk, while Motown Madness celebrated the Motown sound. This was Konkan like you've never heard it before, evening presented by Campa.
New Spaces, Fresh Experiences
The festival added new experiences with site-specific works. Veerangana Solanki's Barge at the Captain of Ports Jetty in Old Goa transformed the ubiquitous vessel into an exhibition space exploring sound and visuals, and Chef Manu Chandra's Goa is a Bebinca explored culinary storytelling at Casa San Antonio in Fontainhas.
Supporting Emerging Artists And Music
Serendipity Arts launched the BRIJ Incubator at Art Park to support emerging cultural and craft enterprises. Art Park also hosted The Culinary Odyssey of Goa and performances by Gauley Bhai, Chirag Todi, Jack of Spade'z, and SlyFly and The Blues Company. The festival presented electronic music by emerging artists Rattyatty, Prismer, Drum आणि Bass, Benkii, DJ PGZ, Monophonik, and Cloudy Ku through Serendipity x Asia TOPA Exchange.
