The IPTA National Theatre Festival 2026, takes place in Mumbai. It will see the participation of various units of IPTA from all over the country - Punjab, Delhi, Jodhpur, Lucknow, Patna, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Indore, and Nashik.
The young and dynamic members from these units are performing fresh plays that reflect the socio-political dynamics of our country. These plays, each happening in a different language (Punjabi, Odia, Urdu, Hindustani, Tamil, Marathi), hold up a mirror to the things happening all around us.
To support this mammoth festival, there will be two special shows of Kaifi Aur Main starring Shabana Azmi and Kanwaljit Singh with songs and poetry sung by Jaswinder Singh on 23rd May 2026 at Mukkti Auditorium, Andheri W, Mumbai.
The Festival runs from 20th to 27th May, at Mysore Association, Matunga.
The 2026 Festival is dedicated to the memory of Jitendra Raghuvansh, whose contribution to strengthening the people’s theatre movement in India remains historic and deeply inspirational. Following the reconstitution of IPTA at the national level in 1985, Jitendra Raghuvanshi provided visionary leadership to the organisation and served as the General Secretary of the IPTA National Committee until his passing in 2015.
Beyond performances, the festival will also serve as a platform for artistic collaboration and exchange. It will include workshops on scriptwriting and direction, panel discussions, interactive audience sessions and networking forums for theatre practitioners from different regions of India. These engagements are intended to encourage inter-generational dialogue, collective learning and long-term collaboration among cultural workers, students, writers and activists.
*Mumbai Theatre Guide takes no responsibility for change in schedule.
