For an industry that thrives on spectacle, scale, and star power, building a festival around words was once considered—by his own admission—“madness.” A decade later, that madness has shaped India’s live storytelling culture into a full-blown movement.
As Spoken Fest returns to Mumbai on 21st and 22nd February 2026 at Jio World Garden, BKC, for its landmark 10th edition, the festival isn’t just marking a date—it’s celebrating a decade of building India’s most definitive spoken word movement. Founded by Kommune, the cultural collective helmed by Roshan Abbas and his co-founders, Spoken Fest has evolved from intimate open mics into a large-format storytelling IP that now anchors the country’s live literature and performance calendar.
More than a festival, Spoken Fest has positioned itself as a cultural congregation where words spark connection, and where audiences don’t just attend—they tune in. Against this backdrop, EVENTFAQS Media spoke to Roshan Abbas, Festival Director, Spoken Fest and Co-Founder, Kommune about legacy, leadership, brand evolution, and the larger concert economy shaping India’s live events future.
“It took a lot of madness to make it come to here.”
On the 10th edition—celebration or launchpad?
“Mile stones are important because they allow you to do both things. Take a little break in your journey, look back at what happened, we never even thought that what we were doing was… we thought it was madness. And I’m known to do mad things.” Looking back, Abbas credits belief as the core fuel. Belief in poets, storytellers, indie musicians—and most importantly—belief that audiences would show up for them.
“At that time, it’s belief that carries you.” From featuring early voices like Zakir in the very first edition to today’s celebrated names across poetry and spoken word, the ecosystem has evolved dramatically. But the responsibility, he says, has grown too.
With 75 performers across four stages in just two days, Spoken Fest intentionally maximizes representation. Nearly half the lineup this year includes fresh faces. “About 35 performers out of the 75 are performing for the first time. You have never seen them before.”
Beyond Mumbai, the festival has expanded to Lucknow, Indore, Chandigarh and earlier to Shillong—building what Abbas calls “a culture” in each city. At a recent university showcase, students stayed off their phones for nearly four hours.
“The best comments we got were people saying, ‘I didn’t look at my phone for three and a half hours.’”
“I really feel that now it is time to hand the mantle to younger people… Young people are very, very good at what they do. If you give them responsibility and purpose, they do things.”
Competing with Concerts & Content: What Keeps Spoken Irreplaceable?
In a month that sees global acts like John Mayer and formats like Lollapalooza commanding attention, how does a storytelling festival hold its own?
Abbas breaks it down into three pillars:
1. Curation
“If I bring the same voices you can see on highly produced digital, what’s the use?”
2. Human Chemistry
“When human beings are close together physically… there is an exchange of endorphins… hormones that create mutual empathy.”
He quotes theatre veteran Brian Tellis: “We’re in the business of hugs and hope.”
3. The Vibe Economy
“Most people come to Spoken, I believe, now more for the vibe. For two days, the vibe is such that log creative battery poori recharge karke jaate hain. Wo digital mein nahi hota.”
In an industry obsessed with amplification, Spoken doubles down on presence. Yes, the content travels online later—but being there is the real currency.
Art Meets Commerce: The Kommune Model
“Art without commerce is unfortunately not possible.”
Funding comes from three key sources: grants, brands, and ticket buyers. Kommune recently secured its first international grant, enabling cross-border artist exchange—something Abbas calls “a big, big step.”
On the brand front, partnerships with names like Diageo, Tanishq, IKEA, Franklin Templeton and Netflix are rooted in cultural alignment rather than visibility metrics.
“They are not doing philanthropy. They all have a belief.”
Abbas emphasizes that Spoken Fest is not treated differently from a major marketing campaign. Hoardings, PR, influencers, social media—the works. The difference lies in how brands participate.
“A brand is participating in culture, not sponsoring a piece of culture.” And the content dividend is significant. With over half a million Instagram followers and over a million YouTube subscribers, the value extends beyond two days onsite.
“I’m not just offering you two days at a festival, I’m offering you a year of celebration.”
Beyond Transactions: The Evolution of Brand Collaborations
Unlike music festivals where digital rights are often restricted, Spoken Fest creates evergreen content. “One of our most popular pieces online today has over 25 million views. The brand is there right at the back.”
For brands, that means long-term visibility within meaningful content. Abbas also credits Gen Z for shaping deeper collaborations.
“Gen Z is very clear that they don’t want to be sold. They want to be a part of something.”
Through year-round brand campaigns, including collaborations with cultural icons, Kommune leverages trust built over time. “You need that relationship. You need that trust.”
Five Years Forward: Global Ambitions & School-Level Storytelling
“The world talks of storytelling, we’ll take storytelling to the world.”
Having expanded nationally, Abbas is now looking globally—with at least two international editions in the next five years.
An international performer once described Spoken Fest as “the Glastonbury of spoken word.” That benchmark now fuels ambition.
From Nvidia to Google to OpenAI, global tech leaders are emphasizing storytelling as a critical human skill. Abbas wants that introduced at the school and college level.
Government & The Concert Economy: A Tipping Point Moment
Abbas, former President of the Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA) during the pandemic years, recalls how the events industry partnered with the government in crisis response—setting up hospitals, supplying oxygen and infrastructure.
“This got noticed by the government. After that, our dialogue with the government has really increased.”
Today, organizations across the ecosystem—including ticketing platforms, industry bodies, FICCI—have collectively demonstrated the scale of the live entertainment economy. “I think the Coldplay concert was really the tipping point because that’s when the government said… apart from cricket, people can come in 80,000, 90,000 numbers for this.”
With the creator economy and concert economy now firmly on policy radar, Abbas sees momentum—but calls for faster reforms. “Having venues open till late must happen. Subsidy to people who are doing big events and concerts must happen.”
He cites Madhya Pradesh Tourism’s support as an example of proactive collaboration. “You will hopefully… see a version that is supported by the government. And if that happens, you will hear many more stories of India across the world.”
The Soul of Spoken Fest? “Empathy Boot Camp.”
Asked to describe Spoken Fest in three words, Abbas doesn’t hesitate.
“Empathy boot camp.”
“We are genuinely a place where your soul can find nourishment. Har festival mein music hoti hai, people tune out. At Spoken, people tune in.”
Under Mumbai’s open skies, stories unfold. Strangers listen. Phones go silent. Creative batteries recharge. In an age of algorithms and amplification, Spoken Fest remains committed to something refreshingly analog—human connection.
And if the last decade was about proving that words can fill venues, the next might just prove that they can shape economies too.
This year’s edition brings together some of the most compelling voices from across art, cinema, poetry, and performance. Expect powerful sessions and unforgettable performances by Boman Irani, Dia Mirza, Shruti Haasan, Ratna Pathak Shah, Sheeba Chaddha, Nakuul Mehta, Mithila Palkar, Taaruk Raina, Swanand Kirkire, Raj Arjun, Zeeshan Ayyub, Waseem Barelvi, and Piyush Mishra, along with a diverse lineup of poets, storytellers, musicians, and creative voices from across the country.
