More than 70 artists across folk, hip-hop, indie, pop, EDM, and comedy performed at India’s happiest music festival
“The energy from the crowd was unreal,” said Talwiinder
Pune, March 17, 2026: 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.
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About NH7 Weekender
NH7 Weekender, fondly known as The Happiest Music Festival, is India’s premier multi-genre music festival. Originally conceptualised as a platform to spotlight independent artists and enable discovery, the festival has grown exponentially in size, scale, and cultural impact travelling across multiple cities in India and shaping the country’s live music landscape.
Now in its 16th edition, NH7 Weekender has hosted some of the biggest and most influential artists from across the globe, including The Lumineers, Megadeth, Mark Ronson, Flying Lotus, A.R. Rahman, Steven Wilson, Nucleya, Prateek Kuhad, Ritviz, Divine, and many more. From the iconic ferris wheel offering a bird’s-eye view of multiple stages, to drinks served in the unmistakable Weekender mug and a thoughtfully curated food experience, the festival has created countless magical moments. At its heart lies a deeply loyal and loving community, one that returns year after year to celebrate music, culture, and collective joy.
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About NODWIN Gaming
NODWIN Gaming, a leader in new-age youth entertainment, gaming, and esports, holds a significant position in the global gaming and esports industry in emerging markets. Since its inception in 2014 by Akshat Rathee and Gautam Virk, NODWIN has established a global presence in regions such as Taiwan, South Asia, Singapore, the Middle East, Central Asia. The company’s business centres around building and monetising global youth access through pop culture, gaming, esports, live events and content through IPs such as Leagues, Tournaments, Reality shows. It engages with Artists, Content creators, professional esports athletes, teams. Notable investors include Founders investment vehicle Good Game Investments, Nazara Technologies (BSE: NAZARA), KRAFTON Inc, Sony Group Corporation and JetSynthesys.
A key focus for NODWIN Gaming is the expertise in the global south and the timeshare of mindshare of the global youth on mobiles. NODWIN has established a dominant position worldwide in this space. By catering to the youth demographic, NODWIN is expanding its Total Addressable Market (TAM) by becoming increasingly relevant in the rapidly evolving digital entertainment landscape. Their diverse range of intellectual properties that engages the youth spans esports, gaming, pop culture, music, and comedy. This strategic expansion and cultivation of new intellectual properties are crucial to NODWIN’s aim of maintaining a significant role in the global youth media, gaming and esports Arenas.
For more information, visit www.nodwingaming.com
