Taking forward a legacy of over 40 years of jubilant celebration of the arts, music, creativity and global culture; Festember, the largest inter-collegiate cultural festival of South India has never failed to surprise, intrigue and inspire. Festember is the annual cultural festival of the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli also known as NIT Trichy. Festember 2018 is set to take place from September 13th to 16th with the theme for the year as ‘An Arabian Odyssey’ and will be witness to 4 nights of vibrant hues, exotic cuisines and unforgettable emotions.
It was founded by the students of NIT Trichy in 1975 as an all-encompassing medium of unfettered expression, and is a completely student-run fest. It now boasts a massive annual footfall of more than 17,000 students from 500 colleges across the country.
Ranging from the mellifluous Classical Night and the energy-fuelled EDM Night, to the breathtaking Popular Night that blasts some peppy numbers, Festember has seen world-class artists like Amit Trivedi, Shravan Sridhar and many more perform their inimitable shows on stage over the years. This edition of Festember has also risen to the challenge, with the all-star ProShow lineup comprising of progressive-fusion band Pineapple Express for the Fusion night, Skrat and Switcheroo for the Rock night, DJs Sabrina Terence and Ravator Music for the EDM Night, and Sunidhi Chauhan for the Popular Night.
Apart from exhilarating performances from accomplished artists, Festember also plays host to a variety of inspiring personalities who recount remarkable moments in their lives, such as singers Sid Sriram, Srinivas and Unni Krishnan, directors Mahesh Dattani and Suresh Triveni, and actor Anita Ratnam. These guest lectures are exciting, exhilarating and awe-inspiring little sessions that stay with you long after they’re over. This Festember brings you the veteran director P. Vasu, the Foley artisan Karan Arjun Singh, the Carnatic Vocalist Aruna Sairam, the renowned author Ashwin Sanghi, the acclaimed actress Nithya Menen, and the Playback Singer Karthik.
Attendees of the extravaganza have a plethora of cuisines to indulge their taste buds as they experience an all-round sensory treat. Festember consists of a large number of events related to dance, music, drama, literature, fashion and more. Interesting workshops such as ventriloquism, mind reading, card throwing and salsa are also held, apart from a multitude of informal events.
Festember is preceded by a number of outreach events such as the Festember Football League (FFL), Gigahertz, a rock band contest, and Rolling Reels Film Festival (RRFF), a short film festival, all of which are usually held in major cities of South India. Aptly dubbed ‘A Fest to Remember’, the fest provides an excellent opportunity to make new connections and explore. The 44th edition of this adventure will serve as a voyage into the exquisite palaces and the golden sands of Arabia from the comforts of the NIT Trichy campus, as the true spirit of the Middle East is effortlessly brought to life.
