The Higher Ground Music Festival will begin its second edition at a new Bengaluru venue on September 25, after the closure of Koramangala performance space Fandom forced organisers to rethink the three-day event. The festival is moving to Prism by Octavium, a new venue off Bannerghatta Road that shares premises with Octavium Music Academy.
Founders Vishwas Karanth and Avishek Dasgupta said they wanted to keep the festival’s format and avoid a year off. As in its first edition in October 2025, the programme brings established performers together with newer acts, with the Breakthrough Stage set aside for emerging artists.
Meg & The Miracles, The Lucidwake and The Sandcats are scheduled to open the festival. The Lucidwake vocalist Vihaa said the band plans to play five new songs from its forthcoming seven-track album, I Kissed the Abyss, alongside material from its debut project, Whiteout. The set will offer the first live performance of those new songs, according to Vihaa.
The second day’s Breakthrough Stage is headlined by space-rock-inspired band Mars Mansion Mystery. The announced emerging lineup also includes singer-songwriter Kashmira, didgeridoo act Two Eyed Wizard, Steel Falcon, Space Hydra, Radiostellar and Nepali rock band Same As Them. Organisers said they selected five acts from more than 50 applications for the stage.
Singer-songwriter Suraj Mani, known for his work with Motherjane, is among the final day’s headliners, alongside Dhuan and Blue Atom Sky. Mani said he may include the title track from Motherjane’s album Dobareh in his solo acoustic set. Organisers describe the three-day programme as a mix of distinct musical styles and artists with a clear identity.