Music in the Hills is accredited as the biggest independent music festival of the country organized at different exotic locations of India. The event was launched in the year 2007 with the purpose of bringing together enchanting music, good listeners and spectacular locations. It is entirely an informal event which is completely supported and sponsored by the visitors. It is celebrated successfully even without any sponsorship from the corporate sectors. Music in the Hills is organized by the music lovers of Happily Unmarried, a product design brand from India.
Features of Music in the Hills
Music in the Hills features musical performances by both renowned and young performers. Artists from distant regions hail to the event to render and cherish the charming musical ambience of the event. Some of the well known Indian music bands who have graced the festival include Soulmate, Parikrama, Raghu Dixit Project, Rampur Gharana and many others. Various genres of music can be enjoyed in the music festival such as Pop, Fusion, Indian Folk, Blues, Classic rock and Qawwali. It is a non publicized event and is attended not only by the hardcore music lovers from different parts of the country but also from across the globe. Although as compared to other music festivals, Music in the Hills is quite smaller, it still forms a delightful event for the music connoisseurs as it focuses more on the interaction of audience and the artists. The performers interact freely even before and after their performances. The event is in fact a musical escape to a delightful location. The amicable ambience and diverse musical renditions has greatly contributed to the raising popularity of this vivacious event every year.
Venues of Music in the Hills
Music in the Hills is held usually around the hills of north India. However lately it has started moving towards the sand dunes of Rajasthan to create memorable musical experiences in the splendid backdrop of colossal forts and outspread sand dunes. In Rajasthan, Khimsar Fort and Dunes near Jodhpur have served as the venues for Music in the Hills. Over time, Music in the Hills has earned the credit of being the longest running music festival in the country which centres on just music without any sponsors or agenda.
Editions of Music in the Hills
| Edition | Location | Performers |
| Music in the Hills 1 (April 2007) | Koti, Near Shimla | Assorted amateur musicians. |
| Music in the Hills 2 (March 2008) | Kasmanda Palace Mussoorie | Belinda and the Tropicanos from Goa, Warsi Brothers from Rampur and others. |
| Music in the Hills 3 (October 2008) | Koti, Near Shimla, | Valentine Shipley, Indic Myst, Warsi Brothers and others. |
| Music in the Hills 4 (April 2009) | Naukuchiatal, Uttarakhand, | Parikrama, Ankur Tiwary, the Ghalat Family and others. |
| Music in the Hills 5 (October 2009) | Koti, Near Shimla | Valentine Shipley, Raghu Dixit Project, Ankur Tiwary, the Ghalat Family and others. |
| Music in the Hills 6 (July 2010) | Naukuchiatal Uttarakhand, | Soulmate, North East Express, Sajid and the lost boys, Warsi Brothers and others. |
| Music in the Hills 7 (August 2011) | Khimsar Fort, near Jodhpur, Rajasthan | Parikrama and Advaita, Valentine Shipley, Mohit Chauhan and others. |
| Music in the Hills 8 (April 2012) | Koti Resort Near Shimla | The Raghu Dixit Project, Parikrama, Advaita, Mohit Chauhan and others. |
| Music in the Hills 9 (December 2013) | Mandawa, Rajasthan. | Indian Ocean, Indus Creed, sitar player Purbayan Chatterjee, Valentine Shipley and others. |
