Marathi pop culture fest: Rada 2026 fest celebrates Marathi arts; Thousands gather to witness the vibrant blend of music, comedy, and poetry

What does a Marathi pop culture fest look like? Last weekend, Punekars got the answer through Rada 2026, organised by BhaDiPa, an event that brought together popular creators, musicians and celebs under one roof.

One stage, many artistes

From bringing the OG Casting Couch jodi, Amey Wagh and Nipun Dharmadhikari, back with Sarang Sathaye, to giving the crowd a glimpse of the power of Marathi rap, with the likes of Sambata, Srushti Tawade and more, and getting the attendees grooving to the beats of Kratex, Yashraj Mukhate and Nagesh Morvekar – the fest had it all.

Spanning two days, the event saw popular artistes from various fields taking the spotlight and drawing thousands of youngsters to the venue. Sarang Sathe, co-founder of BhaDiPa and a stand-up comedian, shared, “We began with an audience of just 50. To see such a big turnout at an event just makes us all feel grateful and more encouraged.”

Rap, comedy and a proper vibe-check at this city fest

Creators Shubham Jadhav and Neel Salekar took to the Pune stage as Garditle Dardi with a set of Marathi poems - some funny, some heartfelt. While Shubham performed his original work, Neel recited some beloved Marathi classics. For an audience used to seeing them doing comedy skits online, the shift felt both surprising and delightful.

When asked about the change in their content on stage, Neel said that he wanted to take the opportunity to introduce people to Marathi poetry. He said, “Many times, when I post a poem by a well-known Marathi poet, people assume I’ve written it. That made me realise how little people know about Marathi poetry today. I wanted to change that, and this was a perfect platform for that.”