Mangaluru: The Ranga Adhyayana Kendra of St Aloysius (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru, will organise the Monsoon Theatre Festival – 2026, a three-day celebration of theatre and performing arts, from July 17 to 19. The festival will showcase children’s theatre, dance theatre, musical theatre, and contemporary drama, bringing together acclaimed artistes and theatre groups from across Karnataka.

The festival aims to promote theatre as a vibrant medium of artistic expression while providing audiences with an opportunity to experience diverse forms of stage performances.

Diverse performances over three days

The festival will open on July 17 with “Manavapura,” a children’s play presented by participants of the Ranginata Theatre Camp of Arehole Pratishthana. The evening will also feature the dance theatre production “Barkurina Hadg” by Nandagokula Kalavidaru.

On July 18, audiences will witness the musical theatre production “Ragasandhana,” conceived by Dr. Ravindra Gururaj Katoti and directed by Vidwan Korgi Shankaranarayana Upadhyaya. The production will feature renowned Hindustani vocalist Sri Sidhartha Belmannu, who will both sing and perform on stage.

The festival will conclude on July 19 with “Angara,” a contemporary play written by Usha Kattemane and directed by Abhinav Grover, presented by Punah Theatre, Manipal.

Venue and organisers

All performances will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the LCRI Auditorium, St Aloysius (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru. Entry to all performances is free.

The festival is being organised in collaboration with Arehole Pratishthana, Astitva (Regd.), Mangaluru, the Department of Kannada, and the Centre for Language and Cultural Studies.

The Centre for Theatre Studies has invited theatre lovers, students, artistes, and members of the public to attend the festival and experience the richness and diversity of contemporary theatre.

The Monsoon Theatre Festival 2026 is expected to provide a vibrant platform for artists and audiences to celebrate creativity, storytelling, and cultural expression through the performing arts.