Music, Books, And More: What To Do And See In Kolkata This Weekend

The Kolkata Book Fair has started from today and you will see most of the city hanging out there this weekend. Apart from that, there are heritage walks to discover the many stories that the city holds, classical music performances, and stand-up comedy. Here are the events to head out to in Kolkata this weekend.

Meet Writers At The Boi Mela

 Kolkata, the City of Joy has always been a cultural hub and a bibliophile's haven, with independent and specialty bookstores, secondhand book stalls, as well as annual lit fests. The largest and most popular is the Kolkata Book Fair or Boi Mela. The 47th edition of the Kolkata Book Fair will be held from January 18 to 31 this year. And it is set to be the largest ever, with more than 1,000 stalls. Read more about it here.

Where: Central Park Mela Ground, Salt Lake, Kolkata

When: Thursday, January 18 – Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Check out the website here.

Sign Up For A Walk

Dalhousie Square, often known as BBD Bag (after the three young revolutionaries who attacked the Writers' Buildings in 1930 and shot the Inspector General of Prisons, N.S. Simpson), has been the hub of Calcutta since before the city was named Kolkata. The heart of trade and commerce, its bylanes are filled with small businesses. Though it may be difficult to notice in the hubbub, the Dalhousie Square neighbourhood contains some of the most stunning Raj-era architecture. For starters, there is the Writers' Buildings complex. Dalhousie Square is the doorway to north Kolkata, and the surrounding buildings and streets have many stories to tell. Explore the area on the Dalhousie Architecture Trail walk hosted by Kolkata based Immersive Trails. Find more details about the walk and book tickets here.

When: January 20, 2024, 8am onwards.

Laugh Out Loud

Actor and stand-up comic Ankita Shrivastav, also known as the “Chaata” girl, is coming to the city with her retinue of jokes. Book tickets here.

When: January 21

Where: Ideapod, 5th Floor, Prasad House, 16, Sudder St, New Market Area, Dharmatala, Park Street area, Kolkata, West Bengal 700016

An Evening Of Classical Music

This is an inaugural concert organised by city-based group Mukto Chhondo - A School of Art Music & More. Among the performances will be one by Pt. Abhisek Lahiri, Indrajit Basu, Sukanya Karmakar and more. Entry is free, seats to be allotted on a first-come-first-serve basis.

When: January 20, 5–8 pm

Where: Cantonment, Rajbari, Dum Dum, West Bengal