Hill towns Darjeeling and Gangtok had a rocking Saturday.
Darjeeling celebrated Saturday evening at the Darjeeling MELOtea FEST before welcoming runners on Sunday morning for the hill marathon.
Sikkim capital Gangtok hosted a high-energy Saturday night with British pop band Blue and K-Pop group Everglow from South Korea.
The MELOtea fest ended on Saturday evening with a performance from Mantra band, Darjeeling’s musical export. At the end of the show, the band was felicitated at a jam-packed Chowrasta in Darjeeling.
The same evening, two international bands performed at the Paljor Stadium in Gangtok as part of the Orchid Music Festival 2025.
The event was organised to promote concert tourism by Gangtok based SONJU Ltd in association with Shillong-based Rockski EMG, with the support of the Sikkim government.
Famed British band Blue with hits like One Love and All Rise headlined the event and wowed the crowds. The all-girl K-pop band Everglow also was a great hit with the
audience.
“Delighted to attend the vibrant Orchid Music Festival held at Paljor Stadium, an engaging celebration that beautifully highlighted music and creative expression. Headed by the internationally acclaimed British pop band Blue, the festival brought together international and local artists and an enthusiastic audience, creating a lively and engaging musical atmosphere,” Sikkim’s chief minister Prem Singh Tamang (Golay) wrote on his Facebook page after attending the event.
On Sunday, the famed Darjeeling hill marathon took place. “Around 4,000 participants participated in different categories of the run,” said Praween Prakash, the Darjeeling SP. A 1.3km non-competitive Unity Run for the differently abled was also held at Chowrasta as part of the fest on Sunday.
The Darjeeling MELOtea FEST and the hill marathon are organised by Darjeeling police as part of its community policing initiative.