Fests · IIT Kanpur · Antaragni '26 · Updated 27 October 2026
Antaragni 2026, the 61st edition of IIT Kanpur's cultural festival, runs from Thursday 29 October to Sunday 1 November 2026 on the IIT Kanpur campus. The fest's own schedule page gives the dates as "29 Oct-1 Nov 2026" (antaragni.in/schedule), and its FAQ answers "When is Antaragni 2026?" with the same dates (antaragni.in/contact). The full 2026 timetable, 82 slots over the four days, is now on the schedule page (antaragni.in/schedule). The theme and the star-night lineup were still unannounced as of 27 October 2026, two days before the opening ceremony.
This guide first ran in August, before any date was out. It now leads with the published 2026 timetable and what is still missing, and keeps the history, past lineups and travel notes that still hold. Anything not on a fest or news page has been removed.
When is Antaragni 2026?
| Question | What is published (as of 27 Oct 2026) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Dates | Thu 29 October to Sun 1 November 2026, four days | antaragni.in/schedule, antaragni.in/contact |
| Edition | 61st | events.antaragni.in, Jagran Josh, 12 October 2026 |
| Venue | IIT Kanpur campus, Kalyanpur, Kanpur 208016 | antaragni.in/contact |
| Timetable | Published: "82 slots over 4 days, from the opening ceremony to the last star night" | antaragni.in/schedule |
| Star-night lineup | Not announced as of 27 Oct; the page still says "The 2026 lineup drops on our socials first." | antaragni.in/star-nights |
| Theme | Not announced | Jagran Josh, 12 October 2026, Bharat Express, 26 October 2026 |
| Competitions | 51 across 12 verticals | antaragni.in/events |
| Pass prices | Not published; antaragni.in has no passes page among its 11 stops | antaragni.in |
The schedule page now carries the timetable itself: "82 slots over 4 days, from the opening ceremony to the last star night." It adds: "Times are India time. The events team keeps this up to date, so check back on the day." (antaragni.in/schedule). The day-by-day highlights are in the timetable section below.
Bharat Express, which the fest lists as its media partner, previewed the edition on 26 October with the same dates and a bigger college count, "350 से अधिक प्रमुख विश्वविद्यालयों और कॉलेजों" (more than 350 universities and colleges). Its preview names the star nights, EDM nights and Synchronicity rock bands as the evening draws, but no artist (Bharat Express, 26 October 2026).
Jagran Josh, covering the pre-fest on 12 October, reported the same window: the fest is "scheduled from October 29 to November 1, 2026", and "The theme and Artist for this year is still a mystery and going to get posted on their social media soon." (Jagran Josh, 12 October 2026).
How to check this yourself: open the schedule and star-nights pages on antaragni.in. Both are built in JavaScript, so give them a few seconds to load before reading.
What happened at the Antaragni 2026 pre-fest?
The pre-fest on campus brought a Red Bull F1 car, dance performances and stand-up comedy. Jagran Josh wrote that the campus "has come alive once again with the roar of redbull F1 cars, energetic dance performances", and that the evening included "the stand up comedy by Rajat Sood" (Jagran Josh, 12 October 2026).
The same report quoted a student, Pratibha Singh: "The campus didn't just wake up; it roared to life with the sound of an F1 car and the pulse of the Juggernaut beat." (Jagran Josh, 12 October 2026).
Who is performing at the Antaragni 2026 star nights?
Nobody yet, officially. As of 27 October 2026, two days before the fest opens, the star-nights page still shows the 2025 headliners with a "Coming soon" panel for this year and the line "The 2026 lineup drops on our socials first." (antaragni.in/star-nights). Any 2026 artist list you see before that is a rumour.
What the 2026 timetable does give is the shape of the nights. Every main-stage slot is on the Pronite Ground (antaragni.in/schedule):
| Night | When (IST) | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| EDM Night | Thu 29 Oct, 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | Pronite Ground |
| Fusion Night | Fri 30 Oct, 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | Pronite Ground |
| Hip-Hop Night | Sat 31 Oct, 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | Pronite Ground |
| EDM Night | Sun 1 Nov, 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | Pronite Ground |
Two things to note. No slot in the timetable is labelled "Star Night" or "Synchronicity Night" as of 27 October, even though the star-nights page says the Star Night closes the fest, so the artist names and the final night label may still change. And the Synchronicity band competition itself runs on Saturday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm on the Synchro Stage (antaragni.in/schedule).
The fest runs four kinds of night on one main stage (antaragni.in/star-nights):
- Star Night: "The biggest names in Indian music close the fest on the main stage".
- Synchronicity Night: rock and metal, headlined in the past by Poets of the Fall and Parikrama.
- EDM Night: running since 2014. The page says "KSHMR, Quintino and Ritviz all played their first ever college fest here."
- Fusion Night: "Classical meets contemporary".
Who headlined in past years?
| Edition | Headliners named in sources | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 60th (2025) | Raaga Magic (Rock Night, 9 Oct), Mohammed Irfan (Fusion Night), Teri Miko (EDM Night), Sunidhi Chauhan (Star Night) | antaragni.in/star-nights, Jagran Josh, 12 October 2026 |
| 59th (2024) | Badshah (Bollywood night), Javed Ali, Rahgir, Ritviz | IIT Kanpur media coverage page, 2024 |
| 57th (2023) | Matt Bacon, Black Rhythm, Alexa Rose (international carnival); Antariksh, Pina Colada Blues, 39 Kingdom (EDM night) | Careers360, 20 March 2023 |
| 55th (2021, online) | The Yellow Diary (Fusion Night), Sonu Nigam, comedians Aakash Gupta and Harsh Gujral | IIT Kanpur press release, March 2021 |
For 2025, Jagran Josh summed up: "Raaga Magic, with Anurag Halder blending Bollywood, retro and rock, opened rock night. Mohammed Irfan performed Bollywood and sufi songs during Fusion Night, while DJ Terimiko brought electronic music to EDM Night." (Jagran Josh, 12 October 2026). Raaga Magic's own listing put that show at IIT Garden, 8 pm, on 9 October 2025 (the band's event page).
The 2024 Bollywood night went viral beyond Kanpur: a post titled "Badshah at IIT Kanpur" on r/Btechtards drew 1,163 upvotes. IIT Kanpur's 2024 coverage page lists The Times of India headline "IIT Kanpur's Antaragni concludes with an electrifying B'wood night featuring Badshah" (IIT Kanpur media coverage page, 2024).
What is the Antaragni 2026 timetable, day by day?
The 2026 timetable went up on the schedule page in the last week of October: 82 slots, 8 on the opening Thursday, 28 each on Friday and Saturday, and 18 on Sunday (antaragni.in/schedule). The opening ceremony is at 3:00 pm on Thursday in the Auditorium, and the last slot is the Talent Fiesta at 11:00 pm on Sunday. The highlights, with every time in IST:
| Day | Main stage | Finals and headline events | Late night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 29 Oct | EDM Night, 6:00 pm | Opening Ceremony 3:00 pm (Auditorium); India Inspired 4:00 pm (Auditorium); Ritambhara prelims 11:00 pm (Auditorium) | Talent Fiesta 11:00 pm; Groove & Soothe, Silent Disco (Skating Rink) and Boiler Room (Yoga Hall) from midnight |
| Fri 30 Oct | Fusion Night, 7:00 pm | Prelims day: Estampie, Jitterbug, Nukkad, Stage Play, Antaragni Idol, Mr and Ms Antaragni; Junoon on the Synchro Stage 9:00 am to 6:00 pm; MUN; Anicon 10:00 am to 5:00 pm; Duet Finale 11:00 pm (Outreach) | Antaragni's Got Latent 11:45 pm; Battle Underground (Beatbox) 1:00 am; Disenador 1:30 am (Auditorium) |
| Sat 31 Oct | Hip-Hop Night, 7:00 pm | Synchronicity 9:00 am to 4:00 pm (Synchro Stage); Stage Play Finals 2:00 pm (L7); Estampie Finals 1:00 pm (Events Ground); Mr and Ms Antaragni 4:00 pm (Auditorium); Ritambhara Finale 11:00 pm (Auditorium) | Comic Kaun 11:00 pm; DJ Wars prelims 11:00 pm (The Club); Battle Underground (Rap) 1:00 am; Prom Night 1:00 am (Yoga Hall) |
| Sun 1 Nov | EDM Night, 6:00 pm | Jitterbug Finale 8:00 am (Auditorium); Nukkad Finals 8:00 am (Events Ground); Antaragni Idol Finals 9:00 am (Outreach); Pair On Stage Finals 1:00 pm; Color Run 1:00 pm (Synchro Stage); Acappella 2:00 pm (L18) | Talent Fiesta 11:00 pm (Events Ground) |
Source: antaragni.in/schedule, read on 27 October 2026. The fest says it keeps the timetable updated, so check the day tab on the day. The busiest venues are the Auditorium (13 slots), the Events Ground (11) and the Yoga Hall (9); the L-rooms are lecture halls. The campus map on antaragni.in marks the Pronite Ground, Events Ground, Open Air Theatre, New SAC, Auditorium, Outreach Auditorium, New Lecture Hall Complex and Indoor Sports Complex, along with food, water, toilets and emergency points.
What competitions are there at Antaragni 2026?
The events page lists "51 competitions · 12 verticals · open to every college" (antaragni.in/events). The registration portal itself uses rounder numbers, "300+ colleges" and "40+ competitions" (events.antaragni.in). The events page adds a caveat: "Rules as published for Antaragni '26 on the events portal; a few may still change before the fest."
| Vertical | Competitions | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Dance | 6 | Jitterbug, Estampie, Nrityangana, Duet |
| Musicals | 6 | Antaragni Idol, Battle of Bands, A Cappella |
| Film and Photography | 6 | Screenwriting, Photostory, Aperture |
| Hindi Literary Events | 5 | Kavyanjali, Aamne-samne |
| English Literary Events | 5 | Poetry Slam, Creative Writing, Scrabble |
| Fine Arts | 5 | Mandala Arts, Battle of Art, Surrealism |
| Quiz | 5 | India Quiz, Sports Quiz, Mela Quiz |
| Dramatics | 4 | Nukkad Natak, The Stage Play, Mono Act |
| Debate | 3 | Parliamentary Debate, Turn Coat, MUN |
| Anime Convention | 3 | Cosplay, Anime Quiz |
| Ritambhara | 2 | Ritambhara, Disenador |
| Mr and Ms Antaragni | 1 | Mr and Ms Antaragni |
Source: antaragni.in/events, retrieved 18 October 2026. Registration for every competition is on events.antaragni.in, which signs you in with Google. The fest's FAQ says: "Every competition registers on the events portal. Rules and team sizes are listed there too." (antaragni.in/contact).
Synchronicity, the band competition
Synchronicity is Antaragni's rock and metal band contest. The star-nights page dates it to 1988: "The rock and metal band competition, now legendary, begins under the name Synchronicity." (antaragni.in/star-nights). For 2026, the Synchronicity registration page on the events portal carries a band form (band name, members, a song link and city) under the tagline "Loudest band wins." The roadtrips page, which runs city rounds before the fest, still shows 2025 rounds and says "Winners go to the main stage at IIT Kanpur." (antaragni.in/roadtrips).
Ritambhara, the fashion show
Ritambhara is the fest's fashion competition. Wikipedia describes it as a four-day event "attracting participation from more than 100 colleges across the country", with past judges including Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Kunal Kapoor. In the 2026 timetable its prelims are at 11:00 pm on Thursday 29 October and the finale at 11:00 pm on Saturday 31 October, both in the Auditorium (antaragni.in/schedule).
Beyond competitions, the 2025 edition also ran an International Carnival, a Kavi Sammelan, Comedy Night, India Inspired and Creator's House, according to MusiCulture. In the 2026 timetable, India Inspired is back on Thursday at 4:00 pm in the Auditorium and Comic Kaun runs Saturday at 11:00 pm on the Events Ground (antaragni.in/schedule).
How do you attend Antaragni 2026, and what does a pass cost?
2026 pass prices are not published yet. As of 27 October 2026, antaragni.in lists eleven stops on its route board (events, star nights, schedule, map, merch and so on) and none of them is a passes page; on 18 October antaragni.in/passes returned a "No shop at this stop" error page. The events portal covers competition registration, not general entry (antaragni.in, events.antaragni.in). We are not listing a price until the fest posts one.
What you can do now:
- Competing? Register on events.antaragni.in. Each competition lists its own team size and rules.
- Want the lineup and entry details first? The fest says: "Follow the WhatsApp channel and our Instagram. Announcements land there before anywhere else." (antaragni.in/contact). The links are the WhatsApp channel and @antaragni.iitkanpur on Instagram.
- Questions about entry or stay? The events portal lists five hospitality organisers with phone numbers, and the email events@antaragni.in (events.antaragni.in). The contact page points to the Team page for every core-team head (antaragni.in/contact).
If you know an IIT Kanpur student, do not assume they can get you in. In 2024 a student asked on r/IITK:
"is there any process via which i can invite my friends for attending antaragni(matlab id pass wala). Batado koi ;_;" (r/IITK)
The thread drew 22 replies but no clear official answer. Wait for the fest's own entry rules for 2026.
How do you reach IIT Kanpur for Antaragni?
The campus is in Kalyanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208016. The fest's contact page says: "Kanpur Central railway station and Kanpur airport are the nearest by train and air; Lucknow airport has more flights." (antaragni.in/contact). It links to Google Maps for directions.
We could not find an official IIT Kanpur page with current distances and travel times, so we are not quoting any. Check the route in a maps app before you book, and expect trains and hotels near Kanpur to fill up on a fest weekend that ends on a Sunday.
Students from other colleges often travel in groups. A typical 2024 post on r/DTU__Delhi, titled "Anyone going to IIT Kanpur for Antaragni?", read: "Would like to join if anyone is going there." (r/DTU__Delhi).
What is Antaragni, and how big is it?
Antaragni is IIT Kanpur's annual student-run cultural festival. It began in 1965 as Culfest; the fest's own timeline says "Antaragni begins, under the name Culfest. It was renamed Antaragni in 1993." (antaragni.in/star-nights). Wikipedia adds that the festival is organised by IIT Kanpur students.
The best official scale figures are from the 2025 Diamond Jubilee. IIT Kanpur's press release said the fest was "attracting participation from over 400 colleges, featuring 75+ competitive and non-competitive events, and drawing a footfall of more than 1.6 lakh along with 3.5 lakh+ online viewers" (IIT Kanpur press release, 8 October 2025). These are the fest's own numbers, not an audited count. An earlier IIT Kanpur release, from 2021, put footfall at "130,000-strong" (IIT Kanpur press release, March 2021).
Recent editions
| Edition | When | Theme | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61st (2026) | 29 Oct to 1 Nov 2026 | Not announced | antaragni.in/schedule, Jagran Josh, 12 October 2026 |
| 60th (2025) | 9 to 12 October 2025 | Kanreki's Oraculum | IIT Kanpur press release, 8 October 2025 |
| 59th (2024) | 17 to 20 October 2024 | Syncretic Jot | IIT Kanpur media coverage page, 2024 |
| 57th (2023) | Opened 16 March 2023 | Houdini's Paradise | Careers360, 20 March 2023 |
| 55th (2021) | March 2021, online | Helmed Horizons | IIT Kanpur press release, March 2021 |
The 2021 edition ran online in March, and the 57th opened in March 2023. The 2024 and 2025 editions ran in mid-October; 2026 sits later, closing on 1 November.
More on IIT Kanpur and other IIT fests
- IIT Kanpur campus guide: the halls, venues and walks around the campus that hosts Antaragni.
- IIT Kanpur placements 2026: where graduates of the host campus were placed.
- Thomso 2026 at IIT Roorkee: the recap of North India's other big October fest.
- Mood Indigo 2026 at IIT Bombay: the December fest guide.
- IIT fests 2026 guide: the major fests across the IITs.
Heading to Antaragni? Wear it: IIT Kanpur hoodies, tees and varsity jackets, shipped across India.
By Arun Raghav S · Co-founder, IITian Vibes · Facts retrieved 27 October 2026 from the linked official pages and documents. Corrections to hello@iitianvibes.com.