If you’ve been scrolling through your Instagram feed lately wondering “What to do in Ahmedabad this weekend?”, here’s your answer, sorted for July 24 and 25. Malak Amdavad, a brand-new two-day art festival, is taking over Manju Mahal in Nava Vadaj, and honestly, it sounds exactly the kind of Ahmedabad art event this city has been asking for.
So What Exactly is Malak?
Malak is the debut edition of a festival organised by a local collective of independent artists and curators, and their whole pitch is simple. Art doesn’t need to live only inside stiff, white-walled galleries. It can live in an old Ahmedabad haveli in the middle of your city, with chai in hand and dost by your side. For this first edition, the Malak team has onboarded more than 50 artists from across Ahmedabad and the rest of India, all set to transform Manju Mahal into what they’re calling “a vibrant, dynamic art landscape”.
Starting as small pop-ups at Kitabi Angan, Malak has now grown into a full-fledged festival, and if the lineup is anything to go by, this is one of the coolest Ahmedabad art festivals 2026 has seen so far.
What’s Actually Happening at the Festival
Malak isn’t just paintings-on-a-wall kind of art. Expect a proper multidisciplinary spread of contemporary painting, illustration, photography, sculpture, textile art, crochet, and live performance pieces, all under one roof (or rather, one bungalow).
Here’s a brief rundown of what you get to explore:
Art Exhibitions & Market: Original artworks, reproductions, and handcrafted items from over 50 artists, all of which are available for purchase. If you have been planning to purchase original artwork from Ahmedabad-based artists for yourself, now is the time.
Live Performances: This is packed to the brim in the evenings. You will see some wonderful Kathak and Bharatanatyam performances, an EDM sundowner, spoken word poetry events, story sessions, and to top it all, a ghazal night!
Workshops & Lectures: This is where Malak gets genuinely interesting. There are hands-on masterclasses on puppetry, DJing, and even kombucha brewing, alongside thoughtful lectures. Including one on partition art by Ishmeet Kaur Chaudhry.
Food, obviously: No Ahmedabad event is complete without proper khau-galli energy, and Malak’s got that covered with local snacks, street food stalls, and endless cups of chai.
As co-founder Bansari Kamdar puts it, “Art is everywhere, from brewing the perfect cup of coffee to the typography on a truck and that verse in a poem that just won’t leave you. This is our small attempt at bringing art closer to the people. Honestly, that’s the whole vibe of this festival summed up in one line.
Event Details You Need
- What: Malak Amdavad
- When: July 24 & 25, 2026, from 12 PM onwards
- Where: Manju Mahal, 65 Riddhishwar Society, Opposite Tulsishyam Flats, Nava Vadaj, Ahmedabad
- Entry: Free and open to everyone
- Tickets: Available on AllEvents — grab yours here
Why You Won’t Want To Miss It
The city of Ahmedabad is replete with heritage walks and pol tours. However, it has one festival that brings in contemporary art, music, and food in one pack, and all of this takes place at a real old Ahmedabad house. The occasion comes rarely, and whether you are an art collector or a student seeking a fun place on a weekend or someone who simply likes having a good ghazal night with chai, Malak will be right up your alley.
Take your friends along with you, get ready to eat, and maybe you’d even like to make some money in the art market.
[For more such updates around Ahmedabad’s food, lifestyle, café, and city culture, follow Inside Amdavad.]
