Bengaluru, March 13, 2026: The ninth edition of the Whitefield Art Collective opened on Friday at VR Bengaluru, transforming the popular lifestyle destination into a vibrant public art hub for a month-long celebration of creativity. The festival, running until April 12, revolves around the theme “Tomorrow, Altered!” and brings together artists, students, and creative communities from across the city.
Environmental activist and Grammy Award-winning composer Ricky Kej inaugurated the festival with a traditional lamp-lighting ceremony and the unveiling of the specially designed ‘Kala Car’. The evening also featured a live musical performance by Kej and a sustainable fashion showcase titled “A Rose for Khadi.”
More than 300 installations, sculptures, paintings and photographs are on display, created largely by students from institutions such as Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore University, and leading design schools in the city. A unique attraction this year is a creatively transformed Tesla car, reimagined by artists as a moving canvas blending art, technology and sustainability.
Among the key collaborations is ‘Pockets of Hope’, a photography exhibition presented with UNESCO that highlights marine ecosystems and the importance of environmental conservation. Other exhibits include Cinema Reimagined by artist Gita Hudson and Re-Reading Bangalore, which explores the city’s history through archival maps and visual narratives.
The festival will also host literary sessions, art workshops, photography competitions and an artisanal bazaar featuring local crafts. Organisers say the event aims to make art accessible to the public while nurturing young talent and strengthening Bengaluru’s cultural landscape.
Since its inception in 2016, the Whitefield Art Collective has grown into one of the city’s largest public art festivals, drawing over 2.5 million visitors and showcasing the work of thousands of emerging artists.
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