Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Festival 2026 Season Pass

Season Pass for Ali Baig Theatre Festival’November 12th to 18th - Hyderabad

South India’s iconic Theatre assembly that has brought the world’s who’s who of theatre to India in the last 20 years returns in its 21st edition.

This year too, it features renowned names and stalwarts from stage and screen like Rakesh Bedi, Raghubir Yadav, Shrivardhan Trivedi, Jabbar Patel, Mohan Agashe, Deepti Naval, Goutam Ghose, Masood Akhtar, Roshini Achreja, Kotla Hanumatha Rao and others alongwith works of late Nana Patekar and Smita Patil.

The flagship theatre fest of the south is curated by celebrated theatre scion Padmasri Mohammad Ali Baig. Baig has curated and designed this 10-Day event with style and aplomb, over the last two decades, even during the two tears of Pandemic. The only Arts Festival anywhere in the world that was conducted live in the pandemic with all safety protocols. Shows are usually followed by ceremonial traditional Hyderabadi ‘Chowki-Dinners’ at their family haveli as after parties. It’s arts, cuisine and heritage that take centrestage every year in Hyderabad. While Rakesh Bedi performs Vijay Tendulkar’s classic ‘Massage’, Raghubir Yadav, the only Indian actor with three Oscar-nominated films, plays in an adaptation of Ferenc Karinthy’s play ‘Steinway Grand’ ‘Piano’, Kotla Hanumatha Rao in ‘Eruka’. Goutam Ghose’s ‘Yatra’ is a tribute to late Nana Patekar with Rekha and Deepti Naval in the movie. Jabbar Patel showcases Smita Patil's work, in the Marathi award-winning film ‘Jait Re Jait’ with Mohan Agashe. The Festival is a tribute to Hindustani theatre doyen Qadir Ali Baig.

Master Classes by Jabbar Patel and Raghubir Yadav and Workshops by Daulat Vaid with Raghav Prakash Mishra and Divyang Shrivastava on ‘Language of Light’ and Ranjana Srivastava on ‘Theatre for Children’ are part of this prestigious assembly of theatre in Hyderabad. As theatre and cinema thespian Sai Paranjpye once said, “If there’s a living museum in India, it’s the Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Festival”.

Another unique feature of this prestigious theatre event is that, besides being the longest privately-run theatre festival in the country without its own venue, it is conducted at historical venues across Hyderabad from the Taramati Baradari, Falaknuma Palace, Golconda Fort, Salar Jung Museum and Chowlahala Palace.

“It is to Hyderabad what IFFI is to Goa or Edinburgh Festival to UK”, says a theatre regular.

As theatre luminaries say:

“Late Qadir Ali Baig Sahib saw a dream and worked passionately to turn his dream into reality. The result of his hard work is the outstanding Theatre Festival named after him.” - Actress-Singer Ila Arun

“Iss Festival ka Beeswan edition hai, matlab iss Festival ki garima hai, yogyatha hai aur satya hai, aur hum iss satya ke saath hai.” - Actor-Director Makarand Deshpande.

Late thespian Alyque Padamsee once said, "Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Festival is a brand, a premium one, that everyone in the country wants to be associated with".

November 12th to 18th - Hyderabad