Come listen to Bloodywood music while enjoying a bite of pork delicacy in Umiam

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaOctober 21, 2022

The Hills Festival Meghalaya gives a sneak peek into its spectacular lineup, gastronomical surprises & green initiatives  

This November, The Hills Festival Meghalaya will set the stage to host some of the most popular musical bands from the country and beyond. The festival officials have just shared a sneak peek into what’s in store for the visitors. The spectacular line-up features Taba Chake, Bloodywood, Yung Raja, Karan Kanchan, HanuMankind, Trance Effect, Featherheads, DBryn, and Daminot among others. 

A large section of the festival will be dedicated to gastronomy to be held on November 4 & 5 in the breathtaking locales of Meghalaya’s Umbir village and Umiam lake. The organizers have announced that the highlight of this year’s ‘Food Pavillion’ will be ‘The Forage Aisle’ and ‘The Pig-Out Affair showcasing regional cuisine from different parts of Meghalaya.

Featuring the famous Mumbai Chef Thomas Zacharias aka Chef TZac, ‘The Forage Aisle’ will be a special layout of indigenous forage and the local wild edibles from Meghalaya. The aisle will host a culinary exchange between Chef TZac and local chefs, who will come together and share stories and ideas while curating lip-smacking delights along the way. 

The ‘The Pig-Out Affair’ is a community cook-out serving pork dishes distinct from their tradition and culture. “In any outdoor feasting in the state, pork is one dish that is symbolic of a community celebration. The Pig-Out Affair is much more than just a platter of pork dishes but a get-together of communities, instilling a sense of belonging through food,” tells Sahil Majaw, founder HYPE Meghalaya. 

Keeping the environment an important mandate for this year’s festival, the organizers are introducing several green initiatives. From the venue’s promotional backdrops to the art installations, everything will be built using environmentally-innovative materials. The installations will embody the mythical tales of the region. “As we grow and evolve, our festival is building an ethos around eco-tourism where we highlight travel responsibility to natural destinations. The chance to slow down and reconnect with nature. The biggest challenge of most festivals is waste management, this year we aim to sort, compost, recycle and upcycle waste and prevent most of the trash from ending up in a landfill,” Sahil shared. To ensure minimum wastage and cleanliness, there will be arrangements for RO water stations, biodegradable service ware, and plastic/flex for promotional backdrops to be replaced with recycled paper and bamboo.

The Hills Festival is organized by HYPE Meghalaya, and backed by Meghalaya Tourism. The vision is to make the festival a huge tourist attraction whilst keeping it environment-friendly. The team at HYPE aims to offer an immersive experience, and introduce concepts similar to a boutique festival that are quite popular around the world. Something that people can escape from their bustling lifestyles to find solace in idyllic surroundings. Going forward, they want to create an experience through a mix of music, art, food, and culture, and build a community that celebrates life in one place.

Top 5 reasons why you MUST visit The Hills Festival Meghalaya

Artist lineup: Bloodywood, Taba Chake, Yung Raja, HanuMankind, Karan Kanchan, and more TBA

The Forage Aisle: Famous Chef TZac to join local chefs for a special layout of indigenous forage and the local wild edibles from Meghalaya

Eco-friendly Initiatives: Environmentally-innovative materials, waste management at the venue, recycling and upcycling waste, RO water stations, biodegradable service ware, plastic/flex for promotional backdrops to be replaced by recycled paper and bamboo. 

Cycling & Camping: A unique cycling track for people to enjoy the beautiful locales of Umbir village and Umami lake. To give the visitors and tourists a chance to enjoy amidst nature, there will be stylish, cozy camping tents at the venue to spend the night gazing at the sky

Kids-friendly Festival: A special PlayCare section dedicated to children’s care. An arena where parents can tend to their children and provide a safe space for them to play

The tickets are now live on www.bookmyshow.com