The Music Academy’s 100th Annual Concerts run from 15 December 2026 to 1 January 2027, with its academic sessions from 16 December, according to the Academy’s website. Season tickets are sold online until 10 December. That landmark season sits at the centre of what Chennai calls the Margazhi or December season: weeks of Carnatic music and classical dance spread across dozens of sabhas and halls in the city.
The season is not run by one organiser, and there is no single timetable. That is its charm and its difficulty. Here is how it works, and how to plan your weeks if you have never done it before.
What the season is
Margazhi is the Tamil month that runs roughly from mid-December to mid-January and is considered auspicious for devotional music. The Music Academy’s December conference, now reaching its hundredth concert season, became the model for the rest. Other sabhas, cultural associations that rent or own halls and organise programmes, built their own festivals around the same weeks.
It has grown well beyond its original dates. A long-time listener told DT Next last December that the season once ran from 15 December to the first week of January; now music and dance fill all of December and January. Many sabhas start their festivals in late November.
How sabhas and tickets work
Each sabha runs its own programme, usually from morning to night in its hall, and publishes a schedule a few weeks ahead. A typical day has several kinds of slots:
- Morning and early afternoon: lecture demonstrations, younger musicians and slots for emerging artists. Many of these are free.
- Late afternoon and evening: the headline concerts by senior musicians and the main dance recitals. These are usually ticketed.
There are two ways to pay. A season ticket covers all or most of a sabha’s programme, and at the Music Academy these are in heavy demand. Daily tickets are sold for individual concerts. For 2026 the Academy says:
- Season ticket sales online close on 10 December.
- Daily ticket sales open two days before each performance and continue up to the day itself.
- An online booking comes with a QR code, which can be exchanged for a physical ticket at the office during working hours.
Other sabhas sell at their own counters and, increasingly, through online platforms. Check each one’s website or notice board rather than relying on forwarded social media posts, which often carry last year’s schedule.
Dance during the season
Bharatanatyam and other classical dance forms share the season. The Music Academy’s website lists a 20th Annual Dance Festival to follow the concerts; dates had not been posted by mid-October, but the 19th edition ran from 3 to 9 January 2026, so expect early January again.
Across town, the Kalakshetra Foundation in Thiruvanmiyur lists its Annual Art Festival from 18 to 27 December 2026, with performances at 6 pm and season tickets booked through a link on its site. Kalakshetra, founded in 1936 by Rukmini Devi Arundale, sits on a seaside campus of almost 100 acres, which makes its evening shows feel very different from a city auditorium.
How to plan your season
- Pick an anchor. Choose two or three artists you most want to hear, find which sabhas have them, and build days around those concerts.
- Cluster by area. Many venues are in Mylapore, Alwarpet, T. Nagar and nearby. Hopping between halls a couple of kilometres apart is easy; crossing the city in the evening peak is not.
- Use the free slots. Morning lecture demonstrations, which drew a thoughtful crowd last season, are a good way to understand what you are hearing.
- Arrive early for popular concerts. Even with a ticket, unreserved seating fills fast.
- Eat at the canteens. Most sabha venues have canteens or food stalls, and season food is a draw in itself. Expect queues at lunch.
- Follow concert manners. Phones on silent, no photography unless permitted, and leave between pieces, not in the middle of one.
Getting around
Parking near the main Mylapore and Alwarpet halls is scarce in December. Autos and app cabs work, and the MRTS stations at Mylapore (Thirumayilai) and Mandaveli are close to several venues. Metro Phase 2 construction around Mylapore and Luz has narrowed some roads, so allow extra time. December can still bring northeast monsoon rain, so carry an umbrella and check IMD alerts before setting out.
For a lighter introduction, the Mylapore Festival held around Pongal mixes music with kolam contests, heritage walks and food; its January 2026 edition featured choirs and a jaggery cook-off.
Quick answers
When is the Music Academy’s 2026 season?
The 100th Annual Concerts run from 15 December 2026 to 1 January 2027, with academic sessions from 16 December.
Are Margazhi concerts free?
Many morning and afternoon concerts are free. Evening concerts by senior artists are usually ticketed.
How do I buy Music Academy tickets?
Online through the Academy’s site: season tickets until 10 December, daily tickets from two days before each concert.
When is the Kalakshetra festival?
From 18 to 27 December 2026, with shows at 6 pm, according to Kalakshetra’s website.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- The Music Academy, Madras: 100th Annual Concerts and ticket sales
- Kalakshetra Foundation: Annual Art Festival 2026
- Margazhi magic: Chennai’s season of rasikas, ragas and shared joy (DT Next, Dec 2025)
- Margazhi: Lec-dems draw a thoughtful crowd (DT Next, Jan 2026)
- Day 3 of Mylapore Festival (DT Next, Jan 2026)
