Kirtan
This page offers a glimpse into the spirit of kirtan — the music, the energy, and the shared experience that brings people together in song.
Through images, videos, and a short introduction, you can explore what makes this practice so uplifting and why it sits at the heart of the festival.
What is Kirtan
Kirtan is a joyful form of devotional music where people come together to sing simple chants in a shared space of connection and celebration.
Rooted in ancient yogic and bhakti traditions, it is less about performance and more about participation. Voices rise together, instruments carry the rhythm, and the atmosphere often becomes uplifting, meditative, and deeply energising.
You don’t need to be a singer or know the chants beforehand. Everyone is welcome to join in as much or as little as they like — whether singing wholeheartedly, clapping along, or simply sitting and absorbing the sound.
The Roots of Kirtan
Kirtan has its roots in the bhakti movements of India, devotional traditions that used music and chant as a way to express love, connection, and spiritual devotion. For centuries people have gathered in this way — using song and mantra as a simple and powerful way to connect with the sacred.
While its roots are ancient, kirtan has travelled widely and is now practiced around the world, often within yoga and spiritual communities that value shared experience, music, and heartfelt expression.
How Kirtan Works
At the centre of kirtan is a call-and-response style of chanting.
A lead musician or singer offers a line of a mantra or chant, and the group responds by repeating it. Instruments such as harmonium, guitar, drums, and percussion help create the rhythm and energy that carries the chant forward.
As the chant repeats, something simple and powerful happens. The music builds, the group begins to move and breathe together, and the atmosphere often becomes vibrant, joyful, and deeply connecting.
Everyone is Welcome to Participate
Kirtan is beautifully inclusive.
Some people sing loudly, others quietly. Some clap or sway to the rhythm, while others sit peacefully and listen. There is no right or wrong way to take part.
Whether you have been attending kirtans for years or are simply curious to experience it more deeply, the invitation is the same: come as you are, join the circle, and let the music carry you.
