By the time December rolls in, live music in the city begins to sound different. There’s a softness to it, a familiar jingle in the background, a sense that the year is loosening its grip. Christmas gigs arrive not just as performances, but as gatherings where strangers sway together, families linger longer, and musicians slip easily into the role of hosts. For bands, this season is about creating the atmosphere filled with warmth over perfection, joy over polish.

Across Mumbai, stages transform into living rooms dressed in fairy lights. Setlists stretch and bend, weaving retro classics, Konkani favourites and pop singalongs into something that feels shared rather than staged. The barrier between performer and listener thins, sometimes disappearing altogether.