People call Shillong the rock capital of India. Nobody quite knows who said it first, but spend an evening in the city and you will hear why.
This guide covers where the music came from and the people who made it famous. It also covers when to come, where to hear it and how to plan a trip around a gig.
Where the music came from
Welsh missionaries reached the Khasi Hills in 1841. They brought churches, a written Khasi script and hymn singing in harmony.
Musicians in Shillong often trace their start to church choirs and a guitar at home. Western records and radio did the rest.
The result is a city where it is normal to play an instrument, and normal to play it in public.
Lou Majaw and Bob Dylan Day
Lou Majaw is Shillong's best-known rocker. Every 24 May, Bob Dylan's birthday, he plays a Dylan concert in the city. He has done it since 1972.
It began in 1972 as a small gathering of friends. Today it runs over two days, organised with the Lou Majaw Foundation.
In 2026 it reached its 55th year. There was a tribute concert on 23 May. On 24 May a free open-air show filled Khyndailad, in Police Bazar, from 4 to 6 pm. An evening session followed at a cafe in Laitumkhrah.
In October 2007, 1,730 guitarists gathered in Shillong to play Dylan together. It tells you a lot about the city.
The Shillong Chamber Choir
Neil Nongkynrih founded the Shillong Chamber Choir in 2001. It won India's Got Talent in 2010.
That November it sang for Barack and Michelle Obama at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Nongkynrih received the Padma Shri in 2015. He died in January 2022.
Soulmate and the blues
Soulmate is Shillong's great blues band. Rudy Wallang and Tipriti Kharbangar formed it in 2003.
The band twice represented India at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, in 2007 and 2010. Scroll has called it the band that did more for the blues in India than anyone else.
Their first album was named after the city, Shillong. After a seven-year gap, they released Give Love in August 2020, on International Blues Music Day.
Nagaland's music
Nagaland takes music just as seriously, and its government backs it. The state set up a Music Task Force in 2006, now the Task Force for Music and Arts.
For years the Hornbill International Rock Contest drew bands from across Asia. It ended in 2019. Its place went to a band battle called Ticket to Hornbill.
The 2026 battle was held in Delhi in October. The winning band earns a slot at the Hornbill Music Festival in December.
The Tetseo Sisters, four sisters from Kohima, are among the state's best-known singers.
Where to hear it
In Shillong, live music runs through the cafes and bars, more on weekends. Bob Dylan Day in May is the one date to plan around.
Big festivals bring the crowds. The Cherry Blossom Festival in November books international acts. NH7 Weekender came to Meghalaya each year from 2015 to 2019.
Beyond Shillong, the Ziro Festival of Music fills an Arunachal valley each September. The Hornbill Festival has its own music festival in December.
Bars and cafes with live sets come and go. Ask locally on the day, or ask us when you book, and we will check what is on that week.
When to come for the music
Late May is for Bob Dylan Day. The 2027 programme was not out when we wrote this, so check closer to the date. Late May can be wet, so pack a light rain jacket.
November is the big one. The Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival runs on 20 and 21 November 2026, at a new ground about 30 minutes from the city. Single-day passes started at ₹2,500 (checked Oct 2026).
December brings Christmas in Shillong. Carol groups with guitars sing house to house, and Winter Tales at Ward's Lake has music in the evenings. In 2026 it runs from 17 to 19 December.
A Bob Dylan Day weekend
Arrive on the 22nd or the morning of the 23rd. Drive up from Guwahati, check in and rest before the evening tribute concert.
On the 24th, keep the morning for a short trip out of town. Laitlum or the Mawphlang grove both fit before lunch. Be back at Police Bazar by 4 pm for the free open-air show.
Stay on for a day in Sohra on the 25th, then drive down to Guwahati. If the dates shift in 2027, the plan shifts with them.
How to get there
Fly into Guwahati (GAU). The airport is about 128 km from Shillong, and the drive takes about three hours. There is no railway in Meghalaya, so train travellers also finish by road.
If you are coming for one gig, arrive the day before. The hill road is slow on festival weekends, and you do not want to miss the start.
Where to stay for a music trip
Police Bazar is the centre of town and the site of the free Bob Dylan Day show. You can walk to most of the evening's music and back.
Laitumkhrah, a short drive away, has cafes and a younger, livelier feel. Upper Shillong is quiet and green, but you need a car at night.
For the Cherry Blossom Festival, remember the venue is out of town. Plan a car for the ride home, whatever area you choose.
Make it more than a gig
Two nights of music leaves time for the hills. A half day takes you to Laitlum, where the plateau ends in a long drop.
A full day south takes you to Sohra for the waterfalls. With more time, walk down to the double-decker root bridge.
In town, the Don Bosco Museum fills seven floors with the cultures of the whole North East. It is a good rainy-day stop, and it gives the music its setting.
Our list of things to do in Meghalaya has the rest.
With kids or older parents
Daytime music suits all ages. Church choirs, Christmas carols and Winter Tales are easy, short and close to the centre.
Late-night bar sets and big festival crowds are harder. For younger children or older parents, we would plan the days around the sights and keep one music evening short.
Questions people ask
Who called Shillong the rock capital of India? No one is on record as coining it. It is a popular nickname that stuck.
Is Bob Dylan Day free? The open-air show at Police Bazar was free in 2026. Other events around it may be ticketed, so check closer to the date.
Do I need a permit for Shillong? Indian visitors need no permit for Meghalaya.
What is the best month for music? November, for the Cherry Blossom Festival, or late May, for Bob Dylan Day. December has carols and Winter Tales.
Can I hear the Shillong Chamber Choir at home? Its shows are announced on its own channels, not on a fixed calendar. Check them before you set your dates.
How many days do I need? Three or four covers Shillong and one gig. Add two more for Sohra and the root bridges.
Plan your trip
Our Guwahati and Shillong long weekend fits a gig into four days. It is indicative from ₹17,500 per person, 2 adults sharing, land only.
For the big concerts coming up, read our guide to the North East's concert season, or see the festival calendar. If you want a trip built around a gig, tell us the date. We reply within 24 hours.
