The week in music: 28 September to 4 October 2026

It was a week of routing maps. India's live calendar for November and December filled in fast, while the wider world gave us a hardcore band on late-night television and a farewell to a calypso giant. Here is what mattered, India first.

1. Diljit Dosanjh takes AURA across India

The biggest story of the week was Diljit Dosanjh's AURA India run: seven cities from 1 November, starting in Delhi NCR and including a stadium night in Ahmedabad on 21 November. The RuPay presale opens on 6 October and general sale follows on 9 October, so set your alarms.

2. Shreya Ghoshal's Unstoppable tour gets its venues

Shreya Ghoshal's India leg now has a venue in every one of its 14 cities, running from Bengaluru on 22 November 2026 into April 2027. It is one of the longest runs by an Indian playback singer in recent memory.

3. Guns N' Roses, including a first for the Northeast

Guns N' Roses play Bengaluru on 14 November and Guwahati on 17 November, the band's first show anywhere in Northeast India, with Indian rock support on both nights.

4. Rolling Loud India has dates, and the lineup is still to come

Rolling Loud India returns on 12 and 13 December, with the lineup still under wraps. Alongside it, Spotify RAP91 Live returns to Mumbai on 24 October with Divine, Arivu and rap in nine languages.

5. Sunburn and Lollapalooza India fill out

DJ Snake joins The Chainsmokers and Sebastian Ingrosso at the top of Sunburn 2026, and Fontaines D.C. announced a 2027 North American tour while still holding their Mumbai date at Lollapalooza India on 23 and 24 January.

6. The industry: Warner builds in Bengaluru, Mumbai eyes a tax

Warner Music Group opened a global technology and engineering hub in Bengaluru. Closer to the gig-goer, we explained what the BMC's entertainment tax proposal actually says for Mumbai ticket prices.

7. Turnstile make SNL history

On 3 October, Turnstile became the first hardcore band on Saturday Night Live since Fear in 1981. The same weekend, Dave Grohl joined AC/DC for "Highway to Hell" and Springsteen closed Tom Morello's Power to the People festival with an all-star jam.

8. K-pop and the Grammys

BTS and Stray Kids will sit out the 2027 Grammys, and a new Asian pop category is at the centre of the conversation.

9. Goodbye, Mighty Sparrow

The Mighty Sparrow, the King of Calypso, has died at 91. His family said he died peacefully in New York on 27 September 2026. Few artists did more to carry Caribbean music to the world.

Worth a listen this week

Songs that defined September 2026 and our month in music are good places to catch up, and don't miss 15 Indian artists who sound like nobody else.