Global Dance Competition BOSTON BHANGRA Returns for 22nd Year at Strand Theatre
This year’s event will feature live music performances for the first time.
Boston Bhangra, North America’s largest independent Indian dance competition, will return for its 22nd year with its biggest celebration yet. The event will take place on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at the Strand Theatre in Dorchester, and for the first time will feature live bands performing alongside the competing dance teams. Tickets are on sale now at BostonBhangra.com/BBC2025.
Bhangra, a vibrant folk dance style from Punjab in northern India, is known for its colorful costumes, infectious energy, and percussive Punjabi music. The Boston Bhangra Competition showcases the best dancers from across the US and Canada in a series of electrifying performances that are highly choreographed, athletic, and deeply rooted in tradition.
This year’s competition will include two divisions: one featuring live musicians performing with the dancers, and another featuring dancers accompanied by a dhol player and recorded tracks. The live music teams will include singers, dhol performers, and 3–4 instrumentalists playing traditional Bhangra instruments such as tumbis, bugchus, and chimptas. It is the only Bhangra competition in North America to spotlight live musical performances.
“When people hear this music, it makes them move,” said Rohit Bhambi, founder of Boston Bhangra. “We want to use this incredible music to welcome people into our community and educate Boston and beyond about South Asian culture.”
Founded in 2000 as a dance team, Boston Bhangra has grown into a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting cultural awareness through South Asian dance and music. The annual competition remains its signature event, drawing talent from across the globe and enriching Boston’s cultural landscape.
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