A note from Swaraj Chief, Ash Chandola
Greetings Swaraj-heads old and new,
Welcome to the Swaraj Music website: the gathering place for everything Swaraj-related. The drumbeat is calling again, and I hope you feel the anticipation as strongly as I do. The legendary Swaraj club night is returning.
Recently, a lot of people have asked me, “Why now?”he answer is simple: the moment has arrived.
Since our last event back in 2010, the question has never really gone away. “When is Swaraj coming back?” The call has only grown louder with time. For me, this isn’t simply a longing for the soothing glow of ’90s nostalgia; it’s a hunger for connection, for culture, and for something new and yet unfinished.
Swaraj isn’t just returning in 2026. It’s evolving.
There is a clear space waiting to be filled by a regular club night that joins the musical dots between the Asian Underground of the ’90s and ’00s and the South Asian sounds and artists of today. Where old skool meets nu skool, roots and futures collide, and history is honoured while new stories are written.
Swaraj is in a unique position to do this as we welcome a third wave of DJs, live acts and audiences into the family. Many Swaraj regulars will be accompanied by their (over-18) children at Swaraj Returns in July. Artists, too, will share the stage across generations. The Dhol Foundation return for their sixth Swaraj performance, and main man Johnny Kalsi will take to the Swaraj stage with his two sons for the first time.
Past, present and future in rhythm together. Swaraj 2026 is set to be a truly intergenerational affair.
On a personal note, I’ve missed this: the buzz of curating, the challenge of building nights from the ground up and the collaborations between generations of artists. I’m excited to be working again with both established and emerging talent, and to be building a new chapter of Swaraj residents.
If you’ve never experienced Swaraj before, you may be wondering what to expect.
When you come to Swaraj, I want you to feel a sense of excitement, surprise, and belonging all at once – an emotional connection. To experience something entirely new that you have never seen before. To hear music you’ve never heard, and music you didn’t realise you’d missed.
I want you to feel like you are an integral part of something unique and meaningful. Like you are also part of the Swaraj family. I also want you to feel entertained, as if you have experienced a show, rather than just another club night. And if you go home eagerly anticipating the next Swaraj event, with one or two Swaraj T-shirts tucked into your bag, then I’ll be even happier.
Swaraj.
South Asian Vibration.
Worldwide Frequency.