Akashvani Launches AIR Rising Stars for Artists Under 30

Akashvani, the radio service of Prasar Bharati, has opened the first season of AIR Rising Stars, a chain of special concerts kept aside entirely for musicians below thirty years of age. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced the series on 15 November 2026. The performances run from 17 to 30 November 2026 and are spread over 26 cities and towns, with one concert at each participating station.

Why the series was created

The concerts form part of the programmes marking ninety years of Akashvani. Young artists already graded by Akashvani get the first call. Where a station cannot find a suitable graded youngster in a category, a deserving ungraded young performer may be picked instead under the laid-down guidelines, the choice resting with that station. The music on offer covers Hindustani classical vocal and instrumental, Carnatic classical vocal and instrumental, light music, folk music, Western music and the regional forms that suit each station.

Where the concerts are held

The stations taking part are Delhi, Shimla, Jammu, Dehradun, Lucknow, Varanasi, Rampur, Jaipur, Suratgarh, Jalandhar, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Sangli, Nagpur, Dharwad, Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Puducherry, Thiruvananthapuram, Kolkata, Guwahati and Imphal. Each of them fixes its own venue and invites well-known figures, music lovers, youth icons, students and members of the public to encourage the performers.

How audiences can follow it

Apart from the Akashvani network, the concerts travel to listeners over Doordarshan, the Raagam YouTube channel of Akashvani, the YouTube channels of all 26 stations, the NewsOnAir mobile application and the WAVES OTT service of Prasar Bharati. This spread across radio, television and digital screens is meant to win the young performers an audience far wider than the hall they sing in.

Cash prizes

Certificates and cash awards go to the three artists whose recordings gather the most views on YouTube by 15 January 2027.

How it differs from Sangeet Sammelan

The older Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan, which has finished 67 editions, is reserved for Top Grade and A Grade names. The new series leaves the stage to young graded artists, who seldom get such a platform of their own.