Darjeeling, December 15 (Siliguri Chronicle) – Darjeeling and Gangtok witnessed a lively Saturday, with music and festivities energising the hill towns. In Darjeeling, the celebrations peaked on Saturday evening at the MELOtea Fest, setting the tone ahead of the hill marathon that welcomed runners on Sunday morning.
Sikkim’s capital, Gangtok, witnessed a high-energy Saturday night as British pop band Blue and South Korean K-pop group Everglow took the stage.
The MELOtea Fest concluded on Saturday evening in Darjeeling with a performance by Mantra, the hill town’s homegrown band. The group was later felicitated at a jam-packed Chowrasta, drawing large crowds.
The same evening, two international bands performed at Paljor Stadium in Gangtok as part of the Orchid Music Festival 2025.
The event was organised to promote concert tourism by Gangtok-based SONJU Ltd in association with Shillong-based Rockski EMG, with support from the Sikkim government.
Renowned British pop band Blue, known for hits such as One Love and All Rise, headlined the festival and drew an enthusiastic response from the crowd. South Korean all-girl K-pop group Everglow also struck a chord with the audience, emerging as one of the highlights of the night.
“Delighted to attend the vibrant Orchid Music Festival held at Paljor Stadium, an engaging celebration that beautifully highlighted music and creative expression. Headed by the internationally acclaimed British pop band Blue, the festival brought together international and local artists and an enthusiastic audience, creating a lively and engaging musical atmosphere,” Sikkim’s chief minister Prem Singh Tamang (Golay) wrote on his Facebook page after attending the event.
The famed Darjeeling hill marathon was held on Sunday, drawing a large turnout of runners. “Around 4,000 participants participated in different categories of the run,” said Darjeeling Superintendent of Police Praween Prakash.
As part of the festival, a 1.3-km non-competitive Unity Run for the differently abled was also organised at Chowrasta on Sunday.
The Darjeeling MELOtea Fest and the hill marathon are organised by the Darjeeling police as part of their community policing initiative.
