The world’s largest hip-hop festival officially opened its arms to India for the first time, and Indian audiences were not disappointed. Fans screamed loudly at the newly completed Lord Park in India’s commercial capital and island city of Mumbai.
Who did they welcome? The star-studded cast includes Don Toliver, Central Cee, Wiz Khalifa, Denzel Curry, Westside Gunn, Swae Lee, Rob Banks and more! While the entire lineup was gearing up to perform, Indian pop and hip-hop star Karan Aujla caught all eyes as he claimed to be the only artist ever at Rolling Loud to share the same nationality as the host country. Check out the full lineup below!
The concert is held over two days at a dedicated space in Navi Mumbai that is not only suitable for music but also for skateboarders and basketball players. With a strict focus on environmental impact, the festival’s requirements also included cheap but high-quality reusable cups, with refill stations located throughout the venue.
Keeping in mind Mumbai’s traffic challenges, the organizers even managed to set up dedicated taxi and parking areas to ease entry and exit from the venue. It’s safe to say that this festival leaves a good first impression on India. Additionally, at the end of the second day, Tariq (Co-Founder of Rolling Loud) announced plans to host the festival for a second time in 2026!
Now, here’s a roundup of some of our favorite performances from both days:
Central and Eastern Europe
Image source: (Rolling Loud / Yash Pardeshi @FLECKMEDIA)
Central Cee is an entry that will be remembered by many Indians. From the striking visuals that sparkle the heroes’ backstories to Cench wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the Hindu god Shiva, every gesture expresses the artist’s love for his host country. He performed an audience favorite with few, if any, backing vocals. The performance was crisp and sophisticated, and soon after he took to social media to tease his upcoming release, mentioning the host city of Mumbai.
west end gunn
Image source: (Rolling Loud / Shanmukh @FLECKMEDIA)
Westside Gun took to the stage wearing a ski mask and rapped while revealing their identity. The rapper, who raps live with dirty instruments, says Mumbai is as dirty as his music and he’s grateful for the love he gets from people on the streets. At one point, he even resorted to rapping, wowing fans with his intricate flow and flawless delivery. Finally, the artist also hinted at returning to India at some point.
don tolliver
Photo Credit: (Rolling Loud/Abhishek Samuel @FLECKMEDIA)
Don Toliver is truly one of the wonders of Rolling Loud. In perfect sync with his team, especially the guitarist, Don Toliver innovated and improvised Auto-Tune melodies from existing tracks – all performed perfectly live. Many would be left breathless, but Don clearly puts hours into his craft and it clearly pays off. Remarkably, his on-screen visuals were some of the best of the entire two days of the festival, blending live footage with almost psychedelic animation to create a once-in-a-lifetime, surreal performance.
Shek Weiss
Photo Credit: (Scroll Loud/Sanketmali Patil @FLECKMEDIA)
Sheck Wes had the Rolling Loud crowd coming in from the get-go. Filling the stage with infectious energy as he bounced from one end to the other, the artist had the audience eating it right out of the palm of his hand, so to speak. From his verses on F!EN to his infamous Mo Bamba drop, the rapper displayed incredible stamina with naked vocals tearing through the bass-heavy instrumentals. The crowd in the general admission area was so packed at one point that they started chanting “f**k VIP” – to which Shayk Weiss responded with a live performance of “Stick.” The energy was immediately directed correctly into the mosh pit. Talk about crowd control!
dababy
Dababy has an unparalleled stage. After being shunned by many, Dababy’s defiant attitude translated perfectly into a confident, chest-heavy performance, delivering some of the smoothest music heard throughout the festival. For India fans, it’s a stunning sight to see as he crosses the bar line, stacking syllables in a manner that can only be described as tight dribbling. OMG, does Dababy have the right handle?
Of course, it’s worth mentioning Wiz Khalifa, Swae Lee, and Karan Aujla, who accomplished their mission alongside fans who sang word for word. What other performances caught your attention? If you’re in India, you can look forward to the festival’s return in 2026, which has been announced.
