Last year, the city played host to its inaugural art fair—ART MUMBAI—with an immersive celebration planned across four days, which packed in art showcases by galleries across the country and the globe alongside live performances, fashion shows, and even culinary experiences. “The galleries saw brisk business on day one, with some being sold out by 2 pm! We`re proud of how well the galleries performed, and also how the city embraced the event,” beams Dinesh Vazirani, co-founder of ART MUMBAI. This week, in its second edition, the fair will play host to a larger group of international and Indian galleries, across a larger space of 2,00,000 square feet at Mahalaxmi Racecourse. “That’s about two-and-a-half times bigger than last year! We have 20 more galleries, added a central courtyard as a meeting point for discussions and a 200-seat auditorium. And, this year, the fair also includes a section called RISE, dedicated to galleries less than four years old promoting young artists.”

A platform to project Mumbai as a showcase for India’s cultural diversity, Vazirani and his team created ART MUMBAI as a melting pot to bring together diversities across multiple forms of art. However, in 2025, Mumbai is set to host another significant art event: the inaugural edition of India Art Fair Contemporary. Scheduled around the same time as ART MUMBAI, many are left to question their potential impact on each other and the broader art community. “Creating a distinct identity for ART MUMBAI that differentiates us from other fairs is something we continue to focus on. Our focus is on making the next edition of ART MUMBAI bigger, brighter and better; and delivering a distinctive, immersive experience for our audience,” remarks Vazirani.