From Stebin Ben to Mohit Chauhan and Aastha Gill, almost every popular singer made it to fests of Delhi University colleges this year. The variety of artistes who regaled the college campuses, to mark the return of fest season, can only be seen to be believed! But, how much did it actually cost to add shine to the starry nights on campus while battling sponsorship ordeals to make their fest the best? DU students tell us the answer, as the fest season comes to a shandar close. Here’s a sneak peek into DU’s 2024 fest budgets:
SRCC’s Crossroads: ₹75 lakh
At Shri Ram College of Commerce’s cultural fest, held for the first time since the pandemic pause, singer Stebin Ben, rapper Panther, DJ Sahil Gulati and the band Avyukt came calling. Amrit Koul, second-year student of BCom (Hons) and deputy head of the fest, says, “We raised a ₹50-lakh cash sponsorship, and an additional ₹25 lakh in kind with products, so our total budget was at ₹75 lakh. We’re proud to have kept the 45-year legacy of Crossroads, alive!”
Hansraj College’s Confluence” ₹35 lakh
Gracing what was one of the biggest fests on campus with a 30,000-strong footfall, were singer Akhil Sachdeva and DJ Immortal. “We formed a team with 50 students who had some sales and marketing experience. They made cold calls, sent mails, reached out through LinkedIn and visited corporate offices,” says fest coordinator Shreyas Umathe, a second-year student of BSc (Hons) Botany, adding: “We also had Satinder Sartaaj and Pragati Nagpal (singers) visit the fest to promote their films.”
Hindu College’s Mecca: ₹30 lakh
The organisers of Mecca chose to splurge on the star night where singer Aastha Gill took to stage. “We didn’t have the additional expenses of last year’s fest, which was held after four years. We reused equipment and infrastructure, cut production costs involving the stage and stalls. But it didn’t impact the footfall, and over 25,000 attended the star night,” says Vaibhav Kumar Mallawat, a first-year student of BA (Prog), who was part of the organising committee.
Maitreyi College’s Rhapsody: ₹30 lakh
“To have singer Arjun Kanungo perform was the best thing,” gushes Sivasankari J, second-year student of BA (Hons) Political Science and president of the student union, adding, “It was possible to raise the sponsorship thanks to a team of over 100 students actively engaged only in this! We pulled in gifting partners, skin partners, snack parters, beauty partners and so on. We actually customised our approach according to the brands we reached out to, and then tailored it for our fest.”
JDMC’s Symphony: ₹26 lakh
The DU fest season kicked off with a performance for the ages by singer Mohammed Irfan at Janki Devi Memorial College. “This year’s budget was higher as we managed to get more sponsorships because our team worked really hard,” says Ananya Narang, final-year student of BA (Prog) and president of the student union, adding, “We arranged better contacts and identified all possible means to ensure a great stage setup for the star act. Though this measure ate a bit into our overall budget, it helped us with crowd management.”
Miranda House’s Tempest: ₹24 lakh
“Singer Nikhita Gandhi’s entire act at our fest was crafted like she was here to just perform for Miranda’s ladies,” says Ritika Choudhary, first-year student of BA (Hons) Sociology and head of marketing and sponsorships in the student union, adding, “We raised around 70% of the budget through sponsorships. My peers reached out to their friends from other colleges who shared their contacts and database. I used my family contacts and reached out to corporate HR heads, who directed us to the teams dealing with sponsorships for college events.”
KMC’s Renaissance: ₹13 lakh
Singer Karan Randhawa left one and all grooving to his Punjabi beats at Kirori Mal College’s two-day fest. “Our budget was very low, but we pulled the fest off successfully, without any security concerns getting reported. We also saved money by cutting costs on decor, lighting, production, etc. So, one can make it work even with basic money,” says Naresh Beniwal, final-year student of BA (Prog) and president of the student union.
Colleges that invited star performers for fests but refused to reveal their budgets:
Sri Venkateswara College: Singer Mohit Chauhan performed here
Shivaji College: Singer Akhil was invited
Ramjas College: Singer Nikhita Gandhi set the stage on fire
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