Circus Festival 2025: I Hate Models and Klang Kick Off Day One in the Most Spectacular Way Possible
With its shift from Goa to Mumbai, CIRCUS steps into its most ambitious chapter yet
CIRCUS has been building toward this moment for a while. When the festival debuted in Goa in 2019, it positioned itself not as a genre disruptor but as a curator-led alternative to India’s increasingly formulaic electronic circuit. Its early editions leaned into techno, house, and left-field club sounds, prioritising flow and programming over mass appeal. That philosophy has evolved steadily over the years, and day one of CIRCUS 2025 in Mumbai marked the boldest expression of that evolution yet.
Much like many other marquee music festivals local to Goa, CIRCUS decided to make the move to Mumbai. Now, not a lot of these festivals have gotten it right. But CIRCUS certainly did. The festival arrived at NSCI Dome in Mahalaxmi with its most ambitious spatial and technical design to date. The setup transformed the venue into a 360-degree visual paradise, chucking out the idea of the traditional stage. Instead of orienting the night around the artists entirely, the setup treated the crowd to an immersive experience, and the sonics were backed by an L-Acoustics L-Series rig optimised for even coverage, paired with kinetic scenography and an architectural lighting grid.
The crowd behaviour reflected that the production was not an afterthought. For a majority of the time, the attendees were taken into a trance by the artists and movement became collective, almost ritualistic, with just a few phones in sight.
The tone of the night was set by Klangkuenstler, making his third visit to India, by now a familiar name to local techno crowds. Known for his high-BPM, hardgroove-driven vibes, his language was recognisable, drawing from the same sonic world that defines his master tracks like 'Totter Schmetterling'. The artist took to Instagram to express his love for India and how he wishes to bring his concept production OUTWORLD to India on his next visit.
And what followed was absolute madness. With a seamless transition, I Hate Models, headliner of CIRCUS, took over the booth with his signature mix of 'Paleta'. What proceeded is an hour of carnage on the dancefloor as the French DJ, making his debut in Mumbai, did what he did best: win the crowds over with his energy and showmanship.
Beyond its opening night, CIRCUS 2025 used the rest of the weekend to expand its programming into different genres of techno. Day 2 shifted toward groovy territory, led by Jamie Jones and Maceo Plex, whose sets eased the intensity without flattening momentum.
Day 3 introduced a more melodic approach with Monolink Live, offering a contrast in structure yet seamless transitioning through BPMs. The CIRCUS is set to close with an Afro Beats night headlined by Hugel and Yousef, rounding out a weekend that moved across genres without losing the audience.
Having followed CIRCUS closely over the years, particularly through its Goa editions, we have come to associate the festival with a certain curatorial confidence. When the move to Mumbai was announced, it felt like a genuine test of that philosophy. What unfolded instead was a reminder of why CIRCUS has earned its credibility. The festival didn’t just survive the shift; it came with a presentation the city had never seen before. For a homegrown platform to do that in Mumbai is no small feat, and it positions CIRCUS as one of the few festivals in the country worth watching closely in the years ahead.