IIMB hosts three-day celebration of cultural competitions and performances with Unmaad 2026
Expression found its rhythm at this year's cultural spectacle, themed 'Beats of the Streets'
01 March, 2026, Bangalore: IIM Bangalore hosted Unmaad 2026, its annual cultural festival, bringing together students and performers from across institutions for competitions, performances, and creative showcases under the theme ‘Beats of the Streets.’ The festival, held from 27 February to 1 March, transformed the campus into a platform for artistic expression across dance, theatre, music, literature, and visual arts.
Day 1 Highlights
Day 1 began with the Treasure Hunt, a multi-stage challenge that engaged participants in problem-solving, clue decoding, and teamwork across campus locations. In Drishya, teams presented original short films that explored storytelling through direction, cinematography, and editing, offering audiences a range of themes and narrative styles. The Junk Art competition, Beauty in the Broken, invited participants to transform discarded materials into meaningful visual installations, highlighting sustainability through creative design.
The evening concluded with a poetry and comedy performance by Ranmal Jain, which brought together humor, storytelling, and audience interaction to close the opening day.
Day 2 Highlights
Day 2 featured a wide range of competitive and experiential events across performance and knowledge domains.
The Unmaad Quiz tested participants through elimination rounds and on-stage questioning that emphasized speed, logic, and general awareness. Aahwan, the street play competition, presented socially relevant themes through high-energy performances. Mic Drop showcased stand-up comedy performances focused on writing, delivery, and audience engagement, while Spotlight highlighted individual acting performances through monologues and character portrayals.
Dance and musical expression were central to the day, with Soul n Sync presenting solo and duet dance performances across styles, and Rap-Sody featuring original rap performances centered on lyrical delivery and stage presence. Visual and performance arts were further represented through Haute Couture, where teams combined fashion, choreography, and storytelling, and Cosplay, where participants embodied characters through costume and performance. Literary expression took form through Shabd Saga, a poetry platform featuring original compositions, while Food Wars added an informal competitive segment focused on speed-based eating challenges.
In parallel, participants attended a series of thematic workshops featuring interior design and entrepreneurship, cybersecurity, AI-driven digital marketing, agentic AI applications, branding science, healthcare technology tools, and HR practice, by team Aylence.
The evening featured a live Bollywood Night performance by Gajendra Verma and marked the close of Day 2 activities.
Day 3 Highlights
Day 3 showcased Curtain Call, which presented scripted stage productions, while Voice of Unmaad featured solo vocal performances across genres. Just A Minute (JAM) tested spontaneity through rapid-fire speaking, and Footloose and Streets Unleashed delivered high-energy group choreography and street dance battles. Creative collaboration unfolded through Group Canvas, and musical synergy took center stage in the Battle of Bands. Intellectual engagement continued with the Pop Culture Quiz, alongside the grand finale of Mr. & Ms. Unmaad, which celebrated confidence, creativity, and stage presence. Parallel workshops explored applications of AI across business, marketing, investing, healthcare, and human resources. The festival concluded with live pro-show performances by Seedhe Maut and Raman Negi.
Click here for photo gallery
IIMB hosts three-day celebration of cultural competitions and performances with Unmaad 2026
Expression found its rhythm at this year's cultural spectacle, themed 'Beats of the Streets'
01 March, 2026, Bangalore: IIM Bangalore hosted Unmaad 2026, its annual cultural festival, bringing together students and performers from across institutions for competitions, performances, and creative showcases under the theme ‘Beats of the Streets.’ The festival, held from 27 February to 1 March, transformed the campus into a platform for artistic expression across dance, theatre, music, literature, and visual arts.
Day 1 Highlights
Day 1 began with the Treasure Hunt, a multi-stage challenge that engaged participants in problem-solving, clue decoding, and teamwork across campus locations. In Drishya, teams presented original short films that explored storytelling through direction, cinematography, and editing, offering audiences a range of themes and narrative styles. The Junk Art competition, Beauty in the Broken, invited participants to transform discarded materials into meaningful visual installations, highlighting sustainability through creative design.
The evening concluded with a poetry and comedy performance by Ranmal Jain, which brought together humor, storytelling, and audience interaction to close the opening day.
Day 2 Highlights
Day 2 featured a wide range of competitive and experiential events across performance and knowledge domains.
The Unmaad Quiz tested participants through elimination rounds and on-stage questioning that emphasized speed, logic, and general awareness. Aahwan, the street play competition, presented socially relevant themes through high-energy performances. Mic Drop showcased stand-up comedy performances focused on writing, delivery, and audience engagement, while Spotlight highlighted individual acting performances through monologues and character portrayals.
Dance and musical expression were central to the day, with Soul n Sync presenting solo and duet dance performances across styles, and Rap-Sody featuring original rap performances centered on lyrical delivery and stage presence. Visual and performance arts were further represented through Haute Couture, where teams combined fashion, choreography, and storytelling, and Cosplay, where participants embodied characters through costume and performance. Literary expression took form through Shabd Saga, a poetry platform featuring original compositions, while Food Wars added an informal competitive segment focused on speed-based eating challenges.
In parallel, participants attended a series of thematic workshops featuring interior design and entrepreneurship, cybersecurity, AI-driven digital marketing, agentic AI applications, branding science, healthcare technology tools, and HR practice, by team Aylence.
The evening featured a live Bollywood Night performance by Gajendra Verma and marked the close of Day 2 activities.
Day 3 Highlights
Day 3 showcased Curtain Call, which presented scripted stage productions, while Voice of Unmaad featured solo vocal performances across genres. Just A Minute (JAM) tested spontaneity through rapid-fire speaking, and Footloose and Streets Unleashed delivered high-energy group choreography and street dance battles. Creative collaboration unfolded through Group Canvas, and musical synergy took center stage in the Battle of Bands. Intellectual engagement continued with the Pop Culture Quiz, alongside the grand finale of Mr. & Ms. Unmaad, which celebrated confidence, creativity, and stage presence. Parallel workshops explored applications of AI across business, marketing, investing, healthcare, and human resources. The festival concluded with live pro-show performances by Seedhe Maut and Raman Negi.
Click here for photo gallery