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DAYTIMERS – Mehfil
DAYTIMERS, a collective at the heart of the re-emerging Asian Underground, presents Mehfil, their event series spotlighting and celebrating South Asian visual arts, live performance, poetry, and spoken word.
After a string of sold out shows cementing Mehfil as one of the most sought-after poetry experiences in the capital, in 2025 it looks to build on its connections and expand into ever larger venues – to share the undiluted beauty of the South Asian voice to an ever-growing audience.
On Sunday 13th July, Mehfil presents their second takeover of the Royal Albert Hall’s Elgar Room, spotlighting and celebrating South Asian poetry, spoken word and music – inviting along some of London’s brightest names in the poetry scene.
The afternoon’s programming will be followed by a special live performance from Baluji Shrivastav OBE alongside Vishnu Vijayan and Theo Archer Lees.
There are opportunities available to perform at this event as part of their open mic slots. Mehfil will be prioritising programming performances by artists from marginalised groups. Please arrive at the venue at 1:30pm to sign up, bring one poem with you, and be prepared to provide the piece’s content warnings.
About DAYTIMERS – Mehfil
Expanding on their successes in showcasing the breadth of South Asian talent within the underground music industry, the DAYTIMERS team delve into the world of poetry and spoken word, with some of the most exciting South Asian artists operating in the scene right now.
Drawing inspiration from historic mehfil celebrations traditionally presented in the homes or palaces of royalty or nobility, these evenings typically combined elements of poetry, Qawwali, Sufi , Hindustani classical music, and much more, performed for audiences in often intimate settings.
Previous events have been hosted at Somerset House, Rich Mix, Colour Factory, Rally Festival, The William Morris Gallery, Conway Hall in collaboration with Camden Council, Bloomsbury Festival, and most recently taking over the Royal Albert Hall’s Elgar Room.
DAYTIMERS have featured some of the diaspora’s most talented spoken word artists on their stages, including actor Azan Ahmed, playwright Zia Ahmed, novelist S.S.Haque, Zahra Ahmad, and storyteller/artist RAIN (fka Reeta Loi). The event’s live musical interludes offer bespoke performances, having been previously graced by Punjabi sufi folk singers Grewal Twins, Sons Of Kemet alumnus Shabaka Hutchings, Indo-Jazz percussionist Sarathy Kowar, and many others.
