What is this?

creative-loafing is a small, curated list of things worth stepping out for in Indian cities. Readings, walks, exhibitions, live music, workshops—the quiet stuff that doesn't make it to mainstream event listings.

Why?

Most event discovery is noisy. Promoted content, algorithms optimizing for engagement, endless scrolling through things you'll never attend.

This is the opposite. A few things, carefully chosen. If it's here, someone thought it was worth adjusting their week for.

How does it work?

We track interesting venues and organizations across cities—bookstores, galleries, cultural spaces, community groups. When they announce something worth attending, it shows up here.

No user accounts, no notifications, no promoted content. Just a page you can check when you're wondering what to do this weekend.

Reading a listing

Each listing has a metadata line with color-coded tokens. Here's how to read it:

Underlined tokens are tappable links. The title also links to the source.

Cities

Currently covering Bengaluru (BLR), Chennai (MAA), Mumbai (BOM), Delhi (DEL), Hyderabad (HYD), Kolkata (CCU), and Kochi (COK).

We use IATA airport codes because they're short and unambiguous.

The name

This site is an ode to Creative Loafing, the alternative weekly newspaper that started in Atlanta in 1972. We picked up a copy in the early 2000s and never forgot it—free stacks at coffee shops, listings for shows and readings, a guide to what was actually happening in the city.

The phrase itself means purposeful idleness. Wandering without a destination but with openness to discovery. Adjacent to "loitering with intent" and "sauntering with purpose."

"Loitering with Intent" is also Muriel Spark's 1981 novel, and later Peter O'Toole's final film. The best experiences often come from showing up with no agenda.

Contact

Know of something that should be listed? Running an event space we should track? Reach out at hello@creative-loafing.in