🌄 The 4M Festival: Where Mountains Meet Music, Mic, and Magic

There are festivals — and then there’s The 4M Festival, where the Mountains meet Music, Mic, and Magic. 🎶✨

Organized by Tape A Tale, founded by Kopal Khanna, in collaboration with Musicathon, this one-of-a-kind festival gathers India’s best storytellers, poets, and independent musicians under the open Himalayan sky.

Set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Dhauladhar ranges at Hill Ventures, Dharamshala, the 4M Festival isn’t just an event — it’s an experience that speaks to your soul. Imagine live music echoing through the mountains, poetry flowing by the bonfire, and stories that linger long after the applause fades.

🏕️ Arrival at Hill Ventures – The Heart of the Himalayas

After a long but scenic journey through winding mountain roads, I finally reached Hill Ventures, the festival’s beautiful host location. The moment I stepped out, I was greeted by crisp mountain air, green valleys, and the warm buzz of artists preparing for the evening.

Tents lined up like little homes beneath the stars, fairy lights glowing in the dusk — it felt like walking into another world.

(Timestamp: 00:00 – 03:25)

🎶 A Walk Through the Festival Grounds

The 4M Festival grounds are alive with creativity. Stalls featuring local artisans, open food counters serving Himachali cuisine, and impromptu performances at every corner — it’s a feast for the senses.

I wandered through the trails with music in the background, discovering spontaneous open mics, poetry corners, and jam sessions by the hill.

(Timestamp: 03:25 – 05:40)

🌟 Meeting the Artists

One of the festival’s biggest joys was meeting the incredible lineup of performers — Rahgir, Osho Jain, Amandeep Khyal, Nayab Midha, Yahya Bootwala, and many more.

Meeting Rahgir

Meeting Helly Shah

Saying Goodbyes

Meeting Kopal Khanna

Meeting Yahya

The Trio

Each artist brought their own energy and emotion, creating moments that blurred the line between performance and connection. From soul-stirring songs to spoken-word pieces that made you pause and reflect, every set was a reminder of how art binds us together.

(Timestamp: 05:40 – 08:20)

🎤 The Four M’s that Define the Festival

At its core, the 4M Festival celebrates four elements that make it truly special:

🌄 Mountains – The soul of the festival, echoing peace and wonder.
🎵 Music – Intimate performances by India’s finest indie artists.
🎤 Mic – A stage for vulnerability, poetry, and spoken word.
💫 Magic – That unexplainable connection when art and nature meet.

When you experience all four together, you realize this isn’t just a festival — it’s a movement of creative souls.

🔥 Bonfire Nights & Jam Sessions

As the sun dipped behind the mountains, the festival transformed into something even more magical. The night sky filled with stars, and around the bonfire, strangers became friends — singing, sharing stories, and laughing into the night.

Bonfire with poetry

Late night jam with @Gappu.co

Those jam sessions weren’t just music — they were pure emotion. The sound of guitars blending with mountain winds, the smell of pine, and the glow of fire — everything about that night felt eternal.

(Timestamp: 11:10 – 13:00)

💭 Reflections on Art, Community & Connection

The 4M Festival is more than just performances — it’s a celebration of human connection. It’s where vulnerability meets strength, where creativity meets courage, and where art meets its truest audience.

I left Dharamshala with a full heart, countless memories, and a renewed belief that when people come together for art, something truly magical happens.

📍 Festival Details

Venue: Hill Ventures, Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh
Dates: October 3rd–5th
Timings: 1:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Official Website: tapeatale.com/4m-festival

🎧 About Tape A Tale

Founded by Kopal Khanna, Tape A Tale is India’s largest storytelling platform — a space where raw, heartfelt voices find their audience. The 4M Festival is their grand celebration of community, creativity, and connection.

✨ If you love poetry, storytelling, live music, travel, or artistic communities — this festival (and this vlog) is for you.
Come explore India’s biggest poetry and music festival with me and feel the magic of the mountains. 🌿🎙️

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/AIfJVZd_y5M?si=ODHdvfSLsSC9FsRC

MUST DO THINGS IN MANALI

How to Take a Helicopter Ride in Manali

[My Manali Visit in 2018; No Snowfall]

Manali is one of the best places to visit during winter in Himachal Pradesh, India. The locality, the view, and the food, everything just becomes way better in winters. Whether you are travelling with friends or on a honeymoon, there are a few things that you should not forget to do in Manali.

We went on a week-long trip to Manali on Christmas 2018 when there was no snowfall. Here are some insights from the local places such as Mall Road, Hampta Pass, Hadimba Devi Temple, etc. as well as a helicopter ride over the mountains.

Here are a few things you should take care of while visiting Manali:

1. Stay Nearby Mall Road

You can stay at any hotel or place in Manali as transportation is very good there. However, most of the time you would be visiting the Mall Road for different things, as this is the best locality to hang around for food and shopping. Hence, I would suggest you to better stay nearby so that you do not have to travel a lot for small things and you could also avoid the long traffic jams which are there due to construction works going on around the bridges and small passes.

Staying Nearby Mall Road Helps in Enjoying the Evening Crowd

I would suggest three hotels nearby Mall Road:

A low-ranged hotel "Hotel Broadways Inn" (Rs. 1500-2500 INR per night depending on the season): This hotel is good for staying and food. This is
A medium-priced hotel "Hotel Kunzam" (2500-3000 INR): This hotel is right in the middle of Mall Road with a bar attached to it and outside it, the helicopter ride bookings happen.
A high-priced hotel "Manuallaya Resort" (8000-10000 INR): This is the place from where the Helicopter Rides are started, so wherever you book the ride, you would have to visit this resort to take the ride.

Hotel Kunzam to Stay and the Stall Outside for Helicopter Ride Booking

2. Visit Hampta Pass if There Is Rush or Traffic towards Solang Valley

Hampta Pass Is an Aloof Place to Stay Away from the Crowd but still Enjoy the Snow

Solang Valley is a den of adventure activities including skiing, paragliding, etc. However, if you have already visited Solang Valley in past several times or facing an unavoidable situation which prevents you to visit Solang Valley, then you can visit Hampta Pass also. It is also a similar kind of places, but it has very few activities nearby. However, it is a far quieter place than Solang Valley and you can still enjoy snow and a few other activities avoiding the crowd of Solang Valley.

3. Always Take a Professional and Genuine Guide while Visiting Historical Places

People Always Help if You Ask

Falling Is Fun in Snow

Trust me on this. Whenever you visit a historical place, it seems just rocks and gardens to us from a tourist's point of view; however, if you include a genuine guide to you visits, it enhances your point of view many folds. A guide can take a small amount from you but he will surely make your visit a very memorable visit by interesting facts and camera angles of better pics through his experience.

4. Visit Hadimba Devi but Do Not Try to Visit All Temples/Historical Places Suggested by the Auto Drivers

Plan Your Route Beforehand to Save Extra Cost for Nearby Places

The auto drivers there promise to show you 5-10 places in a certain amount and you may like that idea; however, you would find later that all these places were nearby to each other and could be covered by walking 20-50 metres only. Better research your route while booking an auto or cab so that you can cover many things but book an auto or a cab on a lesser price.

5. Take Helicopter Ride for Sure

Helicopter Rides Start from Manuallaya Resort

At Hotel Kunzam on the Mall Road, there is a counter for Helicopter Joy Ride which costs INR 3500 per person. It takes you on a journey for around 15 minutes. However, please note that if always takes bookings for almost 8 people, waiting like an auto to fill up and then your journey starts. So, the day you want to take the helicopter ride, visit or call them to book your seat as soon as possible, and then you can visit other places while they wait for remaining bookings. Once they have 8 passengers, they will call you and ask you to visit Manuallaya Resort nearby Mall Road (it is uphill, so you might have to take an auto). From Manuallaya Resort, people will guide you to the helicopter. The helicopter starts and ends from this resort only.

The video describes my visit to Manali in December 2018 around Christmas when there was no snow. We enjoyed Christmas parties there in Johnson's Cafe nearby the Mall Road also. However, Christmas is not that big of celebration in Manali, so better plan your New Year in Manali if visiting in winters.

Christmas Party at Johnson's Cafe, Mall Road

Had Bonfire and Music at Johnson's Cafe, Mall Road

Dancing and Celebration at Johnson's Cafe, Mall Road

Fun Activities at Club House, Manali

Note: There are very few things to do in the Club House so I have left it out from my suggestions for now.

Watch the video:

Travel with Nikhil Roshan

31 October 2025

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