“I want to be life maxxing more,” a Twitter (I refuse to call it X. Suck it, Elon!) user writes in a recent post with over 2.3 million views. “Get off your phone,” another user responds. “Say yes to spontaneous plans”, “talk to strangers”, “read physical books”, “go out”, “move your body!” The responses vary, but the overarching narrative seems to coalesce around a return to the real world. Is it finally happening? Are we finally, collectively tiring of the internet? Are we yearning for tangible, tactile, real-world connections and experiences? A man can hope. A man wishes.

For someone as terminally online as I am, for all the talk of scale, virality, views, and reach that dominate the online media industry I work in, the most meaningful cultural moments I witnessed this year were also the ones that took place offline, out in the real world, in the intimacy of strangers’ homes. I saw a concert that took place in the living room of an apartment in Kolkata; spoke to a Naga chieftain-in-waiting in a remote village that does not appear on Google Maps; hung out with indie musicians in their home studio; spoke to a chef who leads an intimate supper club in Kolkata; and attended a performance art event that took place on bar tops and backstreets.

Through all these experience, I saw the emergence of a trend that gives me hope that culture could thrive even in this day and age of slop and enshittification, even as the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) was forced to cancel the 2025 MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. Looking back, if 2025 proved anything, it’s this: a return to the real world is going to be the next culture shift. Here’s how I want to see that happen in 2026:

Not every show needs to be a festival or a tentpole event. In 2026, I want to see the return of smaller-scale, more intimate gigs in cafés, rooftops, bookstores, garages, and empty warehouses. I want to see the return of underground music scenes: micro-sound systems, hand-drawn posters, lineups led by local bands and musicians.

Streaming has made music-making seem effortless and inexpensive. However, touring — a vital part of 'making it' as a musician — is still expensive, exploitative, and often impossibly inaccessible for independent and emerging artists. In 2026, I want to see more musicians have the option to go on crowd-funded tours where the audience not only experiences the show but also helps make it materially possible. In other words: I want people to put their money where their ears are.

One of my favourite childhood memories is of watching India’s 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup win with my friends at my neighbourhood sporting club. As Dhoni hit that iconic match-winning sixer, we jumped in joy and ran out onto the streets screaming. People were already out, bursting firecrackers and distributing sweets. There’s something about experiencing these moments with people who share your passions. In 2026, I want more of these moments in our lives: from IPL watch parties at bars to movie nights with friends at the comfort of home.

I want to see 2026 bring back house parties as a more personal and intimate way to connect with each other — whether it’s through discovering new music, poetry readings, film screenings, album launches, or political debates — without the distraction of branding decks. I’m not talking about fake, ticketed house parties, but real ones where someone makes snacks and cocktails following YouTube recipes in the kitchen, someone else plays their Spotify playlist on Bluetooth speakers, and ‘friends of friends’ become just ‘friends’ through meaningful conversations.

The dominance of small screens — smartphones, tablets, kindles, laptops, TVs — in recent years has been detrimental to the social culture of watching films together. The rise of the mall-multiplex industrial complex and the disappearce of local single-screen theatres (known as 'talkies' in India) has also shrunk the availability of spaces to screen smaller independent films. Kanu Behl’s struggle to find screening partners for ‘Agra’ is a sign of this slow rot that has crept into your cinema culture. In 2026, I want to see cinephiles rage against this by organising and attending more rooftop movie marathons and community rewatches of cult classics, retro films, and independent cinema. I want to see packed living-room screenings of short films, amateur, indie, and foreign movies, and discussions. I want to see us return to a new wave of social cinema culture.

Food, like films and music, is most enjoyable when shared with others. In 2026, I hope to see more supper clubs led by chefs and food enthusiasts that focus on regional cuisine and seasonal ingredients — ones that are characterised by that delectable combination of chaos and enthusiasm. I want to see spaces where the menu becomes a backdrop for storytelling, performances, regional food experiments, political debates, and cross-cultural exchanges. I want to see people cooking their grandmother’s recipes in cramped kitchens, serving on pop-up tables on balconies, and in basements, and dedicating entire nights (and early mornings) to food.

The future I want to see is quieter, more intimate, and more community-focused. Currently, late-Capitalist content culture promotes the idea that scale equals success. But the most spirited moments I’ve experienced this year were with only a handful of people and in intimate spaces. To preserve culture amid social media’s extractive attention economy, we need to return to physical spaces like friends’ living rooms, kitchens, basements, rooftops, and backyards.

My ideal future in 2026 is more tangible, tactile, and in the real world — it’s less optimised for algorithms or virality. It should focus on building trust, community, and face-to-face conversations at the bar, on the streets, and in unexpected encounters.

If you enjoyed reading this, here’s more from Homegrown:

Counter Encounter: Inside Artsforward’s 15-Year Journey Of Community-Led Art In India

The Nilgiris Earth Festival 2025: 4 Days of Learning, Listening, & Local Abundance

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