From Living Rooms to a Palace: Why The Home Soirée Wants You to Experience Craft, Not Just Buy It

In the middle of the pandemic, surrounded by unsold craft, textiles, and art that had nowhere to go, cultural enthusiasts Akshat Kapoor and Nandini Singh Jhabua, who hails from a royal family in Madhya Pradesh and runs Northern Art, found themselves asking, what if the home could once again become a place where culture is experienced, shared and celebrated?

What started as a gathering of two brands inside Kapoor's residence, The Home Soiree has, eight editions later, grown into a two-day cultural exposition spread across the historic Travancore Palace in New Delhi, set to take place between 7 and 8 August. Over two days, the palace will host more than 40 carefully curated brands spanning fashion, handloom textiles, contemporary home décor, jewellery, tribal art and collectible design, bringing together labels such as House of Angadi and Amala Earth, alongside exhibitions by independent artists and galleries working across India's contemporary craft landscape.

Yet despite the change in scale, the philosophy remains surprisingly intimate.

"We didn't want to move into a commercial exhibition hall," says Kapoor. "People loved coming into a home. They sat where they wanted, spent as much time as they liked, talked to the makers and experienced the products. We wanted to recreate that warmth. That's why we moved from a home to a palace—a palace is still someone's home."

That idea of home as the first place where culture is inherited is the first museum, classroom and performance space forms the emotional core of The Home Soirée 2026.

For Kapoor, every Indian's first encounter with culture happens long before galleries or concert halls enter the picture. It begins with grandparents telling stories, mothers passing down recipes orally, fathers introducing music, handwoven textiles becoming heirlooms, and everyday rituals quietly teaching tradition. "Craft and culture come alive within the four walls of our homes," he says. "That's what we're celebrating."

Across two days, the programme unfolds as a celebration of India's living cultural traditions. The opening evening features an intimate baithak by Padma Shri awardee and celebrated folk vocalist Malini Awasthi, while the second concludes with Kissa Kahani Bhav Zubani—a multidisciplinary performance weaving together dastangoi, poetry, Kathak and live violin.

Speaking to Esquire India, Awasthi says the baithak format offers a rare intimacy between artist and audience. "Baithaki brings out the best in an artist," she says. "There is a direct connect with the audience and, in a true baithak style, you can enjoy and appreciate the nuances of music much more. As performers, we always want to create a dialogue with our listeners."

It is precisely this connection that Kapoor believes has become increasingly rare.

"In today's age of AI and technology replacing everything, human stories and human connections cannot be replaced," he says. "If we lose those, we've lost everything."

The second evening continues with Kissa Kahani Bhav Zubani, an interdisciplinary production bringing together a dastango, poet, Kathak dancer and violinist to celebrate the tales, songs and family memories that often survive without ever being written down.

Taken together, the performances reinforce the organisers' belief that heritage isn't preserved only in museums. It survives in music remembered from childhood, recipes inherited across generations, fabrics woven by hand and stories retold around the dining table.

For Nandini Singh JhaJhabua, whose work as a patron of Gond and tribal art has defined much of her recent journey, the growth of The Home Soirée feels almost inevitable.

"I never imagined I'd move from working in finance in America to promoting Indian art," she says. "But Akshat and I shared one thing—a love for craft and a desire to create a platform where artisans and designers could tell their stories. We started with two brands. Today we're bringing together more than forty. Standing inside Travancore Palace now, it feels surreal."

The inaugural evening will also be marked by the presence of Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Princess Diya Kumari of Jaipur as the chief guest, with entrepreneur and designer Riddhima Kapoor Sahni attending as the guest of honour. Shopping may be the entry point, but storytelling is the thread running through the experience, inviting visitors to discover the communities, traditions and histories behind the work.