Ever since Palace Grounds was closed for commercial events, the City has slowly introduced new alternate venues — most of which were unheard of till now and located on the outskirts.
In the last few months, many events have been held in places like Bhartiya City, NICEGrounds, Sahakarnagar, Embassy Riding School, Phoenix MarketCity, E Zone, Clarks Exotica, Jayamahal Palace Hotel and so on.
The response to these alternate venues has mostly been mixed. Many Bangaloreans still miss the convenience of attending the same events at Palace Grounds. Because of various reasons like lack of transportation to these areas, poor parking facilities, lack of infrastructure and even the distance, those who have attended events at these alternate
venues have been somewhat disheartened.
Last month saw the Sunday Soul Santhe being held outside Palace Grounds for the first time. Held in Sahakarnagar, the santhe managed to pull in more people than was imagined — but the organisers did find it difficult to manage the numbers. Being largely a residential area, the locality wasn't equipped to handle such a crowd. And parking
became a huge issue.
Asha Rao, the brain behind the Sunday Soul Santhe, says that when Palace Grounds shut for such events, they never thought they'd find a place large enough to host such an event. "When we found this place in Sahakarnagar, we thought of giving it a try. But we never expected that kind of crowd. Of course, now we are looking at other venues — but the charm of Palace Grounds still remains," she adds.
Some complain about the lack of infrastructure at many of the venues.
Yuvna Damani, a professional, has gone for a couple of events at E Zone. She feels that the venue lacked good infrastructure. "Palace Grounds is ideal for commercial set-ups and concerts.
It's not only centralised but comparatively speaking, many of the other places don't have good facilities," she adds. Transport has been another big concern. Most students, in fact, find it difficult to convince their parents to give them permission to go for some concerts because of the distance. "When they were held in Palace Grounds, it was easier to get permission as it was in the heart of the City. Since most events go on late into the night, getting back home from Palace Grounds was safer as compared to venues on the outskirts.
I really wanted to go to the Enrique concert — but since it was held on NICE Grounds, I didn't get permission," says Naveen, a first-year degree student.But not all feel that way. Samiksha, a student who lives in HSR Layout, is happy that some events are being held on the outskirts as Palace Grounds was too far for her. "For so many years, we kept having everything at Palace Grounds. Now, we get a feel of a different ambience and an opportunity to explore the City as well," she adds.
Though popular opinion does say that Palace Grounds is a better option for big events, it looks like Bangaloreans will have to make do with the newer alternatives. Runa, a designer, says, "The unique thing about Bangaloreans is that when they like something or are passionate about an event, they are ready to go any distance to be a part of it."
In the last few months, many events have been held in places like Bhartiya City, NICEGrounds, Sahakarnagar, Embassy Riding School, Phoenix MarketCity, E Zone, Clarks Exotica, Jayamahal Palace Hotel and so on.
The response to these alternate venues has mostly been mixed. Many Bangaloreans still miss the convenience of attending the same events at Palace Grounds. Because of various reasons like lack of transportation to these areas, poor parking facilities, lack of infrastructure and even the distance, those who have attended events at these alternate
venues have been somewhat disheartened.
Last month saw the Sunday Soul Santhe being held outside Palace Grounds for the first time. Held in Sahakarnagar, the santhe managed to pull in more people than was imagined — but the organisers did find it difficult to manage the numbers. Being largely a residential area, the locality wasn't equipped to handle such a crowd. And parking
became a huge issue.
Asha Rao, the brain behind the Sunday Soul Santhe, says that when Palace Grounds shut for such events, they never thought they'd find a place large enough to host such an event. "When we found this place in Sahakarnagar, we thought of giving it a try. But we never expected that kind of crowd. Of course, now we are looking at other venues — but the charm of Palace Grounds still remains," she adds.
Some complain about the lack of infrastructure at many of the venues.
Yuvna Damani, a professional, has gone for a couple of events at E Zone. She feels that the venue lacked good infrastructure. "Palace Grounds is ideal for commercial set-ups and concerts.
It's not only centralised but comparatively speaking, many of the other places don't have good facilities," she adds. Transport has been another big concern. Most students, in fact, find it difficult to convince their parents to give them permission to go for some concerts because of the distance. "When they were held in Palace Grounds, it was easier to get permission as it was in the heart of the City. Since most events go on late into the night, getting back home from Palace Grounds was safer as compared to venues on the outskirts.
I really wanted to go to the Enrique concert — but since it was held on NICE Grounds, I didn't get permission," says Naveen, a first-year degree student.But not all feel that way. Samiksha, a student who lives in HSR Layout, is happy that some events are being held on the outskirts as Palace Grounds was too far for her. "For so many years, we kept having everything at Palace Grounds. Now, we get a feel of a different ambience and an opportunity to explore the City as well," she adds.
Though popular opinion does say that Palace Grounds is a better option for big events, it looks like Bangaloreans will have to make do with the newer alternatives. Runa, a designer, says, "The unique thing about Bangaloreans is that when they like something or are passionate about an event, they are ready to go any distance to be a part of it."