Annual Bloomsday Celebration

Saturday, 14 June 2026

6:30 PM onwards

Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), New Delhi

Join us for an evening of theatre, literature, conversation and celebration as Kaivalya Plays marks Bloomsday 2026.

Presented in collaboration with the Embassy of Ireland, the Annual Bloomsday Celebration forms part of our Year of Joyce programme, a year-long exploration of the life and works of James Joyce through performances, workshops, readings, school outreach programmes and public events across Delhi.

The evening begins with an immersive dramatized reading of Counterparts, one of the most powerful stories from Joyce's celebrated collection Dubliners. Set in turn-of-the-century Dublin, the story follows Farrington, a hard-drinking office clerk whose frustrations at work gradually spill into his personal life, creating a poignant portrait of power, humiliation and everyday life.

The programme will also feature a performance of selections from Ulysses, including the celebrated final passages associated with Molly Bloom's soliloquy, one of the most influential and enduring voices in twentieth-century literature.

Following the performances, audiences are invited to participate in a literary quiz and book giveaway organised in collaboration with Bahrisons Bookstores, with books and prizes to be won.

Whether you are discovering Joyce for the first time or returning to a familiar favourite, the Annual Bloomsday Celebration offers an opportunity to experience his work through live performance and shared conversation.

Admission is free with prior registration.

About James Joyce Immersive

James Joyce Immersive is a series of immersive dramatized readings and literary experiences developed by Kaivalya Plays in collaboration with the Embassy of Ireland in India as part of the Year of Joyce programme. Drawing on three celebrated stories from James Joyce's Dubliners—Araby, Eveline, and Counterparts—the project explores Joyce's remarkable ability to capture the inner lives of ordinary people. Through a combination of live performance, sound design, projection, and audience immersion, the series invites audiences into the emotional and psychological worlds of Joyce's characters. Each work focuses on a different moment of human experience: a young boy confronting disillusionment in Araby, a woman caught between duty and freedom in Eveline, and a frustrated office clerk struggling with powerlessness in Counterparts. Together, the stories reveal recurring themes that define Joyce's writing: desire, memory, frustration, longing, and the search for escape. Presented in galleries, theatres, museums, and public spaces, James Joyce Immersive reimagines literary reading as a shared theatrical encounter, bringing one of the twentieth century's most influential writers to contemporary audiences through performance, conversation, and participation.

About Kaivalya Plays

Kaivalya Plays is a Delhi-based theatre company and arts organisation working at the intersection of performance, technology, education, and community engagement. Through productions, workshops, festivals, research projects, and public programmes, Kaivalya Plays creates opportunities for audiences to engage with literature, storytelling, and contemporary culture in accessible and participatory ways. The organisation's work spans theatre-making, digital arts, cultural education, and international collaborations, with a particular focus on using performance as a tool for learning, dialogue, and creative exploration.

About the Embassy of Ireland, India

The Embassy of Ireland in India works to strengthen the longstanding relationship between Ireland and India through diplomacy, education, culture, trade, and people-to-people exchange. Through its cultural programmes, the Embassy supports initiatives that promote Irish literature, arts, and heritage, while fostering meaningful collaborations between Irish and Indian artists, institutions, and audiences. The Year of Joyce programme is part of the Embassy's ongoing commitment to celebrating Ireland's rich literary traditions and expanding cultural engagement across India.

About Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA)

The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) is India's first private museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art. Established in 2010, KNMA serves as a dynamic cultural institution committed to making art accessible to diverse audiences through exhibitions, educational initiatives, public programmes, performances, talks, and community engagement. By bringing together visual arts, literature, performance, and interdisciplinary practices, KNMA creates spaces for dialogue, learning, and creative exchange within India's evolving cultural landscape.