Mumbai’s first true 24×7 pedestrian square. Once a forgotten staircase on Mount Mary used as a dumping ground, The Steps is now a public living room: a place for the whole city to step outdoors, pause, meet and sit a while. Open 24×7, free for all.
7th edition of Festival at The Steps✦Sat 19 Dec✦Sat 26 Dec✦Sat 2 Jan✦Sat 9 Jan✦Sat 16 Jan✦Sat 23 Jan✦Sat 30 Jan✦Finale Sat 6 Feb✦Free · Open to all✦7th edition of Festival at The Steps✦Sat 19 Dec✦Sat 26 Dec✦Sat 2 Jan✦Sat 9 Jan✦Sat 16 Jan✦Sat 23 Jan✦Sat 30 Jan✦Finale Sat 6 Feb✦Free · Open to all✦
02The making of The Steps
Mumbai’s first true 24×7 pedestrian square.
In 2017 the staircase below St. Stephen’s Church was a dumping ground the neighbourhood avoided, and the first municipal plan was to turn it into a road. Abraham John Architects, through Bombay Greenway, its urban design arm, proposed a place for people instead: car-free, gate-free and open around the clock.
Open to allEvery age and ability, and pets too, welcome at any hour.
Universal accessA zigzag ramp that lets everyone make the climb together.
Clean and greenTrees kept, shade and fresh air, a space cared for by its neighbours.
Art and cultureSupporting artists through paint on the walls and performance on the steps.
20172019
01
The problem
A derelict staircase full of debris, stigmatised and avoided, cutting the neighbourhood off from Mount Mary.
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The design
Abraham John Architects and Bombay Greenway wove a zigzag ramp through the steps for universal access, so prams, wheelchairs, grandparents and toddlers can all climb together, and added landings and seating, keeping every tree.
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The making
Built between 2017 and 2019 by the BMC H West Ward, with the local municipal councillor and residents behind it.
04
The life
The first Festival at The Steps opened in December 2019. Six editions on, the city keeps coming back, and the seventh opens on 19 December 2026.
A zigzag ramp woven through the steps: universal access, under the trees we keptSt. Stephen’s Steps, carved in stone at the foot of the climbA green corridor through the neighbourhood
Let’s build spaces that inspire. Let’s create cities that feel human again.
Spaces that inspire, cities that feel humanIt’s all about art and communityAll things to people of all ages
From sketch to steps
The first idea: a zigzag ramp through the steps, so everyone can climb togetherThe study model, testing landings and the rampThe proposal: a lower landing, two community spaces and a climb of 15 metres to Mount Mary Road
The design drawing · Abraham John Architects / Bombay Greenway
International recognition
EDRA Great Places Award 2021
Place Design winner, chosen from 104 international submissions, awarded by the Environmental Design Research Association with Project for Public Spaces.
Every year, artists paint the walls of The Steps. The Mural Art Project is an open call: anyone can apply, a jury of artists and cultural leaders selects the winners, and the painting itself is collaborative, with neighbours, children and passers-by picking up brushes alongside the artists.
1
The open call
A theme is announced and artists from anywhere send their ideas.
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The jury
A seat at Mumbai’s art table: artists, cultural leaders and urban thinkers choose the walls’ next stories.
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Paint together
Artists work in the open, with the community joining in.
4
The wall lives on
Unveiled at the festival, and part of daily life all year.
Meet the jury
A seat at Mumbai’s art table.
The Mural Art Project is curated by a panel of artists, cultural leaders and urban thinkers shaping India’s creative conversation.
It empowers everyone in the community to step in, to take part, and to immerse themselves in culture and community alongside artists and thought leaders.
Stay tuned for updates on this edition of the Mural Art Project.
Artist and apprenticeEveryone picks up a brushA new wall, a new storyA living gallery, 24×7Art and craft, out in the openStories told on the stepsColour all the way upThe walls as a backdrop
Wanted: a Mural Art Project partner
Help us paint the walls.
We are looking for a partner to make this year’s Mural Art Project possible, from the open call and the jury to wall preparation, materials and platforms, and the film that documents it all. Your support is credited on the walls themselves, and in every story we tell about them.
Open call. Jury. Walls. Paint. Film. A whole season of art, in public.
A signature annual public artwork
ART that invites people in.
Every year, Bombay Greenway creates an interactive installation, exploring a social, cultural or ecological theme through playful, participatory art.
These installations invite children and adults to engage, contribute and make the space their own, turning art into a shared experience and The Steps into a place for connection, curiosity and conversation.
2019Unity in Diversity TreeBook-matched marble slabs, each a fragment, form one tree. The “missing” tree remembers the trees felled in the name of development.2020A Single LineOne line of light bends like a constellation into a Christmas tree: art to bring us together after a year of isolation.2021The Family TreeSquares of light frame our smiles and join us into one family tree. In January it became the Kite Tree for Makar Sankranti.2022The Nest TreeRods gathered like twigs into a nest of light, a tree for all seasons.2025The Box TreeBoxes stacked high where trees once grew. Treasure the roots that hold us tight; look to the future in colourful light.
2026: unveiled on opening night, 19 December
2026Coming soon
04The 7th edition of Festival at The Steps
Eight Saturdays. One open stage.
Every winter, the Festival at The Steps celebrates life in the shared commons: music, dance, art, book swaps, workshops and conversations, free and open to all. Eight Saturday evenings, from 19 December 2026 to the finale on 6 February 2027. Tap a step to see the day.
An ongoing civic and cultural initiative that has grown from a multi-month neighbourhood project into a year-round, citywide platform connecting public spaces, artists, schools, cultural organisations and communities across Mumbai. Our festival is free, open to all and built around participation, bringing together public art, performances, workshops and community-led experiences to make the city a little more connected, creative and joyful.
Curated by Anca Florescu Abraham and Dhanashree Diwane, with a band of volunteers.
Day 1 · Saturday 19 December 2026
Opening night, with the unveiling of the 2026 tree. Full programme announced soon on @thestepsbandra.
Pre-festival Mumbai
The festival travels first: workshops, readings and film in schools, libraries and community spaces across the city.
Music, dance and more
Choirs, classical and folk dance, indie and jazz, theatre, art and book swaps, on a stage that belongs to everyone.
The finale
The last Saturday brings the whole season together. Finale programme announced soon.
Hundreds of free experiences
Something for everyone, every Saturday.
Dance
Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Odissi, contemporary, ballet, flamenco, ballroom, jazz and Lindy Hop.
Performance & visual arts
Live music, street plays, comedy, and art and photo exhibitions.
Art & craft
Warli, block printing and nature printing led by local Adivasi women, alongside sessions with established artists.
Fitness & movement
Capoeira, parkour, yoga and meditation.
Books & ideas
Readings, storytelling, book swaps, author interactions and library corners.
Workshops & outreach
Sustainability, photography, community programmes, NGOs, schools and colleges.
PlayEvery generationFirst triesPaint together
05STEP BY STEP · Steps Cultural Foundation
STEP BY STEP. More than a festival.
STEP BY STEP is our year-long public art platform, placing our partners at the intersection of culture, community and urban transformation, and culminating in the annual Festival at The Steps.
Over the years, The Steps and Festival at The Steps have grown from a neighbourhood initiative into a citywide cultural and community platform, connecting public space, artists, schools, cultural organisations and communities across Mumbai. Steps Cultural Foundation cares for The Steps every day; the space becomes a gallery, a theatre, a playground and a meeting place, depending on who walks in.
Truly open.No entry feesNo membershipsNo age limitsEveryone belongs
A public spaceused every day
A parkpeople return to
A living canvasthat becomes part of the city’s memory
A cultural platformthat connects people across Mumbai
A communitythat takes part and takes ownership
A modelthat can inspire other neighbourhoods
Workshops and experiences spreading joy in unexpected corners of the city, all year round, in collaboration with cultural venues and different stakeholdersArt & culture = thriving communities
A stage for every art
Dance, music, theatre and poetry from every tradition, with room for first-timers.
For children
Painting, play and workshops: the youngest visitors are often the keenest.
Art for all
Programmes with schools, seniors, NGOs and differently abled communities.
Just sit
On an ordinary evening, it is simply the best seat in Bandra.
500+ readers at The Steps
Learning all year
Education and culture, across the city, all year round.
The festival lasts eight Saturdays. The work behind it never stops: schools, colleges, libraries, museums and community centres across Mumbai take part through the year.
Schools installation artStudents conceive and build a public artwork about Mumbai for The Steps.
Pre-festival MumbaiWorkshops, readings, film and talks in libraries, colleges and museums.
Mural mentoringYoung artists paint alongside established muralists in public.
Art for AllWorkshops with seniors, NGOs and differently abled communities.
1.2 mn+
impressions a year, driven by real community participation
500+
artists, facilitators, educators and volunteers
All ages
children, youth and elders, through schools, colleges and NGOs
Art for all
free programmes, workshops and welfare initiatives
Annual cycle
A year in the life of The Steps.
May–Sep
Plan & build
The mural open call and theme take shape and the jury comes together. Pre-festival outreach in libraries, schools, colleges and museums.
Oct
Prepare & activate
Walls prepared, theme brief published, open call launched, activations across the city.
Nov
Create & connect
Murals selected, artists at work, interviews and documentation.
Dec–Mar
Festival season
Performances, workshops, author talks, films, exhibitions and community mural painting.
Apr–May
Restore & renew
Mural touch-ups, pre-monsoon care, and education programmes that carry on.
Built with people, not just for them
We don’t just reach audiences. We build communities.
We work with schools and NGOs to make arts and culture more equally accessible across Mumbai, including Angel Foundation, the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorder Society, The MNB Industrial Home for the Blind, GAET Counselling Centre, Gen S Life, local Adivasi women artisans, School of Design, Rizvi School of Architecture, Comini Microschool, Harmony Montessori International, Billabong School, Seva Charitable Trust and BMC schools.
Perform, collaborate or facilitate workshops and experiences: musicians, dancers, choirs, poets, theatre groups and workshop leaders of every age.
Kindly fill in the form. We appreciate your patience while we work through the entries, and we will get back to you to confirm. Thank you for your interest.
We invite schools to submit concepts for a visual art installation exploring Mumbai through its people, places, memories, cultures, histories and everyday stories.
One official entry per school. Concept entries close 30 October 2026, 5 pm.
We believe schools have an important role to play in shaping the city beyond their classrooms, and this is an opportunity to create, participate, meet, contribute and make something meaningful together.
Put your support behind culture that lives in the city.
Partner with Steps Cultural Foundation across Festival at The Steps, cultural performances, public art, workshops, community programmes and year-round initiatives.
Support a single programme, become a Festival, Cultural or Mural Art Partner, or build a larger Anchor Partnership around a specific area of impact.
Showcasing all arts, supporting local artists and communities
03
Annual art installation
The signature installation at The Steps, the backdrop of the festival, in collaboration with Bombay Greenway
04
Mural Art Project
Open call, jury and mural art
05
Park transformation
The top landing: maintenance and stewardship
06
Year-round community programmes
Education and outreach, culture, youth, leadership, wellness and NGO collaboration
07
Employee engagement
Volunteering, experiences and leadership
08
Impact measurement
Tracking outcomes and sharing the journey
09
Replication
Potential to adapt the model to other public spaces
Partnership opportunities
Festival & event sponsorship
Music, dance, theatre, conversations, workshops and special cultural evenings.
Artist & production support
Supporting artists, performers and creative production.
Public art & mural partnerships
Commissioning and supporting artworks that become part of Mumbai’s public realm.
Education & community programmes
Arts engagement, workshops and cultural experiences for schools, young people, seniors and diverse communities.
Public space & park transformation
Supporting the creation, activation and long-term stewardship of inclusive, vibrant public spaces.
Year-round cultural partnerships
A broader association beyond the festival, through a calendar of programmes and citywide collaborations.
We now want to deepen and strengthen this existing citywide network, building a year-round public-space, culture and community ecosystem and creating impact that extends beyond the festival itself. If you see a strong alignment with our focus on culture and education, this is an opportunity to create lasting public value.
Partnerships can be one-year, programme-specific or flagship three-year associations, with opportunities for brand visibility, employee engagement, storytelling and meaningful public impact.
Aligned with your CSR priorities
Eligible under Schedule VII of the Companies Act, 2013.
Protection of national heritage, art and culture
Promoting education
Promoting gender equality and empowering women
Environmental sustainability
Community development and inclusion
Sports and play in accessible public space
Grassroots festivals and local culture
Contributing to SDG 4 Quality Education, SDG 5 Gender Equality, SDG 11 Sustainable Cities, SDG 13 Climate Action, SDG 15 Life on Land and SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals.
Registration
Steps Cultural Foundation
CSR-1
CSR00109857
12A
ABHCS7132A25MB01
80G
ABHCS7132A25MB02
Donations are eligible for deduction under Section 80G.
Meet the team
Behind the Steps Cultural Foundation.
AF
Anca Florescu Abraham
Director
DD
Dhanashree Diwane
Director
AH
Aakif Habib
Director
TS
Tina Sutaria
Director
AJ
Abraham John
Director
AA
Alan Abraham
Director
Core festival team: Anca Florescu Abraham, Dhanashree Diwane, Zahabia Abid, Mohit Chhatrapati, Tina Sutaria, Shruti D’Souza and Sanne Gandhi, with all our volunteers.
Start a conversation.
We look forward to continuing the conversation and exploring how we can build this next chapter together.
20172019
Mural artists
Perform at The Steps
Photographers & creators
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