Mehfil Returns with Three-City Tour in May 2026
Mehfil, the live music initiative co-founded by Muhammad Ibrahim and acclaimed music producer Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan, known as Xulfi, is set to return with a three-city tour in May 2026. The tour will cover Karachi, Islamabad, and Lahore, bringing together diverse musical traditions and talent.
Background and Previous Success
Last year, Mehfil made its debut in Lahore with a musical extravaganza that featured young talent from Hunza alongside the iconic band Call, which reunited after many years, and acclaimed singer and actor Farhan Saeed. The event took audiences on a nostalgic journey, performing millennial favorites like Pee Jaoun and Laari Chootee. The Hunza-based orchestra, known as the LLMC Ensemble, used traditional instruments such as the Dadang, Chitrali Sitar, and Xhiggini, earning a rapturous response at Lahore’s Alhamra Arts Council.
The LLMC Ensemble and Its Origins
The LLMC Ensemble is trained at the Leif Larsen Music Centre (LLMC) in Hunza, established by the Aga Khan Music Programme (AKMP) and Aga Khan Cultural Services – Pakistan (AKCS-P), in partnership with the Norwegian Embassy. The center aims to preserve the indigenous music traditions of Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral, including traditional instruments that are increasingly at risk due to the dominance of contemporary musical forms.
Creative Vision and Collaboration
Mehfil is the brainchild of Giraffe Private Limited, known for producing recent seasons of Coke Studio with hits like Pasoori and Jhol. The initiative is designed as a live music property that brings together distinct musical lineages, established voices, and younger talent. The team previously led the Humnava project, an innovative platform for international artists to collaborate, live, and record in a shared space, piloted in Hunza with artists from Pakistan, France, Germany, Algeria, and Zambia.
Upcoming Tour and Partnership
The latest chapter of Mehfil is a scaled-up edition, offering audiences in Karachi (May 8), Islamabad (May 16), and Lahore (May 23) a fusion of mountain melodies and contemporary music. Giraffe Private Limited and HUM Network, through their enterprise Karwaan Music (Private) Limited, are organizing the performances, while AKCS-P mobilizes the LLMC band. A formal partnership was signed at the AKCS-P Zaman Park office, with representatives from both organizations discussing the significance of promoting emerging and established Pakistani music talent.
Quotes and Reflections
Reflecting on the project, Xulfi said: “Mehfil came from a very simple but powerful desire: to create a space where different musical worlds could meet each other with honesty, warmth, and excitement. We often inherit songs in one form and one memory, but when those same songs are reinterpreted through different instruments, regions, and sensibilities, they begin to reveal new emotional colours. That, for me, is where Mehfil becomes special. What moved me most in the first edition was seeing how naturally these worlds came together.”
