The Aryavarth Express
Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], December 26: As the city gears up to welcome the New Year, Prohibition Week—Varanasi’s largest and pioneering New Year festival—has returned for its landmark eighth consecutive edition, bringing with it a surge of music, celebration, and youthful energy.
The 2025 edition of Prohibition Week is powered by RK Marble as the title sponsor and is supported by prominent partners including Triumph – Uday Auto Sales Pvt. Ltd., PepsiCo, VNS Live Studio, Sagar Ratna, Atomic Clinic, among others. Their continued association highlights the festival’s growing stature, credibility, and cultural influence over the years.
Scheduled to take place throughout the final week of December, culminating on New Year’s Eve, December 31, Prohibition Week 2025 offers a week-long celebration featuring music, fashion, food, and community engagement. The festival pioneered this large-scale, organised New Year entertainment format in Varanasi back in 2018, at a time when such platforms were largely absent in the city. Tickets are available via Zomato District, BookMyShow, and other major event platforms.
Conceptualised by Anshuman Singh, widely regarded as a key force behind Varanasi’s modern nightlife movement, Prohibition Week began as a bold and experimental idea. Over time, it has evolved into a flagship New Year event, drawing more than 30,000 attendees across its editions and becoming synonymous with the city’s year-end celebrations.
The eighth edition will be headlined by Ron Plays, one of Varanasi’s most popular DJs, known for his high-energy performances driven by crowd-favourite tracks. The festival will also feature international cuisine and is expected to attract thousands of visitors throughout the week, creating a vibrant, city-wide New Year atmosphere.
Reflecting on the journey, Founder Anshuman Singh said, “When we started Prohibition Week in 2018, there was no blueprint for nightlife in Varanasi. We built this scene from scratch with belief, consistency, and the support of our partners and audience. Eight years later, it’s incredible to see how far it has come.”
A returning attendee shared, “Prohibition Week is when Varanasi truly comes alive. It shows a side of the city people don’t expect but always remember.”
Today, Prohibition Week stands as a testament to Varanasi’s evolving identity—honouring its rich heritage while embracing youth culture, contemporary expression, and modern celebration.
