Spoken Fest
Spoken Fest is a multi-city live spoken word festival brand under Kommune, India's storytelling collective, operating multi-stage events across four cities for individual audiences seeking authentic storytelling, poetry, and community connection.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- Headquarters—
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Spoken Fest does
Spoken Fest is a multi-city, multi-stage spoken word festival positioned as Asia's largest in its category, presented by Kommune, India's storytelling collective. The festival operates live events across four cities, delivering programming that includes storytelling performances, poetry sessions, panel conversations, and hands-on workshops. It serves individual consumers — described in its own materials as people seeking genuine connection, poetry enthusiasts, seasoned storytellers, and curious newcomers — rather than enterprise or B2B clients. Scale signals from the company's own website cite 14,000+ cumulative audiences, 1,500+ crew members, and 150+ artists featured across the festival's footprint.
The underlying product is fundamentally a live experiential event rather than a technology platform; there is no proprietary software, app, or AI infrastructure referenced in available materials. Spoken Fest has no mobile app and no disclosed API or SDK surface. Distribution and monetization run through third-party ticketing (BookMyShow is the official ticketing partner for the Mumbai 2026 edition), with audiences purchasing tickets to attend in-person events. Marketing and demand generation lean on organic social channels (Instagram accounts @spokenfest, @kommuneity, @kommuneoffline and the @KommuneIndia YouTube channel) plus email outreach via [email protected]. Spoken Fest is a brand under Kommune, the operating entity co-founded by Roshan Abbas, Ankur Tewari, Gaurav Kapur, Ranjit Raina, and Tess Joseph; the festival operates without disclosed external institutional investment and is not publicly listed.
The business model is event-driven and transactional: revenue is generated primarily through ticket sales on a per-event basis, distributed via BookMyShow and direct venue attendance. GTM is event-led, with seasonal festival editions (Season 2026-27 announced as upcoming) acting as the core acquisition and retention mechanism. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and no sponsorship, merchandise, or secondary monetization streams are confirmed in the available data. The festival's competitive positioning emphasizes community-building and authentic storytelling rather than technology differentiation.
Spoken Fest firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Spoken Fest
- Legal name
- Spoken Fest
- Website
- https://spokenfest.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Spoken Fest is a multi-city live spoken word festival brand under Kommune, India's storytelling collective, operating multi-stage events across four cities for individual audiences seeking authentic storytelling, poetry, and community connection.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Spoken Fest industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Live Arts & Cultural Events Festival
- NAICS
- Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Storytelling Events (Moth-style, Live Narratives) (MPAGACAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Spoken-Word Poetry Slams (MPAGACAF), Spoken Word & Performance Poetry Workshops (EDAMAMAM), Author Talks & Book Readings (MPAGACAH)
Keywords
Spoken Fest business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Festival Ticketing and Attendance: Spoken Fest generates revenue through ticket sales for its multi-city spoken word festival events. Audiences purchase tickets to attend performances, workshops, and related festival experiences across 4 cities.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Spoken Fest product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Spoken Fest is Asia's largest spoken word festival, a multi-city, multi-stage live event presented by Kommune that celebrates storytelling, poetry, and performance arts. The festival produces live storytelling performances, poetry recitals, hands-on workshops for voice discovery, and thought-provoking conversations across 4 cities, featuring 150+ artists and serving 14,000+ audiences with 1,500+ crew. Revenue is generated primarily through ticket sales distributed via BookMyShow, targeting individual consumers seeking authentic connection, poetry enthusiasts, seasoned storytellers, and curious newcomers.
Product overview
Spoken Fest operates as a multi-city spoken word festival, Asia's largest, presented by Kommune. The portfolio consists of the Spoken Fest festival (core event product) and its parent organization Kommune, a storytelling collective that curates creative experiences including Spoken Fest and other artistic programs. Spoken Fest is the primary product offering—a multi-stage, multi-city festival that brings together diverse voices from across the continent through live storytelling, poetry, workshops, and community events. Kommune serves as the parent collective and creative umbrella that houses Spoken Fest and related creative experiences.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Spoken Fest Festival Asia's largest spoken word festival - a multi-city, multi-stage live event featuring storytelling performances, poetry sessions, thought-provoking conversations, hands-on workshops, and community-building experiences across 4 cities. Aimed at poetry enthusiasts, seasoned storytellers, and curious newcomers seeking authentic human connection through spoken word arts.
- Hands-on Voice Discovery Workshops Interactive workshops offered as part of Spoken Fest programming where attendees discover their own voice through guided spoken word and storytelling exercises, designed for individuals seeking to find and express their authentic voice.
Companies that use Spoken Fest
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Spoken Fest technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Spoken Fest partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- BookMyShowcoreBookMyShow serves as the official ticketing partner for Spoken Fest events, including the Mumbai 2026 edition. The platform provides ticket distribution and sales services for the festival's live events across multiple cities.
- KommunecoreKommune is the parent organization and co-founder of Spoken Fest. Founded by Roshan Abbas, Ankur Tewari, Gaurav Kapur, Ranjit Raina, & Tess Joseph, Kommune is India's leading storytelling collective that curates Spoken Fest and other creative experiences. Kommune builds spaces where art and community come together, from stage to screen.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Spoken Fest competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Prithvi Theatre: Iconic Mumbai-based performing arts venue producing year-round theater, storytelling, and spoken-word programming. Comparable as a regional India performing-arts institution intersecting with Spoken Fest's audience and venue ecosystem.
- India Habitat Centre (visual & performing arts programming): Major Delhi-based arts and culture institution running year-round performing arts, literary, and storytelling programming. Comparable as a regional venue/curator in India that overlaps with Spoken Fest's premium cultural audience.
Broad incumbents
- TEDx (TED conferences): TEDx events are globally distributed, multi-city live talk-format events centered on ideas and storytelling. Comparable as a broader incumbent operating live spoken-word programming at far greater scale, with overlapping audiences.
- Toastmasters International: Global public-speaking and storytelling community with local chapters in India. Comparable as an incumbent building a long-term spoken-word/communication community at scale, potentially adjacent audience overlap with Spoken Fest attendees.
Direct peers
- The Moth: The Moth runs the world's most recognized live storytelling events and 'Moth StorySlams,' a format Spoken Fest explicitly echoes. It is the most direct global comparator in live personal narrative / spoken word performance.
- Jaipur Literature Festival: Asia's largest literary festival, held annually in India with massive multi-city literary programming. Comparable as a flagship India-based literary/word-of-mouth festival competing for similar audiences, sponsors, and author talent.
- National Storytelling Festival: The flagship U.S. storytelling festival held in Jonesborough, Tennessee. Direct comparator as a dedicated live storytelling festival at scale, validating Spoken Fest's positioning as a regional equivalent in Asia.
Emerging players
- The Hive Poetry Collective: India-based poetry and spoken-word collective running regular open-mic and showcase events. Comparable as an emerging grassroots player nurturing the same spoken-word performer pipeline that feeds Spoken Fest's larger stage programming.
- Bangalore Literature Festival: Annual literary festival in Bengaluru featuring poetry, storytelling, and spoken-word sessions. Comparable as an emerging India-based literary/spoken-word festival in a different geography, competing for similar authors and audiences.
Others
- Kommune (parent): Spoken Fest's parent storytelling collective, co-founded by Roshan Abbas, Ankur Tewari, Gaurav Kapur, Ranjit Raina, and Tess Joseph. Relevant as the operating parent producing Spoken Fest and other creative experiences from stage to screen.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Spoken Fest social profiles
Digital presenceSpoken Fest financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Spoken Fest leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Spoken Fest funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Spoken Fest M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Spoken Fest
What does Spoken Fest do?
Spoken Fest is Asia's largest spoken word festival, a multi-city, multi-stage live event presented by Kommune that celebrates storytelling, poetry, and performance arts. The festival produces live storytelling performances, poetry recitals, hands-on workshops for voice discovery, and thought-provoking conversations across 4 cities, featuring 150+ artists and serving 14,000+ audiences with 1,500+ crew. Revenue is generated primarily through ticket sales distributed via BookMyShow, targeting individual consumers seeking authentic connection, poetry enthusiasts, seasoned storytellers, and curious newcomers.
Is Spoken Fest a public or private company?
Spoken Fest is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Spoken Fest founded?
Spoken Fest was founded in -1.
How does Spoken Fest make money?
One revenue line is on record: festival Ticketing and Attendance.
Who are Spoken Fest's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Prithvi Theatre and India Habitat Centre (visual & performing arts programming). Broad incumbents are TEDx (TED conferences) and Toastmasters International. Direct peers are The Moth, Jaipur Literature Festival and National Storytelling Festival. Emerging players are The Hive Poetry Collective and Bangalore Literature Festival. Kommune (parent) is listed as an others.
Does Spoken Fest have an API?
No public API is recorded for Spoken Fest.
What industry is Spoken Fest in?
Spoken Fest's product category is Live Arts & Cultural Events Festival. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGACAG, Storytelling Events (Moth-style, Live Narratives), with a secondary code of MPAGACAF, Spoken-Word Poetry Slams. Its NAICS code is 711190.