"Pakistani Music: Qawwali, Folk and Where to Hear It Live"

Pakistani folk music is a family of regional traditions rather than one style: qawwali and Sufi kafi in Punjab and Sindh, Balochi epic and wedding songs, Pashto tappa and rabab music, and the drum-and-pipe music of the north. The most reliable way to hear it live is at a Sufi shrine on a Thursday night, when qawwals and dhol players perform for whoever turns up. Beyond that, the big chances come at festivals such as Lok Mela in Islamabad and the Arts Council seasons in Lahore and Karachi.

This guide explains the main traditions, what to listen for, and where and when you can hear each one.

What is qawwali?

Qawwali is devotional Sufi music sung by a lead singer and a chorus, with harmonium, tabla and rhythmic hand-clapping. A performance starts slowly and builds over many repetitions of a single line until the audience is swept up in it. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan made it known worldwide, and it remains the music most closely tied to Pakistan's shrines.

Where to hear it. Qawwali is held regularly at Data Darbar in Lahore, and Thursday is the busy night there. The shrine's annual mehfil-e-sama, a two-day qawwali festival held since 1965, moved in 1992 to a school nearby. Other big shrines, such as Bari Imam in Islamabad, also hold qawwali, above all during their urs. Our guide to hearing qawwali in Lahore covers the shrines and etiquette in detail.

For a seated, ticketed version, Alhamra in Lahore holds a Sufi festival: the December 2025 edition ran for three days with qawwals including Sher Miandad.

What is Sufi folk music in Punjab and Sindh?

Before qawwali reached the shrines, the poetry of Bulleh Shah, Sultan Bahu, Shah Hussain and Shah Abdul Latif was sung as kafi, a simpler form for one voice and a few instruments. Abida Parveen is its best-known modern singer.

Dhol and dhamaal at Shah Jamal

At the shrine of Baba Shah Jamal in Ichhra, Lahore, Thursday evenings are given over to dhol drumming and dhamaal, the spinning dance. The late Pappu Sain made these nights famous, playing there every week for decades; after his death in 2021, his son Qalander Baksh has carried on. See our Shah Jamal dhol night guide.

The faqirs of Bhit Shah

At the shrine of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai at Bhit Shah, near Hyderabad, faqirs dressed in black sing his verse, the Shah jo Raag, to the tambooro, a stringed instrument Latif is said to have invented. Dawn has described 80 faqirs singing in 14 groups, each taking a day or night, so music is heard there almost constantly. Bhittai's urs is the busiest time; in 2026 it fell at the end of July and Sindh gave 29 July as a public holiday. Our Sindhi Sufi music guide covers Bhit Shah and the urs gatherings.

At Sehwan Sharif, dhamaal is performed every evening at the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar. Sehwan lies in the part of Sindh north of Nawabshah where the UK advises against all but essential travel, so check current advice before going.

What does Balochi music sound like?

Balochi music is built around the suroz, a bowed fiddle, with the benju, a keyed zither, and the dohol drum. Its forms include zahirok, a melancholy song style traced back to the 15th century, leva songs for weddings and festivals, and long sung epics about figures such as Mir Chakar Rind.

The UK advises against all travel to Balochistan, so for most travellers Karachi, with its large Baloch population, is where they will hear it: at weddings, community events and cultural programmes at the Arts Council. Lok Mela in Islamabad, with its pavilions for every province, is another chance.

What is Pashto folk music?

Pashto music is driven by the rabab, a short-necked lute, with harmonium, tabla and the mangai, a clay pot used as a drum. The oldest and best-loved form is the tappa, a two-line verse that can carry any emotion. Others include charbeta, fast epic verse sung in chorus, and badala, long ballads of heroism and tragedy.

Pashto musicians have faced threats and exile during years of militancy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the UK currently advises against all travel to Peshawar and much of the province. For most visitors, Lok Mela in Islamabad and Pashtun weddings and gatherings elsewhere are the realistic places to hear it live.

For the music of the mountains, with its drums, pipes and dances, see our guide to music and dance in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Where can you hear folk music at a festival?

• Lok Mela, Islamabad. The national folk festival at Lok Virsa, Shakarparian, with musicians and dancers from every province performing alongside hundreds of craft stalls. In 2025 it ran from 9 to 16 November, 10am to 10pm, with entry of PKR 200 (PKR 100 for students). Dates for 2026 had not been announced when we checked. See our Lok Mela guide.
• Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi. Holds the Pakistan Music Festival (the 2026 edition ended on 27 September) and the World Culture Festival, which opens on 29 October 2026 and runs for a month, with about 80 per cent of events free but registration required.
• Alhamra, Lahore. Runs a Sufi festival in winter and regular concerts through the year.

Is it worth planning around?

Yes, if you can fit a Thursday night into a Lahore trip. A shrine evening is free, open to everyone and nothing like a concert. It suits adults and older children who are comfortable in big, loud crowds. It suits less well anyone who wants a seat and a schedule, since nights run late and the crowds pack tightly; for them, Alhamra or Lok Mela is the better choice. More ideas are on our experiences page.

At shrines, dress modestly, take off your shoes where others do, keep your bag close, and ask before filming people.

Frequently asked questions