Participants of a Tamil film music singalong programme in Tiruchi.

| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Participants being explained rules and regulations of a singalong session programme in Tiruchi.

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‘Singalong’ programmes, where a bunch of music lovers congregate and sing a set playlist together informally, have emerged as a new stress buster and non-digital form of entertainment in Tiruchi.Though karaoke, an interactive entertainment where participants sing to pre-recorded music is already popular, ‘singalongs’ are a bit more fun and hands-on, because of their embrace of all age groups grooving to a common choice of songs.It is not just about nursery rhymes in kindergarten or devotional choral singing anymore. Tamil film music singalongs are making a splash everywhere.“We do not really care about your singing skills. Once you register, we share the selected song list through a dedicated WhatsApp group. Participants simply have to bring their phones to follow the lyrics and sing the best they can or enjoy listening to others,” S. Kowsalya, founder of The Horizon Quest, a regular organiser of singalong programmes in Tiruchi, told The Hindu.Working with co-host Thanuja and a live orchestra (Band Cloud 8.9), The Horizon Quest has organised approximately eight Tamil film music singalongs in Tiruchi, with its most recent on July 12, based on a love theme.“We began with storytelling and songs, but as the number of enrolments increased, we decided to just restrict it to singalongs. Typically we get a minimum of 50 persons signing up per programme. More people come to the venue to register before the event. We charge a fee to cover the cost of venue, refreshments and the live band,” said Ms. Thanuja.Themes are chosen to keep everyone interested and focused.“Singing in a crowd, with people you have never met before can be liberating. You hear your voice mingling with others and it calms your nerves. This is why singalongs work for big and small occasions,” said M. Ilavarasi, a singer and the founder of Glaze Events, a city-based organiser of singalong programmes.Newly opened sports complexes and cafeterias in Tiruchi provide the venues for singalong programmes. Organisers said the rising demand for such events could revive the fortunes of musicians in and around Tiruchi who are in need of employment. Published - July 12, 2026 07:10 pm IST