Oasis (festival)
| Oasis | |
|---|---|
 Oasis logo | |
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Cultural festival |
| Frequency | Annual (53 editions) |
| Venue | BITS Pilani, Pilani campus |
| Locations | Pilani, Rajasthan, India |
| Years active | 1971–present |
| Attendance | over 8-10,000 attendees from 350+ colleges |
| Organised by | Students' Council for Cultural Activities (StuCCA), BITS Pilani |
| Website | bits-oasis.org |
Oasis is an annual cultural festival of the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (BITS Pilani). The festival features competitions and performances across a range of artistic disciplines including music, dance, drama, fashion, comedy and other genres of performing and visual arts.[1]
Oasis staged professional shows including semi-professional music competitions such as Rocktaves and student-led organizations.[2]
History
Oasis was formed in 1971[3] as an intra-college event, eventually expanding into a festival.
Past themes included:
- 2011 – The Road Trip[4]
- 2012 – The Reinvention[5]
- 2013 – The Elements
- 2014 – The '90s Show[6]
- 2015 – Around the World in 96 Hours[7]
- 2016 – Of Gods and Men[8]
- 2017 – Realms of Fiction[9]
- 2018 – The Far Our Fest[10]
- 2019 – Neon Noir[11]
- 2020 – Alchemist's Prophecy[12]
- 2022 – Demesne of the Lost Gold (50th edition celebration)[13]
- 2023 – Grimoire Galore[14]
- 2024 – Regal Roulette[15]
- 2025 – Whispers of Edo[3]
Events and activities
Oasis has hosted over 50 events across various artistic and intellectual domains featuring participation from 350+ colleges across India.
Music
Rocktaves was a collegiate rock competition. Preliminary rounds were held in eight cities: Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kochi, Pune, and Guwahati. Alumni include The Local Train, Parikrama, Indian Ocean, Anand Bhaskar Collective and Euphoria. Rap Wars was a hip-hop contest. Previous participants who have went on to achieve popularity are Raga, Seedhe Maut, Raftaar and Arpit Bala. Pitch Perfect, Andholika, Tarang, Free Jam, Drums Duel, Axetacy were a series of a cappella, solo vocals, instrumental, percussion, and guitar events.
Dance
Dance events include Choreography, Street Dance, Razzmataz, Desert Duel, and Tandav. They range from classical to urban contemporary.
Fashion and fine arts
FASHP (Fashion Show), Mr. & Mrs. Oasis, Femina Miss India Campus Rounds, Metamorphosis, Splash, and Exposure features such as videography, face painting, and photography contests.
Drama and public speaking
Stage Play was a competition featuring full-length dramatic productions. Street Play covered themes of social relevance and encouraged audience interaction. Mock Parliament featured simulated political debate. Oasis Debate tested participants' oratory and argumentative skills.
N2O: The Comedy Night
N2O is the concluding event of Oasis. It featured popular stand-up comedians such as Vir Das, Zakir Khan, Biswa Kalyan Rath, Kenny Sebastian, Kunal Kamra, and Abish Mathew.
Professional nights
Bollywood Night
The Hindi Prof Show has featured collaborations with Vishal Mishra (2024), Vishal–Shekhar (2023), Amit Trivedi (2022), Farhan Akhtar, Kailash Kher, Lucky Ali, and Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy.
EDM & Hip-Hop Night
Oasis’s EDM Night has featured DJs such as Nucleya, Seedhe Maut, KRSNA, DJ Shaan, Sevenn, Zaeden, Wolfpack, Arpit Bala, Foosie Gang, Panther, and Smoke.
Indie Night
Indie Night has featured artists such as Taba Chake, The Yellow Diary, Peter Cat Recording Co., When Chai Met Toast, The Backyard Shrooms, Parvaaz, Dualist Inquiry, The Ganesh Talkies, and Submarine in Space.
Organization
Oasis is organized by the Students' Council for Cultural Activities, including the General Secretary and the President of the Students' Union.
Major departments
- Art, Design and Publicity
- Reception and Accommodation
- Department of Control
- Publications and Correspondence
- Department of Visual Media
Minor departments
- Department of Firewallz
- Department of Live Events
- Department of Photography
- Informalz
- Lights
- Sounds
- Audi Force
- Backstage
- Department of Theatre
- Sponsorship and Marketing
Sponsorships and collaborations
Oasis receives corporate and media sponsorship from:
- Companies: OnePlus, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Airtel, Red Bull, BYJU'S, Infosys, Cognizant, Lenovo, Cisco, Myntra
- Media: NDTV Good Times, Channel V, ABP Live, Amar Ujala, 91.1 FM Radio City, Blogadda.com, Youth Incorporated, The Indian Music Diaries
References
- ↑ admin (3 November 2023). "BITS Pilani: Oasis in the Desert". BITS Pilani. Retrieved 2 May 2026.
- ↑ admin (3 November 2023). "BITS Pilani: Oasis in the Desert". BITS Pilani. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- 1 2 Education, ABP Live (4 November 2025). "BITS Pilani To Host Oasis 2025 With 'Whispers Of Edo', Blending Japanese Elegance With Indian Y". ABP Live. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ↑ DUBeat (18 October 2011). "BITS Oasis". DU Beat - Delhi University's Independent Student Newspaper. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ↑ "BITS Pilani's 'Oasis 2012- The Reinvention' festival kicks off today". Digit. 7 February 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ↑ Edex, Team (9 November 2014). "Campus Talk". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ↑ Beat, D. U. (7 November 2015). "BITS, Pilani Presents OASIS'15 - Around the World in 96 Hours". DU Beat - Delhi University's Independent Student Newspaper. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ↑ Beat, D. U. (20 October 2016). "Street Play and Classical Music highlights of Oasis Day 2". DU Beat - Delhi University's Independent Student Newspaper. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ↑ "BITS PIlani Archives". DU Beat - Delhi University's Independent Student Newspaper. 13 August 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ↑ "Govan Two Three! BITS Pilani Hosts Brit Virtuoso". www.rsjonline.com. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ↑ Admin, D2C. "Oasis - BITS, Pilani 2019: The Neon Noir Chapter - Dare2Compete". unstop.com. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ↑ admin (3 November 2023). "BITS Pilani: Oasis in the Desert". BITS Pilani. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
- ↑ Incorporated, Youth (28 November 2025). "Oasis 2025 Celebrates Cultural Excellence, Student Creativity and 24×4 Fest Spirit at BITS Pilani". Youth Incorporated Magazine. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ↑ Incorporated, Youth (30 October 2023). "Oasis: The Radiant Jewel of BITS Pilani". Youth Incorporated Magazine. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ↑ ABP News Bureau (19 October 2024). "Get Set For A Roller-Coaster Week As BITS Pilani Kicks Off Its Signature Event 'Oasis 2024'". ABP Live. Retrieved 17 March 2026.