The History Of The NCPA Mumbai In 1 Minute

The National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) is a mainstay of Mumbai’s cultural landscape, and one of the best venues available for cultural performances in the city and state. With state-of-the-art facilities and a rich history of hosting iconic performances, the NCPA continues to be the place to go for niche cultural experiences in the city.
The NCPA was set up in 1969 as a national center to preserve and promote traditional and contemporary performing and visual arts. It was co-founded by JRD Tata and Dr Jamshed Bhabha. Interestingly, it is the first multi-venue, multi-purpose cultural centre to be built in South Asia. Even today, it remains India‘s biggest cultural centre of its type. Overlooking the sea at the prime Nariman Point, it is built on land reclaimed by the sea and spans over 32,000 square meters (340,000 square feet).

With more than 600 performances around the year, it is the culmination of the Tatas’ dream to have a world-class performance centre in Mumbai. It has five theatres specifically catering to the requirements of different genres of performing arts – The Tata Theatre and Jamshed Bhabha Theatre seat more than 1000 people and are theatres that can be used to stage complex events and productions. The Tata Theatre was built by renowned American Modernist architect Philip Johnson.

The NCPA is also home to the SOI (Symphony Orchestra of India), established in 2006. The NCPA today is host to performances from across the genre and over the years, has evolved to an accessible cultural center with ticket prices suitable for every budget.