SOCIAL has launched Mela Mexicana, a month-long festival celebrating Mexican food, drinks and culture across all its outlets in India. Running from July 1 to July 31, 2026, the festival has been curated in collaboration with the Embassy of Mexico in India and aims to bring an immersive Mexican-inspired experience to guests through food, beverages, music, entertainment and community-led activities.
The festival transforms SOCIAL outlets with colourful décor inspired by Mexican street culture, featuring elements such as papel picado, alebrijes, lucha libre-inspired visuals and staff dressed in sombreros. Throughout the month, guests can also enjoy live Latin music, salsa evenings, themed workshops and interactive game nights.
Mexican-Inspired Menu Takes Centre Stage
As part of the celebration, SOCIAL has introduced a limited-time menu featuring its take on classic Mexican dishes. The offering includes tacos, quesadillas, empanadas, burritos, chimichangas, tortas and tostadas, along with vegetarian and non-vegetarian options designed to suit Indian palates.
The menu features dishes such as Guac ‘n’ Roll Chips, Chicken Tikka Tinga Tostada, Mutton Seekh Taco, Cheesy Chicken Quesadilla, Barbacoa Chicken Chimichanga, and Chicken Barbacoa Torta. Guests can round off their meals with desserts including Concha French Toast and The Impossible Cake, inspired by traditional Mexican sweets.
The beverage menu complements the food with tequila-forward cocktails, citrus-based drinks and Mexican-inspired flavours. Signature serves include Batanga, Borracho Michelada, Hibshi Margarita, El Tamarindo and Pineapple Jalapeño Picante. The festival also offers non-alcoholic beverages and shot-based drinks for those looking for lighter or celebratory options.
Festival Brings Community Experiences Beyond Food
Beyond its menu, Mela Mexicana has been designed as an experiential festival with activities taking place throughout the month. Every evening at 8:30 PM, SOCIAL outlets will host a short celebration where staff wearing sombreros move through the venue with maracas while offering complimentary celebratory shots to guests.
The programming also includes Telenovela Table Read, an improv-based storytelling experience inspired by Mexican soap operas, alongside Bingo Beats Club: Mela Mexicana Edition, a music-led take on Mexico’s traditional Lotería game. Additional events include salsa nights, themed workshops and community gatherings.
As part of the entertainment lineup, New Delhi-based Latin band Abakorao, led by Colombian musician Santiago Ramírez, will perform at select SOCIAL outlets, bringing genres including salsa, merengue, bachata, son, reggaetón, and cumbia to the festival.
With Mela Mexicana, SOCIAL aims to blend Mexican cultural traditions with its community-first hospitality format, offering guests a month-long celebration that combines food, music, nightlife, and interactive experiences across its outlets nationwide.
Riyaaz Amlani, Founder & Managing Director, Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality, said, “SOCIAL has always believed that culture is not something you observe from a distance; it is something you step into, share, and make your own. With Mela Mexicana, we are bringing the spirit of Mexico into the heart of India’s neighborhoods in a way only SOCIAL can: through food, drinks, music, performance, play, and community.”
He further added, “Mexico and India share a beautiful instinct for colour, spice, street food, celebration, and togetherness. This festival is our way of turning that shared energy into a month-long experience that feels global in inspiration, local in spirit, and unmistakably SOCIAL.”
Embassy of Mexico in India, “The Embassy of Mexico in India is delighted to collaborate with SOCIAL for Mela Mexicana, a month-long festival blending cultural heritage with economic enterprise. As one of Mexico’s most dynamic soft-power exports, gastronomy opens vital new avenues for trade, brand awareness, and bilateral growth. Through a curated fusion of Mexican culinary flavors, traditional music, and contemporary art, this collaboration invites Indian audiences to experience the deep cultural parallels between our two nations. Mela Mexicana is more than an event; it is a cultural dialogue uniting our people through a shared love for community, art, and food.”
Chef Shamsul Wahid, Group Executive Chef, Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality, and Chef Ashish Sharma Diaz Del Castillo said, “Mexican food and Indian food share a natural connection, both are generous, layered, spice-led and built around the joy of eating together,” said Chef Shamsul Wahid.
“With Mela Mexicana, we wanted to honour that shared spirit through familiar Mexican formats, while giving the menu a SOCIAL twist with flavours like tikka, seekh, chivda, gajar and nihari, so every dish feels festive, rooted and full of character,” added Chef Ashish Sharma Diaz Del Castillo.
