Inside Cosmopolitan India’s first-ever sundowner soirée

If there is one thing Cosmo knows how to do—and do well—it’s to throw a party. So, for its 30th birthday bash, the magazine teamed with Holiday Inn, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts, as the title and venue partner for the very first Cosmo Splash—a laid-back poolside sundowner where some of our favourite faces from fashion, entertainment, and the creator space came together like old friends.

On October 30, Holiday Inn at Aerocity set the scene for our glamorous gathering: an evening of statement sunnies, beauty touch-ups, cocktails, and long-overdue catch-ups. Sunglasses partner Opium Eyewear invited guests to try on frame after frame, while the Lakmé booth was the place to play with new makeup looks. Celebration partners Simba and Zig Zag kept the drinks flowing all night, and rest assured, nobody left empty-handed. Our guests took home swag bags featuring goodies from each of our partners—sunnies from Opium Eyewear, beauty must-haves from Lakmé, a tumbler from KIXA, a travel pouch from Miraggio, and perfumes from Savanna by Urbanic.

The guest list was every bit as eclectic as we had hoped. Actor Ahsaas Channa and content creators Ankita Chhetri and Prableen Kaur Bhomrah travelled from Mumbai to join the celebrations, while Deepika Venkatachalam flew in from Chennai. Holiday Inn made sure our outstation guests felt right at home with personalised desserts bearing the Cosmopolitan name. Because if there is ever a time to have your name on a dessert, it is on your birthday.

And of course, good food kept the good times rolling. Holiday Inn served up an assortment of starters, with options ranging from Caesar tortilla cones and watermelon-feta-mint bites to beetroot, orange, and fennel chips. Plus, salmon and cucumber bites and caramelised fig, Brie, and prune skewers rounded out the spread, giving guests plenty to graze on as the evening unfolded. Our guest list reflected the many worlds Cosmo India brings together, from established names in fashion to familiar faces from the creator community.

Designers Shivan & Narresh, Jenjum Gadi, Sushant Abrol, and Sameer Madan joined the party alongside Rishabh Kumar, co-founder and creative director of Farak. Creators turned out in force too, with Ella D’ Verma, Vansh Upadhyay, Upalina Gupta, Tanya Bedi, Prish, Saloni Mittal, Tarun Kinra, and Mohak Narang among the many who came to celebrate.

DJs Bahaar and Arya kept the energy high with a soundtrack made for the poolside. As the sun set and the lights came on, the conversations kept flowing, glasses were raised, and everyone made the most of the occasion.

And what’s a 30th birthday without a cake? The evening got its sweetest moment when the birthday cake made its entrance, giving everyone one more reason to celebrate. After all, three decades of Cosmopolitan India deserve a little extra frosting!

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