India’s live music entertainment scene is back with a BIG BANG! While international artists are making a beeline to perform on Indian soil, the response from the concert-goers has been overwhelming. Last year, Backstreet Boys, Deep Purple, Goo Goo Dolls, 50 Cent and Ed Sheeran regaled audiences with their electrifying performance. Cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi, Kolkata, and Pune lead the pack when it comes to live concerts of international artists. No wonder a report by international consulting firm (EY) pegs India’s live music concert business revenue generation to a whopping Rs 1,000 core by next year.
Music to the Ears
The 2024 social calendar of music aficionados is chockablock with live music shows and concerts. This year, the much-awaited Lollapalooza India 2024 live concert in Mumbai (January 27-28) has a line-up of over 40 international stars — Sting, Jonas Brothers, Halsey, Anoushka Shankar, Lauv, etc to name a few. The Mahindra Blues Festival 2024 (February 10-11) has a bevy of top blues singers, including a fab line-up of women in blues — Berth Hart, Samantha Fish, Dana Fuchs, Vanessa Collier, Sheryl Youngblood among others. Come March, and pop sensation Ed Sheeran will return to India with his ‘+ - = ÷ x’ India Tour on March 16 in Mumbai. Ed’s mathematical symbol album names (‘+ - = ÷ x’) have already set the moolah rolling. The Ziro Festival (September-October) in the North East is another crowd-puller.
Nestled against the picturesque backdrop of the Ziro Valley in Arunachal Pradesh, the Ziro Fest is not just a music fest, it’s an embodiment of passion, cultural diversity and sustainability.
Follow the Moolah
Owen Roncon, Chief of Business, Live Entertainment, BookMyShow says, “Since the announcement of Lollapalooza India 2024, the early bird ticket sales phases, incorporating a special window for the #LollaSquad (supporters of inaugural edition) and another presale window for RuPay Credit Card holders, the festival has met with a phenomenal response leading to rapid sell-outs within a few days for each phase.” Most of those who attended the inaugural edition have secured their spot this year too. Owen adds, “We have continued to witness a positive response of ticket sales on BookMyShow. Right from the announcement of the artist line-up to the release of the day-wise schedule last week, each phase has contributed to a significant surge in popularity of the festival on the charts across India and Asia.”
The attendees are eager to immerse themselves into a multifaceted experience that extends beyond the diverse musical line-up! If you go by numbers, then most of the early birds have already pecked the phase-one tickets. The Lollapalooza tickets start from Rs 5,999 onwards. The Mahindra Blues are from Rs 3,999, while the Ed Sheeran tour tickets start at Rs 9,500.
Fans are willing to buy steep tickets to see their favourite stars perform live. In 2017, Justin Bieber held his first concert in India. Despite the hefty ticket price, over 40,000 fans attended the concert. The inaugural edition of Asia’s largest multi-genre music festival (Lollapalooza 2023) in Mumbai was a roaring success. It brought 40+ international artists and nearly 60,000 fans together. The excitement for the second edition of Lollapalooza has been overwhelming.
Contributing Factors
There are various factors contributing to this trend. India has the largest youth-adult population in the world. More than 50% of our population is below the age of 25 and over 65% is below the age of 35. Most youngsters and music lovers want to attend live music concerts which can offer a world-class entertainment experience in terms of light, sound quality, and artist line-ups. International stars are also stunned to see the gigantic crowds “The disposable income of young adults is growing in leaps and bounds. Not just in big cities, but in two-tier and three-tier cities. Every year, several music aficionados travel from all over the country to attend live music concerts of international artists,” explains Jay Shah, vice-president, Head Cultural Outreach, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. The Mahindra Blues Festival in Mumbai has a 90% line-up of international artists.
There was a lull a few years ago because of red-tapeism. But in the last 10 years, there has been a resurgence of music events and shows in India. The sheer appetite for live music has increased. Jay feels there are various factors contributing to this trend – the digital age, better infrastructure and favourable government policies. There are restrictions even today, but most event management companies have found ways to circumvent them and carry on. Jazz and blues aficionado Mehmood Curmally (62), one of the ex-owners of the iconic Rhythm House music store that shut down in 2016 says that Indian society has always been open and accepting of all kinds of musical genres and cultures. “In the 1950s and 1960s, there was a heavy influence of jazz music in India. Many renowned artists came down to India and performed in cities like Mumbai and Kolkata,” he says. Singers like Sting, Ian Anderson, Anoushka Shankar, Peter Andre and The Police would often be spotted inside the iconic music store at Kala Ghoda, Mumbai.
World-class Entertainment
There is no biz like showbiz because that’s where fame and fortune lie. But insiders say that all event companies are kind of experimenting with the saleability of high-priced tickets. Most follow the dynamic ticket pricing pattern like airlines. Tickets are sold in phases and then the prices are hiked or lowered depending on the response. “Frankly, nobody has found a sweet spot where ticket pricing is concerned,” says Jay. The global music tour market is expected to grow at a compounded annual rate (CAGR) of 7% from 2022 to 2032. The Asia-Pacific region is piped as the fastest-growing music concert market. The first edition of Lollapalooza saw nearly 60,000 footfalls in 2023. “Nearly 28% of this audience was Gen-Z. Fans across India and Asia converged in Mumbai. Nearly 35% of the crowd hailed from outside Mumbai, a striking 60% of all transactions on BookMyShow were for a solo ticket to the festival,” says Owen.
A concert like Lollapalooza or the live shows hosted by Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber, Enrique Iglesias or Dua Lipa draw several thousands of people. While a Mahindra Blues has approximately 2,500 footfalls per day. “The genre of blues commands a more intimate space setting. It’s not a Beyonce open-air concert where you can fill the entire stadium. Blues is very niche. It’s our conscious decision to keep it small and intimate,” Shah explains. Live events require careful planning and labour, providing opportunities for strategic brand investments in the entertainment ecosystem.
The disposable income of young adults is growing in leaps and bounds. Every year, music aficionados travel from all over the country to attend concerts of international artists.” - Jay Shah, Vice-President, Head Cultural Outreach, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.
The festival has met with a phenomenal response leading to rapid sell-outs within a few days for each phase.” - Owen Roncon, Chief of Business, Live Entertainment, BookMyShow
Work Hard, Party Harder
Indo Warehouse (Jan 28) Hyderabad
Lollapalooza India 2024 (Jan 27-28), Mumbai
Mahindra Blues Fest (Feb 10-11), Mumbai
VH1 Supersonic 2024 (Feb 16-18), Pune
Ed Sheeran India Tour (Mar 16), Mumbai
Ziro Music Festival (Sept-Oct) Arunachal Pradesh
Hornbill Music Festival (December), Kohima, Nagaland
NH7 Weekender
Woods Talk, Rishikesh
Mood Indigo, IIT-Bombay
Sula Fest, Nasik
