Culture on Uproaring Rise: A Boom of Musical Concerts in India

One might want to check the Instagram page of Coldplay – a British rock band – for announcements about the concerts they might be performing in. However, in India, people, or rather fans, have also started checking the Instagram page of 'Coldplay India' for updates and tickets, especially since the band's announcement in August to perform in India next year. Originally a fan page that may have started in February, it has gained immense traction since the announcement. As the admin, who maintains confidentiality, says, the views on its reels shot up to 56-60 million in just two days, while more than 10,000 requests have been received for tickets – which the community page does not offer.

If there is one thing common to almost every second Instagram post currently, it would be a concert. Social media is buzzing nearly every single day with announcements of concerts by both Indian and international bands and artists, and it has become part of the daily routine for those who can afford it. Recently, clips of Diljit Dosanjh, along with Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone, surfaced online from Dosanjh’s Bengaluru concert. Meanwhile, netizens could not stop discussing how the Indo-Canadian rapper-singer AP Dhillon, performing at the MMRDA grounds in Mumbai’s Bandra, fell into the crowd! Before this, artists like Dua Lipa and Maroon 5 performed in Mumbai, while another popular name, Linkin Park, also announced its debut concert in India next year. Indian artist Diljit Dosanjh, on the other hand, has already been on one of his most successful – and controversial – tours in India, titled ‘Dil-Luminati Tour’.

What all of this highlights is that while concerts are not a new phenomenon in India, the fondness for attending them is currently simmering across the country, with a tremendous increase in popularity. The Coldplay ticket controversy in September stands as a testament to this cultural shift. Reportedly, the online ticketing platform BookMyShow sold all 1.5 lakh tickets for the concert within 30 minutes, and some reports even noted people paying 9,00,000 rupees in resale, further highlighting this change. As the band is scheduled to perform at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, a satellite town of Mumbai, Coldplay India has stated that they are expecting 100-200 million campaign views during the concert week and beyond.

As per a report, music concerts in India generated around 8 billion rupees in revenue in 2023, with an estimated 25% increase by 2025. Coldplay India's admin, himself a Coldplay fan and, otherwise, the Chief of Staff for a European start-up, mentioned that people from Tier 1 cities are primarily engaging with the updates. “With a growing number of global events and artists choosing India as a destination, the industry is evolving at a pace that seems even faster than fans might have hoped,” he says, adding that if the trend continues, the craze around live events will stabilise and shift towards those who provide "real experiential value". “Others might struggle to benefit from the growing influx of concert demand in India,” says the admin.

According to a recently released Bank of Baroda report, concerts in India will drive increased spending and boost private final consumption expenditure. Although concerts are not uncommon in India, the Indian economy has not been accustomed to such levels of spending when it comes to live events. Hyperlink Brand Solutions, which manages Mahindra Independence Rock and other festivals, has also seen growth over the past few years. “Mahindra Independence Rock has seen a 15% increase in ticket sales from 2023 to 2024, with over 7,000 attendees at its latest edition. Similarly, other festivals have experienced double-digit growth in ticket revenue year-on-year, indicating a steady increase in audience spending power and willingness to engage with live music experiences,” says Jairam VG, the founder of Hyperlink.

Citing several reasons for the cultural shift towards immersive entertainment experiences, he says that the Indian diaspora, as well as young Indians, are increasingly exposed to global music trends and concert cultures due to streaming platforms and social media. Additionally, rising disposable incomes among the middle and upper-middle classes contribute to this shift. “It allows for discretionary spending on leisure activities, and younger generations value experiences, such as attending live events, over material possessions,” he further explains, adding that improved infrastructure and quality provided by event organisers also play a significant role in this trend.

With the growing demand for such events, there has also been an acceleration in the black market for tickets. While ticket scalping is illegal in India, BMS was summoned for the same during the sale of Coldplay’s tickets for the Mumbai concert, where people allegedly bought tickets in bulk and paid five times the original price on other sites. Jairam VG says, “We need to implement dynamic pricing models where ticket prices increase as demand rises, reducing opportunities for scalpers. We can also use technology to link tickets to individual identities (such as Aadhaar or government IDs), ensuring only the original buyer can access the event.” Discussing other solutions to curb ticket scalping, he also suggests providing “official, regulated platforms for ticket resale at controlled prices” and educating audiences on the risks of buying from unauthorised sellers, while encouraging them to report incidents of scalping.

What is the Psychology behind it?

Joyeeta Adhikary, a counselling psychologist and faculty member at Swami Vivekananda University, who agrees to have observed the sanctimonious nature of the surge for concerts, says, “The desire to experience international bands live, despite the high prices, is driven by the aspirational value associated with attending such events.” She also adds that the influence of social media is a contributing factor. On the other hand, Adhikary highlights the negative impact of this surge, saying, “The emphasis on attending concerts as a status symbol may lead to a superficial appreciation of music, rather than a genuine interest in the art form.”

Not just in T1 but a regional uprise 

The interests of Assam residents might also be changing, observes Shankuraj Konwar, a regional singer who performs in shows and concerts primarily across Assam. Hailing from Jorhat, Konwar has seen the culture evolve over the years. He says, “In the past, people were mainly interested in Bihu (the most popular festival of Assam) events and would come to watch the singers perform, free of charge. This made them reluctant to pay for ticketed events. However, we’ve started seeing people paying for concerts, even for Bihu events.”

Northeastern India and its far-flung corners are gaining popularity as hosts of live events and concerts, thanks to the available space at affordable rates, unlike the situation in Tier-1 cities. Konwar suggests that this could be one of the reasons for the cultural shift. According to the 34-year-old, the presence of artists on social media and their ability to directly connect with fans is also encouraging people to pay for concerts — something that wasn’t the case before the immense rise in social media popularity in India.

Fondness for live tunes, not words

Even as the country witnesses a surge in live events, promising a booming industry, it would not be wrong to say that not all segments of live events are experiencing the same growth. Unlike music, which is currently trending, the origins of live events—such as poetry and lyrics—continue to lag behind. Priyanshu Modi, a storyteller and poet from Delhi, says, “The trend for attending concerts has certainly increased when it comes to live events, but there has been a very slow rise in the popularity of poetry.” He points out that the aspirational value attached to attending live events is more strongly gratified in musical concerts than in poetry events.

Regardless, Modi, 23, who has been performing for over four years, notes that the number of people attending poetry events has increased post-pandemic. “People, especially the younger generation, now value experiences more than material things, which has led to this rise,” he says, adding that the phrase “we have one life” has gained prominence after the COVID-19 pandemic, and the impact can also be seen in live events like concerts.