(Clockwise from above, left) Shawn Mendes at Lollapalooza India 2025; Inexperienced Day at Lollapalooza India 2025; Coldplay’s Chris Martin at Music Of The Spheres India Tour; Zedd at Lollapalooza India 2025; All pictures: BookMyShow
India’s live performance scene this 12 months has already witnessed international stars like Coldplay, Cigarettes After Intercourse and Ed Sheeran enthral audiences. Including to the checklist was Lollapalooza India’s third version, which introduced first-time performances by Inexperienced Day, Shawn Mendes, Aurora, Louis Tomlinson, and extra, and drew near 40,000 attendees over two days in Mumbai. On Tuesday, BookMyShow introduced rapper Travis Scott’s India debut in Delhi this October.
“It’s extremely thrilling to see the world’s greatest artistes actively India as a key cease on their international excursions. We’re now listening to instantly from our international companions that artistes are wanting to carry out in India, recognising not simply the huge alternative but in addition the depth of true fandom that exists right here,” says Anil Makhija, COO, Reside Leisure & Venues, BookMyShow.
In response to EY, in 2023, India’s reside occasions market was valued at Rs 88 billion and is projected to succeed in Rs 143 billion by 2026, a compound annual progress price (CAGR) of 17.6 %. Music occasions kind a good portion of this ecosystem, with live performance numbers anticipated to soar from 8,000 in 2018 to over 16,700 by 2025.
In dialog with Forbes India, Makhija talks concerning the challenges of organising high-quality productions of huge scale, constructing infrastructure in India, and extra. Edited excerpts:
Q. How do you guarantee these large-scale music exhibits meet worldwide requirements whereas catering to various audiences?
Internet hosting these occasions requires vital investments and meticulous monetary planning throughout numerous areas to make sure a high-quality expertise. We’re dedicated to 2 key targets: First, bringing world-class reside leisure to India and cementing the nation’s place on the worldwide reside leisure map; second, delivering an expertise that matches worldwide requirements, proper right here at dwelling.
This strategy is mirrored in our expenditure, which extends past venue, expertise, manufacturing and licensing. We go the additional mile to make sure our occasions are extra than simply about music; they’re about crafting unforgettable moments by enhancing peripheral choices, together with on-ground engagements, F&B and hospitality, merchandise, parking and seamless ingress administration.
Q. Are you observing a rising development of worldwide artistes exhibiting curiosity in touring India? What are the components contributing to this development?
I can proudly say that our credibility and model belief has been instrumental in introducing India to international artistes who’re eager on together with the nation as a part of their international excursions. Bringing them to India was a problem prior to now, and we have now been working in the direction of fixing this, whereas elevating the reside leisure ecosystem over the previous few years.
There’s a stark distinction between the reside music scene in India within the final 5-7 years vis-a-vis at this time. Whereas we have now a couple of challenges, together with devoted infrastructure, repeat market potentialities and a extra developed cultural alignment, the excellent news is that these are all properly on the way in which to get resolved.
Now we have demonstrated that India is a potent, commercially viable market with an unbelievable and big fan base for artistes throughout numerous genres of leisure and music. Now we have proven that we have now acquired what it takes to ship high quality experiences that India has grown to count on according to international experiences and are prepared to pay a premium for the same expertise again dwelling. We’re very assured that it’ll solely get higher from right here on for all concerned.
Q. What are the challenges of managing the size and complexity of occasions reminiscent of Lollapalooza?
Organising a pageant of Lollapalooza India’s scale is a monumental job, requiring meticulous planning and seamless execution throughout a number of fronts. With 4 huge phases, 35-plus artists and tens of 1000’s of followers, each aspect should come collectively flawlessly.
One of many greatest challenges is logistics and infrastructure; of reworking an city area right into a world-class pageant venue, whereas guaranteeing clean entry, exit and inner motion for attendees. From staging, sound and lighting to water stations, safety and medical services, each element have to be optimised for consolation and security. Artiste administration and scheduling additionally require precision. With a various lineup, coordinating worldwide and home artiste logistics, journey, hospitality and efficiency necessities is a large enterprise.
Climate unpredictability, crowd administration and guaranteeing a seamless tech-enabled expertise, from ticketing to cashless transactions, additional add to the challenges. Moreover, sustainability and environmental duty are on the coronary heart of our planning. Implementing inexperienced initiatives, minimising waste and guaranteeing eco-conscious pageant operations add one other layer of complexity.
Q. What drives nearly all of your revenues: Ticket gross sales or model partnerships?
Whereas ticketing stays a main income stream, BookMyShow Reside has additionally expanded its focus to peripheral experiences reminiscent of meals and beverage choices, merchandise and different bespoke parts. These additionally work collectively to create a holistic and immersive expertise for attendees.
Q. What are the important thing infrastructure challenges India should handle to additional develop its live performance financial system?
We’re investing considerably in infrastructure to determine India as a set vacation spot on international tour routes of worldwide artists. A main instance of that is our work at Mahalaxmi Racecourse [in Mumbai], the place we collaborate with authorities to make the area consumer-friendly and ready-to-use. We’re working with authorities to streamline this course of, aiming to improve the racecourse right into a plug-and-play venue of world-class requirements.
In Bengaluru, we have now made related strides, internet hosting large-scale occasions at venues reminiscent of Embassy Worldwide Driving Faculty, NICE Grounds, Bhartiya Mall of Bengaluru and others. We collaborate with landowners to repurpose unused areas into vibrant occasion places.
Q. How is BookMyShow leveraging innovation and R&D to handle these infrastructural challenges?
We’ve made substantial investments in infrastructure. An instance of that is India’s first all-black-steel VerTech stage, designed with a loading capability of fifty tonnes, in comparison with the everyday 15-tonne capability of most Indian reside occasion phases. This improve is essential for A-list worldwide artistes who require superior set-ups for high-energy performances.
Globally, stadia are generally used as live performance venues. Regardless of India boasting quite a few state-of-the-art cricket and soccer stadia, their use past sporting occasions has remained underutilised. We’re collaborating with sports activities associations to alter this, and optimise stadium utilization for large-scale leisure with minimal disruptions to their main objective. This contains floor planning and superior turf safety strategies. A standout instance is Coldplay’s Music Of The Spheres World Tour in India, the place we preserved cricket pitches by deploying specialised pitch and turf protectors.
Additionally learn: Behind Lollapalooza India’s 2025 stellar lineup—from Green Day and Shawn Mendes to Glass Animals and Hanumankind
Q. How has the live performance financial system developed in India over the past couple of years? What does the longer term appear like?
Reside leisure in India is present process a seismic shift, fuelled by a confluence of things. The rise of music tourism and the expertise financial system has redefined how followers interact with artistes; it is not nearly attending a live performance however immersing in a larger-than-life spectacle. This, coupled with the decentralisation of reside leisure, is driving Worldwide and Indian artistes to discover newer cities past the standard metros.
With rising disposable incomes, audiences are actively in search of premium, high-quality experiences, a development that was evident within the response to Coldplay’s exhibits in Mumbai and Ahmedabad, Ed Sheeran’s multi-city return and Lollapalooza India 2025. Manufacturers, too, are recognising the unequalled affect of reside leisure.
