No toilets, parking woes to warring fans: India sees music tourism boom but are we really ready for it?

Despite the growing popularity of music tourism in India, industry insiders caution that the country still has a long way to go in terms of developing the necessary infrastructure, preparation, and hosting capabilities to support such large-scale events.

Are we ready?

According to Mohit Bijlani, Team Innovation, the event company behind Karan Aujla’s India tour, infrastructure needs development to fully support the demand for large-scale concerts.

“But significant progress is being made. Investments in modern venues, improved logistics, and enhanced crowd management systems are paving the way for a world-class live music experience. This positive momentum, combined with continued investment and collaboration, will solidify India’s position as a premier destination for international and domestic musical events,” he shares.

The 2024 Year-End report by BookMyShow revealed a significant surge in music tourism, with the platform hosting 30,687 live events across 319 cities, translating to an impressive 18% growth in India’s live entertainment consumption this year.

That being said, Varun Rajput from the music group Antariksh feels the surge in music tourism is limited to “few select cities”.

“Delhi faces a lack of world-class music venues, poor air quality during winters, and bureaucratic hurdles that make securing permissions a cumbersome process. On the other hand, cities like Bengaluru and Mumbai typically contend with traffic congestion and inadequate parking facilities,” he shares.

Recently, Karan Aujla’s shows were plagued by security concerns, Bryan Adams’ event was hampered by parking issues, and Diljit Dosanjh’s tour faced multiple hurdles, underscoring the challenges that persist in the country’s live music landscape.

Here, Nitin Arora, MD of Katalyst Entertainment, stresses, “We still lack a lot of things, right from handling the traffic to making sure the toilets are nice and clean to the green rooms of the artists, to the basic infrastructure as well. In all (recent) shows, these were the huge problems. People were taking hours to reach the venues because the traffic was not managed properly”.

“Even inside the stadium, it was not easy for them to go to the right gate because those who were handling the inside gates were also not with adequate knowledge… I am talking about the recent Diljit show, to begin with. And the toilets were such that no client buying VIP tickets would want to go. Whereas you talk about the stadiums outside the country, they are much cleaner, the system they work on for managing the traffic, parking everything is bang on! And we have a lot to learn from them. I think it is time for us to work on them and improve them because it is time for India to rise now,” he adds.

When it comes to fights at the concert, Jashoda Madhavji, Dream N Hustle Media, which often organises music tours in the country, shares, “It is important to remember that a purchased ticket guarantees a safe and enjoyable experience, not the right to disrupt the event or endanger others. Furthermore, relying solely on social media for information can be misleading, as such platforms often present incomplete or biased accounts of events. While event security personnel work diligently to maintain order, enhancing collaboration with state law enforcement could further improve the management of serious disruptions. This collaborative approach would ensure that any violations of public order are addressed swiftly and effectively, prioritising the safety and security of all attendees”.

Not all is bleak

While reports of chaos and disorganization at music concerts may have made headlines, industry insiders view these incidents as minor setbacks in the larger narrative of India’s thriving music scene, which is growing exponentially – and all it requires is more meticulous planning to ensure seamless execution.

Aman Kumar, White Fox, the company behind AP Dhillon’s tour in the country, feels India is ready and emerging as a major market for global music tours.

“With artists like Dua Lipa, Coldplay, and Diljit Dosanjh performing here, it’s clear that India’s potential as a concert destination is being recognised globally… The infrastructure, crowd management, and arenas are evolving to meet international standards, driven by both demand and experience…. As the industry expands, we’re seeing improvements in venue design, event management, and overall audience experience, making India a preferred stop for mega music tours,” Aman shares.

Many industry insiders mention that with every concert, India is taking another step toward becoming a global hub for music tourism.

DJ producer Sartek says, “Having been part of India’s concert and festival scene for over a decade, I can confidently say the country is more than ready to host the biggest artists in the world. Over the last five years, the quality and scale have skyrocketed. Selling tickets beyond capacity isn’t unique to India—I’ve seen it happen at shows across Europe and Southeast Asia too”.

Subir Malik from Parikrama also asserts, “It is a great thing that so many artists are coming into India and it’s great for our entrepreneurs and our agencies who have been able to manage and get all these things back into India thus changing the traditional old system where most of the things were dependent on sponsorships into now a ticketed-based revenue model. Of course, both go hand in hand, sponsorships can never finish and without sponsorships only doing a revenue-based model with these international bands is almost impossible”.

What is going to help, according to Ali Safdar Zaidi, concerts and festival producer at Event Network Entertainment, is smart budget allocation by IP owners and large format event managers.

“And not allocate the resources only towards the artists. Allocate ample manpower and material towards traffic and parking management, and security management. Follow the health and safety protocols just like an event manager follows the artist rider… They also need to hire a better-qualified and experienced team for more effective planning and execution. A team that has a thorough knowledge of the calculations that go behind planning manpower, material and equipment at these events,” Ali says.

Government support needed

As India’s live music scene continues to boom, musical artists are now calling on the government to provide support in building infrastructure to cater to the growing demand for concerts and music festivals across the country.

“It would be incredible to see governments investing in state-of-the-art arenas with adequate parking facilities, streamlining bureaucratic processes, and partnering with experienced event management companies to successfully host large-scale concerts. These efforts could position India as a premier destination on the tour calendars of the world’s biggest global artists,” Varun Rajput puts.

Echoing the same, Deepak Choudhary from EVA Live, the event company behind Bryan Adams and Arijit Singh’s India tour, shares that the country’s readiness to host such mega-concerts is a mixed bag.

“While crowd management has improved and ticket sales demonstrate strong demand the country needs a substantial increase in the number of suitable arenas and improved infrastructure to fully capitalise on this growing demand. The government’s responsiveness to this need will be crucial in determining whether India can consistently support these large-scale events. A more realistic projection might be the construction of 10-15 stadiums over the next five years to reach globally accepted standards for such events,” he says while concluding.