Gen-Zs, millennials become driving force in India’s live events boom
British rock band Coldplay performs at Global Citizen India at MMRDA Ground, BKC in Mumbai, India on November 19, 2016.
Hindustan Times / Contributor
Tanvi Shirgaonkar is counting down to January 24 when she will finally see Japanese artist Fujii Kaze, best known for his song “Shinununoga E-Wa”, perform at Lollapalooza India in Mumbai.
The 29-year-old banking professional said the show will be the first of many concerts and live events he plans to “experience” this year. An avid fan of South Korean pop group BTS, Shirgaonkar attends live events about once every two months, mostly in Mumbai, and travels abroad at least once a year to see performances of his favorite artists.
“Live entertainment provides a collective experience of euphoria and is great for social media penetration,” millennials told CNBC.
Shirgaonkar is among a growing tribe of young Indians whose rising disposable incomes are fueling a boom in the country’s live entertainment industry.
People attend the Lollapalooza India music festival in Mumbai on January 28, 2023.
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India, between 2024 and 2030 highest According to Bain & Company’s April 2025 report, more than 100 million people are expected to increase the working-age population worldwide.
India’s working-age population, defined as those aged 15 to 59, currently constitutes 64.2% of the total population, and this proportion is expected to increase. staying close to 65% Within the next decade, according to government data.
Per capita income is also projected to grow fastest among the top five emerging markets, including China, Brazil, Mexico and Russia.
This demographic shift is supporting stronger demand for live entertainment.
Including companies ForeverPopular online ticketing platform BookMyShow, which operates live events platform District, is also among those betting on this trend.
India’s live entertainment industry grew by 17 percent last year. Book BookMyShow. In 2025 alone, India hosted 34,086 live events spanning concerts, theater performances and comedy shows.
Rapper DaBaby performs in the crowd at Loud Park in Navi Mumbai, India on November 22, 2025.
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Several major international tours helped fuel this increase. These included Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres tour in Ahmedabad and Travis Scott’s Circus Maximus tour in India, which ended with shows in New Delhi and Mumbai.
“Seventy percent of live event attendees are under 35 and 52% are under 30,” said Raghav Anand, partner and leader of digital, media and convergence at consultancy EY Parthenon.
Anand said the Coldplay concerts were a turning point for the industry in India, demonstrating the magnitude of demand and the country’s ability to host global productions.
“Empowerment [Coldplay] Anand said that the event was appreciated by a large number of people from the experience group.
International artists are increasingly adding more Indian cities to their tour schedules, with the help of digital platforms that make their work more accessible to their fan bases across the country.
Wealth fuels demand
Industry experts said the rise in live events was primarily driven by an increase in the number of affluent households providing consumers with more disposable income for experiences.
“When you get rich, it’s about new experiences,” Anand said.
BookMyShow’s Chief Operating Officer Naman Pugalia described the rise in live events as a “true renaissance” as audiences place greater value on how they spend their free time.
This shift reflects increasing demand for premium offerings. According to the BookMyShow report, the number of visitors to premium live event experiences, including VIP waiting areas, observation decks and enhanced hospitality areas, will double by 2025.
An overview of Lollapalooza India 2025, held in Mumbai, India, on March 8, 2025.
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The change is not limited to major metropolitan areas. Smaller cities are seeing rapid growth, which Pugalia attributes to the increasingly volatile nature of fandom across the country.
“Fandom is such a powerful force that it doesn’t really know the definition of non-metro tier or metropolitan,” he said, noting that demand is no longer limited to traditional cultural hubs.
According to BookMyShow, live entertainment footfall has increased by 213% in Shillong, 188% in Guwahati and 94% in Nashik by 2025.
Spread effects
India purposes To be among the world’s top five live entertainment destinations by 2030, according to the government vision document published in May last year.
The sector’s rapid growth is spreading to other parts of the economy. Coldplay’s Ahmedabad concerts alone created According to a report prepared by EY in May last year, the economic value across accommodation, retail, transportation and tourism is 6.41 billion rupees ($70.5 million).
Organizers and ticket platforms are investing in larger venues, improved security measures and more efficient crowd management to keep up with demand.
British rock band Coldplay performs at Global Citizen India at MMRDA Ground, BKC in Mumbai, India on November 19, 2016.
Hindustan Times / Contributor
Yet infrastructure remains a constraint. According to the government’s white paper, India has fewer than 10 purpose-built concert venues capable of accommodating more than 10,000 spectators in major cities and almost none in smaller urban centres.
“Expectation has increased,” Anand said, citing the need for smoother entry and exit, better facilities and higher overall production standards.
Anand said Coldplay’s tour in India was a “true turning point” for India’s live entertainment industry, especially in 2025, and helped establish Ahmedabad as a viable concert destination.
Looking to the future, he said the industry is approaching a turning point. “2026 [is going] It will be a breakout year as live entertainment takes a more central role in India’s consumer economy,” Anand said.
