With Bollywood in a creative and commercial slump and cricket standing as the only mass live experience with consistent appeal, live events are stepping up to capture audience attention.
From major metros to Tier II and III cities, crowds are turning out in large numbers for concerts and comedy shows. Even cities like Shillong are emerging as new cultural hotspots, hosting packed performances.
A recent EY report, A Studio Called India, projects that the number of concerts will rise from 14,470 in 2024 to 16,700 in 2025, and further to 24,520 by 2030. The organised live events sector, currently valued at ?12,000 crore, is expected to exceed ?20,000 crore in revenue by 2027.
India has become a key destination on the international touring circuit, with at least 20 global artists scheduled to perform over the next six months. Mastercard, in partnership with EVA Live, plans to host more than 20 live events between October and December 2025. The series kicks off on October 30 in Mumbai with the return of pop star Enrique Iglesias, who will perform in India for the first time in 13 years.
The concert lineup spans genres including Bollywood, classical, and electronic music, with scheduled appearances by A.R. Rahman, DJ Tiësto, and others.In a similar push, the Assam government has partnered with Big Tree Entertainment—the parent company of ticketing platform BookMyShow—to bring a mix of national and international music acts to the state.“The live entertainment sector has seen remarkable growth over the past three years, driven by pent-up demand among young consumers,” said Deepak Chaudhary, Founder and Managing Director of EVA Live. “Gen Z has shifted from FOMO to YOLO, fuelling a surge in concert attendance.”
“Events are selling out not just in Mumbai and Delhi, but also in emerging cultural hubs such as Shillong, which is fast becoming the music capital of India,” he added.
British singer-songwriter Michael Rosenberg, known by his stage name Passenger, will make his India debut in November 2025 with a three-city tour.
Indian artists such as Diljit Dosanjh and Arijit Singh are also driving major demand, both at home and abroad.
“The success of Diljit Dosanjh’s India tour has shown us the long-term potential of the live events vertical,” said Vikram Mehra, MD of Saregama, during the company’s Q4 earnings call last month. “While not every quarter may match that success, we see serious momentum in this space.”
Chaudhary noted that domestic stars like Arijit Singh are crucial to the industry’s rise, with their shows consistently selling out across both Indian and global venues.
Mastercard is bullish on live music events, viewing them as a powerful way to engage India’s vast youth population—two-thirds of whom are under 35—and to tap into strong regional interest in music, with 76% of APAC consumers identifying as music enthusiasts.
“The strategy also includes expansion into Tier II and III cities, which saw a significant increase in live events last year,” said Julie Nestor, Executive Vice President and Head of Marketing & Communications, Asia Pacific, Mastercard.
The comedy scene is expanding too. Zakir Khan recently launched India’s largest-ever stand-up comedy tour, covering more than 60 cities and drawing over 160,000 attendees. The tour is a collaboration with TribeVibe Entertainment, a BookMyShow initiative, and Only Much Louder (OML).
“It’s not just about a 60-city tour—it’s about proving that India is ready to host and celebrate live entertainment at scale across its full breadth,” said Shoven Shah, Founder and CEO of TribeVibe Entertainment.
India now hosts several major multi-city music festivals including Lollapalooza, Sunburn, Zomaland, and NH7 Weekender, drawing fans from across the globe. Recent international tours in the country have featured artists like Post Malone, Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, Imagine Dragons, Coldplay, and Bryan Adams.
This upswing coincides with a growing middle class, projected to reach one billion people with $3 trillion in disposable income. Alongside this economic transformation, Gen Z’s cultural preferences are increasingly leaning toward live, immersive experiences.
An EY-Parthenon and BookMyShow report highlighted the broader economic impact of such mega-events, citing Coldplay’s sold-out concert in Ahmedabad, which reportedly contributed ?641 crore to the local economy.
Digital adoption has further enabled this growth. The rise of online ticketing, digital payments, and social media promotion has helped organisers navigate infrastructure constraints, which, while still present, are becoming more manageable, Chaudhary said.
