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Why Global Artists Are Choosing Cities Beyond Delhi
Delhi is one of India’s biggest places for concerts.
But some music stars choose to perform in other cities instead.
Organisers say the choice can depend on how easy a show is to arrange, how good the venue is and whether a state helps pay some costs.
They also consider traffic, air pollution and how much fans may spend on tickets.
Different cities may attract different kinds of music fans.
Some organisers say these factors make Delhi harder to work in.
BookMyShow says concert demand is spreading to more cities, not that Delhi has become unimportant.
Delhi has also taken steps to make some venues cheaper to use.
Delhi-NCR accounts for nearly 17% of India’s concerts and live events, but some international tours are skipping it.
Gorillaz plans January shows in Guwahati, Bengaluru and Mumbai; Coldplay played in Ahmedabad and Mumbai.
Organisers cite state subsidies, venue conditions, permissions, traffic, pollution and audience spending as factors in city choices.
Assam and Meghalaya have policies that subsidise concert costs and simplify related processes.
BookMyShow’s Naman Pugalia says demand is decentralising, while Delhi remains an important concert market.
- Who
- International artists, concert organisers and live-events executives.
- What
- Some international artists are choosing concert stops outside Delhi, including Mumbai, Bengaluru and Guwahati.
- Where
- Delhi-NCR and concert markets across India, including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Guwahati, Ahmedabad, Shillong and Meghalaya.
- When
- The article describes developments over the past year and upcoming tours, including Gorillaz’s planned January shows and Guns N’ Roses’ November tour stop in Guwahati.
- Why
- Organisers cite subsidies, venue infrastructure, administrative coordination, pollution, audience preferences and ticket-paying patterns; BookMyShow also describes the trend as decentralising demand.
City-specific obstacles
Broadening demand
What explains artists choosing other cities?
City-specific obstacles
Some organisers and industry executives say subsidies elsewhere, Delhi’s venue and coordination challenges, pollution, and audience spending patterns can make other cities more attractive.
Broadening demand
BookMyShow’s Naman Pugalia says the trend reflects demand spreading across India and does not mean Delhi is any less important.
Key facts
- Delhi-NCR market share
- Nearly 17% of concerts and live events in India, according to the article.
- Delhi’s relative market size
- India’s second-largest concert market, with about half Mumbai’s share.
- Gorillaz tour
- The band is scheduled to play Guwahati, Bengaluru and Mumbai in January next year.
- Concert policies
- Assam and Meghalaya have policies that subsidise some concert costs and simplify related processes.
- Venue rental change
- The Sports Authority of India reduced event hosting costs at its venues by 40–50% in October last year.
- Factors cited by organisers
- Subsidies, venue condition, permissions, traffic, crowd movement, air pollution and audience spending.
Quotes
Deepak Choudhary
Managing director of event company Eva Live.
“In a massive metropolitan capital like Delhi, traffic, venue accessibility, permissions and crowd movement can make large-scale shows more complicated to execute. Because it is the seat of administration, the capital naturally requires meticulous coordination across multiple regulatory bodies, which can add layers of administrative planning for a promoter.”
indianexpress.com
“Mumbai, they’ve already done. Then they (are going) to Bengaluru, which is an automatic number two. Subsequently, instead of Delhi, they (are headed) to Guwahati because Assam subsidised the cost. The state government supported in a large way through sponsorship.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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