 "Diljit, Bryan Adam concerts: India faces backlash over poor infrastructure")
What do artists like Bryan Adams, Karan Aujla, AP Dhillon, Dua Lipa, and Diljit Dosanjh have in common? They recently performed at various locations in India. Furthermore, a lot of you may guess that the performance was the main highlight of the event.
Contrary to your expectations, the audience's memories were not of the artists or their performances, but rather of the poor performance and poor administration, which dominated social media with one embarrassing headline after another.
Even Diljit Dosanjh, the pride of Punjab, too voiced his frustration with India's inadequate concert infrastructure. Dosanjh said during his Chandigarh concert on December 14 that he would not play live in the nation again unless changes were made. He attributed his inability to engage with some audience segments to problems with the stage arrangement. Later, the singer took back what he had said. That does not change the fact, though; India's gig economy requires significant upgrades.
Increase of music concerts in India
2024 has been a huge year for music, with a number of concerts held across the nation, including those by Dua Lipa, Dosanjh, Maroon 5, Jonas Brothers, Sting, and many others. Additionally, with more international bands like Ed Sheeran, Green Day, and Coldplay scheduled to perform in the upcoming months, this will carry over into the following year. The legendary rapper Eminem is rumored to be visiting India in 2025.
Additionally, data indicates that the number of concerts in India is increasing. According to the BBC, the revenue from music performances in India was approximately Rs 800 crore in 2024, and it is anticipated to increase by an additional 25% by the end of 2025. Additionally, data shows that Indians are now far more inclined to spend money on concerts.
Why do music concerts in India face backlash?
Even though the number of concerts and performances has increased, India's gig infrastructure is woefully inadequate. Concertgoers have been complaining on social media about everything from trouble in purchasing tickets to having too long hours of traffic to get to the site, only to be met with poor facilities and crowd control.
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Actually, for some people, attending a concert means giving up some sense of pride in addition to spending outrageous sums of money. For example, because there were not enough toilets, a man who went to see Bryan Adams perform in Mumbai soiled himself. He wrote in his post on LinkedIn, “I paid to pee (in my pants) at the Bryan Adams concert.”
And it isn’t Sheldon Aranjo who is complaining alone. It's also the another attendee named, Akassh Ashok Gupta at the Bryan Adams concert in Gurgaon, who mentioned his displeasure at the lack of organising at the event. On X, he said, “Attending the #BryanAdams concert in #Gurgaon, with tickets priced at INR 20k for the platinum tier, should have been a memorable experience. Instead, it turned into a chaotic scene at the main counter, where people struggled to buy food and drinks due to an unnecessary coupon system that only accepted cash. Families, including children, were visibly stressed, and two kids even approached me for help.”
Gupta further disclosed that the machines were functioning fine, but staff insisted on cash payments, saying false statements, “internet issues.” “It was clear this was an effort to relax taxes- a blatant example of corruption at play,” he added.
Another concert lover, Amrita Kaur, expressed her annoyance following her attendance at the Diljit Dosanjh event in Chandigarh. She stated what was intended to be a thrilling night turned into a nightmare like crowd control was limited and sanitation non-existent. She said to BBC, “You pay so much for a ticket and what do you get in return? A possible urinary infection and a bad headache with some bouts of music".
She said that after paying Rs 12,000 for her ticket to the Dosanjh event, she "saw nothing" in a lengthy rant on Instagram. Additionally, at Karan Aulja's concert in Delhi on December 15, there were claims of stolen phones, wallets, and necklaces, as well as complaints of fistfights in the mosh pit.
What do the organisers have to say about the failure of music concerts in India?
The organizers acknowledge the problems and complain that they face more extensive infrastructure obstacles. They rue the lack of venues in India, pointing out that concerts are typically held in stadiums, cultural centers, or on grounds. Although stadiums are a better facility, organizers may be concerned about obtaining the necessary permits.
Deepak Choudhary, founder of EVA Live, promoter of Canadian singer Bryan Adam’s show in India, expressed to Live Mint, “Getting permissions from the authorities for booking stadiums for a concert is an issue. Cricket pitches can’t be tampered with, so in most cases, other sports stadiums are used and some cities just don’t offer their stadiums for events".
VG Jairam, founder of Hyperlink Brand Solutions, an experiential and cultural marketing agency mentioned to Live Mint, “Venues are often makeshift, and technical capabilities are limited. Additionally, sponsorships and ticket pricing in these markets don’t generate enough revenue to justify large-scale investments. This makes it harder for artists to reach their fan base in these regions, ultimately curbing their growth and engagement.”
This is also true, according to Anmol Kukreja, co-founder of Skillbox, a live entertainment startup that has hosted over 300 performances. He was cited by the BBC as saying that concerts in India must take place on public property, in sports stadiums, or in shopping centers, each of which has its own restrictions and a variety of other factors.
However, it appears that some Indians are still eager to go to concerts in order to watch their favorite performer live, despite all of these problems. As student Mohammad Sami accurately stated to the BBC, "There’s a thrill to the mess and chaos."