The cult of Lollapalooza and the fault lines in India’s events infra

Organised by BookMyShow Live, the event clocked record ticket sales and saw strong interest from brands across sectors. But behind the scenes, the challenges of staging a global-format festival in India remain stark.

“Infrastructure remains a major hurdle,” said Anil Makhija, chief operating officer–live entertainment and venues, at BookMyShow. “Events of this scale are labour-intensive and require extensive planning. We have to essentially build everything from the ground up.”

The company has been investing heavily to address these gaps—transforming spaces like Mumbai’s Mahalaxmi Racecourse into concert-ready venues by clearing debris, laying new turf, and constructing temporary stages and utility areas. BookMyShow even introduced India’s first all-black-steel VerTech stage, with a 50-tonne load-bearing capacity, to match international standards for A-list performers.

But gaps persist. In December, singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh made headlines after expressing frustration over India’s lack of concert infrastructure during a performance in Chandigarh. “We don’t have the kind of support we need to do large-scale shows here,” Dosanjh said, vowing not to perform in India until the country’s events infrastructure improved.

Besides, following a concert at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium that typically hosts sports events, athletes complained of equipment damage and training schedule disruption, reigniting the debate around repurposing sporting venues for entertainment.

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Makhija acknowledged the concerns.

“Globally, stadia are commonly used as concert venues, yet in India, this practice has been limited,” he said. “Despite the country boasting numerous state-of-the-art cricket and football stadia, their use beyond sporting events has remained underutilised. We are actively collaborating with sports associations to shift this paradigm—optimising stadium usage for large-scale entertainment while ensuring minimal disruption to their primary purpose. This includes strategic ground planning and advanced turf protection methods.”

While infrastructural issues remain the most visible, taxation and red tape have also been longstanding pain points. The industry previously fell under the highest goods and services tax (GST) slab of 28%, but post-pandemic revisions have lowered that to 18%—a move that’s made more acts commercially viable. “It’s a step forward, but streamlining event permissions and easing venue access timelines are equally crucial,” Makhija said.

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Building an ecosystem

Several international artists have also been making a beeline to India, including Coldplay, Guns n’ Roses, Bryan Adams, Back Street Boys, and Dua Lipa. But for fans the overall experience hasn’t always been smooth.

BookMyShow faced a backlash when tickets for the initial Mumbai show of Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres tour in India last year were snapped up within minutes, only to resurface at significantly higher prices on resale platforms. In response to the overwhelming demand—and the controversy—additional shows were added across Mumbai and Ahmedabad, taking the total to five.

While the Coldplay concerts eventually accommodated hundreds of thousands of fans, the incident reignited calls for more regulation around ticket pricing, resale practices, and accessibility of global live acts in India.

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Despite such headwinds, Lollapalooza India has grown in scale and influence. Since its launch in India in 2023, the event has drawn fans from across the country and even overseas. This year’s early bird tickets sold out in under 36 hours, and brands such as AB InBev, RuPay, NEXA and H&M signed on for immersive, on-ground activations. And the festival has attracted sponsorships worth over ₹20 crore, according to people informed on the developments.

“India is no longer just warming up to live music—it’s here,” Makhija said, declining to go into financial details. “We’ve seen the audience mature and the demand explode.”

BookMyShow has moved away from conventional sponsorships and now seeks brand partnerships that align with the ethos of the festival. H&M’s ‘Sound of Style’ installation—a megaphone-shaped runway with interactive fashion zones—and Johnnie Walker’s ‘Keep Walking’ stage are examples of brands being woven into the experience.

A business yet to break even

While consumer interest has grown sharply, Lollapalooza India is yet to turn profitable.

“Festivals of this scale take time to become financially viable,” said Makhija. “That said, we’ve already seen a positive budgetary shift by year three and are moving in the right direction.”

The Mumbai leg of Lollapalooza this year saw tickets across early bird and multiple sale phases sell out quickly, with audiences coming in from major metros like Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, as well as international markets. “It’s no longer just about building demand—it’s about sustaining a growing cultural movement,” Makhija said.

To manage rising costs and price sensitivity, BookMyShow has adopted a dynamic pricing model, nudging fans to buy tickets earlier at better rates. “Post-covid, the trend of late buying had become a norm. This model helps change that behaviour and maximises reach,” Makhija said.

Revenue streams are also diversifying—beyond ticketing, BookMyShow is focusing on food and beverage, exclusive merchandise, and RFID-enabled experiences to boost monetisation while improving consumer convenience.

BookMyShow competes with Zomato Ltd’s ‘District’, after the online restaurant aggregator and delivery platform shelled out ₹2,048.4 crore in August last year to buy Paytm’s entertainment and ticketing business to strengthen its presence in the ‘going-out’ sector. Zomato’s flagship food and entertainment event, Zomaland, just concluded its fifth edition across seven cities spread over three months.

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Curating global ambitions

The Lollapalooza India lineup is a result of months of planning, informed by streaming data, artist popularity, and global touring schedules. “We map global talent to local tastes and ensure diversity across genres,” said Makhija. He adds that India is now a fixed stop on many global tours, with fans willing to pay for high-quality experiences.

This evolution also ties into BookMyShow’s broader ambition of making India a global destination for live entertainment. Another of the company’s music-related events, Bandland, with a focus on rock and indie genres, debuted in Bengaluru with acts like Deep Purple, Avenged Sevenfold, and Goo Goo Dolls.

“The response to both Lollapalooza and Bandland proves the market is ready,” said Makhija. “There’s a genuine hunger for immersive, large-scale festivals in India.”

For now, the company’s focus remains on deepening engagement, improving infrastructure and nudging policy evolution. Talks are ongoing with authorities and stakeholders to make venues concert-ready and secure smoother regulatory pathways.

As the live entertainment market matures, more international franchises could follow. But Makhija insists that success will hinge on balancing scale with consistency.

“Artists might bring people in, but what makes them return is the on-ground experience. And that’s where we’re making the biggest investments as we’re committed to building this ecosystem, but India needs better infrastructure to fully realise the potential of live entertainment,” Makhija said. “As fan expectations rise and global artists look eastward, we have to be ready.”

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