Gen-Zs, millennials become driving force in India’s live events boom

Tanvi Shergaonkar is counting down to January 24, when she will finally get to see Japanese artist Fuji Kaze, famous for the song ‘Shinunoga E-Wa’, perform in Mumbai at Lollapalooza India.

The 29-year-old banker said the show will be the first of many concerts and live events she plans to “experience” this year. A huge fan of the South Korean pop group BTS, Shergaonkar attends a live event about every two months, mostly in Mumbai, and travels abroad at least once a year to watch her favorite artists perform.

“Live entertainment offers an experience of communal activity which is great for social media influence,” Millennials told CNBC.

Shergaonkar belongs to a growing tribe of young Indians, whose rising disposable incomes are fueling the country’s booming live entertainment industry.

Between 2024 and 2030, India will get… higher The global working-age population is increasing, with more than 100 million people expected to be added, according to an April 2025 report by Bain & Company.

India’s working-age population, aged between 15 and 59 years, currently represents 64.2% of the total population and is expected to rise. stays near 65% Over the next decade, according to government data.

Per capita income is also expected to grow at the fastest pace among the five major emerging markets, including China, Brazil, Mexico and Russia.

This demographic shift is supported by strong demand for live entertainment.

Companies including Eternitywhich operates live events platform District, and popular online ticketing platform BookMyShow, are among the companies betting on the trend.

India’s live entertainment sector grew by 17% last year, according to a report by BookMyShow. In 2025 alone, India hosted 34,086 live events, spanning concerts, theater shows and comedy shows.

Several large international tours helped drive this boom. These included Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres tour in Ahmedabad and Travis Scott’s Circus Maximus tour, which concluded in India with shows in New Delhi and Mumbai.

“70% of live event attendees are under 35 and 52% are under 30,” said Raghav Anand, partner and leader, digital, media and convergence at consultancy EY Parthenon.

Anand said Coldplay’s concerts represent a turning point for the industry in India, demonstrating the scale of demand and the country’s ability to host global productions.

“Amplify [Coldplay] Anand said that the event was liked by a large number of people in the experience category.

International artists are increasingly adding multiple Indian cities to their tour schedules, with the help of digital platforms making their works accessible to fan bases across the country.

India Objectives To be among the top five live entertainment destinations in the world by 2030, according to a government vision paper released in May last year.

The rapid growth of this sector is spreading to other parts of the economy. Coldplay concerts in Ahmedabad alone I was born 6.41 billion rupees ($70.5 million) of economic value in hospitality, retail, transportation and tourism, according to a report by EY in May last year.

To keep up with demand, organizers and ticketing platforms are investing in larger venues, improving safety measures and managing crowds more efficiently.

However, infrastructure remains an obstacle. India has fewer than 10 dedicated concert venues capable of hosting more than 10,000 people in major cities, and almost none in smaller urban centres, according to the government white paper.

“Expectations have risen,” Anand said, citing the need for smoother entry and exit, better facilities and higher overall production standards.

Coldplay’s India tour, in particular, represents a “true turning point” for India’s live entertainment industry in 2025, Anand said, helping establish Ahmedabad as a viable concert destination.

Looking to the future, he said the industry is approaching an inflection point. “2026 [is going] “It will be a banner year, as live entertainment takes a more central role in India’s consumer economy,” Anand said.