Poor concert infrastructure triggers a discordant note

India's booming concert scene faces a reality check as logistics fail to keep up with demand

- Pratishtha Bagai & Lata Jha

Recent back-to-back concerts by Diljit Dosanjh, Karan Aujla, Bryan Adams, and AP Dhillon drew massive audiences, with people thronging the musical events, undeterred by security concerns, inadequate venue arrangements, online controversies or even harsh weather.

But the excitement was tempered by a stark reality check by Dosanjh himself, who vowed not to perform again until concert infrastructure improves, raising questions about India's ability to host world-class events.

While Indians are splurging on concerts, shelling out up to ₹35,000 for top-tier tickets to experience live performances by A-listers such as Coldplay and Ed Sheeran, who are set to perform in early 2025, the concert infrastructure is struggling to keep pace with rising demand.

Concerns over inadequate venues, poor sanitation, insufficient parking, crowd management issues, and subpar production quality are worrying artistes, event promoters, industry experts and concert attendees.