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The demand for international music events among Indian travelers is not only driving overseas trips but also boosting the domestic music tourism industry.

Bulbul Dhawan

When Canadian singer Bryan Adams’ show in Mumbai was announced in August, it sold out within 24 hours. Two weeks later, more than 80% of tickets were sold at most venues, making a total of 75,000 tickets for the six-city tour in December.

This is Adams’ sixth time visiting India and his popularity continues to grow. Social media platforms are full of comments from fans from other cities who are planning to travel to Mumbai or Gurgaon to see the ‘Summer of ’69’ singer. They come from everywhere, be it Ranchi or interior Uttar Pradesh.

Artists like Coldplay, Jonas Brothers and Sting have all performed in India. Coldplay is also returning next year.

For Coldplay’s Mumbai shows in January, Indian online travel agency Ixigo saw a 350% increase in flight bookings. Prices of hotels near DY Patil Stadium for concert dates have increased, Skift previously reported.

Indian singer Diljit Dosanjh has created as much buzz as Coldplay. For his concert in Jaipur last Sunday, flight bookings and hotel occupancy rates soared, according to EaseMyTrip, an online travel agency. Ixigo said flight bookings increased by 300% for Dosanjh’s upcoming show in Chandigarh on December 14.

“The passion for live performances is driving fans to travel, and this increase in flight, train and bus bookings shows how music tourism is becoming a major force in the country,” said Aloke Bajpai , CEO of the Ixigo group.

Indians also do not hesitate to travel abroad if it allows them to see their favorite musicians perform. Megastar Taylor Swift has yet to perform a concert in India, but visa processing platform Atlys reported last month that Swift’s Eras tour alone led to a 20% increase in visa applications to India.

Musical tourists ride a wave

These concerts fuel domestic travel.

Tickets for Lollapalooza India 2025 went live on entertainment platform BookMyShow on Tuesday, September 10, and by Thursday evening, general admission weekend passes were sold out. The festival features the Indian debut of Green Day and former One Direction member Louis Tomlinson.

“I’m a huge Green Day fan and had booked to see them in South Africa in January next year. But then I found out they were coming to India for Lollapalooza next year, and I canceled the whole thing, because that way I would only have to take a trip from Mohali to Mumbai. I wouldn’t mind going all the way to South Africa, but this way I can save money and still see Green Day,” said Vikas, a 34-year-old fan.

A group of Louis Tomlinson fans called “Louies of India”, recognized and in touch with Tomlinson’s official team and label in South Asia, raised funds to help fans who could not afford buy tickets on their own. The group told Skift that, according to their estimates, more than 1,000 Tomlinson fans would travel to Mumbai to support his India debut.

A report According to online travel aggregator Skyscanner, young Indian travelers start planning their trip as soon as they get a job or receive their first salary.

“I’ve been a fan of One Direction and Louis since 2012, and seeing him in India is a dream come true. If it was a few years ago, I probably wouldn’t have been able to go, since I was still in college. But now I am coming from Agra to see him with my own money,” said Shivani Singh, who started working last year and immediately started saving to be able to travel.

It was a repeat of the excitement that surrounded British singer Ed Sheeran’s Mathematics tour concert in March and the Indian edition of the Lollapalooza music festival in January.

Owen Roncon, Head of Business – Live Events at BookMyShow, told Skift that in 2023, more than 410,000 people traveled to other cities to attend live entertainment events. “Of the total attendees of Lollapalooza 2024, 34% came from other Indian cities to participate in the event,” Roncon said. For Ed Sheeran’s show, that figure was 40%.

Travel players are entering into collaborations to conquer this growing segment. Low-cost airline IndiGo in partnership with BookMyShow to offer flight discounts to people traveling outside their home city to attend Bandland 2024 and Lollapalooza India 2025. Under this campaign, attendees of both events are entitled to a discount of up to 20% off IndiGo flights once the transaction is completed. on BookMyShow.

Potential of music tourism in India

Research According to market research firm Future Markets Insights, in the Asia-Pacific region, India is emerging as a key player in the music tourism segment, which is expected to grow faster than China and Japan. .

The company expects music tourism in India to grow at an annual rate of 19% between 2024 and 2034. The estimated growth in China is 14.4%; it’s 13.8% in Japan. The music tourism market in the United States is expected to grow 5.7% annually over the decade.

“India hosts around 25 premier music and food festivals every year, attracting around 1.5 million participants from around the world. Music tourism has become a norm and this trend reflects a growing indulgence among the youth and travelers, thereby boosting the entire tourism industry in India,” the company said.