 "The 'Coldplay-Diljit Effect': Flight fares soar by 146% for concert cities")
Music fans in India are gearing up for a major rush as British band Coldplay and Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh prepare for their upcoming concerts, with travel bookings rising dramatically. According to a report by online travel agency ixigo, there has been an over 300% surge in flight, train, and bus bookings, with the concerts driving fans to travel across cities.
Coldplay’s performances in Mumbai and Diljit Dosanjh’s shows in Chandigarh and other cities are the main contributors to this spike.
What’s happening?
Coldplay, the Grammy award-winning band, is set to perform at Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium from January 18 to 21, 2025, as part of their ‘Music of the Spheres’ world tour. Meanwhile, Diljit Dosanjh will take the stage in Chandigarh this December as part of his DIL-UMINATI India tour.
With fans flocking to these events, travel bookings have surged across various modes of transport, as noted by ixigo’s report, released on Wednesday. The agency has reported sharp increases in searches and bookings for flights, trains, and buses to the cities hosting these concerts.
Where are fans heading?
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Mumbai, hosting Coldplay’s concert, has experienced a 350% year-on-year (YoY) surge in flight bookings, ixigo revealed. Chandigarh, one of the destinations for Diljit’s DIL-UMINATI tour, saw a 300% YoY increase in flight bookings. Other cities where Diljit will perform, including Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Indore, have also seen a 100% growth in flight bookings for the concert dates.
"We've observed a major shift in Indian travellers' preferences, with more people willing to spend on experiences like music concerts and festivals," said Aloke Bajpai, CEO of ixigo Group. "This surge in bookings across flights, trains, and buses shows how music tourism is becoming a strong force in the country."
How is travel being impacted?
Not just flights, but trains and buses are also witnessing a boom in demand. Dinesh Kumar Kotha, CEO of ixigo Trains & ConfirmTkt, said, “Coldplay’s Mumbai concert has driven an 800% year-on-year growth in train bookings between January 18-21, 2025. Meanwhile, train travel demand for Diljit’s shows in October and November in cities like Delhi, Hyderabad, and Bangalore has seen an average month-on-month increase of 85-90%."
Bus travel is also booming, particularly for Diljit’s concerts. Rohit Sharma, COO of AbhiBus, shared, “Searches for bus tickets to Diljit Dosanjh’s concert destinations have spiked on our platform. Ahmedabad has shown the strongest growth, with searches increasing by 25-38% week-on-week, followed by Pune and Bangalore.”
Additionally, bus searches from cities like Jaipur, Nagpur, Dehradun, Varanasi, Indore, Surat, and Kanpur have surged in the lead-up to these concert dates.
Impact on prices
With the surge in bookings comes a rise in airfares. The ixigo report pointed out that one-way non-stop flights from Bangalore to Delhi, which are generally around Rs 6,500, have now reached Rs 16,000 for October 26. Similarly, a one-way flight from Mumbai to Delhi, typically costing around Rs 5,700 in October, will now set travellers back Rs 12,000 on the same date.
The fan frenzy continues
The passion for live performances has sparked a travel frenzy in India. Music fans are travelling long distances and braving high prices to witness these iconic shows. With cities like Mumbai, Chandigarh, Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Indore drawing huge crowds, the impact of music tourism is becoming increasingly visible in the country.