Diljit Dosanjh's concerts a wake-up call: Is India ready for mega events?

Diljit Dosanjh announced that he won't perform in Chandigarh again until there is better infrastructure, highlighting event management and infrastructure woes seen in Delhi and other cities as well

When Balraj Singh, a Delhi University professor, managed to book his tickets for Punjabi actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh’s Dil-Luminati tour in Delhi last year, he hoped to have the time of his life. Even though he anticipated some hiccups on his way, including traffic jams and crowd, what happened inside the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium was beyond his expectations.

 

For Singh, who was attending an event of this scale for the first time, the management at the concert was ‘abysmal’ at all levels. Issues ranged from the parking area being a 20-minute drive from the entry gate to disorganised food and beverage stalls and unsanitary temporary washrooms. The event’s infrastructure and overall management fell far short of expectations.

 

 

Singh’s sentiment was echoed by other concertgoers, including the artist Diljit Dosanjh.

 

Diljit Dosanjh comments on concert infra

 

Diljit Dosanjh announced during his Chandigarh concert on December 14 that he ‘will no longer perform in the city until infrastructure improves’. The statement came after the artist expressed his disappointment over the current state, highlighting the inadequate facilities in which the concerts are being held in India. He urged the governments to focus on this sector as well. He further added that this sector generates huge revenue and provides jobs for many.

 

Dosanjh also mentioned that the next time he plans a concert, he will create a stage setup where the audience is around him and can have an all-immersive experience.

 

When Diljit launched his tour in New Delhi, he shared a similar sentiment with his fans. According to Singh, Diljit commented on the stage setup, mentioning that while his team had hoped for a larger stage, the current arrangement was what was permissible by the authorities.

 

His statement about not performing in India soon grabbed the attention of his fans and the video went viral on social media, following which, he had to issue a clarification. Even though Diljit issued a clarification, his statement did pose a question of whether India is ready to host artists on a big scale.

 

Concert economy on the rise in India

 

According to a Bank of Baroda report, India has recently witnessed a lot of buzz surrounding the flocking of international pop, rock, EDM, and other popular genre artists to cater to music enthusiasts. “On one hand, it’s a new dimension of cultural prestige adding an edge to the ‘experience economy’, on the other hand, the beat is also felt in terms of spending dynamics,” the report mentions. It is also becoming a ‘new kid on the block’ in the ever-evolving global landscape, embracing the opportunities of the growing ‘experience’ economy.

 

The concert economy has the potential to translate into private spending of Rs 6,000-8,000 crore annually if this sector is further explored in the coming days, the report mentioned.

 

There has been a significant demand surge for concerts in India due to the rising disposable income and a willingness to splurge. As a result, India in 2024 welcomed many international and domestic artists including Dua Lipa, Bryan Adams, Ed Sheeran, Maroon 5, and Diljit Dosanjh among others.

 

According to BookMyShow’s 2024 year-ender report, a total of 30,687 live events, including music concerts were organised in India in 319 cities. The report mentions that there has been an 18 per cent uptick in consumption of live events in 2024. Talking about revenue from these live events, data from Statista suggests that India is placed comfortably at the 7th position and is ahead of South Korea, Australia, and France.

 

Further, hosting major concerts has a multiplier effect across several industries including food and beverages, hotels, transportation, and merchandise among others. It also stimulates the gig economy, thereby adding to the employment levels.

 

Upcoming concerts in 2025

 

According to an EY report titled ‘The music creator economy’, music concerts in India generated nearly Rs 800 crore in revenue in 2023 and the figure is set to increase by 25 per cent by 2025. Given the frenzy that was witnessed during the ticket sales of these artists, the lineup for this year is expected to draw even bigger crowds.

 

This year’s lineup will begin with British rock band Coldplay’s ‘Music of the Spheres’ tour, which will now be held in Mumbai and Ahmedabad, owing to the massive demand by Indian fans. Along with Coldplay, Ed Sheeran will also be coming back to India this year with his Mathematics tour and will be performing in six cities.

 

Home-grown artists like Arijit Singh, Shreya Ghoshal, and Sonu Nigam will also be performing this year as a wave of live entertainment events takes over Indians, especially youth, who have been willing to pay hefty amounts, given that the tickets of these concerts are priced somewhere between Rs 2,000 and Rs 35,000. Some go beyond to get a ‘premium’ or VIP experience. The BMS report also indicates that there was a 123 per cent increase in fans who opted for a premium experience at these live events.

 

But, does the experience justify the amount that is spent for these ‘premium experiences’?

 

Crowd experience at concerts

 

Harpreet, a frequent concert goer, who has also attended Diljit Dosanjh’s concert in Canada, attended Karan Aujla’s ‘It was all a dream’ concert in Gurugram. Commenting on the management at the Gurugram-event, Harpreet said that even though he spent Rs 6,000 on a ticket, he did not get a glimpse of the artist even once. If that’s not all, traffic leading to the venue was severely impacted, with minimal police presence to manage the situation. Harpreet also noted that within the first 25 minutes of Aujla’s entrance, the venue ran out of beer, highlighting inadequate stocking and preparation.

 

He also drew a comparison with Diljit Dosanjh's Toronto concert where 55,000 people attended and commended the security and management at his concert. This after several concerts of Karan Aujla witnessed a massive fight among the attendees in different cities, which according to Harpreet, “could have been avoided if the police personnel did their work properly.”

 

Another concertgoer, Sudarshana, an employee at a French B2B SaaS company, detailed the challenges she encountered at Diljit Dosanjh’s concert in Delhi. She also drew a comparison with AP Dhillon’s Brownprint India Tour, which was held in December 2024. In her words, “The overall experience at AP Dhillon’s concert was better as compared to Diljit Dosanjh, in terms of venue and the management of the food and beverage stalls.” She said the audio arrangements could have been better at Diljit’s concert, given that it took place in an open stadium.

 

Challenges faced in hosting concerts

 

Business Standard spoke with Skillbox Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Anmol Kukreja to understand the challenges that come with organising concerts on such a large scale. Commenting on what it takes to organise a concert like that of Diljit Dosanjh or Coldplay, Kukreja said, “Organising a large-scale concert demands precision, collaboration, and expertise. It involves planning across key areas such as artist management, venue selection, production, logistics, security, ticketing, marketing, and audience experience. Every detail, from sound and lighting to crowd control and on-ground branding, must work seamlessly. Strong financial backing, sponsorships, and reliable execution partners are essential to bring such events to life.”

 

Repeated requests to Delhi Police for comments on safety and crowd management were left unanswered.

 

Even though Balraj Singh’s first experience was short of expectations, it hasn’t dampened his enthusiasm for live events. While citing poor crowd management both inside and outside the venue as a major issue, Singh remains open to attending more concerts.