From Ahmedabad to everywhere: Coldplay sparks India’s live entertainment ambition

A new EY-Parthenon report, released in collaboration with BookMyShow, positions this event as a blueprint for India’s potential in the global concert economy.

But while the country’s appetite for live entertainment is surging, the report strikes a cautionary note: India could squander its momentum unless long-standing infrastructure gaps and regulatory hurdles are urgently addressed.

“India’s live entertainment industry is at an inflection point,” the report states. “But unlocking its full potential will require targeted public-private partnerships, streamlined policies, and investment in venue infrastructure beyond metros.”

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BookMyShow, which brought Coldplay to India for the first time in seven years, says it deliberately chose Ahmedabad to prove a point: that world-class events can thrive beyond traditional metro markets — provided the ecosystem is ready.

“In Ahmedabad, we partnered with government bodies, Western Railways, metro services, and airlines,” said Naman Pugalia, Chief Business Officer – Live Events at BookMyShow. “What we achieved was a strategic city-wide coordination model — replicable across emerging urban centres.”

This “blueprint” included India’s first all-black-steel VerTech stage, elimination of single-use plastics, rice husk-based reusable cups, hydration stations, and food redistribution to underprivileged communities. Yet it’s not just the scale of Coldplay’s concerts that stood out, it’s the surrounding economic ripple: 80% of attendees came from outside Ahmedabad, airport traffic spiked, hotels hit full capacity, and even street vendors around the stadium reported record sales.

But these successes also exposed fault lines.

Pulling off a large-scale concert in India remains a logistical gamble. Organizers must juggle dozens of permissions, from excise to fire safety, police to health, with little coordination between departments. 

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“The Coldplay concert in Ahmedabad highlighted the evolving regulatory environment in India, where increasing interest in live entertainment is being matched by regulatory adjustments,” said Raghav Anand, Partner and Leader – Digital, Media and Convergence, EY-Parthenon. “Policymakers are observing these developments, which are shaping the future of regulatory frameworks for live events in India. It is encouraging to note that the importance of the creative economy is increasingly being acknowledged at the highest levels of leadership, including by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”

While states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, and Haryana have extended support to live events in recent years, the lack of a national-level framework makes consistency elusive. Even a single delayed clearance can throw months of planning into disarray, deterring international promoters from considering India a reliable touring destination.

Still, Coldplay’s concerts proved it’s possible — if the intent is there.

“Coldplay’s concert in Ahmedabad demonstrated the effective collaboration between public and private sectors, with coordination between multiple stakeholders facilitating the successful execution of the event,” said Anand. “It serves as a positive example, demonstrating how effective collaboration can deliver a world-class experience and set a strong precedent for future events.”

The absence of purpose-built, high-capacity venues outside metros adds to the challenge. Most large events are forced to retrofit stadiums or open grounds — driving up costs and compromising on audience experience. BookMyShow is currently working with Maharashtra’s City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) to build a dedicated live entertainment arena in Navi Mumbai. “We need infrastructure that matches our cultural ambition,” said Pugalia.

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There’s also the risk of India’s youthful, rising demand outpacing what cities can deliver.

“The Coldplay Ahmedabad concert drew attendees from across India, underscoring that youth-driven demand extends well beyond traditional metros,” Anand added. “International acts such as Ed Sheeran and Bryan Adams have also successfully performed in non-metro Indian cities, demonstrating evolving event infrastructure and effective utilization of existing venues.”

BookMyShow has also started experimenting with concert-led tourism. For the Coldplay shows, it partnered with MakeMyTrip, Indigo, and Indian Railways to enable seamless travel. With nearly four in five attendees flying in from other cities, the company sees a clear opportunity to create bundled concert-tourism packages that include travel, stay, and curated local experiences.

Brands, too, are taking note. Coldplay’s concerts sparked high engagement among fashion, lifestyle, and beauty companies. At Lollapalooza India, partnerships with Levi’s, H&M, and Maybelline have evolved into immersive brand zones, while BookMyShow’s Nykaaland IP brings beauty and wellness into festival formats. “Live entertainment is no longer just about the music — it’s an ecosystem,” said Pugalia.

The EY-Parthenon report estimates the live events sector has already crossed ₹12,000 crore in 2024, rebounding strongly post-pandemic and delivering a 19% CAGR in recent years.

“While regulatory frameworks continue to evolve, the sustained demand evident from Coldplay’s Ahmedabad shows, coupled with the expanding reach into emerging non-metro markets, underpins the growth of this segment,” said Anand.

From a policy lens, EY says cities still have some catching up to do.

“The two key takeaways from Coldplay’s concert in Ahmedabad are: first, how the collaboration between the industry and government helped overcome historical barriers to hosting large-scale events; and second, the importance of increased investment in infrastructure and technology, which will ease the process of hosting such events in the future,” Anand said.

The report recommends single-window clearances, fast-tracked permits, and stronger public-private partnerships to prevent concert-led booms from becoming one-off spikes. As India’s creative economy gains momentum and the appetite for large-scale events grows, the challenge now is to match cultural ambition with administrative readiness.

“Coldplay’s ₹641 crore impact was a moment of clarity,” said Pugalia. “It showed us what’s possible — but also what’s fragile. If we want to build a future where international entertainment is a mainstay, not a miracle, we’ll need policy, infrastructure, and intent to work in sync.”