Can Deepinder Goyal’s ZomatoLive take India’s ‘morbid’ concert scene to the next level with Diljit Dosanjh-Dua Lipa tours? An analysis

“The Indian concert scene is morbid,” says an event organizer from Delhi, who asked not to be named. The sentiment is echoed by every stakeholder, be it the attendees, the artists and even some promoters. For a country that loves its stars and music, India has not been able to raise its game when it comes to organizing mega concerts. But the end of 2024 could change that. Diljit Dosanjh’s Dil-Luminati tour is kicking that up before Diwali, and Coldplay is taking it up a notch. But is India – and, more importantly, its organizers – prepared? (Also read: Dua Lipa on her India concert: My last trip to the country was a beautiful reminder of how much I love this place)

Why Diljit Dosanjh’s tour is important

Punjabi superstar Diljit Dosanjh’s Dil-Luminati Tour has come to India after wowing fans in Europe and North America. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Diljit is the biggest Indian pop artist right now. His concert in Delhi will be attended by 35,000 fans on Saturday evening. An equal number will fill the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Sunday. The tour is a litmus test for entrepreneur Deepinder Goyal’s ZomatoLive, his platform to rival BookMyShow in India. ZomatoLive has never organized a tour of this magnitude before. And to realize Goyal’s ambition of a world-class experience, a lot has to go right.

The problems associated with concerts in India

India’s concert scene has suffered from several factors, including a combination of a lack of culture and infrastructural problems. “The organizers and promoters often oversell. They conceptualize the tour and the concert and then try to fit that vision into the available venue they are given. This leads to problems like overcrowding or lack of proper emergency exits etc. In the west is the location and anything else is decided before the tour planning starts. That needs to change,” says an event organizer from Delhi Sarthak, a DJ and promoter, adds, “The biggest problem is the culture. People want jugaad and free entry everywhere. That mentality means there is no respect for the artist or the event. It’s all about showing off and being there. “

Goyal has at least tried to curb the freeloaders. After announcing the Zomato Feeding India concert Dua Lipahe shared that he received many messages for ‘free passes’. “I have received many messages for free tickets to the concert. Interestingly, all these requests are from people who can very well afford these tickets. On my end, I leave all such messages as seen,” Goyal said. on Twitter. (Also read: Deepinder Goyal slams people who text him for free Dua Lipa concert tickets)

Can the game change?

The attempt to bypass the free pass culture and select the biggest venues – for example, the JLN Stadium in Delhi – is a step in the right direction for these mega events. But there are also many other issues at play. Anyone who has ever attended a gig in India knows that more important than the time you spend at the venue is the time you spend traveling there and back home. Be it JLN in Delhi or BKC in Mumbai, traffic issues become the biggest concern. That may be out of ZomatoLive’s hands, but a better organized concert will add credibility to the scene, and then perhaps the administration can also step up.

“Music fans are ready to tolerate a little inconvenience,” said Avinash, who is going to Diljit’s concert in Delhi on Sunday. “The organizers only need to provide us with the basic facilities. The experience is ruined if you don’t even have proper toilets, exit lines or any support.