The not-so-rocking side of the great Indian gig rush

Live music in India has never been bigger. In just the last two years, some of the world’s biggest pop stars and rock legends — Imagine Dragons, Sting, Maroon 5, Coldplay, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Deep Purple, Goo Goo Dolls, and Backstreet Boys — have performed in the country. And Green Day, Shawn Mendes, and Eminem are on their way. Fans are showing up in record numbers, and ticket sales are through the roof. On the surface, it’s looking upbeat. But organisers candidly admit that a tangle of red tape, arbitrary rules, and outright demand for freebies has turned staging a live event into an extreme sport.Permission politicsThe first and biggest hurdle: securing approvals. It’s a months-long marathon of juggling permissions from different departments — police, fire, municipal bodies, excise, traffic, health authorities. The problem is that each department operates in its own silo, dragging the process out for months, says VG Jairam, founder of Hyperlink Solutions, the team behind iRock, Arijit Singh’s tours, and the Blues Festival. “A one-window permission system could solve this, but there’s no political will,” he says.In November, the state excise department yanked the liquor permit from Diljit Dosanjh’s concert in Pune, hours before showtime, due to political protests. Frustrated, Dosanjh vowed to halt performances in India until the concert infrastructure gets a serious upgrade, and slammed the administration for inadequate facilities, random restrictions and for not doing enough for an industry that’s become a money-spinner. Then, just a month later, NH7 Weekender got axed one day before the festival, with police citing traffic and law-and-order concerns. International artists and fans were left stranded. medium118806454“If a venue is legally sanctioned, why do we still need clearance from 10 different departments?” asks Rahul Bhasin, founder of Proverse Media and a veteran of NH7 Weekender, Magnetic Fields, and the recent Bryan Adams show in Goa. As Arijit Singh’s global tour production manager, he’s seen how much smoother concert logistics are abroad. “In Thailand or the UK, venues are pre-approved. It’s like booking a five-star hotel for a wedding,” he says.Alcohol regulations add another layer of confusion. “If you hold a concert in the main arena, you can’t get a liquor license. But if it’s in the parking lot, alcohol is allowed. Why?” wonders event organiser Dharam Saraviya, pointing that liquor licenses aren’t just a party perk but a crucial revenue stream. “Sponsors depend on it. But instead of enforcing responsible consumption, authorities create pointless hurdles.”Where are the venues?Ask any live music promoter, and they’ll tell you the same thing — India simply doesn’t have world-class concert venues. Most large spaces are government-controlled sports arenas that don’t allow a stage to be erected, while open grounds have vanished under a wave of real estate development.Even Mumbai and Delhi, the so-called cultural hubs, struggle to provide proper spaces for large concerts. Mahalaxmi Racecourse, which has hosted Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, and Maroon 5, remains notorious for dust, mud, and poor amenities. In Delhi, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium’s main field is mostly reserved for sports, pushing concerts to parking lots. New venues like Bharat Mandapam and Yashobhoomi in Dwarka, which could host major concerts, are still treated as convention centres.Video of the Backstreet Boys concert in the parking lot of a mall in Gurgaon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rKUqNcJ6GYDeepak Choudhary, founder of Eva Live, the company behind several high-profile concerts, says the recent Bryan Adams seven-city tour had around 20,000 people at each show. “But despite the soaring demand, we don’t have the infrastructure to match. Our events are often held in sports stadiums or makeshift grounds… spaces not designed for concerts,” he says, stressing on the need for large, well-designed venues, with proper exits and entries to manage crowds and traffic.“It’s the same for Kolkata’s Eden Gardens and Salt Lake Stadium, which won’t allow you to erect a stage on the field,” adds Kinjal Bhattacharya of E365 Group that has hosted Bryan Adams, Michael Learns to Rock, and Poets of the Fall in Kolkata. He recalls how the city nearly landed Ed Sheeran’s concert, only to lose it due to venue concerns. “Sheeran’s crew flew down for a recce but weren’t convinced about the proposed site — a water park,” he says.In contrast, Shillong — a city with fewer venue options — clinched the deal, thanks to government support. “It’s not that Shillong has better infrastructure but the govt sees music as an important industry,” explains Bhattacharya. “International shows are part of the state’s tourism budget. Licensing in Polo Ground and JN Stadium is much smoother,” he adds. mediumhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYUX6QaMfkIThe Meghalaya tourism department even partnered with organisers to present the show.With the lack of dedicated venues, promoters are forced to get creative. “For Martin Garrix, Backstreet Boys, and Karan Aujla, we used the parking lot at Airia Mall in Gurgaon,” says Manish Mawani, founder of Sound & Light Professionals.But repurposing random spaces comes with risks, especially in North India, where security breaches are routine. “People without tickets bribe their way in. If a venue is meant for 10,000, you suddenly have 15,000 or more because of security loopholes,” he explains. Last December, Aujla’s concert in Gurgaon spiralled into chaos when four drunk men picked a fight with the police, with one even tearing an inspector’s uniform. “Promoters outsource security, but when things go wrong, we’re the ones held accountable,” he adds. mediumhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDciLAcRPDMJairam says lack of infrastructure is even more pronounced in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. “Inadequate facilities are limiting the expansion of the live events market there,” adds Jairam.Freebies racket And just when you think you’ve got the permits and venue, along come the unofficial ‘requirements’. “Authorities demand free VIP passes, not just a few, but in bulk. Then comes the request for premium liquor and food often disguised as ‘goodwill’ gestures or implicit favours for permissions,” reveals Jairam. “For a 10,000-capacity concert, police, fire, traffic, and excise departments expect 1,500-2,000 free tickets. Even district judges and bureaucrats with ‘connections’ demand passes,” says Bhasin. “That’s 20% of sales wiped out before the show even begins.” ShowQuotesSome cops even turn scalpers. “They take free passes and sell them at half price outside. Some even charge Rs 1,000 at the gate to let people in without tickets,” adds Bhasin.“The demand for bulk passes is a given,” says Bhattacharya. “People just feel entitled to make these demands in return for fast-tracking permissions and processes.” “We invest millions of rupees into an event, take all risks, only to be held hostage by authorities demanding freebies as their birthright,” fumes Jairam, also claiming that police officers hang around inside a venue doing nothing while traffic and bandobast outside fall apart. Overlooked industryBeyond infrastructure, Saraviya believes the live events industry’s struggle isn’t just with logistics but legitimacy. During the pandemic, Mawani tried to push this point with policymakers. “I did an online session with then MSME minister Nitin Gadkari. Our industry is too big to be called ‘micro’ and too small to be called ‘medium.’ We don’t fit anywhere in the system,” he explains.That’s what frustrates organisers the most. “Television is a recognised industry. Tourism and hospitality have market value. But live events are invisible,” says Mawani. Bhasin points out that concerts are an untapped economic powerhouse that the govt overlooks. “A single festival supports 20-25 suppliers, boosts tourism, and fuels local businesses from chai stalls to hotels,” he says.“London, New York, and Dubai thrive on live events because their systems are streamlined. They offer subsidies and tax breaks to attract international talent,” says Jairam. “Meanwhile, in India, we spend our energy fighting bureaucratic harassment.”