Fistfights, lack of crowd control and poor sanitation: Why music concerts in India keep hitting a bum note

Diljit Dosanjh, AP Dhillon, Karan Aujla, Bryan Adams, Dua Lipa, Maroon 5… What do all these artists have in common? They have held concerts across different parts of India in recent months. And while many of you may think the performance was the big headline, think again. It wasn’t the artists and their acts that lingered in the audiences’ minds; the mismanagement and shoddy concert experience made headline after embarrassing headline, choking up social media.

If you don’t believe us, just take a quick glance at social media — there are hundreds and hundreds of reels and videos where concertgoers have outlined their nightmarish experience.

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And it’s not just the fans. Even Punjab’s pride, Diljit Dosanjh, expressed frustration over India’s poor concert infrastructure. On December 14, at his Chandigarh concert, Dosanjh declared he wouldn’t perform live in the country until improvements were made. He cited issues with the stage setup, which hindered his ability to connect with certain sections of the audience. The singer later backtracked on his statement.

However, it doesn’t take away from the reality; India’s gig infrastructure needs serious improvements.

India’s concert scene hit new highs

This year, 2024, has been big musically as the country has played host to a series of concerts — think Dua Lipa, Dosanjh, Maroon 5, Jonas Brothers, Sting and many more. Moreover, this is going to spill over next year with other international acts like Coldplay, Green Day, and Ed Sheeran set to perform in the coming months. There’s also buzz that rap great Eminem may also be coming to India in 2025.

Data also shows that concerts are becoming bigger in India. A year-end report by online ticketing platform BookMyShow saw “30,687 live events across 319 cities” — an 18 percent growth in India’s live entertainment consumption compared to the previous year.

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The BBC further reported that India’s music concerts generated about Rs 800 crore in revenue in 2024 — and it’s expected to rise by another 25 per cent by the end of 2025.

Data further reveals that Indians are now far more willing to spend on concerts. For instance, basic tickets for Maroon 5 sold at Rs 8,000 while Diljit tickets sold at Rs 12,000 and Rs 16,000. However, there was no shortage of people demanding for passes. For the upcoming Coldplay concert, Indians were more than willing to shell out more than Rs 35,000.

A low note

However, despite the spike in concerts and performances, India’s gig infrastructure is severely lacking. Social media is awash with complaints from concertgoers — from facing difficulties booking tickets to then braving hours-long traffic before reaching the venue, only then to encounter poor crowd management and poor facilities.

In fact, for some going to a concert is more than just paying exorbitant amounts of money, but also giving up on some self-pride. For instance, a man who attended the Bryan Adams concert in Mumbai soiled himself owing to a lack of sufficient toilets.

The concertgoer, Sheldon Aranjo, penned his horrible experience on social media, which, unsurprisingly, went viral. In his post on LinkedIn, he wrote, “I paid to pee (in my pants) at the Bryan Adams concert.”

Further in his post he mentioned that the venue had the provision of only three toilets for over 1,000 attendees, resulting in him not being able to find an empty washroom and relieve himself. He wrote, “I am NOT ashamed to say that I am a diabetic with continence issues. You guys should be ashamed for providing ~3 loos / 1000 people.”

And it isn’t Sheldon Aranjo who is alone in his complaints. Akassh Ashok Gupta, who attended the Bryan Adams concert in Gurgaon also expressed his displeasure at the lack of organising at the event. On X, he wrote, “Attending the #BryanAdams concert in #Gurgaon, with tickets priced at INR 20k for the platinum tier, should have been a memorable experience. Instead, it turned into a chaotic scene at the main counter, where people struggled to buy food and drinks due to an unnecessary coupon system that only accepted cash. Families, including children, were visibly stressed, and two kids even approached me for help.”

Attending the #BryanAdams concert in #Gurgaon, with tickets priced at INR 20k for the platinum tier, should have been an enjoyable experience. Instead, it turned into a scene of chaos at the main counter, where people struggled to buy food and drinks due to an unnecessary coupon… pic.twitter.com/Abn3dSVrqA

— Akassh Ashok Gupta (@peepoye_) December 21, 2024

Gupta further revealed that after investing time in the process, he discovered the machines were functioning fine, but staff insisted on cash payments, citing “internet issues.” “It was clear this was an attempt to avoid taxes — a blatant example of corruption at play,” he wrote.

Amrita Kaur, another concert-goer, also expressed her frustration after attending the Diljit Dosanjh event in Chandigarh. She said what was supposed to be an exhilarating night turned into a nightmare — crowd control was minimal and sanitation non-existent. “You pay so much for a ticket and what do you get in return? A possible urinary infection and a bad headache with some bouts of music,” she was quoted by BBC about her experience.

Another woman also spoke of her nightmare at Dosanjh’s concert in Mumbai, calling it the “worst night of my life.”

In a long rant on Instagram, she wrote that she paid Rs 12,000 for her seat at the Dosanjh concert, but “saw nothing”.

Furthermore, there were complaints of fistfights in the mosh pit and reports of stolen phones, wallets, and chains at Karan Aulja’s concert in Delhi on December 15.

Concert organisers speak

Organisers are aware of the issues and complain that they have wider infrastructural challenges. They lament the lack of dedicated venues in India, saying that more often than note concerts are either organised on grounds, cultural centres or in stadiums. While stadiums make for a better venue, acquiring permissions for the same can be a concern for organisers.

“Getting permissions from the authorities for booking stadiums for a concert is an issue. Cricket pitches can’t be tampered with, so in most cases, other sports stadiums are used and some cities just don’t offer their stadiums for events,” Deepak Choudhary, founder of EVA Live, promoter of Canadian singer Bryan Adam’s show in India, told Live Mint.

And the problem is magnified in small towns. As VG Jairam, founder of Hyperlink Brand Solutions, an experiential and cultural marketing agency told Live Mint, “Venues are often makeshift, and technical capabilities are limited. Additionally, sponsorships and ticket pricing in these markets don’t generate enough revenue to justify large-scale investments. This makes it harder for artistes to reach their fan base in these regions, ultimately curbing their growth and engagement.”

Anmol Kukreja, the co-founder of Skillbox, a live entertainment company that has organised more than 300 concerts, also agrees with this. He was quoted telling the BBC that concerts in India have to be held in places like malls, sports stadiums or on public land — all of which come with their own limitations and many variables.

But, it seems that despite all these woes, some Indians are willing to attend concerts to see their favourite artiste in the flesh. Mohammad Sami, a student, told BBC correctly, “There’s a thrill to the mess and chaos.”

With inputs from agencies