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Fans from over 500 Indian cities are expected to travel to Ahmedabad to see Coldplay perform.
“Please come to my city!”
A familiar cry from music lovers around the world who hope their favorite artists come to their hometown.
Fans in India, however, have often seen this plea fall on deaf ears.
Artists such as Sabrina Carpenter, Gracie Abrams and Arctic Monkeys appear on the country’s weekly Spotify albums chart, where Ed Sheeran’s ÷ (Divide) has spent 217 consecutive weeks.
Many world-famous musicians tend to leave the country.
But that now seems to be changing.
Dua Lipa’s recent performance in Mumbai has gone viral and Coldplay will soon launch their tour – nine years after their last visit to India.
Their dates include two shows in Ahmedabad where more than 100,000 people are expected each evening.
“Experiencing this in our own country, it’s really cool to see that it’s happening more and more,” music fan and budding artist Anoushka Maskey told BBC Newsbeat.
The allure of India
Demand for live music appears to be increasing in India, with ticketing platform BookMyShow reporting 18% growth in 2024.
Ed Sheeran is set to embark on his biggest cross-country tour, and artists like Shawn Mendes and Louis Tomlinson will perform at the Lollapalooza festival in March.
Marketing professor Dr Sourindra Banerjee, of Leeds University Business School, says India’s population of 1.4 billion – and their age – is a major draw for artists.
“A lot of the world, young people, live in India,” Dr Banerjee tells Newsbeat.
“So if I was in the music business, that would be the place I would target, to reap the benefits of the demographic.”
According to global market research firm Statista, the value of the Indian music industry in 2021 was 19 billion rupees (£178 million).
By 2026, it is estimated to have reached 37 billion rupees (£346 million).
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Ed Sheeran performed on stage with Indian stars Diljit Dosanjh and Arijit Singh
Dr Banerjee says the rise of K-pop in India has shown Western artists the country’s potential to find new fans.
“The major music labels have research teams who would have seen that someone else (can) capture a big market,” he says.
More broadly, he believes that India’s growing wealth and its links with the rest of the world make it an important place for artists to establish themselves and “collaborate”.
“Not only to access the Indian market, but also to access the large Indian (population) that lives outside the country.”
More chances for Indian artists
Anoushka Maskey
Anoushka is excited about the opportunities international artists can provide
For local Indian artists, there is hope that big names could provide them with big opportunities.
Pop/folk singer Anoushka has been making music since 2020 and believes that Western artists offer a chance for local artists to find greater exposure.
She experienced it herself after opening for Brit Award winner Ben Howard.
“It’s an opportunity I never thought I’d have in this country,” she says.
Independent singer-songwriter Anumita Nadesan says the opportunity to collaborate with bigger artists “puts you on the map.”
“It’s also very inspiring because earlier, when a big artist came to India, we had to travel to another country to see his concerts.
“And as an artist, you learn a lot by attending these concerts,” says the Hindi artist.
Gopan RS
Anumita thinks there is a chance to learn from artists who visit India
Pop artist Frizzell D’Souza from Bangalore says seeing foreign artists who started from humble beginnings can send a strong message to Indian audiences that local talent can achieve global fame.
She describes Ed Sheeran as her “songwriter hero” and says his experience on the streets and in popular venues is relevant.
“It’s very reassuring to know that someone like him can actually do it,” Frizzell says.
“Even though he’s a big superstar right now, he started in the same place as me.”
Frizzell also sees an opportunity for cultural exchange, with Western music figures being exposed to Indian sounds.
She cites rapper Hanumankind, who charted worldwide with Big Dawgs and teamed with A$AP Rocky.
“And this is proof that bringing international artists to India also helps Indian artists (on a global scale) to break through,” she says.
But artists point out some possible downsides to the influx of global stars coming to India.
The biggest risk Frizzell sees is money – and audiences who budget primarily for big artists.
“I hope I’m wrong, but maybe they would prefer big international bands and don’t want to take risks with younger or upcoming bands.”
Anumita adds that it is also possible that artists are overshadowing the attention that smaller artists receive.
“But it also challenges smaller artists to raise the bar.”
Kruthika Pillai
Ed Sheeran is one of Frizzell’s role models
How India can be better
According to Peony Hirwani, music journalist at Rolling Stone India, the risk of being overshadowed is low, as companies involved in events often ensure that local artists are the main supporting acts.
She gives the example of G-Eazy’s 2024 tour, which only had Indian artists in support, helping to boost their careers.
Instead, she tells Newsbeat, the focus should be on improving infrastructure to attract bigger names such as Taylor Swift and Beyoncé – both of whom have not toured India.
Fans often complain about the facilities, concerts often held in sports stadiums used during India’s long cricket season and which are not always available all year round.
“So we need more and bigger venues and a better system in place for music,” says Peony.
The Lollapalooza festival takes place at a racetrack in Mumbai – the only venue with enough space to host it safely.
“Even some of the (notable) stadiums we have now… there definitely need to be discussions about what everyone needs to improve our infrastructure and our venues,” Peony says.
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