YEARENDER 2025: India's live music boom saw global artists choosing it as top concert venue in Asia
In 2025, India emerged as a global live music hotspot, hosting major world tours of solar artists as well as festivals. Major performers included Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Green Day, Post Malone, and Wiz Khalifa.
India now a top live concert destination of Asia
India's rise as a top destination for live music concerts of global artists continued in 2025, with multiple world-tour stops and large international festivals across various cities. The year marked a clear shift in how international touring artists viewed India, from an occasional stop to a core market in Asia alongside Japan, South Korea, and Singapore. High ticket demand, even at steep prices, improved infrastructure, and the success of previous tours encouraged promoters to bring bigger acts to multiple Indian cities.
Coldplay came calling, as did other top acts
The year had a high-profile start. British band Coldplay performed multiple sold-out stadium shows in Mumbai in mid-January as part of their Music of the Spheres World Tour, drawing fans from across India and abroad and setting new benchmarks for live production scale in India. Later in the month, Cigarettes After Sex brought their X’s World Tour to India, performing in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, drawing strong attendance. At the end of January, Ed Sheeran began the India leg of his +–=÷× (Mathematics) Tour, starting in Pune and continuing through Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Shillong, and Delhi, concluding in mid-February. This was one of the most extensive multi-city international tours ever undertaken in India. Around the same period, British rapper 21 Savage performed as part of the Indian Sneaker Festival in Gurugram.
Lollapalooza India is now firm on Indian music calendar
March 2025 was defined by Lollapalooza India, held at Mumbai’s Mahalaxmi Racecourse, firmly establishing itself as one of Asia’s major music festivals. International headliners included Green Day and Shawn Mendes, alongside popular acts such as Glass Animals, Louis Tomlinson, and Aurora. Lollapalooza's blend of rock, pop, alternative, and electronic music, attracted tens of thousands of attendees, reinforcing Mumbai’s position as a major music fest destination. Its success validated India’s ability to host large-scale, multi-stage international festivals.
Wiz Khalifa among several hip hop artists who performed in India
From late March to November saw established national music festivals and select international appearances. The NH7 Weekender and Ziro Festival of Music continued to draw large crowds with a mix of Indian and international performers, sustaining momentum in the live music ecosystem of India. The most significant international performances happened in November, when Rolling Loud India took place in Navi Mumbai. The festival featured international hip-hop stars Wiz Khalifa and Don Toliver, marking India’s first large-scale edition of the globally recognised Rolling Loud brand, and highlighting the country’s growing importance in the global hip-hop touring circuit.
Post Malone performs in Assam, in nod to Northeast's rise as a live concert venue
December 2025 brought a strong close to the year with multiple major international music events and solo acts. Post Malone performed on December 8, in a solo concert in Guwahati, Assam. The Indian Sneaker Festival in Mumbai featured international artists Lil Yachty and Tyla. Sunburn Festival, debuting in December, is expected to see legendary DJ David Guetta as one of the headline performers, reinforcing India’s long-standing position as a key market for global EDM artists.
India saw Higher number of concerts and music festivals in 2025
Compared to 2024, India hosted a noticeably higher number of large-scale international live concerts and music festivals in 2025. The music calendar this year featured longer multi-city tours, larger productions, and the arrival of globally established festival brands. Artists like Ed Sheeran spent more time in the country, collaborating with domestic artists and creating music videos, playing in more cities. India's concert infrastructure is improving with stronger ticketing platforms and proven audience demand.
Big performances from old and new coming in 2026 too
The trend is likely to get only stronger in 2026, with India expected to further cement its position on the global live concert map. Lollapalooza India will see legendary bands like Linkin Park in January. Festivals like Rolling Loud, as well as more stadium and arena tours by top-tier global artists, are on the pipeline. India is becoming the venue for first-leg Asia tours of solo artists, rather than later additions. As audience spending power continues to grow, 2026 is likely to see even more frequent and ambitious international concerts across Indian cities
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