“This generation is an experience-seeker,” says brand consultant Sanjay Sarma, describing how, for the average 20-something in Delhi, a routine evening out means catching a gig at a place like SOCIAL or a musical performance at Pianoman or Depot 42. They scroll through platforms like BookMyShow, Paytm Insider or Townscript to see what’s on in town. Meanwhile, their friends in Bengaluru would be living it up at the Phoenix Mall of Asia, at laughter fests or hip hop nights.
But these are small-ticket affairs planned impromptu. Millennials and Gen Z also think nothing of booking big concerts and shows well in advance, even travelling to another city for it. Sarma describes how his kids have already booked tickets for Peter Cat Recording Co’s event in December and Cigarettes after Sex’s India tour in January.
The live events space and the ‘going-out’ business is booming and how. It’s not at all surprising that Zomato has picked up Paytm’s entertainment business for ₹20 billion. Post Covid, people are going out with a vengeance, seeking varied experiences. The events industry is obligingly dishing out culinary fests and masterclasses, mega music extravaganza, sporting spectacles, comedy shows, literary festivals and more. All of which are ticketed.
According to FICCI, the market size of India’s organised live event space in 2023 was ₹88 billion. Industry estimates suggest it is growing at nearly 20 per cent per annum. So, the two major ticketing platforms — BookMyShow and Paytm Insider (which will transition to Zomato’s new District app) are sitting on a goldmine. According to Ellara Capital, the online ticketing market for live events (sports and concerts), valued at ₹99 billion, has been growing at 50 per cent CAGR in the past two years.
The platforms themselves are doing all they can to speed up growth by organising unique events. Take Lollapalooza, the tentpole event created by BookMyShow, which introduced many innovations to make it accessible to more people.
As Anil Makhija, COO, Live Entertainment and Venues, BookMyShow explains, “For events like Lollapalooza India, we’ve introduced flexible payment options, including ‘Buy Now, Pay Later,’ alongside early bird ticket sales — all designed to make the experience as accessible, smooth, compelling and enjoyable as possible.”
He says the mix and variety of events is growing and that events are happening in all sizes, big and small.
Variety and Volume
In a way, it’s the small gigs happening every single day, rather than the big shows, that are transforming the entertainment landscape. These events provide huge opportunities for new talent and offer plenty of options for audiences as well, beyond the clichéd movie night out. They have also helped the F&B industry grow revenues, as footfalls go up at restaurants that hosts these gigs.
Take SOCIAL, the disruptive hang out place of the young with the high energy evenings, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Divya Aggarwal, Chief Growth Officer, Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality Ltd, which runs SOCIAL, says the demand for entertainment has risen and, “antiSOCIAL, our dedicated venue for underground music and cultural events, often ramps up the frequency, hosting gigs and performances almost every night,” she says. “We’ve collaborated with partners to create unique events on specific days, such as “Dance Ok Please” for mid-week techno enthusiasts, “Garam Masala” for Bollywood fans, and “The Grind” for hip-hop lovers. Additionally, platforms like “Unplugged” and “Open Stage” offer a space for emerging artists to shine,” she says.
Indeed, the exploding demand for gigs has helped a whole new breed of artistes and performers monetize their talent. Trained singers with mellifluous voices, who in an earlier era would have just performed to appreciative family audiences, are finding paid gigs, so much so they can make their passion their full time occupation. Take young artiste Isha Maheshwari, whose ghazal and thumri performances are becoming greatly appreciated. “Many venues in Delhi now have theme based nights — gazal nights for instance,” she says, describing how this has enabled performers like her to move to a contract basis and get a stable income. Of course having a social media following helps.
While it has opened up a ray of opportunity for talented performers, brands are also seeing possibilities. Sarma points to how BMW has put together a dazzling car and music extravaganza called ‘Joytown’. The only thing lacking now are interesting venues, he says. The events industry is starved of good spaces. But it’s a matter of time before that too happens.