A ₹640 crore windfall: How Coldplay’s concerts delivered major economic boost to Ahmedabad

Coldplay's Music Of The Spheres concerts significantly impacted local businesses, with attendees spending on hotels, travel, food and more.

British rock band Coldplay got India in a chokehold in January with five shows across Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Millions lined up in online queues and then outside the DIY Patil and Narendra Modi stadiums, for one of the biggest, most electric musical concerts India had ever witnessed. A new report by EY-Parthenon and BookMyShow Live sheds light on the details.

Chris Martin of the British rock band Coldplay performs onstage. Coldplay performed in Mumbai and Ahmedabad in January.

Making massive bank with Coldplay

The report mentions that the concerts in Ahmedabad were attended by 220,000 people and brought an economic windfall of ₹640 crore. This includes a direct ₹392 crore impact on Ahmedabad's economy.

“It also contributed ₹72 crore in GST revenue to the Government of India, underlining its powerful fiscal impact. Coldplay's Music Of The Spheres concerts catapulted Ahmedabad onto the global entertainment stage, drawing visitors from over 500 cities spanning all 28 states and 5 union territories,” the report mentions.

The report also mentions the impact the concerts had on the airports and hotels in Ahmedabad. 138,000 people landed at Ahmedabad airport during the three-day window, including a record-breaking 47,000 arrivals on the first concert day. "The local metro system shattered all previous passenger records too. Room rates that typically hover around ₹15,000 even during peak season soared to ₹50,000 - ₹90,000, within just 48 hours of the concert announcement."

Paying not just for tickets

Insights from BookMyShow’s survey of over 2,800 attendees highlight the concert’s impact on Ahmedabad’s economy. For every ₹100 spent on tickets, concertgoers spent an additional ₹585 on hospitality, travel, shopping, and dining, generating a strong ripple effect across local businesses. Half of all attendees extended their stay beyond the concert, spending more than one night in the city and giving a notable boost to the hospitality sector.

On the employment front, the concert created thousands of temporary jobs across sectors, with a workforce of 15,000 comprising BookMyShow Live staff, Coldplay’s crew, government authorities, and volunteers. Notably, 9,000 of these workers were from Ahmedabad.

Coldplay, comprising of Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman and Will Champion, were in India from January 18 to 26. They first performed in Mumbai and then in Ahmedabad. Their January 26 concert was also streamed live on Disney+ Hotstar.

Since their concert, multiple other internationals singers have also announced shows in India. Ed Sheeran and Bryan Adams put on multi-city tours and Travis Scott will be here in October.