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Year-ender 2024: From on-stage collabs to ticket scalping; live concerts' highs and lows
Here’s a look at the highlights and low points of the live concert scene in India in 2024.
This year has been an exciting one for live music in India, with a wave of artistes arriving to captivate Indian audiences, delivering electrifying performances and dramatic stage moments. While many musical experiences and event announcements have been met with enthusiasm, there have also been instances that dampened the fun for both fans and performers. Here’s a look at the highlights and low points of the live concert scene in India in 2024.
Highs
On-stage musical collaborations
This year, live music lovers were treated to several stunning on-stage collaborations that took fans by surprise. OG Brown Munde Yo Yo Honey Singh, Jazzy B joining AP Dhillon on stage at his Delhi concert, Dhillon and Karan Aujla’s surprise collab at the latter’s Mumbai concert, Aujla and Badshah coming together to enthrall the audiences in Gurugram to Diljit Dosanjh sharing the stage with British singer Ed Sheeran, these unexpected collaborations delivered exhilarating highs that no one saw coming.
Bollywood Live
In addition to musical collaborations, Bollywood stars added a touch of glamour to live music events this year. Some actors seized the opportunity to promote their upcoming films, like Alia Bhatt joining Alan Walker on stage at his Bengaluru gig in October and Varun Dhawan making a surprise appearance at Karan Aujla’s Delhi concert to promote their respective films. Meanwhile, others simply showed up to entertain the crowd, bringing their star power to the stage. Vicky Kaushal and Parineeti Chopra, for instance, delighted fans with their unexpected appearances, proving that Bollywood and live music are an exciting combination, offering a perfect blend of entertainment for the audience.
International acts come home
Several international artistes made waves on the Indian stage. This included Dua Lipa’s dancing to Levitating x Woh Ladki Jo, Alan Walker’s India tour, and Maroon 5’s debut performance in Mumbai.
Hanumankind’s Coachella announcement
Kerala-born rapper Hanumankind is set to make history. In November 2024, it was revealed that he will perform at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in 2025. This makes him only the second Indian artist, after Diljit Dosanjh, to take the stage at this globally renowned event. Coachella will be held across two weekends, April 11-13 and April 18-20. According to the official lineup, Hanumankind will share the stage with global icons like Lady Gaga, Green Day, and Post Malone.
Lows
Ticket scalping and black ticketing
A major downside this year was the rampant issue of ticket scalping and black ticketing. Many fans found themselves duped with fake tickets or were forced to pay exorbitantly high prices — sometimes triple the original ticket cost —through third-party websites. This left a bitter aftertaste for many concert-goers. In response, artistes like Diljit Dosanjh took a stand, addressing the issue directly on stage. Law enforcement also stepped in, with official ticketing partners issuing strong warnings to those involved in such illegal practices, aiming to protect fans and ensure fair access to live events.
Poor infrastructure and management
The infrastructure at live events became a point of contention at several concerts this year. One notable incident was when singer Monali Thakur walked off stage during her Varanasi concert due to poor event management. Similarly, Diljit Dosanjh made headlines by stating he wouldn’t perform in India again until the infrastructure improved. He later clarified his comment, emphasising that he wasn’t quitting performing in India, but highlighting an ongoing issue. Another troubling incident occurred during the Bryan Adams concert, where a diabetic attendee was forced to soil himself due to a shortage of restroom facilities. He took to social media to criticise the event organisers, shedding light on the critical need for better planning and infrastructure at such large-scale events.
Fans' misses
Fans misbehaving at concerts also became a concerning issue at several events this year. In May 2024, while performing at SGRR University in Dehradun, singer Sunidhi Chauhan was hit by a plastic bottle thrown from the audience. Visibly upset, she addressed the crowd, asking, “Yeh kya ho raha hai? Bottles phenkne se kya hoga? Yeh batao. Haina? Usse hoga kya? Show ruk jayega.” In November, during a live performance in New York City, actor-singer Ayushmann Khurrana had dollar bills thrown at him from the audience. Instead of reacting negatively, he politely suggested that the man donate the money to charity. In a similar incident in September, Karan Aujla was targetted when someone from the crowd threw a shoe at him during a show in London. The singer, visibly angry, called out the concert-goer, stressing on the need for mutual respect between artistes and audiences.
Security mishaps
At Diljit Dosanjh’s Chandigarh concert on December 14, over 100 mobile phones were reported stolen. Similarly, during Karan Aujla’s performance in Gurgaon, more than 200 phones were reportedly stolen from the crowd. At AP Dhillon’s concert in Chandigarh, security issues escalated further, with 50 mobile phones, wallets, and gold chains being pickpocketed.
