US rapper Post Malone to perform as Assam approves concert tourism policy

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Guwahati, Jorhat, and Dibrugarh will host concerts and Malone will perform at the first concert under the new policy on December 8

American rapper Post Malone will perform in Guwahati in December, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Wednesday, as the Assam Cabinet approved a policy to promote concert tourism in the state.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said they can have a healthy competition with Meghalaya. (X)

“Our neighbouring state, Meghalaya, has been holding concerts, and there was a [British rock band] Coldplay concert in Ahmedabad, which reportedly generated ₹600 crore in revenue for the state. We had mentioned a policy on concert tourism in this year’s budget. The Cabinet approved this today [Wednesday],” said Sarma after a Cabinet meeting at Dergaon in the state’s Golaghat district.

Sarma said Guwahati, Jorhat, and Dibrugarh will host concerts. He added that Malone will perform at the first concert under the new policy at Guwahati on December 8. “Assam had been left out of the concert tourism economy...with the new policy, we believe we can have a healthy competition with Meghalaya,” said Sarma.

Singers Ed Sheeran, Bryan Adams, Nick Carter and American rock band Mr Big have attracted thousands of tourists from Assam and other state to a series of concerts in Meghalaya’s capital, Shillong.

The Assam Cabinet also on Wednesday approved a sixth addition to the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, which will take its total area to 47,291 hectares. “The move will add 6,000 hectares to the park,” Sarma said.