How Gen Z is powering India’s concert boom

At 3 pm, between sets on the second day of Lollapalooza India, 27-year-old Shivang Verma sat under a large tent, dressed in a grey Linkin Park T-shirt, waiting for the band’s first-ever performance in Mumbai. The software engineer from Lucknow had come for the closing act of the global festival’s fourth Indian edition. Like many others, he was drawn in the moment rumours of Linkin Park headlining the festival were confirmed.

“When I heard the rumours, I started saving up,” says Shivang, who also supports his parents. Attending the festival solo, he spent around ₹10,000 on flights, ₹15,000 on his ticket and another ₹15,000 on accommodation. “I had to be here, no matter what,” he says, adding that like many fans, he misses Chester Bennington but was excited to see the band reunite and release a new album in 2024.

Lollapalooza Day 2,
| Photo Credit:
Abdulkader

In just a year, India has hosted live performances by global heavyweights such as Coldplay, Guns N’ Roses, Tom Morello and Travis Scott. Lollapalooza’s previous edition featured punk-rock icons Green Day alongside Shawn Mendes and Glass Animals. With Indian artists touring frequently as well, the surge in sold-out concerts, especially those curated for under-35 audiences, largely Gen Z, is unmistakable. Ticket prices, often justified as ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ experiences for die-hard fans, have risen in tandem.

“I don’t spend recklessly on concerts or live experiences,” says Shivang. Many Gen Z attendees I spoke to at Lollapalooza echoed this sentiment, acknowledging the steep ticket prices and exercising restraint on discretionary spending, both at the venue and in everyday life. Yet most also admitted to having felt left out in the past — social-media-driven FOMO, they said, is very real.

“There were concerts I skipped, but after seeing how they played out on social media, I did feel like I missed something,” says 23-year-old Mumbai-based graphic designer Siddharth Dhevar.

Lollapalooza India 2026 featured a strong line-up beyond Linkin Park, with names such as Playboi Carti, YUNGBLUD, Kehlani, Fuji Kaze, Knock2, LANY and Sammy Virji drawing enthusiastic crowds. Co-produced and promoted by BookMyShow, Lollapalooza India reflects a booming concert economy. According to BookMyShow’s Throwback 2025 report, live entertainment events rose to 34,086 in 2025, an 11% increase over 2024, while overall consumption grew by 17% year-on-year. “2025 was the year the concert economy levelled up,” the report notes. That growth is borne out by a Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting white paper presented at the World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) last May, which pegged India’s live events market at ₹20,861 crore in 2024 — a 15% year-on-year increase, well above the global average of 8–10%.

Linkin Park performs on the BudX Stage as the final act of Lollapalooza India 2026 | Photo: BookMyShow Live

People creating fun memories at Lollapalooza India 2026
| Photo Credit:
Abdulkader

This raises an inevitable question. Against the backdrop of a recent LinkedIn survey in which 80% of Gen Z respondents said they expect job prospects to become tougher in 2026, what is driving this rapidly growing concert economy? And how do young people justify spending a significant portion of their savings on experiences like Lollapalooza India, even as over 75% of Gen Z plan to switch jobs for better pay?

“I usually save up, so when it comes to experiences like Lollapalooza, I can afford it,” says 25-year-old Namita Chalil, a Mumbai-based SEO analyst who lives with her parents and saves on rent. Missing out on Coldplay last year, she admits, came with a dose of social-media-induced FOMO.

Others spoke of practical adjustments. Poorva Patole, 25, cut accommodation costs by staying with a friend in Mumbai, while her colleague Devika Sharma, 27, who flew in from Delhi, stayed with her grandparents. “We both work from home, which helps us save. That’s what allows me to attend concerts of artists I truly love,” says Devika.

Several Gen Z attendees also said food and beverages at the venue were steeply priced, prompting familiar cost-cutting hacks. Many also felt that Lollapalooza tickets — priced between ₹6,500 and ₹10,000 for general admission — offered better value than single-artist concerts, given the multi-artist line-up.

Yet beneath the calculations lies a lingering sense of catching up. “I missed Coldplay, Green Day and Guns N’ Roses last year because I was busy,” says Arvind Khandekar, 27, an MBA student in Delhi who travelled to Mumbai for Linkin Park’s set, spending around ₹11,000–12,000 on flights. “My savings from a previous job made this possible,” he adds, noting that he limits concerts to artists he genuinely admires to keep FOMO in check.

Financial literacy may not be formally taught, but Gen Z appears to be learning it in real time. The rising frequency of high-profile concerts, the pressure of missing out, and the true cost of live experiences are pushing young audiences to be more deliberate and accountable about how they spend their money on music-led moments.

Friends at Lollapalooza India 2026, Day 2 | Photo: BookMyShow Live

“I usually plan my finances around the concerts or festivals I want to attend,” says 27-year-old Aditya (named changed by request), who works in finance, lives in Bengaluru and was attending Lollapalooza India in Mumbai for the third time. “In the lead-up, I cut back on unnecessary spending — eating out, ordering food — anything I can save on.” Travelling with friends, he adds that staying in hostels and eating light before and after concerts at affordable places helps keep costs down.

Then there is also the rise of a new consumer segment — ‘event tourists’, those who travel across cities or States for live concerts and festivals. According to the Throwback 2025 report, over 5.6 lakh people travelled for music concerts in 2025, an 18% jump from the previous year. Verma, Patole, Sharma, Khandekar and Aditya — like many at Lollapalooza India — fall squarely into this category.

The economic impact is significant. Using Coldplay’s Ahmedabad concert as a case study, the report notes that for every ₹100 spent on tickets, an additional ₹585 went towards travel, hospitality and shopping. The concert generated an estimated ₹641 crore across industries, much of it driven by event tourism.

But event tourism comes with risks. Accommodation prices often surge, and postponements or cancellations can prove costly. John Mayer’s much-anticipated India debut, scheduled for January 22 in Mumbai, was postponed just eight days before the show, prompting fans to voice frustration over non-refundable flights and hotel bookings. On the same day, Bandland — a major rock and metal festival in Bengaluru — was also cancelled.

Despite these uncertainties, big-ticket concerts show no signs of slowing down. Rock legends Def Leppard and Scorpions are set to perform in Mumbai in the coming months. Tickets for such single-artist shows, often positioned as celebrations of music history, start at around ₹4,000 — and many fans are willing to pay the price.

Aerial view of Lollapalooza India 2026 | Photo: BookMyShow Live

Tears of witnessing history being made were evident on several faces as Linkin Park closed the festival. With all things being said and done, sometimes a price tag for such experiences can be overlooked because in our hearts we know that our inner child deserves it. And because in the end, that does matter.