How Coldplay Concerts Turned Ahmedabad Into A Live Tourism Hub

That Indians are keen on experiencing live events is now well-established. But their growing affinity to combine these events with extended stays and local exploration is becoming a major economic driver.

Over 222,000 people attended British rock band Coldplay’s Ahmedabad concerts earlier this year. Fans from over 500 cities across India traveled to attend the shows held across two nights, according to a new report by live entertainment platform BookMyShow Live and EY’s strategic consulting arm EY-Parthenon.

It added that the concert generated an estimated economic impact of INR 6.41 billion ($75 million) for Ahmedabad, including significant spending on accommodation, transport, dining and retail. For the three days that the concert was held, Ahmedabad airport handled 138,000 travelers.

BookMyShow Live also partnered with Indian Railways’ Western Railways division to run special superfast trains between Mumbai and Ahmedabad to cater to the heavy flow of passengers, the report added.

The inflow of tourists for the concert also pushed up room rates as hotel bookings increased 1047% during January 26-28. “Room rates that typically hover around INR 15,000 ($175) even during peak season soared to INR 50,000-90,000 ($586-1,055), within just 48 hours of the concert announcement,” the report added.

“The concert served as a major catalyst for demand, with bookings rising by nearly 69% across all modes of transportation on our platform compared to two weeks earlier,” said online travel agency MakeMyTrip’s chief marketing and business officer Raj Rishi Singh. “Flight bookings increased by 55%. Average selling prices across all modes of transportation also saw an upward trend. While the percentage increase varied across these modes, the overall average was close to 50%