Arijit Singh At Barabati Stadium Today, Alan Walker Next; Odisha In Tune With PM Modi’s ‘Concert Economy’ Vision

Bhubaneswar: Exactly a month after Prime Minister Narendra Modi pushed for concert economy, Odisha is ready to host live shows of celebrated singer and global music icon Arijit Singh and Norwegian DJ Alan Walker.

Ajit will set the stage on fire at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack, from 6 pm on March 1. He is expected to perform for around 4 hours.

The Norwegian EDM artist, on the other hand, will be back for more shows after a massive 2024 India Tour, adding four cities, including Bhubaneswar, in April. WalkerWorld India Tour will kick off in Guwahati on April 17, followed by Hyderabad on April 18, Bhubaneswar on April 19 and Jaipur on April 20. Tickets went live on Friday, February 28, midnight on BookMyShow, with prices starting at Rs 999.

In January during ‘Utkarsh Odisha, Make in Odisha Conclave’ in Bhubaneswar, PM Modi had urged states, and private players to develop infrastructure for concerts, while referring to Chris Martin-led British rock band Coldplay that held multiple sold out successful shows in Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

“A country that has such a rich heritage of music, dance and storytelling and a huge pool of youngsters who are big consumers of concerts, there are many possibilities in the concert economy. The trend of live events and concerts has increased in the last 10 years. You must have seen the beautiful pictures of Coldplay concerts in Mumbai and Ahmedabad. This proves that there is a massive scope for concerts in India,” he said.

Live music is no longer just about the experience, but is a full-fledged industry, which can generate revenue for multiple industries, including hospitality, transport, food & beverages, merchandise, and event management.

In 2023, the live events market across India was valued at 88 billion Indian rupees. It was estimated to reach 143 billion rupees by 2026, showing a compounded annual growth rate of 17.6 per cent, according to Statista.

India is comfortably placed at 7th position ahead of South Korea, France and Australia, it added.

A Bank of Baroda Research report estimated that between Rs 1,600 crore and Rs 2,000 crore was spent on live events in just three months. The annual private spending on concerts could reach Rs 6,000-8,000 crore if the sector continues to grow, it added.