Coldplay's Ahmedabad concert generated ₹641 crore economic impact
What's the story
The two-night concert of British rock band Coldplay at the Narendra Modi Stadium in January 2025 had an estimated ₹641 crore economic impact, according to a report by EY-Parthenon and BookMyShow Live.
The report, titled India's Rising Concert Economy, assesses the financial, infrastructural, and policy impacts of the mega live music event.
The Ahmedabad concert, part of Coldplay's Music of the Spheres world tour, drew an audience of over 2,22,000 from India and abroad.
Economic impact
How was ₹641 crore generated?
The concert directly pumped ₹392 crore into Ahmedabad's economy through consumer spend on hotels, local transport, dining, and retail. The government also earned ₹72 crore from GST.
The rest of the economic impact comprises indirect and induced activities such as job generation, logistical support, ancillary services, etc.
The event generated over 15,000 jobs in security, logistics, food and beverage (F&B), housekeeping, and volunteering, etc.
Tourism boost
Surge in tourism and hospitality due to concert
The concert resulted in an unprecedented boom in tourism and hospitality, with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport processing 1,38,000 travelers in three days.
Hotel room tariffs soared by over 400% while platforms such as Cleartrip and Agoda saw accommodation bookings spike by over 1,000%.
Rail and road traffic also peaked, with train routes from Mumbai and Delhi booked up in advance and ride-hailing fares soaring.
Commercial gains
Retail and ancillary businesses experienced growth
The concert also pushed consumer spending across lifestyle and retail sectors.
A report said 68% of attendees made concert-specific purchases, with fashion platforms like Myntra and AJIO witnessing up to three-fold increase in merchandise sales over the concert period.
Local F&B vendors saw a 40% jump in footfall and a 30% increase in revenue.
Attendees spent ₹12,400 on accommodation, ₹10,800 on interstate travel, and nearly ₹2,000 on food and beverages outside the venue, on average.
Growth potential
India's concert economy and future prospects
India's organized live event segment crossed ₹12,000 crore in 2024 and is projected to expand at a 19% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the coming three years, the report added.
The Coldplay concert could serve as an example for future large-scale events in non-metro cities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also referred to the concert in a public address, calling for investments in cultural infrastructure to fuel India's growing youth and entertainment market.
Before Ahmedabad, Coldplay had performed in Mumbai.