India's Live Music Revolution: A New Frontline for Global Concerts

WME targets India's dynamic music scene as a burgeoning platform for international and local artists. With rapid growth in audience and infrastructure, India is set to become a top market for concerts, driven by strategic investments and increasing sponsorships.

With the live music industry on the cusp of a monumental transformation, William Morris Endeavor (WME) is eyeing India as the next pivotal market for international concert tours and emerging talent. Kirk Sommer, the Global Co-Head of Music at WME, anticipates India's swift ascent as a key player, destined to become one of the largest experiential markets worldwide, offering vast audiences for international acts and a global stage for Indian artists ascending to superstardom.

India, boasting a population exceeding 1.4 billion—with half under the age of 25—and recording over a trillion music streams in 2023, is witnessing an unprecedented surge in music consumption, sponsorship deals, and ticket sales. Cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore are transforming into bustling hubs for large-scale events, with Lollapalooza Mumbai at the forefront. The strengthening of concert infrastructure, growing corporate sponsorship, and rising investor interest are propelling India's concert landscape to new heights. As a powerhouse in entertainment, WME is channeling its resources to support tours by global sensations like Coldplay, Dua Lipa, and The Strokes in India, while fervently working to catapult Indian artists to international fame, leveraging data-driven insights and live performance metrics to strategically place Indian talent alongside global icons like Latin, K-Pop, and J-Pop luminaries.

"India's music revolution is just beginning," declares Sommer. "With improvements in infrastructure and an expanding audience base, India is on the cusp of becoming an essential destination for global musicians, while simultaneously nurturing its own superstars." WME's strategic investments and deep-rooted industry expertise are poised to firmly establish India as a dominant force in the worldwide live music arena.

(With inputs from agencies.)