Coldplay Live-Stream: A turn for concert culture in India?
The music of the Coldplay of The Spars Show in Ahmedabad was live-stream for the audience across India. What does this mean for the growing concert culture in India?
A few months ago, we were talking about seismic changes in India’s concert culture. More and more people are now ready to invest time, effort and money to see global music sensations. Last year – and the beginning of this one – is no less than extraordinary to the live music scene of India.
In 2024 alone, we saw 11 global stars in India. Buzz-worthy people included Zomato with Dua Lipa’s feeding India concert, Maroon 5’s debut Mumbai show, Brian Adams’ Five-Sit So Happy It Ture Tour, and Allen Walkerworld India Tour. Although Rihanna and Justin Bieber did not demonstrate to the public, Ambani was enough to convey their personal performance ends at the wedding and add to publicity.
Of course, any conversation about live music in India will be incomplete without mentioning coldplay, at least now. Coldplay concerts are not only for events – they do pilgrimage for fans who fight for tickets, scramble for hotel rooms, and just book flights to see their magic live.
His music of The Spars World Tour in Ahmedabad was no different this year. The demand was the sky-high, but the one who made it really unique was the live-streaming element. For those who could not make it in the stadium, the team’s decision to stream the concert gave fans a chance to experience magic across the country. And it was not a small crowd – an estimated 8.3 million people were tuned!
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This brings us an interesting question: Are Indian audiences ready to go to additional miles to be a part of the live show, or are they enjoying the spectacle of their homes comfortably?
‘The beginning of an era’
Kiran Mani, CEO-Digital in JISTAR, reflected the experience, saying, “This is just the beginning of an era where technology and story will come together to unlock endless possibilities in live entertainment for storytelling.”
His optimism is echoed by VG Jaishankar, co-founder and managing director of Hyperlink brand Solutions, who handled marketing for a coldplay concert in India. According to him, this incident has opened new routes for concert experiences. “India has been a prominent player in live experienced events, especially since the resumption of in-tradition meetings from time to time. Live streaming has become a natural expansion to increase the access to concert beyond the physical site boundaries. ,
Jaishankar also highlights those opportunities and challenges that further lies: “While the challenges of streaming rights and copyright laws still exist, progress in technology and network capabilities has given a leader to give high quality live content to India. Has posted in form. I believe that we have already crossed the transformative moment – the lie ahead is constant innovation and refines the execution to further increase the experiences of the audience. ,
Opportunity makes live streaming
Digital age entered a new era for live music broadcasting. In the 1990s, the Internet enabled the first examples of live streaming. Over time, such as the internet speed increased and streaming technologies advanced, live streaming became more popular and accessible. Platforms such as YouTube and social media networks began hosting live performance, leading the artists to reach the fans directly without relying on traditional broadcasting channels.
In India, while concerts are being celebrated as promoting the economy-Primal Minister Narendra Modi vouched himself for his positive impact-Live streaming is a powerful ad-on forms for the ongoing concert culture boom I emerge
The essence of a live concert lies in its immersive experience: buying tickets, soaking in crowds of crowds, and making unforgettable memories. However, live streaming provides a new dimension, ensuring that fans who cannot participate due to lack of tickets, travel costs, or other obstacles, can still enjoy magic.
Jaishankar highlighted this change, “This model also creates opportunities to increase virtual experiences using AR (enhanced reality) trigger, which allows distant spectators to interact and feel connected to the event in new and innovative ways. While the revenue capacity of live streaming is still developing, its ability to democratic and enrich the concert experience is undisputed.
Artists’ approach
How do artists get or lose from all this? Well, a small data will help you understand better.
According to data from the end of the year of 2024 of Bookmyshow, India’s Live Event Industry has seen a significant growth, before the performance of the coldplay in India. In 2022, the country hosted around 19,000 live events/gigs, and the live concerts were only a small part of it. In 2023, this number increased significantly, with a total of 26,359 incidents – 39 percent increased from the previous year. Additionally, the participation of the audience in live entertainment in 2023 increased by 82 percent year-on-year. This data should be kept to relax the discussion.
“Artists, promoters and producers now work harmonious to expand their audience beyond the venue. While the audience is still growing for live-streaming concerts in India, it offers a chance to experiment and learn. This can help relieve geographical and economic obstacles, but success depends on spontaneous execution, including reliable network infrastructure and production setups. With AR-Saksham experiences, the organizers have the opportunity to attach the virtual attendees by adding interactive and immersive elements to the live stream, “Jayashankar explains.
What does the target audience say
A product manager and emotional concert-Goer, Surajit Dasgupta has participated in live performance by U2, Joe Satiini, Kodeline, The Lumineers, Parikram, Pentagram and Alan Walker. He was one of the few people who managed to secure tickets for the music program of Coldplay in India. Interestingly, he also watched the Ahmedabad show through the comfortable live stream of his home. Sharing his thoughts, he says:
“You can never, never compare live experience to stream the show. If I get a ticket for my favorite concert, I will never dig them for an experience at home, no matter how comfortable it is Why not be the difference, especially for those who want to participate, but can not cause reasons. “
He further emphasizes the irreparable magic of participating in a concert in the person: “Everything is compared to sitting at the ground and looking at the ground. Absolutely enchanted! , They will still go, whether the concert is a live-stream regardless, regardless, regardless of cares.
However, the concept of live streaming shook some debate on social media. Some fans expressed disappointment that after struggling to secure tickets and meet with other expenses, the concert was made available to wide audiences for free. Addressing this, Jaishankar clarifies:
“Live events are constantly developing, and streaming is not new – it has been successful globally for decades. However, in India, it has the ability to complement and elevate the uniqueness of live experiences by creating hybrid format. Streaming is not thinner Instead, the magic of participating in the person;
