Travel bookings surge as fans flock to Coldplay & Diljit Dosanjh concerts
India is experiencing a surge in travel demand as fans flock to various cities for the highly anticipated concerts of global superstars like Coldplay and Diljit Dosanjh. This trend underscores the growing significance of music tourism, as fans prioritise live music experiences and their associated travel adventures.
According to a recent press statement, by ixigo, an online travel agency, Mumbai, the host city for the Coldplay concert which is going to be held from January 18-21, 2025, has seen a significant jump of 350 pc year-on-year (YoY) in flight bookings.
Similarly, Chandigarh, one of the locations for upcoming DIL-UMINATI India tour by famous Punjabi singer Diljit, has witnessed a staggering 300 pc year-on-year surge in flight bookings, the statement adds.
“We have observed a significant shift in Indian travellers’ preferences, with more people willing to spend on experiences like music concerts and festivals. This increased demand is also affecting airfares for major concert dates, with one-way non-stop flights from Bangalore to Delhi, typically priced around INR 6,500, now reaching INR 16,000 on October 26. Likewise, a one-way flight from Mumbai to Delhi, which usually costs around INR 5,700 in October, will now cost travellers INR 12,000 on October 26,” says Aloke Bajpai, Group CEO, ixigo.
“Train travel demand for Diljit’s shows in October and November in Delhi, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru has seen an average month-on-month increase of 85-90 pc in train bookings. Coldplay’s Mumbai concert has driven a massive 800 pc YoY growth in train,” says Dinesh Kumar Kotha, CEO of ixigo Trains & ConfirmTkt.
There has also been a strong growth in demand for bus tickets from Tier II cities for the concerts. Rohit Sharma, COO of AbhiBus, says a strong demand from cities such as Jaipur, Nagpur, Dehradun, Varanasi, Indore, Surat, and Kanpur has been seen for Dosanjh’s concerts.
“Ahmedabad is leading with a week-on-week growth of 25-38 pc for bus travel, followed by Pune and Bangalore,” he says.