BookMyShow Live surveyed 1,700 Indian concert-goers, and they say they go to feel better

Why do people in India buy concert tickets? BookMyShow Live, one of the country's biggest live promoters and ticketing platforms, has published a report that tries to answer it, and the headline finding is about feelings, not fashion.

The report, titled OOO: Offline. Outdoors. Out Loud, is based on a survey of about 1,700 concert-goers aged 18 and above across 75 Indian cities. It ran for five weeks from 10 June 2026 and looks back at the 2025 to 2026 live season. Because BookMyShow Live sells many of the tickets in question, treat the numbers as a promoter's view of its own audience rather than an independent census.

Healing, singalongs and very little FOMO

• 51% say they go because they have followed an artist for years. Only 4% cite fear of missing out.
• Around 44% overall want to "feel emotionally healed" at a show, rising to 49% among millennials.
• 66% say a crowd singing together gives them their biggest chills.
• 40% have lost their voice after a gig, and 46% say they get post-concert blues after every one.
• 56% have connected with a stranger at a live event, and 72% say they found a new artist at a BookMyShow Live show.
• 39% say they consciously choose experiences over possessions, and one in four would rather spend on once-in-a-lifetime concerts than save for the future.

Who is in the crowd

Gen Z makes up 57% of respondents, millennials 32% and those aged 46 and over 11%. Among Gen Z, 46% post about a show within an hour and one in five queue for front-row spots. Among older fans, one in three bring family and book the moment tickets go on sale. By gender the sample is 65% male and 34% female.

The Guwahati number

The report also puts a figure on what a stadium show is worth to a city. It estimates that Post Malone's concert in Guwahati in December 2025 generated about Rs 43 crore in economic impact. About 53% of attendees travelled in from across 200 cities and towns, and for every Rs 100 spent on tickets, fans spent Rs 899 on travel, stays, food and local businesses. That is the company's own estimate, and it shows why smaller cities are now a serious part of the touring map.

For readers following India's festival season, our coverage of Rolling Loud India's 2026 lineup and the rest of the gig guide shows where those crowds are heading next.