Coldplay and Ed Sheeran: Why global stars are now hitting India

Music fans around the world often cry out, “Please come to my city!” hoping their favorite artists will perform in their hometowns. However, Indian music fans often find these pleas go unanswered. Despite artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Gracie Abrams, and Arctic Monkeys charting on India’s weekly Spotify charts, and even Ed Sheeran’s album “÷ (Divide)” remaining on the charts for 217 consecutive weeks, many world-renowned musicians tend to overlook the country.

But this situation appears to be changing. Dua Lipa’s recent performance in Mumbai went viral online, and Coldplay is set to begin their tour after their last visit to India nine years ago. Their tour schedule includes two shows in Ahmedabad, expected to draw over 100,000 attendees each night. Music enthusiast and aspiring artist Anoushka Maskey told BBC Newsbeat, “To experience this in our own country, and to see it happening more and more often, is really cool.”

The demand for live music in India seems to be growing, with ticketing platform BookMyShow reporting an 18% increase in 2024. Ed Sheeran is about to embark on his largest-ever tour in India, and artists like Shawn Mendes and Louis Tomlinson will also be appearing at the Lollapalooza festival in March. Dr. Sourindra Banerjee, a marketing professor at the University of Leeds Business School, stated that India's population of 1.4 billion and its age demographics are highly attractive to artists. Dr. Banerjee told Newsbeat, “India has a very large young population, and if I were in the music industry, I would target it to reap the demographic dividend.”

Data from global market research company Statista shows that the Indian music industry was worth 19 billion rupees (£178 million) in 2021. This figure is projected to grow to 37 billion rupees (£346 million) by 2026. Dr. Banerjee believes that the rise of K-pop in India has shown Western artists the potential of the country for finding new fans. He stated, “Major record labels have research teams, and they will see that someone else can take over a huge market.” More broadly, he believes that India's growing wealth and connection to the wider world make it an important place for artists to establish themselves and “collaborate.” “It’s not just access to the Indian market, but access to the large Indian diaspora living abroad as well.”

For Indian domestic artists, they hope the arrival of big-name stars will bring them significant opportunities. Anoushka, a pop/folk singer-songwriter who has been making music since 2020, believes that Western artists offer opportunities for local artists to gain greater exposure. She herself had the experience of opening for UK music award winner Ben Howard. She said, “That was an opportunity I never thought I’d have domestically.” Independent singer-songwriter Anumita Nadesan stated that the opportunity to collaborate with bigger artists “can put you on the map.” The Hindi artist said, “It’s also very inspiring because previously, when a superstar came to India, we had to go to other countries to watch their concerts. And, as an artist, you can learn a lot by attending these concerts.” Frizzell D'Souza, a pop artist from Bangalore, said that seeing artists from abroad who started from humble beginnings can send a powerful message to Indian audiences that local talent can also achieve global fame. She calls Ed Sheeran her “songwriting hero” and says his background of busking and playing in grassroots venues resonates with her. Frizzell said, “Knowing that someone like him can actually do it is very reassuring. Even though he is such a huge superstar now, he started off pretty much like me.”

Frizzell also sees opportunities for cultural exchange, with Western musical figures being exposed to Indian music. She mentions rapper Hanumankind, whose song “Big Dawgs” topped global charts and who has collaborated with A$AP Rocky. She said, “It’s proof that international artists coming to India also helps Indian artists break through globally.” However, artists also point out that the influx of global stars into India may come with some potential downsides. Frizzell believes the biggest risk is financial, with audiences mainly paying to see bigger artists. “I hope I’m wrong, but maybe they will prefer bigger international artists and not be willing to take a chance on supporting younger or emerging artists.” Anumita added that there is also the possibility that big-name artists will overshadow the attention small artists receive. “But it will also challenge small artists, perhaps raise their standards.”

According to Peony Hirwani, a music journalist at Rolling Stone India, the risk of being overshadowed is low, as companies involved in events usually ensure local artists are the main opening acts. She cited G-Eazy’s 2024 tour, which featured only Indian opening artists, as an example of this helping their careers. She told Newsbeat that instead, the focus should be on improving infrastructure to attract the biggest stars like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé – neither of whom have brought their tours to India. Fans often complain about the facilities, with concerts often being held in stadiums used during India's long cricket season and not being available year-round. Peony said, “So, we need more, bigger venues and a better music system.” The Lollapalooza festival was held at a racecourse in Mumbai, the only venue with enough space to safely host a festival. “Even some of the (famous) stadiums we have right now… there definitely needs to be a conversation about what everyone needs, to improve our infrastructure and venues,” Peony said.