Coldplay’s Ahmedabad concert brought ₹641 Crore economic impact: Report
68% of concertgoers made event-specific purchases, including apparel and accessories.
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Coldplay’s two-night stadium concert in Ahmedabad in January 2025 has generated a staggering ₹641 crore in economic impact, according to a new report by EY-Parthenon and BookMyShow Live. Titled India’s Rising Concert Economy, the report explores the financial, infrastructural, and policy ripple effects of one of India’s most significant live music events to date.
The performances, part of the band’s ongoing Music of the Spheres world tour, drew over 222,000 attendees to the Narendra Modi Stadium—cementing the event as a landmark moment for India’s growing live entertainment sector.
Direct and Indirect Economic Contributions Of the total estimated impact, ₹392 crore came from direct consumer spending in Ahmedabad across hospitality, travel, dining, and retail sectors. An additional ₹72 crore was collected as Goods and Services Tax (GST), with the remainder stemming from indirect and induced economic activity—ranging from employment generation to logistical and ancillary services.
The event was a massive employment engine, creating over 15,000 jobs across security, food and beverage, logistics, housekeeping, and volunteer coordination. Notably, around 9,000 of these were sourced from Ahmedabad alone, showcasing the concert’s localised economic lift.
Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Boom The event triggered a historic surge in air and rail traffic. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport processed 138,000 passengers in just three days, breaking its previous records. Hotels in and around the city raised tariffs by over 400%, while platforms such as Cleartrip and Agoda reported a 1,000% increase in booking activity during the concert window.
Train routes from major metros like Mumbai and Delhi sold out weeks in advance, while ride-hailing fares and demand for intercity travel spiked significantly. The state government also extended public transport timings to accommodate the influx.
Shopping and Food Sales Surge The concert also became a flashpoint for consumer spending in retail and food sectors. According to the report:
68% of concertgoers made event-specific purchases, including apparel and accessories.
Myntra and AJIO both reported up to a 3x increase in sales during the concert period.
Local food vendors experienced a 40% jump in footfall and reported up to 30% revenue gains.
On average, attendees spent approximately ₹12,400 on lodging, ₹10,800 on interstate travel, and close to ₹2,000 on food and beverages outside the venue.
Read More: BCCI sued over naming IPL robot dog ‘Champak’ A Blueprint for India’s Live Entertainment Future The Coldplay concert serves as a template for how international-scale events can generate meaningful returns beyond the metros. According to the EY-Parthenon report, India’s organised live event industry crossed ₹12,000 crore in 2024 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19% over the next three years.
In a public address following the event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi referenced the concert’s success and encouraged investment in cultural infrastructure as a way to engage India’s youth and tap into the booming entertainment economy.
