The Story
OrganizerLollapalooza India is the Indian chapter of the global Lollapalooza festival, the multi-genre institution founded in the United States by Perry Farrell. It debuted in Mumbai on 28–29 January 2023, making India — in the words of BookMyShow founder Ashish Hemrajani — the eighth country and fourth continent to host a Lollapalooza. The festival is promoted and co-produced by BookMyShow Live, the live-entertainment division of India's leading ticketing and entertainment company, in partnership with Perry Farrell and the global festival producers C3 Presents (with Live Nation involvement).
Held at the expansive Mahalaxmi Racecourse in central Mumbai, the festival runs across multiple stages — four in recent editions — delivering more than twenty hours of live music over two days. Its programming is deliberately genre-agnostic, spanning rock, pop, hip-hop, electronic and indie, and its signature is the pairing of major international headliners with India's leading homegrown artists. Its first three editions hosted a remarkable run of global names — Imagine Dragons and The Strokes (2023); Sting, OneRepublic and the Jonas Brothers (2024); Green Day, Shawn Mendes, Louis Tomlinson, Zedd and Glass Animals (2025) — alongside Indian acts such as DIVINE, AP Dhillon, Prabh Deep, the Raghu Dixit Project and Hanumankind. The 2025 edition shifted to March, partly around major standalone concerts in India that season, before the festival returned to its original late-January slot.
The fourth edition, announced for 24–25 January 2026, features over 40 international and Indian acts and headlines the India debuts of Linkin Park and hip-hop star Playboi Carti. The festival is backed by a roster of major brand partners — including H&M, Budweiser 0.0, Johnnie Walker (non-alcoholic), RuPay, Airbnb and others — and emphasises a culture of musical 'discovery', inclusivity and sustainability. In just a few years, Lollapalooza India has become the flagship of India's live-music festival scene and a powerful platform projecting Indian artists alongside the world's biggest names.
Lollapalooza India's cultural significance lies in its role as the landmark event of India's live-music coming-of-age — the most prominent global festival brand to establish itself in the country and Asia's largest multi-genre music festival. It has brought a world-class, internationally benchmarked festival experience to Indian audiences and significantly raised production and curatorial standards across the sector.
Equally important is its platforming of Indian artists: by placing homegrown rappers, indie acts and bands on the same multi-stage bill as global superstars, it has amplified Indian talent onto a global-standard stage and signalled the maturing of India as a major live-music market. As a driver of the country's live-entertainment economy and a focal point of contemporary youth and music culture, it occupies a significant place in India's modern festival landscape, even as a young and commercial enterprise.
Lollapalooza India matters as the flagship of India's rapidly growing live-music economy and a symbol of the country's arrival as a major global concert market. It brings world-leading artists to Indian fans, elevates homegrown talent onto an international-standard stage, sets new benchmarks for festival production and experience, and anchors contemporary youth music culture - making it a bellwether for the live-entertainment industry in India.
Lollapalooza India has brought a major global festival brand and world-class live-music production to India; raised standards across the festival sector; platformed Indian artists alongside global superstars; and helped establish India as a significant international live-music market and contemporary youth-culture hub.
