Ultra, Lolla And The Local Dilemma: What’s Next For Indian Music Festivals?

India’s music festival landscape is in the middle of a defining transformation, one shaped not from within, but by global forces now planting their flags in its cultural soil.

The recent success of global behemoths like Lollapalooza and Ultra Music Festival in India is more than just a spectacle of high-wattage artists and dazzling production. Their arrival signals a recalibration of expectations,  from audiences, sponsors and creators alike -and it’s forcing a critical conversation: Can India’s homegrown festival IPs evolve fast enough to compete, or even coexist, in a market now flooded with global intent and capital?

“Post-COVID, the world has gone even more experiential,” says Devraj Sanyal, Chairman & CEO of Universal Music India & South Asia and SVP Strategy AMEA. “The market is huge, and there is space for everyone. Fans will go to see their favorite artists, whether at Lollapalooza or a homegrown festival.”

Sanyal, who co-founded Sunburn in 2007, has witnessed the evolution of the Indian festival economy firsthand,  from passionate subculture to serious business. He believes local IPs have all the raw ingredients but require a more robust ecosystem: “What homegrown festivals need is better sponsorship, stronger marketing and the patience to reach sustainability. Once that’s achieved, the difference between global and local will fade.”

A Global Wake-Up Call

The success of Lollapalooza Mumbai in early 2024, with acts like The Strokes, AP Dhillon, and Halsey drawing in tens of thousands, offered more than just entertainment. It redefined what Indian audiences expect from a live music experience: better infrastructure, world-class production, genre diversity and seamless digital engagement. It was, in many ways, a new baseline.

But while international festivals operate with deep pockets and brand power, Indian festivals must rely on creative ingenuity and cultural authenticity to compete.

“Audiences today want more than just a lineup,” says Shaju Ignatius, Chief Evangelist,  Live Events at Laqshya Media Group. “They crave immersive storytelling and emotional connection. The festivals that will thrive are those that build strong identities, communities, and experiences that resonate beyond the stage.”

Ignatius believes that the formula for success has shifted. In a landscape where access to talent is increasingly democratized, through streaming, social media and global collaborations,  it’s not the scale that wins, but the soul. “Indian IPs have an opportunity to lead if they focus on what they know best: their audience,” he adds.

Local Strengths, Global Pressure

This cultural advantage is something Hamza Kazi, Head of Music at Dharma Cornerstone Agency, sees as both a shield and a strategy. He reflects on India’s rich festival legacy, going back to the late ’80s with Farhad Wadia’s iconic Independence Rock and notes that while global names bring glamour, Indian curators have the pulse.

“We understand local audiences and artist dynamics better than anyone,” he says. “Homegrown festivals may not match in scale, but they can offer intimacy, community, and cultural relevance, which are harder to replicate.”

Kazi emphasizes the need for clear vision and insight-driven programming. “Festivals must have a strong concept. Artist curation should flow from that, not the other way around. The right lineup follows clarity of purpose, not just budget.”

A Blueprint in Boldness

One such example is Simba UPROAR, a homegrown festival that blends music with alternative subcultures and bold storytelling. The brainchild of Ishwaraj Singh Bhatia, Co-Founder of Simba Beer and ZigZag Vodka, UPROAR combines hip-hop, underground music, and freestyle motocross, a daring mix in a market still figuring out how to diversify beyond EDM and Bollywood pop.

“India’s live music scene is at an inflection point,” Bhatia says. “We’ve seen what large-scale can look like, but homegrown festivals have the edge in understanding what drives audiences emotionally. By fusing cultural storytelling with high-energy innovation, we’re trying to redefine what a festival means.”

This fusion of local pulse with fearless creativity may well be the future — especially as the battle for fan loyalty intensifies.

Global Influence, Local Impact

Veteran cultural impresario Sanjay Roy, Managing Director at Teamwork Arts, views the entry of global players not as a threat but as an opportunity, one that could catalyze overdue improvements in touring infrastructure, ticketing systems, hospitality, and artist management.

“India’s touring ecosystem is still maturing. Big names will push that process forward,” he says. “Homegrown IPs won’t lose ground unless they try to mimic global models without substance. Audiences will always value originality.”

Roy also draws a parallel with the recent hosting of Broadway and West End shows at NMACC, which dramatically lifted audience expectations for theatre. “In the same way, Lollapalooza and Ultra will raise the bar. It’s now up to Indian festival creators to rise with it, not by imitation, but by leading with intent.”

What often goes unspoken in this conversation is the uneven playing field. International festivals enter with long-term investment horizons and global brand equity. Indian festivals, by contrast, must hustle harder, raise funds locally, and turn profits earlier to survive.

That reality makes creative resilience not just a virtue, but a necessity.

The Road Ahead

What’s clear is that India’s festival future won’t be determined by who has the biggest LED screen or the most viral lineup. It will be defined by who builds the strongest connection, through stories, culture and consistency.

As Devraj Sanyal puts it, “The time of fandom and the fans has just begun.”