I recently attended Coldplay’s concert in India…through everyone’s Instagram stories and posts. I know how Chris Martin, one of the band’s singers, gave a huge shoutout to SRK, Jasprit Bumrah, and other Indian gems. Fortunately, these posts didn’t give me any FOMO. Why? After learning the reality of recent concerts, I’d rather take an international trip than buy that ticket.

‘Coldplay’ seems like the most spoken word of January 2025 from two sets of people – those who couldn’t get a ticket and those who went to the concert. But do you know the third kind of this (un)lucky lot who convinced me not to be a part of the show? The women who had a disastrous experience at previous concerts in India.

Concerts of artists including Diljit Dosanjh, Dua Lipa, and AP Dhillon report countless disappointing experiences of women. Furthermore, women artists like Monali Thakur have called out management teams for exploiting vendors and misusing the laws against sexual harassment. This mistreatment even forced her to cancel one of her recent shows after a 70-minute performance.

Is India equipped for concerts?

EY’s Music Creator Economy report predicts a revenue of ₹1,000 crore in 2025 through music fests, highlighting India’s booming concert culture. Then why are management authorities giving an experience that doesn’t match even half the cost people are paying? Why are concert attendees deprived of the most basic facilities like clean toilets? You must have seen a million stories of the recent concerts including Coldplay’s in India. But have you seen the dark side of it? Read about these horrible experiences suffered by women at concerts in India before you go to one.

Unsafe crowd, bad infrastructure, and more

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The good guy approach to harassing women

A mixed bag of disappointment

Mismanagement

Poor sanitation

These are a few of the many experiences expressing the discomfort women face in concerts in India. While these lively shows seem aesthetic and fun on the ‘gram, they are quite the opposite in reality. The management authorities must account for basic facilities like proper sanitation, clean toilets, drinking water, and more. Furthermore, they should follow certain criteria before selecting a venue. Not all venues in India are fit for concerts and other shows with a massive audience.

Safety for women at concerts should not be an afterthought. Don’t women deserve to let their hair down and have a good time without any worries when their favourite artists are performing?

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