Lollapalooza India 2024: A Resounding Festival Finale

EE News Desk Jan 31, 2024

Lollapalooza India 2024 ended on a high note, stirring a whirlwind of emotions amongst the audiences. Memorable moments, the thrill of discovering new art and music, catching their favourite international artists on stage seasoned with desi flavour made for two evenings, right in the heart of Mumbai at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse. With thousands of fans having the time of their lives across both days and 20+ hours of performances, Lollapalooza India 2024 was a rousing success setting the stage for the third year.

Asia’s largest multi-genre music festival announced a grand return to Mumbai for the third time in a row in 2025. BookMyShow Live, spearheaded Lollapalooza India as the promoter and co-producer for the along with global producers, Perry Farrell and C3 Presents.

Crowds were moved by Sting's music that made a return to India after almost two decades. He took our breath away with an unforgettable performance, from the iconic ‘Desert Rose’ to ‘Fields Of Gold’, thousands of festival attendees grooved to his classic hits and couldn’t get enough of him. The 72-year old legend had fans from across age groups chanting Sting is King and singing in unison to his chart topping ‘Every Breath You Take’.

The young guns and American pop rock anthem sensation OneRepublic amped up the energy with ‘Counting Stars’, ‘I Ain’t Worried’, ‘You Were Loved,’ ‘Someday,’ ‘Good Life’ being sung in unison by fans that couldn’t get enough of the Colorado heartthrobs. They had the crowds in agreement when they mentioned how Indian cuisine is one of the most palatable in the world. Lead Ryan Tedder fondly recalled the days he worked with other artists including the likes of Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Beyonce to name a few. His unexpected renditions that he called Mumbai Karaoke including ‘Rumour Has It’ by Adele, ‘Maps’ by Maroon 5 and ‘Halo’ by Beyoncé were a pleasant surprise. From children to teens to adults OneRepublic united different age cohorts when they performed ‘If I lose Myself’.

American singer, songwriter and television personality Eric Nam made an epic entry and his SRK-style introduction true to his namesake, ‘Nam Toh Suna Hoga’ had everyone in splits. His multi-genre performance on ‘Only For A Moment’, ‘Wildfire’, ‘I Don’t Love You Anymore’ amongst other hits won over fans. His power-packed performance and moves were a visual delight getting the fans dancing and vibing along. He then took it a notch ahead when he performed ‘Echoes’ with Armaan Malik. The Indian heartthrob made a surprise cameo on stage.

South Korean indie rock band The Rose performed their banger hits ‘Sorry’, ’ RED’, ‘I.L.Y.’, ‘She’s In The Rain’ along with others. They were an instant hit with fans, many whom wanted their performance to never end. In fact fans of the band came to Lollapalooza India 2024 carrying roses to get a chance to give it to their favourite artists!

Anoushka Shankar’s sounds that blended Indian folk and classical melodies were combined with beautiful dancers performing and moving to the rhythm. Mesmerised by her soulful sitar performance everyone was seen cheering on delightfully.

Piano rockers of alternative rock Keane were an absolute delight, the visuals and their presence was enthralling. Their performance of ‘Love Actually’, ‘Let It Slide’, ‘Won’t Be Broken’ to name a few. They were joined by the Indian sensation Anoushka Shankar for their hit single, ‘Everybody’s Changing’; it was one of the most beautiful moments of the evening.

Modern dance music duo Jungle, radical and unorthodox hip-hop rapper JPEGMAFIA, Italian electronic dance music artist Meduza, French house DJ Malaa made for a spectacular evening. Legendary Indian rock band Parvaaz, Indian rapper, songwriter and composer Prabh Deep had the crowds grooving to their music wanting more. Komorebi with her sci-fi inspired visual set-up ‘wow-ed’ her fans, Parekh & Singh, JBABE, Shashwat Bulusu, Jatayu, Monophonik, Stalvart John, Long Distances and Megan Murray were amongst the homegrown and iconic artists that brought some stunning sounds to the festival’s air bringing new fans into their wings.

This year was significant for more reasons than one, with a special unveiling of the first of its kind VerTech stage at Lollapalooza India 2024 featuring headliner acts brought to the country by BookMyShow Live to uplift the live entertainment landscape of the country. One of the festival’s highlights was BookMyShow’s interactive installation, a creative spin on Whack-A-Mole called ‘All The Right Moves’ featuring all the thrilling pit-stops one must have on their entertainment calendar in 2024 across music, comedy, activities and more!

A host of engaging and interactive games introduced this year ranged from Cat Rack, Hoop Shot, Buzzwire, Dino Squad, Basketball, Lobster Pot, Ring Toss and interactive live caricature painting which were a hit with all age groups. ‘Safe Space For All’ was introduced to assist festival-goers experiencing anxiety or panic attacks with trained counsellors on ground to provide immediate help at a dedicated safe space.

The motto of this year has been to craft a sustainable and inclusive revolution. BookASmile, the charity initiative of BookMyShow focused strongly on creating impact through entertainment with #LollaForChange including initiatives like the construction of the 14-foot-tall visual masterpiece – the ‘Music Mandala’. This installation was an ode to BookASmile’s decade-long commitment to democratise music, making it accessible to all. Following the festival, BookASmile will refurbish these instruments and provide them to aspiring young musicians from humble backgrounds, supporting their musical journey or career aspirations in the industry. Accessibility and inclusivity, spearheaded by BookASmile, operating under the banner of #LollaForChange won hearts. The festival has been made an all-inclusive experience by arranging for Sign Language Interpreters to interpret music for the headlining artists at the main stages, for hearing-impaired attendees to enjoy music along with everyone around them. BookASmile has worked closely with disability services and in line with this, there will be personalised services to guide fans who are visually and hearing-impaired to designated riser areas.

Global and home-grown brands such as Budweiser Beats Energy Drink, Johnnie Walker Refreshing Mixer Non-Alcoholic, NEXA, RuPay, Levi's and Bisleri Vedica Himalayan Spring Water along with Maharashtra Tourism supported the festival to elevate the experience on-ground. Levi’s with their one-of-a-kind pop-up ‘Tailorshop’ for all festival goers to personalise their favourite Levi’s outfit with a range of customisation services including panelling, screen printing and heat-press stickers. CRED set up its unique ‘The Claw’ machine consisting of interesting surprises to pick from. MNY launched cool metallic eyeliners introduced at Lollapalooza India 2024 first. Another must-visit at Lollapalooza India 2024 was Johnnie Walker Refreshing Mixer Non-Alcoholic’s Cymatics Installation to feel the beats, see the ripples and let motion be their playful guide.