2024 year-in-review: From Dua Lipa to Diljit Dosanjh, a look back at the most iconic concerts in India this year

2024 was an absolute delight for music enthusiasts passionate about live concerts. Fans witnessed the unexpected live performance of the ‘Levitating X Woh Ladki Jo’ mashup by Dua Lipa in Mumbai, and Nick Jonas was welcomed with ‘Jiju Jiju’ chants at Lollapalooza India 2024. Alongside global icons, Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh has been making waves with his ongoing ‘Dil-Luminati’ tour across eleven Indian cities.

Most of these exciting music events took place in the second half of 2024, and the trend is likely to continue next year, with concerts by Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Shawn Mendes, and others lined up in the coming months.

Music tourism becomes one of the defining trends of 2024

Lakhs of people travelled outside their cities to attend live music concerts in India, making 2024 the year of melomaniacs. According to online ticketing platform BookMyShow’s ‘Throwback 2024’ report, the craze for live events was not limited to metro cities but also spread to tier-2 cities like Chandigarh, Kanpur, Gandhinagar, Vadodara, and others.

“Music tourism surged, becoming one of the defining trends of the year. Over 4,77,393 fans travelled outside their cities to attend live music events. Tier 2 cities experienced a dramatic 682 per cent growth in live events, including markets like Kanpur, Shillong and Gandhinagar, signalling democratisation of entertainment access across the country,” BookMyShow said.

With only a few days left in the year, let’s take a look at the most popular music events in India in 2024.

Dua Lipa

Global pop star Dua Lipa enthralled her audience in Mumbai on November 30 with a performance as part of Zomato’s Feeding India music festival. The Grammy Award-winning singer surprised the crowd by including an unexpected mash-up of her hit song ‘Levitating’ with the Bollywood classic ‘Woh Ladki Jo Sabse Alag Hai’, featuring Shah Rukh Khan.

The unofficial mash-up quickly gained popularity on social media, sending fans into a frenzy. Videos of the performance went viral, sparking numerous reactions online. Shah Rukh Khan’s daughter, Suhana Khan, also shared a video of Dua Lipa’s performance on social media. The singer enhanced the mash-up with some Indian dance moves.

Diljit Dosanjh

Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh is embarking on his first India tour. His ‘Dil-Luminati’ Tour is set to cover eleven cities, including Delhi, Ahmedabad, Indore, Bengaluru, and more.

From Deepika Padukone’s surprise entry to Diljit Dosanjh’s quirky comments, many moments from his concerts have gone viral online. Dosanjh’s ‘Dil-Luminati’ tour is set to conclude in Guwahati on December 29.

Bryan Adams

Canadian pop singer Bryan Adams went on a seven-city India tour this year. The tour began in Kolkata on December 8 and concluded in Goa on December 17.

Some of his iconic songs include “Can’t Stop This Thing We Started”, “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You”, “18 Til I Die”, “Summer of ’69”, and “Here I Am.”

Adams is ranked 48th on the list of all-time top artists on the Billboard Hot 100. 

Akon

Singer Akon delivered an electrifying performance at the Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival on November 15. The high-energy set featured multiple chart-topping hits, including ‘Chammak Challo’ and ‘Lonely’.

Earlier, Akon visited India to perform at the star-studded pre-wedding celebration for the Ambani family. During the event, he performed alongside Shah Rukh Khan, his daughter Suhana Khan, and other actors.

Alan Walker

Norwegian DJ and music producer Alan Walker embarked on one of his biggest India tours this year. The 10-city tour began in Kolkata on September 27. Over the past few years, he has become one of the most popular artists in the electronic dance music scene, known for his signature sound.

During his Bengaluru concert, Walker welcomed a special guest at his show, Alia Bhatt.

K-Pop artists

The second edition of the K-Town Festival in Mumbai was a complete delight for K-pop fans, with many K-pop artists making an appearance. The event came alive with electrifying performances by BamBam, B.I, Chen, and Xiumin.

Many of the artists visited India for the first time. BamBam, a member of GOT7, performed several of his hit songs and engaged warmly with the audience.

Jonas Brothers

Priyanka Chopra’s husband, Nick Jonas, along with his brothers Kevin and Joe Jonas, performed at the Lollapalooza India music festival in January this year. As the crowd chanted ‘Jiju-Jiju’ to welcome the singer to India, the moment became the highlight of the entire concert.

AP Dhillon concert in Gurugram

Singer AP Dhillon is currently on his Brownprint India Tour, which will cover three cities: Delhi, Chandigarh, and Mumbai. His Delhi concert captivated the audience, especially after a surprise entry by Yo Yo Honey Singh and Jazzy B.

The singer is set to perform in Chandigarh on December 21. This marks his second tour in India, following his debut in 2021.