Booking rates for Delhi stadiums reduced to promote concerts, live events

New Delhi, Sep 20 (IANS) Looking to give a new momentum to national and international live events and concerts in Delhi, the Central government and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) have reduced booking rates for all major stadiums by 40–50 per cent, an official said on Saturday.

Delhi Minister of Art, Culture and Languages and Tourism Kapil Mishra said: “The significant step has been taken to make Delhi the most event-friendly city in India and transform it into a global hub for live entertainment and concert economy.”

“After extensive discussions with Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and two roundtable meetings with the industry, this historic decision has been taken today. This step will be crucial in establishing Delhi as a hub for concert economy,” he said.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision is to make Delhi a hub for live events and concert economy but discussions with the industry revealed that one of the major obstacles in achieving this was the high booking rates of stadiums.

Due to high booking rates, many event organisers preferred to hold events outside Delhi, in cities like Mumbai, Gurugram and Noida, he said.

Earlier in the month, Mishra met Mandaviya to discuss advancing the vision of making Delhi a ‘Global Event Hub.’ Senior representatives from the Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA) and the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) also participated in this meeting.

The discussions focused on reducing rental rates of major Delhi stadiums and simplifying event procedures and Mandaviya assured that all necessary measures would be taken to make Delhi a global centre for cultural activities and live entertainment, said a Delhi government statement.

This decision will not only promote Delhi’s cultural and tourism activities but also significantly increase employment opportunities and economic growth, said Mishra.

In a message on X, Mishra said, “Organising events in Delhi's major stadiums has now become very easy. The Sports Authority of India (SAI) has announced a significant reduction in the booking fees for these stadiums This decision will realise the vision of PM @narendramodi ji to make Delhi a hub for live events and concert economy.”

--IANS

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