How ready is India to host international concerts?

After the large-scale and successful performance by English rock band, Coldplay, two months back in Mumbai, who thought that two of DJ David Guetta’s concerts (in Bengaluru and Mumbai) would get cancelled just hours before he was scheduled to take to the console? While India has played host to music biggies like Enrique, Swedish House Mafia, Megadeth and DJ Snake earlier, we’ve also seen some big-ticket gigs being cancelled due to inadequate arrangements.

Sunburn, the company organising Guetta’s show refused to comment, however, an insider shares that authorities did not accept the desired paperwork on time. Tushar of Voila, the local organisers partnering with Sunburn for the Hyderabad leg, however, adds that licenses are sought days in advance.

Guetta fans are heartbroken and angry. “I had saved pocket money to buy passes... I’m disappointed that it got cancelled because necessary permissions weren’t taken in time,” says Amol Kapse, from Mumbai. “Which artist would want complications like these?” questions another fan, Sheetal Desai. Popular DJ Nikhil Chinapa who has organised many music festivals in India feels that Guetta’s cancelled gig is a one-off thing. “It’s short sighted to say that because Guetta’s show is getting cancelled, India cannot host international artists,” he says. At the time of going to press, Guetta’s gigs in Hyderabad (Jan 14) and Delhi (Jan 15; after a recent change in venue, from Noida to Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium) were on as per schedule, even as Sunburn announced a Mumbai gig, also on Sunday.

Talking about permissions required for a gig like this, Delhi Police spokesperson and Joint Commissioner, Deepender Pathak says: “Permissions for the land (venue), from the traffic department, as well as fire safety etc are all important.”