Booking of major stadiums in Delhi for music concerts and events will be cheaper now, SAI revises rates

“Organizing 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 realize the vision of PM @narendramodi ji to make Delhi a hub for the live events and concert economy,” said Mishra in a post on X.

According to the revised rates, the booking charges of the JLN main arena for non-sports events like music concerts, art and poetry festivals, or other events, have been reduced from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 25 lakh per day.

“The main arena of the IG Stadium will be given on rent for a non-sports event on the condition that the organizer ensures proper protection cover (mats/rugs etc.) for the area to be utilized on the Field of Play (FOP). Parking charges are extra if space is available. Electricity will be charged based on actual consumption. Floodlights will cost Rs 20,000 per hour extra,” reads the order.

SAI has also revised and set rates for other spaces available at the JLN, including outer spaces near gate numbers 6, 7, and others.

Overall, the booking cost of JLN Stadium for one day, including the venue and the outer space, was Rs 71.8 lakh and has now been reduced to around Rs 50 lakh per day.

For IG Stadium, organisers were paying Rs 20 lakh, including electricity and other consumption charges, which has now been revised to Rs 16 lakh.

“Events organised will also get package deals and offers if they book for more than one day,” said officials.

The booking charge of Jadhav Wrestling Stadium has been revised to Rs 6 lakh per day for the main area. The booking charges for the entire stadium, including halls, rooms, venues, and other spaces, are around Rs 37 lakh.

For Major Dhyan Chand Cricket Stadium, the entire cost – from booking the main stadium to the open space in front of the heritage building and the open spaces near the tennis court – is around Rs 26 lakh.

The per-day fee for booking Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Swimming Pool Complex is around Rs 8 lakh, and the entire booking cost of Karni Singh Shooting Ranges is Rs 2.2 lakh.

“The high rental cost forced organisers to select other states and cities like Ahmedabad and Mumbai for organising events, music concerts, live shows, and cultural activities,” Delhi Tourism Minister Mishra had told The Indian Express earlier this month.

“Delhi is not only missing out on the chance of becoming a cultural hub, but is also losing tourism revenue due to the high costs,” he underlined, adding that the government is aiming to pitch the city as the ‘Global Live Entertainment Capital’.

With the revised charges, sources said, the government is expecting to generate an annual revenue of Rs 30 crore through big events, musical nights, and concerts.

Mishra said, “For concerts, like those where bands like Coldplay recently performed, a large number of people from Delhi-NCR travel to other cities and states to attend these events… So, if we reduce the booking costs and simplify the event hosting processes at key stadiums in the capital, the city will generate revenue through GST on ticket sales, food and beverage, venue bookings, artist bookings, hospitality, and air travel.”

Besides revenue generation, the minister added, the events will generate employment, and the capital will also get positioned as a cultural hub and preferred concert destination through social media coverage.