To turn Delhi into ‘capital for live entertainment’, booking costs of 2 stadiums set to be cut

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 ‘Global Live Entertainment Capital’.

The booking cost for one day for the JLN Stadium, including venue, and the outer space, is Rs 71.8 lakh. On the other hand, organisers pay a daily cost of Rs 20 lakh at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, including electricity and other charges.

The Delhi government plans to cut the booking cost of the main JLN main arena from Rs 50 lakh per day to Rs 20 lakh. For the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, the government has proposed to cut the booking cost from Rs 20 lakh per day to Rs 5 lakh. As per a document, the government expects to generate  an annual revenue of Rs 30 crore through its proposed price for venue bookings.

Mishra said, “For concerts, like those where bands like Coldplay performed, 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.

He said that the government has already held around five to six rounds of meetings with Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya, Sports Secretary Hari Ranjan Rao and the Sports Authority of India.

“The booking costs of these two stadiums in Delhi increased about eight months ago by around 150%. Due to this, many organisers are now preferring other cities over Delhi,” a government official said.

Drawing comparison, the official added that daily booking cost for Dr DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai is Rs 17.5 lakh. Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, one of the biggest in the country, charges Rs  23 lakh per day and Mahalaxmi Race Course in Mumbai charges organisers Rs 13.5 lakh for one day.  The official said that the Delhi government is awaiting the Centre’s nod to the proposal.

Meanwhile, Mishra also highlighted that the government is also planning to remove the clause, which allows the government to keep 5% of the passes.

“Currently, the government has the right to take 5% of the passes of any shows booked in these stadiums…But now if this clause is removed, everyone, even a minister, will have to purchase a ticket, if he wants to attend the shows,” said Mishra.

Earlier this week, Mandaviya had said, “We are committed to making Delhi a global hub for live events and entertainment. By easing procedures and offering stadium rentals at concessional rates, we aim to create a vibrant cultural atmosphere that benefits both artists and audiences. Even if I attend an event myself, I will buy a ticket — this is the true respect we can give to art and artists.”

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