After Circoloco, Badshah-headlined Musicland Festival called off in Mumbai; here’s why

 

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“Everything traces back to the NESCO incident, where two people died due to a suspected drug overdose. Since then, police have not been granting permissions for large-scale events in Mumbai,” said Devkiran Chetty, founder of Nineties Events. “The issue is not about drug use inside venues — most of it happens outside, with people arriving already under the influence. But the responsibility falls on promoters.”

He pointed to a series of recent cancellations: Circoloco, Paresh Pahuja’s show, French Montana’s Royal Stag Boombox event, and DJ Mochakk’s Mumbai performance. Chetty also cited the Karan Aujla Holi show in March, where the liquor permission was pulled one day before the event, another instance of last-minute disruption that hurt organisers with no recourse.

Sujin Sen, founder of Blue Turtle Entertainment, noted that the problem cuts across genres. “We initially thought techno events were being targeted after the NESCO incident, but it is clear this applies across the board. Right now, shows and festivals are struggling to secure police permissions. Likely, permissions may not be granted for the next two to three months,” he said.

Police deny cancellation

Even as organisers cited a lack of permissions, DCP Zone VIII Manish Kalwaniya said police had not denied permission for the event.

Chetty said the team began the permission process on April 24 and submitted a formal application around April 28-29. “From April 28 to May 1, we received no response — neither a yes nor a no. We kept following up but got nothing definitive. By May 2, we had to take a call, as we needed to begin setup, finalise vendors and book flight tickets for artists travelling from different cities,” he said.

He added that Circoloco’s experience had directly shaped their decision. “They pushed until the day before and incurred enormous losses. As this was our debut IP, a last-minute negative response after committing to operational costs would have been far more damaging. We chose to cancel rather than proceed into that risk.”

Why are permissions sought at the last minute?

A question that has repeatedly surfaced around these cancellations is why organisers do not apply for permissions months in advance, when tickets go on sale.

Sen explained that applications are typically filed 15 to 20 days before an event, once details such as headcount, venue layout, and security plans are finalised. “The process involves multiple authorities — disaster management, traffic police, local police — and has to be completed sequentially. There is no fixed window or guaranteed timeline,” he said.

“Applying five months in advance is not a realistic option because authorities require event-specific details that are only available closer to the date. Even permissions that have been granted can be revoked at any time. That has happened before,” he added.

Chetty pointed to the structural mismatch this creates. “Tickets go on sale months in advance. Permissions come much later. If they are refused or revoked at the last minute, promoters have already committed significant capital with no recovery route.” He said the government’s proposed single-window clearance system — where all permissions are confirmed before ticket sales begin — would address this. “It protects promoters, protects buyers and creates accountability on all sides.”

The scale of loss

Musicland India was a new IP. Chetty, 31, who has run an advertising and marketing agency for over eight years, made a deliberate pivot into festival production with the long-term ambition of building a property at the scale of Tomorrowland.

For its debut edition, the team spent eight months coordinating artists and putting the event together. Over 4,000 tickets had been sold, with projections of reaching 6,500 to 7,000 attendees on the day. Total ticket revenue was expected to approach Rs 1.75 to 2 crore.

Total investment from the organiser’s end was close to Rs 3 crore. “Of that, 30 to 40 per cent is currently confirmed as lost, though the final figure may be higher. Marketing costs are gone. About 80 per cent of the venue cost had already been paid to Jio World Garden, and we do not yet have clarity on how much of that is recoverable,” Chetty said.

He added that artist fees are unlikely to be lost, as teams have agreed in principle to reschedule. “Badshah’s team has committed to an alternate date, and Arpit Bala and Chaar Diwaari’s representatives have indicated the same. We haven’t reached out to Seedhe Maut’s team yet, but I know them personally and expect support. Sponsors are yet to be approached, and their participation will depend on whether the rescheduled event fits their marketing calendar. Conversations with vendors and partners are still pending. While everyone has been supportive informally, the financial discussions are yet to take place.”Sen noted that established industry relationships helped contain the damage. “With smaller companies or international artists, those fees could have been lost entirely,” he said.

What comes next

The team is working on rescheduling. “Coordinating new dates across multiple artists is complex — all had blocked specific dates for Mumbai that are now unusable,” said Chetty.

While Sen indicated that Mumbai is currently a difficult market, Chetty said the team is exploring options with Mumbai still on the list alongside Bengaluru or Delhi. Sen added that Pune is also being considered, with an announcement expected in two to three weeks.

The broader concern, however, is about the city’s standing as a live events market. “Live events are a Rs 20,000 to 25,000 crore market, with Mumbai at its centre,” said Chetty. “Prolonged disruption will affect the city’s image as an events hub, and it is already making promoters hesitate about committing to shows here in the coming months.”