From Muse to John Mayer, high-profile pullouts and postponements are raising questions about infrastructure, planning and transparency in India’s live music scene
Bandland which took over Bengaluru last year, showcasing a lineup that spanned genres and cultures, was abruptly cancelled when one of its headliners, Muse, pulled out of the festival. Pic/Instagram@theindianmusicdiaries
Mumbai’s live music calendar has begun to feel fragile. Bandland, one of the country’s most anticipated music festivals, was cancelled after headliner Muse pulled out citing unforeseen circumstances. Soon after, John Mayer’s Mumbai concert was postponed barely a week before show day, again attributed to unforeseen reasons. Who is responsible for the losses incurred due to these cancellations?
For fans, the excitement around a major concert often builds for months. Tickets are booked, travel finalised, work leaves submitted. Richard Fernandes, a Mumbai-based copywriter describes live music as “the difference between a movie and a play.” Understandably, he was excited for Bandland for which he had bought tickets for long ago. When the concert was cancelled, Fernandes says refunds covered only ticket costs, not the R12,000 he spent on non-refundable flights and hotels. He recalls the chaos after Metallica cancelled their India show in 2011. “Fans got violent. I’m not going to break anything, but I completely understand the frustration that comes with planning for months, and then watching it crumble,” he says.
Richard Fernandes and Himanshu Vaswani
Himanshu Vaswani, co-founder of 4/4 Experiences, says cancellations are almost never the result of casual planning. “No one plans a gig for it to be cancelled,” he explains. “In competitive markets like India early announcements can become a way to secure attention and momentum, even while back-end details are being finalised.” When something breaks, the fallout is amplified. Promoters often absorb reputational damage alongside heavy financial losses. “Artistes are people too. Things happen,” he adds.
Infrastructure and technical readiness frequently come under scrutiny when international gigs collapse mid-cycle, but music critic Amit Gurbaxani cautions against viewing this as simple negligence. “Anybody who announces a concert is going to market it,” he says. “Today, social media hype is the main tool, but hype doesn’t guarantee ticket sales.” Bringing global acts to India, especially first-time visitors, remains a calculated risk. “An entire festival getting cancelled is definitely a red flag,” he says.
A BookMyShow spokesperson explains, “There are moments when everything aligns perfectly and others when unforeseen circumstances impact the final outcome.” Referencing recent cases like Bandland and John Mayer’s postponed tour, they add that “the decisions were driven by personal reasons of the artistes. Any postponement or cancellation is treated with the utmost seriousness, with a strong focus on transparent communication and timely refunds.”
But the fallout often stretches far beyond refunded tickets. Shillong-based music lover Kim Kharkongor says she initially assumed news of John Mayer’s postponement was a joke. “All we’d been doing since January was counting down the days,” she says. Financially, the loss hit hard. Kharkongor estimates she spent close to R30,000 on flights and accommodation booked months in advance. While she accepts that unforeseen circumstances happen, the lack of detailed explanations deepens mistrust. “We want the real reason. All we have heard is mere speculation,” she says. Repeated disruptions, she adds, are already changing how cautiously fans plan future gigs. “There are so many upcoming concerts, but I’m playing it very safe now.”
Looking ahead, Gurbaxani stresses that clearer communication when things go wrong is essential. Fans like Fernandes argue that, “If the festival had gone ahead without Muse, it would’ve been disappointing, but I’d still have gone.” As India aims for a bigger place on the global touring map, just how much uncertainty are audiences willing to accept before the excitement wears thin?
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