A structured pipeline of marquee live events could generate over INR 700 crore in cumulative economic impact within Assam over the next five years, a report released here on Wednesday claimed.
It was based on a survey conducted by BookMyShow, an online entertainment ticketing platform, in collaboration with Assam Tourism Development Corporation Ltd (ATDC) and EY-Parthenon, a global strategy consulting arm of Ernst and Young (EY).
The report, ‘The Assam Blueprint: Turning Live Music Economy into a Tourism Multiplier’, examined the economic, tourism, workforce and cultural impact of live entertainment in Assam following a concert by American singer-rapper Post Malone in December last year.
It comes days after the announcement of another concert by the legendary rock band Guns N’ Roses in the city in November, as part of the state government’s ‘concert tourism‘ policy.
Unveiling the report at a press conference here, ATDC managing director Kumar Padmapani Bora said the report was compiled after extensive talks with various stakeholders.
As per the report, a structured pipeline of marquee live entertainment events could generate over INR 700 crore in cumulative economic impact within the state over the next five years.
The Post Malone concert generated an estimated INR 43 crore in total economic impact, including INR 32 crore injected directly into Assam’s economy through attended spending and another INR 5 crore in GST revenue.
The concert attracted approximately 20,000 attendees, with 53 per cent coming from outside Guwahati, with people from over 200 cities and towns across the country attending it.
The report further revealed that for every INR 100 spent on a concert ticket, attendees spent an additional INR 899 on accommodation, travel, dining, shopping and local services.
Hotels in the city reported a nearly 30 per cent increase in occupancy during the concert weekend, local transport operators experienced more than 50 per cent growth in ride demand, restaurants and cafes recorded over 33 per cent growth in walk-ins, while retail businesses witnessed more than 30 per cent higher footfalls during the event.
Bora said the live events are part of the state’s concert tourism policy, adopted last year.
“For Assam, the concert economy is not just about entertainment; it is about tourism, culture, youth engagement and economic growth working together. Our objective is to build a facilitative ecosystem where large events become repeatable opportunities that bring visitors into the state, create local employment and showcase Assam to national and global audiences,” he said.
As per the policy, at least three marquee live events, featuring national or international performers, will be organised, Bora said.
“A concert arena will also be developed in Guwahati in the next two to three years,” he added.
Naman Pugalia, chief business officer, Live Events, BookMyShow, also present at the press meet, said the deep-rooted connection of North East region with music serves as a catalyst for hosting concerts here.
“The Post Malone concert demonstrated how globally benchmarked live experiences can generate value far beyond the venue, creating impact across tourism, hospitality, local enterprise and employment,” he said.
The successful hosting of the event was also a demonstration of the synchronisation of government, industry and local stakeholders, Pugalia added.
Raghav Anand, partner and leader, Media and Entertainment, EY-Parthenon, speaking virtually at the press conference, said, “What makes Assam particularly exemplifying is not just the headline economic impact, but the ecosystem behind it — clear policy direction, institutional coordination, infrastructure investment and a commitment to measuring outcomes.”
“When live entertainment is treated as economic infrastructure rather than a one-off spectacle, it becomes a repeatable engine for tourism, employment and regional growth,” he added.
The Assam government had approved a policy in May last year for promoting ‘concert tourism’, and also joined hands with Bigtree Entertainment, which operates BookMyShow, to organise various national and international musical concerts in the state.
