**Western Artists Have Overlooked India’s Live Music Scene for Years. Now, They’re Finally Catching On**
*By Riya Malhotra*
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For decades, India’s rich and chaotic musical heart beat outside the view of most Western artists. While international acts packed stadiums in Tokyo, Berlin, or São Paulo, India remained an afterthought—its live music culture boxed into outdated clichés of Bollywood glamour or sitar-led spiritual retreats. But in 2025, things are changing. Slowly, deliberately, and vibrantly.
When American indie-rock band **Echo Parlor** played Mumbai’s Mehboob Studios last October, frontman Kieran Vaughn described it as “the most soul-stirring gig” of their tour. “We expected a small crowd and confusion,” he told *Soundline Magazine*. “Instead, we got 4,000 fans screaming lyrics we didn’t even know were online.” The band added two additional dates in Bangalore and Delhi after that, canceling their planned European leg. Vaughn now calls India “the future of live music energy.”
It’s not just Echo Parlor. Over the last 18 months, a wave of Western artists—from underground techno DJs like **Mila Zek** to chart-topping pop icons like **Isla Rae**—have been quietly recalibrating their global tours to include India. And it’s not just for a one-off show in Mumbai. Hyderabad, Shillong, Goa, and even smaller cultural hubs like Pune and Kochi are now regular tour stops.
So why the sudden shift?
“It’s simple,” says **Tariq Banerjee**, co-founder of *Spi
