Shillong emerges as entertainment hotspot with 213% surge in live events: Report

Shillong has recorded a staggering 213 per cent growth in live entertainment consumption during 2025, positioning the hill city amongst India's fastest-growing cultural destinations alongside metropolitan centres.

The northeastern capital's remarkable rise mirrors a broader trend across the region, with Guwahati and other Assam cities experiencing significant upticks in concert attendance, theatre performances and cultural events. The growth comes as Assam Tourism signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen entertainment infrastructure and attract national and international acts to the state.

Live entertainment witnessed a 17 per cent nationwide increase this year, with over 34,000 events transforming evenings across India. Shillong's triple-digit surge outpaced traditional entertainment hubs, signalling a decisive shift in how audiences in tier-2 cities engage with cultural programming.

"Music tourism" drove substantial economic activity, with more than 562,000 fans travelling between cities for concerts, benefiting hotels, restaurants and transport services. Premium experiences nearly doubled in popularity as attendees opted for VIP access and elevated viewing areas.

Solo attendance emerged as another defining characteristic, with 1.8 million people attending events independently—reflecting growing confidence in pursuing entertainment experiences alone.

Cinema remained the country's dominant form of shared entertainment. Regional films, particularly Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Assamese productions, found audiences well beyond their home states. The Dussehra weekend recorded the year's highest cinema footfall with 6.8 million tickets sold.

Re-releases proved unexpectedly popular, drawing 5.8 million viewers back to theatres. Hyderabad led this nostalgia-driven trend, whilst Bengaluru maintained its reputation as India's late-night cinema capital, topping midnight-to-dawn screenings for the second consecutive year.

Theatre performances registered a 45 per cent growth as new audiences discovered live drama. Single-screen cinemas continued thriving, with some releases recording over 55 per cent of sales from these venues.

The entertainment sector's expansion reflected a fundamental behavioural change: stepping out for films, concerts or plays became routine rather than occasional, with cultural activities securing permanent positions in weekly schedules.

Cities including Visakhapatnam, Vadodara, Indore and Rajkot recorded consumption increases exceeding 150 per cent, demonstrating that entertainment growth now extends across India's urban landscape rather than concentrating in major metros.

State governments recognised live entertainment's economic potential, with Delhi, Gujarat and Telangana joining Assam in formalising partnerships to develop infrastructure, facilitate artist entry and support local ecosystems around large-scale events.

BookMyShow, India’s largest entertainment ticketing and streaming platform, released the data while noting the increasing maturity of the country’s entertainment choices. As 2025 closes, Shillong and Guwahati stand out as cities that not only kept pace with national trends but helped redefine them—evidence that India’s cultural map is expanding well beyond its traditional metros.