Why attending sold-out concerts is the new social flex

When American rap superstar

Travis Scott

announced his first-ever concert in India as part of his Circus Maximus World Tour, it wasn’t just fans who showed up, it was a digital stampede. Within minutes of the ticket sales opening on 5th April, the ticketing platform was flooded with over 2 to 3 lakh eager fans scrambling online to grab a spot for his 18 October show at New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
For those who missed out, heartbreak followed. And, of course, X (formerly Twitter) turned the chaos into comic gold. One fan joked, “Tried to book

Travis

Scott concert tickets on BookMyShow, but it show your JEE rank.” Another added, “At this point, Travis Scott’s queue numbers got me thinking I’m looking at JEE again.” For the uninitiated, that’s a cheeky nod to India’s notoriously tough engineering entrance exams.

Seeing the madness, the organisers quickly dropped a second show for 19 October at the same venue. Tickets? They ranged from Rs 3,500 for basic entry to a jaw-dropping Rs 30,000 for premium lounge access. The standing zone came in at Rs 6,500 and Rs 15,000. And yet, demand barely dipped.

Not just Travis: Coldplay and Diljit sparked mayhem tooThe frenzy wasn’t just limited to Travis. Last year when Coldplay had announced their January 2025 shows in India, the ticket rush was just as wild, maybe even worse. Fans were locked in digital queues longer than Mumbaikars waiting for a Virar fast local at 6 pm. Prices on the resale market? Up to five times the original rates.
Punjabi sensation Diljit Dosanjh’s

concerts

also caused a similar uproar. His tickets, starting at Rs. 7,000, sold out in record time. It’s not just about the

music

anymore, it’s about being there, capturing it for Instagram, and flaunting the experience.
Harsh Goenka, Chairman of RPG, summed it up perfectly on X
“Urban Indians are clearly shifting from Roti, Kapda, Makaan to a Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Coldplay’s January 2025 shows sold out swiftly, with resale prices hitting 5x the original. Diljit’s tickets, priced at Rs 7,000 saw massive sales, as did Dua Lipa and Bryan Adams’ concerts. Two Indias are emerging—one enjoying these luxuries, while the other struggles to meet basic needs.”

FOMO: Fueling the frenzy
The heart of this madness? One big fat dose of FOMO - the Fear Of Missing Out. "Whether it's the latest iPhone or Coldplay tickets, people don’t want to miss out. It’s more about flaunting these things on social media than actually enjoying the experience," said one X user. Another added, “People are buying these tickets at insane prices.” The black market and resale culture are only fanning the flames.
But wait, it gets even more creative.
Flexing without even goingEnter the Instagram accounts like ‘Get Your Flex’. This cheeky page offers digital ‘bragging rights’ like concert stories, exclusive footage, and more. And it’s not just for those who went. People actually pay to be tagged in concert videos, so it looks like they were there. Yes, really.
The 18-year-old founder, who started the business with his sister, told Times of India, “Many people can’t afford to go to concerts because of the expensive tickets. Everyone deserves to feel included, and if sharing a video gives someone happiness, why not?” He continued, “People who go for concerts still ask us for videos so they can keep their phones away and actually enjoy the concert.”
Since then, requests have gone beyond concerts—people want travel reels, café snaps, and even ‘soft launch’ pictures to make their exes jealous. “Ever since the business gained traction, we got 300+ emails for job applications and collaboration requests from places as far and beyond as Dubai, New York, Pakistan, and even Bangladesh.”
That’s some next-level digital flexing.
A cultural shift in the making?Arjun Vaidya, a D2C founder, summed it up brilliantly in a LinkedIn post, “2 L+ tickets sold in 30 minutes! Why was there so much hype for the Coldplay concert? I’m not a concert guy, but Trisha eagerly waited in the digital queue, ranked 11 lakh+, thinking she had a chance to get the tickets. 😂 This hype indicates a new cultural shift in Indian consumer behavior.”
He broke it down with some real questions:

He added, “It’s not just Coldplay—whether it’s Diljit Dosanjh or IPL matches, offline experiences have blown up. Cafés are packed, concert tickets are selling out in minutes, and pickleball courts have a waitlist. Remember when Zoom calls and virtual conferences were all we did? In the post-COVID digital world, physical experiences still have relevance. And companies that build here will be big. Did I miss any reasons? P.S. Did you get the tickets? I didn’t. 😂”
Check out his post here

What the experts say: The psychology of the concert craze

To understand what’s really driving this madness, ETimes spoke to psychologist Purvi Shah, founder and director of MentAlly, who explained that it’s not just about the music. There’s a deep psychological layer behind the frenzy
Purvi explained, “It could be seen as FOMO – a way to fill a void in the social identity that many people are trying to build, which in itself can be an illusion. Associating with big-name artists often makes people feel better about their own social standing. There’s also a mindset that if something is hard to get, it must be worth having. So, the more exclusive the concert, the more people want to be there – not just for the music, but for the experience of being part of something extraordinary.”
A community vibe… or competition?
Shah points out that concerts often offer a sense of community for young people—especially in cities where loneliness is rampant, “Sadly, the sense of belonging we talk about is often just another illusion. So many people feel lonely these days, especially in urban settings, and they look for community in events like concerts. These shared experiences can create strong memories and a sense of connection among peers. But over time, these events have also become spaces for competition and comparison – it’s about dressing your best, being seen, and standing out. That kind of atmosphere can feed low self-esteem. Still, for many, simply being seen at such events can boost how they feel about themselves.”
The social media pressure
Ever felt like you’re the only one not at the party? Social media has a lot to answer for. “FOMO creates anxiety, and because it’s such an uncomfortable feeling, people would rather give in to it than sit with it. Who wants to sit in discomfort, after all? When people attend concerts and post about it, they’re flooded with likes and comments – and that validation feels good. The problem is, that many people today don’t really know what they want or who they are – they have a poor self-concept. So, they rely on digital validation. But when you're doing it for the likes, not for the moment, the experience loses its authenticity. That genuine rush of happiness fades – and people keep chasing it through the next event, hoping to feel something real.”
Even non-fans are joining in
Strangely enough, even people who aren’t die-hard fans are showing up to these concerts. Why? Purvi answers, “The excitement and energy of a live concert can genuinely make you feel happy and elated. Many attend just for the experience. The enthusiasm of the crowd is contagious – it makes you want to join in. Being there, like everyone else, gives a sense of belonging. Biologically, the vibe and energy can trigger the release of endorphins and elevate your mood. Some people even feel freer in large crowds – they feel less watched, less judged, and more able to express themselves.”

So… What’s really going on?

Are Indians just big fans of global artists—or have concerts become the new high-society badge? It's a mix of both. The music is part of it, of course. But more and more, it’s about the stories, the selfies, the social media reels, the clout, and yes—the bragging rights. Being seen is often more important than hearing the artist.
Well, it’s probably a mix of both. Sure, the music matters. But let’s be honest—half the crowd is there for the reels, the stories, the clout, and the one glorious selfie with a blurry stage in the background that says: I was there. Whether they know the lyrics or not is purely optional.
With FOMO levels at an all-time high and our collective urge to post, flex, and filter every life event, concerts have morphed into the new brunch—only with louder beats, longer queues, and slightly less avocado toast. And in case you didn’t score a ticket? Don’t worry. Just pay a fiver to someone on Instagram to tag you in their video and pretend you were there too. Who’s checking? Certainly not Travis.
In today’s India, concerts aren’t just about the music anymore. They’re a full-blown social sport—part fashion show, part status update, and part cardio (if you’re in the standing section). The only thing missing? A medal for surviving the digital queue.
But not everyone’s in it for the clout
Let’s not forget the die-hard fans—the ones who camp out online like it’s a JEE result day just to snag that golden ticket. The ones who scream every lyric, lose their voices, and genuinely couldn’t care less about their OOTD. For them, it’s not about being seen—it’s about being there, in the moment, for the music.
So, until the next big act announces a tour, keep those fingers warmed up for rapid-clicking, your bank account braced, and your social media captions ready.