India’s live entertainment and experiential events market is set to add a global sports-led exhibition next year, with The Messi Experience – A Dream Come True scheduled to launch in March 2026. The immersive exhibition, centred on the life and career of football star Lionel Messi, will be produced and promoted locally by BookMyShow Live through its live events arm.

The exhibition will open in Mumbai on March 20, 2026, before moving to Bengaluru in June. Tickets will be sold exclusively on BookMyShow from February 5.

Messi, whose career forms the backbone of the exhibition, said the project allows fans to engage more closely with his journey. “I have always sought to inspire and connect with people through my passion for soccer, and this experience will allow Indian fans to relive some of the most unforgettable moments of my career,” he said.

A bet on premium global IPs

The India launch is part of a global tour that has already travelled to cities such as Buenos Aires, Miami, Los Angeles, Mexico City and Beijing. The format has been developed by Primo Entertainment, which specialises in touring exhibitions and large-scale experiential properties.

For BookMyShow Live, the project aligns with its broader strategy of expanding beyond transaction-led ticketing into owning and operating premium live and immersive formats. In recent years, the company has brought several international music tours, global sporting events and theatrical productions to India, repositioning itself as an end-to-end live entertainment operator rather than a marketplace alone.

Naman Pugalia, chief business officer – live events at BookMyShow, said the exhibition reflects the company’s focus on bringing large-format global experiences to Indian audiences. He added that sports-led intellectual properties, particularly football, are seeing growing traction in urban India, making them a natural extension of the company’s live entertainment portfolio.

Industry executives say exhibitions anchored around globally recognised sports icons offer relatively diversified revenue models, combining ticket sales with merchandise, brand partnerships and sponsorships. Such formats also tend to attract family audiences, which typically translate into higher footfalls and longer engagement times.

Capitalising on India’s evolving sports audience

While cricket continues to dominate India’s sports economy, football has been steadily gaining ground, particularly among urban and younger audiences. Increased access to international league broadcasts, the growth of grassroots academies and the rise of digital fan communities have expanded the addressable market for global football-led intellectual properties.

The Messi Experience runs for approximately 75 minutes and is spread across nine zones, using immersive environments, artificial intelligence-led storytelling and interactive football simulations. Visitors can take part in training-style activities, experience recreated match moments and trace Messi’s journey from Rosario to Argentina’s World Cup victory in Qatar.

Experiential entertainment as a growth lever

The exhibition will be hosted at Century Mills in Mumbai and Bhartiya City Mall in Bengaluru, reflecting a growing preference for destination-style venues that integrate retail, food and entertainment.

The launch also complements BookMyShow Live’s wider digital and content ecosystem, including its transactional video-on-demand platform, BookMyShow Stream, as the company looks to deepen engagement across physical and digital touchpoints.

As competition intensifies in India’s live entertainment landscape, global experiential intellectual properties such as The Messi Experience are emerging as a key battleground—where scale, execution capability and access to premium urban audiences are likely to determine long-term winners.