India’s live entertainment boom is fast turning into a powerful marketing engine for brands. A new report by EY-Parthenon and BookMyShow shows how companies are increasingly shifting budgets toward immersive consumer experiences, as audiences show a growing preference for participation over passive advertising.

The report, Beyond Attention. Into Immersion, estimates India’s live events ecosystem—spanning concerts, festivals, comedy tours and cultural showcases—at about ₹13,000 crore, with brands increasingly using these platforms to build deeper engagement with consumers. The trend reflects a broader behavioural shift: 78% of Indian consumers now say they prefer spending on experiences over products, signalling a move toward experience-led consumption.

For marketers grappling with digital fatigue and fragmented attention spans, live experiences are emerging as high-impact engagement channels. According to post-event surveys of 7,450 attendees across major concerts and festivals, 59% recalled brands they interacted with on-ground, while 55% reported higher purchase intent after those interactions.

“Interruption-based advertising is losing traction. Participation is becoming the new currency of relevance,” says Raghav Anand, partner and leader for media and entertainment at EY-Parthenon India. “Experiential marketing is increasingly proving to be a full-funnel growth engine rather than a tactical add-on.”

Brands move beyond sponsorships

What is changing is the way brands approach events. Instead of simply sponsoring concerts or festivals, companies are designing experiences that integrate into the event journey—from early ticket access and VIP zones to interactive installations and product trials.

Across sectors such as BFSI, fashion, beauty and beverages, brands are embedding themselves into cultural moments where audiences are already emotionally invested. Financial services players such as RuPay and Visa are offering presale ticket access and premium lounges at concerts, while fashion and beauty brands are using festivals as platforms for product discovery and social-media-driven engagement.

Samradha Tibrewala, head of partnerships and revenue at BookMyShow, says experiential marketing in India has matured significantly over the past few years. “Brands are now investing with far greater intent—looking to build memory, meaning and measurable outcomes through experiences,” she says, adding that live entertainment provides a unique environment where emotion, attention and participation converge.

Budgets follow the consumer

The shift is also reflected in marketing budgets. The report’s survey of brand leaders shows that 56% of companies executed experiential marketing activations in the past year, while 88% of those that invested plan to continue doing so in a more structured way.

Over the past three years, 44% of active brands have increased spending on experiential initiatives, many reporting growth of up to 30%. Looking ahead, more than half expect their experiential marketing budgets to rise further, often drawing allocations from traditional media or digital marketing pools.

For companies, the appeal lies in the measurable impact. The report notes that 63% of event attendees felt brand activations enhanced their overall experience, while 29% said their perception of the brand improved after interacting with it.

A new playbook for brand building

As attention becomes harder to capture through conventional advertising, marketers are increasingly seeking environments where consumers are fully present. Live events provide that advantage: long dwell times, heightened emotions and social sharing combine to create high-engagement touchpoints.

The report argues that experiential marketing is no longer just about visibility, but about influencing consumer behaviour across the funnel—from awareness and trial to loyalty and advocacy. It also introduces a framework that shifts measurement away from impressions toward emotional impact, brand recall and long-term engagement.

For India’s marketers, the message is clear. As consumer spending tilts toward experiences—and the live events ecosystem scales rapidly—brands that design meaningful, participatory experiences may find themselves better positioned to build lasting relevance.