Artists Making their India Debuts in 2018

Incubus

Vh1 Supersonic surprised legions of Indian fans in November by announcing American rockers Incubus as one of their headliners. “We’ve been dreaming about making music in India for decades,” shared frontman Brandon Boyd in a statement. The band will make their much-anticipated India debut on February 11th at the multi-genre music festival in Pune. Get tickets here.

Anderson .Paak and The Free Nationals

Anderson .Paak and his band The Free Nationals will play their first India shows at the second edition of Backdoors. Photo: Press image

Grammy-nominated American rapper, singer, drummer and producer Anderson .Paak and his band The Free Nationals will play their first India shows at the second edition of Backdoors. The outdoor concert series is a two-city event with the first show taking place on February 14th in Mumbai and the second on February 17th in Bengaluru. Get tickets for Bengaluru here and tickets for Mumbai here.

James Blunt

James Blunt initially gained global fame with his 2004 debut album ‘Back To Bedlam.’ Photo: Jimmy Fontaine

Back in November English singer-songwriter James Blunt announced that he will be making his India debut in Bengaluru on April 9th, 2018 as part of his Afterlove World Tour. Blunt initially gained global fame with his 2004 debut album Back To Bedlam. Since then, the singer-songwriter has released four studio albums, the most recent being 2017’s Afterlove. Get tickets for the “You’re Beautiful” hitmaker’s show here.

John Mayall

Multi-instrumentalist John Mayall will perform at the eighth edition of the Mahindra Blues Festival next month. Photo: Courtesy of Mahindra Blues Festival

The first time English blues musician John Mayall set foot in India was when he was serving in the army in the early Fifties, en route to Korea. He says, “We didn’t get to see as much as we’d like.” Now 84, Mayall will visit India once again next month, only this time his experience in the country will be wholly different. The multi-instrumentalist will perform at the eighth edition of the Mahindra Blues Festival in Mumbai between February 10th-11th. Get tickets here.

Plini

Rumor has Plini is planning a multi-city tour in India too. Photo: Courtesy of the artist

Australian guitar virtuoso Plini Roessler-Holgate, better known as just Plini, will perform for the first time in India as part of Vh1 Supersonic’s star-studded 2018 lineup. “Going to INDIA for the first time ever next month!” the young musician shared on his social media. “With David Maxim Micic… and playing Vh1 Supersonic festival alongside Incubus, Major Lazer and many more. What is life?” Rumor has it he’s planning a multi-city tour in the country too. Get tickets to Vh1 Supersonic here.

Wolf Alice

London rock band Wolf Alice will make their India debut at Backdoors in 2018. Photo: Laura Allard Fleischl

Wolf Alice, the four-piece Grammy-nominated alternative rockers from London, will also be making their India debut via Backdoors 2018. The band is set to perform on February 14th in Mumbai and February 17th in Bengaluru. Get tickets for Bengaluru here and tickets for Mumbai here.

Icefish

Icefish will make their big India debut at Opus in Bengaluru on February 23rd. Photo: Courtesy of the artist

This new progressive rock/metal super-group formed by legendary Australian drummer Virgil Donati and acclaimed Italian keyboardist Alex Argento will make their big India debut at Opus in Bengaluru on February 23rd. The band also consists of guitarist Marco Sfogli and bassist/vocalist Andrea Casali. Get tickets here.

Along with the above confirmed performances, the rumor mill is churning with plenty of guesses as to which other musicians are planning to add India to their 2018 tour rosters. Some of the artists people are talking about include:

Eminem

India’s hunger for an Eminem concert pretty much rivals the demand we saw for a Coldplay debut. Photo: Craig McDean

India’s hunger for an Eminem concert pretty much rivals the demand we saw for a Coldplay debut and now with the latter fulfilled, the country has fully turned its attention to the Grammy-winning rapper. A world tour is extremely likely to follow the release of his new album Revival and with its growing audience for international artists, India is a prime candidate for the destination list. Additionally, much like in the months before Coldplay and Justin Bieber’s maiden shows in Mumbai, several ‘Eminem in India’ event pages have popped up on Facebook–one has over 18 thousand fans ticking ‘interested’.

Katy Perry

The release of Katy Perry’s album ‘Witness’ and the success of its supporting tour have signaled rumors of a long-overdue stop in India. Photo: Promotional image

It’s no secret that the “Swish Swish” singer has a long-time connection to India and while she made her debut performance at 2012’s Indian Premier League opening ceremony in Chennai, the release of her new album Witness and the success of its supporting tour have signaled rumors of a long-overdue solo show.

Justin Timberlake

Many hope Justin Timberlake will include India in his Man of the Woods Tour which begins in March 2018. Photo: Ryan McGinley

As the pop/R&B singer-songwriter makes his big comeback with his fifth studio album Man of the Woods, there are many who hope he will include India in his Man of the Woods Tour which begins in March 2018. From old rumors of him headlining at Vh1 Supersonic, to talk on social media of a show in Mumbai, the hope to see him in India is high.