The Hits and Misses from Lollapalooza India 2023

The debut edition of Lollapalooza India 2023 came to a close with the news that the festival will return to Mumbai in 2024. That means there are bound to be a few learnings the team is going to take back, even as they pat themselves on the back for hosting a massive festival in the heart of the city, boasting of a reported 60,000 people in attendance across two days.

As attendees and the Indian music fraternity alike took to social media to vent their frustrations but also hail a powerful new entrant to the live music game in the country, we took notes about some of the things that went down. Here are the hits and misses of Lollapalooza India 2023.

The Misses:

No Parking

This one was an early shock to anyone who had plans of attending Lollapalooza in a way they’re used to going to music festivals. Not only did the lack of parking anywhere at Mahalaxmi Race Course knock down any chance of a safe and comfortable (even if traffic-filled) ride to and back from the festival, but it also took away any chances of the beloved pre-gaming rituals that are part of everyone’s gig-going memories.

Overcrowded Bars

On day one, it took anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour to get a drink at the bar at Lollapalooza India’s several counters across the field. From activation of wristband balance to the supposed “re-activation” required on day two and just run-of-the-mill technical difficulties and not having all hands on deck, festival attendees grumbled aplenty about perhaps the most basic thing to get right at a gig. While conditions improved on day two, the damage was done.

House of Hashbass Getting a Low Draw

Mumbai-based bassist-producer Hashbass aka Harshit Misra’s special set ‘House of Hashbass’ was a curated highlight of Lollapalooza India. But even as he brought his A-game with a host of collaborators on stage, it was evident that the act was sandwiched between some big draws which took away most of the crowd from an exceptional set. Hashbass and friends gave it their grooving best despite the low turnout, though, and we hope there are more curated performances from the artist.

A “VIP” Section Without Any Real Benefits

At several points of Lollapalooza India 2023, you could spot several attendees wearing a VIP lanyard and card around their necks, but pretty much just roaming around the general festival area to catch the acts. That’s perhaps due to an elevated viewing area that didn’t offer much of a great view and didn’t really have any major benefits compared to the other ticket packages being sold at the festival.

AP Dhillon Going Over Time

Everyone was hyped for Punjabi star AP Dhillon’s set over at the BudX stage on day one. As it kicked off and progressed, the awe of the star’s performance power faded a bit, even as pyrotechnics added a bit of dazzle. But that’s not really the grouse here, because Dhillon also performed well past his set time, so much so that American rockers Greta Van Fleet began their set at the opposite Walkers & Co stage. Dhillon’s sound was cut and it was an unceremonious end, leading to a domino effect of delays in the schedule. It’s not unheard of, but given Lollapalooza India’s impeccable time management, this one proved to be a misstep.

The Hits:

Signing at The Yellow Diary

Singing hands were a part of rock band The Yellow Diary’s sunny set at the Budx stage on day one of Lolla India, with two different volunteers from an NGO using sign language to interpret the lyrics and music on stage. It’s been a staple at festivals and shows around the world now – for artists across genres – so it was heartening to see yet another inclusive step makes its way to Indian festivals.

Free Water By The Plentiful

Under the Mumbai sun, humidity, dust and heat were obviously going to be a part of Lolla India. Thankfully, the festival had plenty of hydrating stations fully stocked (sometimes even offering cold water) for attendees. While drinking water has been a mandatory part of all outdoor music events, Lolla India did its part in there being no shortage or queues for an important element.

Food By The Mall-Full

Unless your festival is actually sponsored by a food delivery brand, chances of having five full rows of food stalls are pretty less. But Lollapalooza India gave us just that. From the exorbitant, fancy dishes to the street food that can be scarfed down in minutes, this was a mostly accessible and enjoyable part of the festival.

Finding Out That Julian Casablancas Watched Pathaan

The Strokes’ headline performance on day two of the festival gave us a good amount of stage banter and it was in a wholly different vein compared to the mostly aspirational messages of Imagine Dragons on day one. Unlike Dan Reynolds, The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas didn’t mind poking at the cultural issue of people calling the city Bombay and Mumbai. The funniest part was his anecdotes as a tourist out here, talking about how he went to watch Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Pathaan and how it inspired him a great deal, particularly to come out in a long black trench coat.

Cigarettes After Sex Still Being a Huge Draw in India

When the Lollapalooza India schedule was announced a few weeks ago, fans raged about the obvious clashing of sets, most of them pointing to the penultimate performance slot that American band Cigarettes After Sex were handed. With a few rejigs, the band proved that they still have a huge audience in India. Among one of two international acts who were returning to India (the other being producer-DJ Diplo), CAS were a huge draw for a sundowner set. Sure, it may have been more conducive for their slow-tempo songs to be performed indoors, but they still made it count, proving there’s no short-term shelf-life for them.

Siri Flips The Script with Male Dancers

Bengaluru-origin multilingual hip-hop artist Siri brought an energy that’s fit for headliners during her afternoon set at Perry’s x Budweiser Beats stage on day two. Songs produced by the likes of Sez on the Beat and Bharg made for bangers, but it was also the all-male dance crew Wild Ripperz backing the artist that added a layer of subversion, gyrating and moving around like Siri’s subjects.