From Bryan Adams to Enrique to Tiësto: Inside the business of bringing global acts to India

In India’s fast-growing live entertainment scene, the spotlight usually belongs to the stars on stage. But what happens behind the lights, in the months of planning, negotiations and production? That is a story of its own.

EVA Live, a relatively new but fast-expanding player, has been part of that backstage churn, turning the chaos into experiences that stay with the audience for a long time.  Barely two years old, the company has already brought the legendary Bryan Adams,  Tiësto,  Sean Paul, and the millennial heartthrob, Enrique Iglesias to the Indian stage.

How has the journey been for the minds behind the EVA Live?  For founder Deepak Choudhary, it is much less than an overnight success and more a continuation of a long run in the events industry.

“I started much earlier—with an event management school, then with event awards like WOW Awards. I also started India’s first IP company in the events space, where we created festivals like Bollywood Music Project and Social Nation. With that experience, when the right time for concerts came, EVA Live was created during that period,” says Choudhary.

That background, he says, helped the company build credibility.

EVA

Live sets itself apart as a "promoter-first company", highlights Choudhary, unlike ticketing platforms such as BookMyShow or Zomato.

“We understand what an artist wants and how to bring brands on board effectively,” he adds.

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The long road to showtime

What exactly goes behind getting an artist to hit an Indian stage? What looks effortless on stage is, in practice, a year-long logistical exercise.

“The first and most difficult part is booking the artist — with the right negotiation,” says Choudhary. “You have to find a venue, which is a challenge in itself. You also have to find a city where the artist has a strong audience base, and then convince the artist to come,” he adds.

It sounds simple enough, but each event, he says, is almost a year in the making. “Once that’s done, it’s a nine-month to one-year process. You finalise the artist, lock the venue, and then move to production.”

That production process, involving everything from technical design to sponsorship and safety, now runs like a small industrial operation.

“India has world-class production and technology now—great LEDs, lights, sound, and technical talent,” he notes. “Each team member is equipped with the right experience across production, sales, sponsorship and finance.”

Behind every goal is an action plan, and behind every concert poster lies a spreadsheet of permits, technical diagrams, rehearsal schedules, safety audits and more.

A single large-format show can involve hundreds of people, multiple government permissions, and days of round-the-clock work on logistics— from artist travel and visa coordination to emergency protocols,  says Choudhary

Betting on the next wave

With over 60 large-format events planned across 25-plus cities in FY26, EVA Live is now scaling across categories —from music to comedy and even spiritual performances.

The company’s music portfolio follows a three-pronged approach: touring with established artists, developing upcoming acts, and bringing international names to Indian venues.

“We want to give India the best live experiences it deserves,” says Choudhary, while highlighting the company's goal to widen India’s access to international-standard live experiences

Having been part of the events business since 2002, Choudhary has seen its transformation from a sponsorship-led niche to a consumer-driven industry. He says the next generation entering the sector is far more focused. His advice to them: “It looks glamorous, but it’s not. It requires a lot of hard work and a bit of madness.”

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