When Amrita Kaur decided to attend Punjabi pop star Diljit Dosanjh’s concert in India this month, she was prepared to experience some discomfort.

Ms. Kaur, who has attended several concerts in the past, was somewhat looking forward to the “exciting chaos” of large crowds at large events in India.

But what awaited her was far worse than she imagined.

There is little crowd control and sanitation is non-existent. Overloaded mobile networks stopped working, raising fears for personal safety. Even using the toilets felt like a gamble, she said, because it meant having to queue in front of “unhygienic, smelly stalls” for the remainder of the show.

The venue, a large swath of government-owned land in the northern city of Chandigarh, had no public transport links or parking spaces, leaving Ms Kaur with no choice but to drive to a friend’s house nearby and then get stuck in the inevitable aftermath of the concert. , the traffic jam lasted for several hours.

“You pay that much for a ticket, but what do you get in return? It could be a urinary tract infection, a headache after listening to a few pieces of music,” she said of her experience.

It’s been a big year for India’s booming concert industry, with massive tours from Dua Lipa, Dosanjh and Maroon 5 filling stadiums and venues and already exciting audiences. Other international acts including Green Day, Coldplay and Ed Sheeran will also perform in the coming months.

In fact, concerts in India Generate approximately Rs 800 crore Last year’s revenue ($94.1m; £75.3m) – this is expected to grow by 25% by the end of 2025.

Not only are young, affluent Indians willing to spend more to see their favorite music stars, they are actively seeking out these events. In 2023, more than 400,000 Indians said they Visited other cities in India Attend live events.

Despite the enthusiasm, many concertgoers said their experience was far from ideal. The issue hit the headlines earlier this week when a diabetic with incontinence issues said he ended up soiling himself at a Bryan Adams concert because the venue had no restrooms.

On the same day, Dosanjh, who is on a nationwide tour, shocked fans by announcing that he would not perform again in India until infrastructure at concert venues was improved. The singer later clarified that he was referring to just one of the venues.

Since then, social media has been flooded with similar complaints from concertgoers. Book tickets from dodgy scalping sites The price is astonishingly highFans say they have to pay more than just money to see their favorite shows, which they have to brave hours of traffic before and after, often with full bladders.

Those who can now choose to attend shows in other countries for a safer, more fun experience. “At Adele’s Munich concert, the staff were constantly cleaning the toilets and even after the three-hour concert, the toilets were still very clean,” said Bangalore-based lawyer Ishika Goon. “If it’s going to cost so much, I might as well Go and experience the full experience.”

Organizers and promoters acknowledge the problems but say they are also beset by broader infrastructure challenges.

Anmol Kukreja, co-founder of Skillbox, says this is because India doesn’t have enough dedicated venues for live concerts, forcing them to choose sub-optimal spaces or avoid certain cities altogether , all of which hinder the large-scale development of the industry. Entertainment company that has hosted more than 300 concerts.

He said that unlike many Western countries where concert venues are plentiful, events in India must be held in places such as shopping malls, stadiums or on public land – all of which have their own limitations and many variables.

A mall may have better toilets and designated parking areas, but it won’t necessarily be able to accommodate the large crowds that a large tract of barren land in a remote corner of the city with poor traffic can.

Today, many music events are held in public stadiums to minimize some inconvenience, but this also brings challenges such as poor sound quality, crowd management issues and a lot of red tape.

Kukreja said government-owned venues were better suited to hosting large events, but the process of booking them was often a complex “web of permits and licenses, which makes them unattractive”.

To bridge these gaps, organizers end up spending thousands of dollars building temporary infrastructure at venues before each concert, including stages, makeshift bathrooms and parking spaces, which can take a serious toll, said Tej Brar, founder of Mumbai’s Third Culture added. Director of NH7, one of the largest music festivals in India.

It’s not just business that’s affected, it’s the live music scene that’s being affected as well, as a whole group of smaller independent artists are being left out because they’re not “big enough” for people to pay the exorbitant prices to see them.

“If they can’t attract an audience of 10,000 people or more, they usually won’t do the show because it doesn’t work out financially for the organizers.”

But lately, even major international music festivals with star-studded stars and multi-million-dollar budgets have been disappointing fans.

“That’s all well and good, but why can’t you have clean toilets?” asked Delhi-based journalist Sreoshi Mukherjee.

Mukherjee, who regularly attends concerts across the country, was particularly struck by the lack of restrooms at Lollapalooza and Backstreet Boys, where tickets cost between 5,000 rupees ($59; £47) and 10,000 rupees ($118; £94).

“At one point, the toilets ran out of toilet paper and water. We actually had to buy water bottles to relieve ourselves,” she said.

There is growing criticism that high ticket prices turn these events into high culture experiences suitable only for a select few, but there are other accessibility issues as well.

Most venues offer few arrangements for people with disabilities, such as wheelchair access and audio description. At Dosanjh’s Chandigarh concert, Ms. Kaur said they had to bring their wheelchair-bound friends into the venue as there was no ramp or accessibility.

The BBC has contacted organizers of all events mentioned in the story for comment.

Others in the industry say there is unlikely to be a one-size-fits-all solution to the problems, but they worry about the longer-term impact on the business. For now, people are still willing to pay. But continued poor facilities may change their minds.

“Word of mouth plays a vital role in event attendance and negative feedback can damage an organizer’s reputation,” Mr Brar said.

But he added that responsibility for solving the problem needs to be shared. “While companies are responsible for selecting venues and setting ticket prices, venues should provide basic facilities. Adequate toilet facilities and dedicated cleaning staff should be standard at venues.”

As the country prepares to host big names like Sheeran and Green Day, fans are hoping for a better experience.

For some, the crowds and potential risk of infection still feel like a small price to pay to see their favorite stars.

“The chaos and confusion is exciting,” said student Mohamed Sami.

“It’s like you’re stranded on an island surrounded by hundreds of strangers who are determined to survive the night and stick together.”